Grateful Dead

Get well soon old top!
Emergency heart surgery on the tenth, supposedly he’s got a strong heart and doing ok.

Perhaps a doo-rag would help? At least with public safety issues. And the teeth -- you know dentists can fix that stuff now. KIDDING!

Ah, Daverock, I was only fantasizing about a fall '72 box. So, if money is the object, I too would re-issue E72 on vinyl, at least a half-dozen of the top shows, and save fall '72 for the excruciating, indeterminate future. But ... vinyl E72 does not a box make. And no way they're gonna remix/remaster all 22 shows, r-r-right?

We gotta think in terms of 20 CDs, right? If that's a criteria, I have a hard time with my earlier theory that an '80s box is coming at us. 20 CDs of DATs from mid-80s? Meh! So I'm just rummaging in my mind for something likely -- again, '79 or '81? Spring '71?? Every last scrap of '68 left in the vault? Oh, how our desires skew our reason...

The basic question for me is: how the heck are they going follow-up, if not top, Listen to the River?

It's a conundrum inside a fortune cookie, no? And, yes, I need to shut up because you're probably right -- we're a loooong waaaay from any announcements. At least post #42 that lands at the end of April. The solution: pull the Vancouver '73 show from the PNW box, re-spin J. Cash from the Carousel, and learn to play "Cocaine Blues" (a redundant title, I can tell you...).

Can you?
Can you?

Well I’m your ice cream man, stop me when I’m passing by.

2 Boxes per year sure would make the waiting between Boxes easier.

I listened to 4-8-72 last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. And I’ll buy the vinyl if I can get a copy. But for a show like that, flipping an album every 20 min or so is really going to break up the flow at the end of the show.

I see that his long awaited new book "Cronies, a Burlesque: Adventures with Ken Kesey, Neal Casady, the Merry Pranksters and the Grateful Dead" has finally been published. It has been a long time coming but I am sure it will be worth the wait. I have ordered it and cannot wait to read it. I have already read a chapter, "We were arrested" which was published awhile ago as a chapbook and it was fascinating reading. Big thanks to Gary Farseer for that!

Long ago I had a Ukrainian girlfriend.
She looked just like Honeybunch Kaminski.
I wonder where she is now.

Hey Oro - Thanks for the update on Babbs. Glad to hear he is recovering, and great to see his book is out finally. I’ll order it today. These guys lived such crazy and hilarious adventures, that you get to experience viscerally!

For my wife of Ukranian heritage, a big Phuc U to Putin.
And my eternal gratitude to the Grateful Dead, and the truly wonderful and witty people that visit this board with stories, songs, anecdotes, and info, you are a Grate reminder of the good in this world!

So the next time someone asks you why you’re a Deadhead,
Perhaps the answer should go something like this.

Do you know what it feels like to be a headlight
On a north bound train?

Because we do.

Do you know how it feels to have spent half your life
Doing time for some others fucker’s crime?

We do.

Do you know how it feels to be an angel
Standing in a shaft of light?

We do.

We also know how it will feel when the
Sun will shine in our back door someday.

And we know that we can get up and fly away.
And lastly, we know that the four winds will blow us safely home.

It's happening today from 9a.m. pst. to 1am pst . David Gans hosts the annual Grateful Dead Marathon on KPFA 94.1 fm. and plays Garteful Dead tapes from the vault for 16 hours. You can get KPFA on line , a great listener sponsored radio station, who's history with the Grateful Dead goes way back in time.

Welcome words

:)))

Author! Author! (Intense cheers and clapping)
Excellent!

Just read that, Who Shot the Water Buffalo, and John’s book., Prankster Memoirs.
Dug them all, especially Water Buffalo. Cronies is great. Not too much rehash, great inside looks at historic and Dead related happenings. To me, sometimes the bus stuff goes on a bit, like ya had to be there to really get it? But over all I loved it.
He was recently doing a lot of funny on line interviews, including one with Walton we saw, good sheet Mon!

....do you know how it feels to leave your uncle's dead ass on the side of the road? On second hand, scratch that.

Ordered! Thanks for the heads up. Also, just received Gram Parsons Live from the Avalon 1969. Thanks for that heads up, too.

I just picked up a 4 cd set of lesser known British blues artists. Dave Kelly JoAnn Kelly Bob Hall Steve and Simon. To me even better is the 130 page cd size book with numerous essays about that period and the people involved. A great addition to my small subsection of Obscure BB. I’ve managed to accumulate maybe 25 titles outside the obvious ( think Mayall ). Title of set is Something inside of me

I wouldn't have wanted to drop acid with them. What a motto - "never trust a prankster". Probably better to score off them and then go off and create your own scene. Either create your own system or be enslaved by another's, to paraphrase William Blake. The most interesting thing about their little soiree's, to me, would have been when The Dead were there. Maybe check them out, and then push off.

Having said that, I used to love "The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test", and read it several times back in my youth. It all makes for a great story - particularly when it was told as well it was by Tom Wolfe.

....cannot source it as true, but still works. 🇺🇦.
Phish busted out The Maker w/ Dave Matthew's in 🇲🇽 Mexico the other night.
Nice.

In the midst of darkness there is always light.

....and took ass in Mexico 🇲🇽.
Trey thanked the country for having them.

I had weekapaug groove in my head earlier today

Great Alligator!

They gotta be somewhere

68, Dave!

A classic ! I enjoy all 4 of these shows equally, they all have their strong points.

Agreed. I've only just played these in preparation for the vinyl 3/1/69. When I play these, though, I usually stop at 3/1/69 and move on to another era without playing the final night of the run. So maybe now I should start with 3/2/69 and walk backwards.

Your sentiment towards the Pranksters is close to how I feel about the GD. I love their music, I love most of the individual band members solo projects, and sure I'd be excited to hang with any of them, but..... It's the music. I never wanted to glom onto anyone else's scene. Enjoy it? Sure. Dedicate myself to someone else's trip? Nah.

I had a friend in college who had considerable means and when he graduated he moved to Marin County and eventually bought the house next door to Bob Weir's place and joined Bobby's neighborhood football games. Sounds like a lot of fun, but ... structuring my life around anyone except my partner has always been a foreign concept. Yes, I followed the GD 1972-77 as I was able for a footloose, dirt-poor teenager. We hitchiked to shows in t-shirts and jeans (in summer only). But apart from the Watkins Glen (7/27 and 7/28 '73) and then Roosevelt Stadium (7/31 and 8/1, '73) we never "toured." The concept would be absurd; we didn't have money to buy food, let alone a motel room and we didn't own cars -- at least thrice, I slept on the ground in the bushes after a show (RFK 6/9/73, the Glen, Englishtown). And I should add got many rides from kind people who were either of the tribe or looking askance at a couple long-haired, semi-coherent teenagers... So we certainly put the "fan" in "fanatic," but moving in next door to Bob Weir? Geez...

When I lived in Denver in the late '70s (I do now, again) we had Red Rocks 20 minutes away, so the band -- and the rest of the world -- came to us, and still does. Pretty smug, eh?

Meanwhile, my own trajectory wobbled somewhere between high plains drifter -- I've lived in at least six Colorado towns and a couple cabins on the rural margins over the years -- and highly determined-to-work as a professional, blending equal parts purpose and serendipidity. Cost me some heartache, but still ridin' it out.

At some point, maybe early '80s, I stopped taking psychedics at shows because it became apparent that the crowd and high volume of music forced selective perception: I couldn't unfold the wings of perception while handling large numbers of people and high-volume music. That experience required shutting down some sensibilities while exercising others. That strikes me as, perhaps, akin to the chaos and insanity the Pranksters put on. "Never trust a Prankster" is not the kind of supportive, trusting environment I associate with tripping. Now most of my sacrament taking is solo in the backcountry.

Coffee good this morning. Thanks for indulging me on self-absorbed musings.

HF - yes, I think we are both the same - with infinite variety. A lot of your experiences mirror mine as a teenager - although Live Dead sadly weren't an option for me But I did go to festivals seeing bands with no camping gear, no where to stay and no obvious way home. Take anything, anywhere without having a clue what risks I was taking or how strong what I'd just popped into my mouth really was.
I wasn't like that for long though, really. My golden era for taking psychedelics was much later, also on my own - always mushrooms, between 1987 and 1993. I would go out with non tripping friends later the same day - wonderful years. I stopped in 1993 because I moved area and took up a professional role, working with people suffering from addictions. I personally don't feel that my ongoing use would have been contradictory to this role-but I'm not sure my employers would have seen it that way. Anyway, I stopped then, and have never gone back. Unlike your good self, by the sound of things! I can't remember having any negative psychedelic experiences between 1987 and `1993.

I have never been a "joiner inner" really. All sorts of things interest me,...but I'm not ready to sign on the dotted line for anything yet. To thine own self be true!

Well done.

Rather than stop what I was listening to and go on to 2/27/69 yesterday, I decided to carry on with Dicks Picks 26-one of those slightly confusing releases that includes two shows ( or fragments of) but doesn't say where one show ends and the next begins. 4/26/69 seemed okay, but the energy level increased noticeably on what I assumed was the last song of the set "Lovelight." Never my favourite song-this felt much more powerful than what had gone before. Incredible double drum driving. Of course, checking Deadbase, I realised that this was the first song of the next show in the collection 4/27/69. Proof positive that shows that look similar on paper can be very different to listen to. Unless it was just me of course.

2/28/69 another classic show, if you had one run of shows to attend, this Fillmore West run would be a great choice. Daverock, for some reason they decided to leave Viola Lee Blues off this 4/26/69 release, it's a killer version, check it out. Also, this is the only show that the Dead did What's become of the Baby, they played the recorded version on Aoxomoxoa and they played feedback live while that track was playing.

Billy - thanks for jogging my memory - Viola Lee Blues from 4/26/69 is included on The Phil Zone too . I didn't know they interpreted What's Become of the Baby at this show either. Bit of a missed opportunity there - if that had been included, then this show, as released, would have been unique. In a way then, Dicks Picks 26 short changes 4/26/69 a bit.

Comus-First Utterance-Tip ‘o the hat to DAVEROCK!!
Beatles-Get Back Rooftop Performance
Elvis Costello-The Boy Named If
Shuggie Otis-Inspiration Information
Bob Dylan-Planet Waves

It’s a crazy, mixed-up world, but Music is a consistent balm(for me at least!!).

Dave’s 42 anyone?? It’s only about 62 days away!!

My sister lives in Mill Valley, and she used to see Weir around town all the time. (Not so much lately.) She’s not a fan, so it’s no biggie for her, but I’ve sometimes thought about what I would do if I saw Bob getting coffee or something while I was visiting her. I wouldn’t want to bother him, but I think I’d have to at least say hello, right? Say ‘thanks for the music’ at least? My other sister lives in Kauai, where Kreutzman lives now, and I’m going to be visiting her in a couple weeks. Wonder what I should say if I see BK grabbing a shave ice?

I can definitely relate to what hendrixfreak sed: shows just got too big for my liking in the ‘80s. As a rule, I’d usually much rather see a decent band in a small club than go see some superstars in a sports arena: better sound, fewer assholes, fewer cops, room to breath. Throw psychedelics into the mix and the gap gets even wider. It’s one thing to be shrooming at the Warfield with 2,000 of deadicated Heads, quite another to try to deal with 50,000 people who seem like they just got bussed in from MTV’s spring break special. Not to mention all the security.

In principle, I always thought it was cool that the Pranksters had such a wide open, “let’s get high and freak freely” approach to tripping, as opposed to the Millbrook thing of sitting silently in a room with a candle and saying Om or whatever. That said, I’m not sure I could’ve passed the Acid Test. My best experiences, aside from Dead shows, were always out in nature: a deserted stretch of shoreline on the Lost Coast, backpacking the Sierras, etc. I think if I would've had to try to simultaneously process Babbs' babbling, Cassidy's hammer juggling, the Dead, and 500 mics worth of Koolaid my brains probably woulda dribbled out my ears.

Last thought: how lucky are we? The StL box continues to delight. Seven shows from three different tours, all in good-to-great sound. And the last two DaPs have also been great. I mean, millions of people love Zeppelin, the Stones, the Eagles, and other bands from back in the day, but nobody (well, except the ABB I guess) has anything like the Dead's archival release thing. Blessed be us.

If I had to choose.... I would choose neither of them. While the pranksters now seem a bit ghastly, Leary seemed a bit over ambitious. I still have some of his books -that one which is a psychedelic version of The Tibetan Book of The Dead comes to mind. I think the idea was that you read it to someone who was tripping, as a means of helping them locate the light. I wonder if anyone ever did that. That idea of set and setting does ring true though - and I would say that advice has stayed appropriate down through the years

Mr Ones - I still haven't got round to listening to Planet Waves. I always assumed it was a weaker one, but I read recently that it was very much a part of a trilogy, with "Blood on the Tracks" and "Desire", so I am hoping to check it out soon.

may be (probably is) just one man's approach, possibly idiosyncratic. First off, know your materials well (potency) and decide if you want a micro-dose, a medium but significant journey or a little over the top approach. Because I'm in the backcountry alone, I need to be confident that I can get somewhere and back in a day, handle the terrain, maintain my orienteering skills, and calmly apply my behavioral knowledge if I run into a bear or cougar. (Don't surprise 'em, talk, wave arms, don't look 'em in the eye, give 'em room to avoid you, take the guard off the pepper spray, be sure you're upwind, etc.) I get moving early in the day and have an objective before dropping so as the agent (psilycibin for me) comes on, I'm in my element in terms of orienteering, body and mind synch and thus avoiding the initial, potentially debilitating awkwardness of the limbs and thoughts that comes with the cosmic yawns at "onset." And make sure I'm actively striding and finding my way as the peak comes and goes. I usually don't stop for any length of time. Occasionally I miscalculate the powder at the bottom of the bag and get a little walloped. But an 8-hour hike through spectacular terrain where I won't see humans -- this is trackless country, no trails -- typically does the trick. And there's nothing like a shot and a beer and a toke back at camp or, if camp is the truck, then a chair and guitar. Last fall I did just that across a wild plateau called East Cactus Flats, returning to my truck in a forsaken place called Disappointment Draw. I cracked a beer and started fingerpicking when I heard a strange noise. A good-sized pronghorn, traveling alone, approached to within maybe 50 feet and kept querying me -- no mistaking that querying sound. Essentially, who or what are you? What the hell is that sound you're making? And, have you seen my peeps? I've noticed that wild animals, as well as domesticated dogs, totally key in to a person who is psychedelic. The other major part of this approach is what I'd call "digestion." Take the time to fully absorb the lessons of the day and seek ways to incorporate those insights into your ordinary reality and dealings with others. Be patient and kind. (I do not always succeed; this is a work in progress after 50 years.) Too much repetition of the experience without "digestion" and, to me, it's just repeating the high without drawing the lessons. Note that I did none of this the first ten years. We'd find out the LSD's potency the hard way. Lessons might be impressed upon us without our consent(!) The chaos and human interactions could be frightening -- usually to others, but sometimes to me. (Don't try driving!!) But over the decades I kinda honed an approach that essentially comprises medicine for the soul, for me. I think the currrent surge in interest by scientists and the general public is good up to a point, as psychedelics, used constructively, can help bolster our humanity and -- perhaps -- ease difficulties. But I could not recommend them. Either they work for you or they don't. And finding out can be tricky. Sure makes me a better-adjusted person -- and now I'm echoing Paul McCartney, I believe!

That's all the blathering for today. As you were........

driving under the influence can be fun, and frightening. I knew a guy who wanted to drive, he said he could see so well that anything that could have collided with the vehicle he could see long before it would happen. He was a great driver and drove us all to and back many a show. We in the back seat could only jiggle as he navigated the roadways so gracefully, with a huge grin on his face (aka Neil like). The road always seemed to get away from me whenever I tried, like a ribbon that would unravel. On deserted roads, it was fun, on the freeway, not so much.
Back in the day when I first started (69) it was the thing to try and freak each other out, aka pranksters, with double talk and echo talk and endlessly trying to get each other to lose it laughing, especially in a crowd of er...non dosed. After hearing about Leary and his way of spiritualizing psychedelics it just wasn't as much fun sitting around trying to concentrate on any one thing for very long. Pranking and laughing was way more fun.
Not being a musician, never really wanted to hang out with bands, but I always wanted what they were smoking, drinking or taking in any other form. Would have loved to hang with Kesey and Babbs, what a trip that would have been.

I've never heard that term used before, but it happens to me every time.

There was a period mid-career where I did not indulge, plus it seemed hard to get for a while. ..but I still seem to dip my big toe into the cosmos at least once a year.

In terms of place and setting, early on I found myself either wanting to be in a small group and away from phones and random people or in such a large group as to be ambiguous. So it became nature, camping, backcountry or frankly dead shows. That seems to work.

The last decade I find myself liking to be alone, mostly kayaking/hiking/biking where I won't run into some unexpected situation where somebody needs me. Concerts too when I don't have to drive or the show is long enough to fit it in. I want no responsibilities whatsoever. Oh, and headphones, music is good - almost a must. So I still explore when I can find the time and tranquility to pull it off. I can't speak for everyone, but I find it helpful for me. It gives me a chance to reformat my internal hard drive and reorganize thoughts, priorities and who I am.

Those are my tricks.. but I have to admit the HF approach is quite appealing to me. If you notice some unexpected rando behind you on the trail, I'm the one with earphones and a tie dye (and the bad orange hair and pasty white complexion). :D

Cosmic yawns.. so true. That cracks me up.

There's a lot of great research on micro dosing that's come out lately. Encouraging to me.

As to tripping with the pranksters or at an acid test, be it a good idea or not, I would do it in a heartbeat. But alas, I was born too late. That ship sailed while I was playing in the sand box out back. Babs.. I am here, once you come out of your heart injury, if you want to have one last foray into the unknown, give me a call. I'm all in.

I have been interested in the recent scientific and public interest in psychedelics, and the increasing evidence of their positive effects. It certainly seems true to my experiences with mushrooms. I would never have said that I was depressed prior to my experiences, but looking back, my life changed in all sorts of positive and unexpected ways during and after my time of taking them. It seems a bit contradictory, but they seemed to straighten me out. I also wonder now if L.S.D use in the 60's and 70's may actually have set psychedelic culture back decades.

With acid ,I never knew how strong the stuff was before taking it. The differences between the strengths of the few trips I had on it were massive. Like with most drugs, the biggest danger in it, to me, lay and still lie, in it's illegality. As far as I could make out, no-one - certainly as far down the chain as me - had the faintest idea what they were taking. I can remember when I was on the social work course in 1991, the police gave us a list of all the drugs they had picked up one recent weekend that had been sold in clubs as "ecstasy". Everything from caffeine to STP. I remember one guy who told me he sold dogs worming tablets as ecstasy.

At the end of the day, I feel it is important to take care of ourselves, and of other people, in the best way that we individually can. I wouldn't want to be a part of any group that disregards the welfare and happiness of it's most vulnerable members.
And driving - I am sorry PT, you are a prince among men - but I have known several people-I am sure we all have - who have killed themselves or others in motor accidents. Horrendous experiences all round - for the victim, the family and friends left behind, and the perpetrator. Any activity that increases the possibility of creating such a tragedy should surely be ruled out.

Incidentally, what the heck's a pronghorn ? I think if I had seen one of them in Oldham in the 70's I would have thought it was the devil.

What a show, especially that 1st set! I wish the Dead would have played China Cat Sunflower at these shows .

Jim, you may not have heard the phrase "cosmic yawn" before because I made it up on the spot as I typed that comment. Good one, though, huh? Now that everyone is growing mushrooms in their closet, the supply is bounteous. Denver recently decriminalized them, a wholesome development. Though that won't help me in the rural counties, so I try to behave.....

Daverock, a pronghorn is essentially an antelope, but not technically speaking, I believe. These freakin' things typically rove in bands on the Colorado Plateau and you have to watch out for them. They can run 60 miles per hour for fairly extended distances. In Wyoming, highway signs warn you -- a band could be streaking across the prairie and cross a paved highway at any angle at high speed.

I once was returning from a sojourn and spotted a band off the road. I watched them for a half a minute, at 100 yards, wondering what they might look like close up. Oh boy. As I returned my gaze to the road ahead I saw to my momentary horror a pronghorn just clearing my bumper as it streaked right to left across the highway. I'm doing 75 probably. I probably missed it by two seconds. I got a real good, close-up look. And promised myself I'd never again take my eyes off the road for more than a milisecond.

Yeah, sitting around, staring at a candle, listening to some self-appointed "guide" sounds like serious BS! I get the visceral attraction of tripping with the original Pranksters, but personally, I seek on my own.

Now that #41 is tucked away on the '77 shelf, I've been looking at the shelf with the 1965-1975 shows and man oh man do I have some listening to do while it's still winter and I'm spending the evenings inside. If a big storm crops up, I'll microdose, take a long walk in the snow, come home, make a fire, and plug in a guitar. Last time I did that, I played for about five hours straight and my fingers hurt like hell. When that's over, I have a couple hundred GD shows and a stack of Miles and Coltrane for the stereo. Life can be good!

...I too experience these 'cosmic yawns' (awesome label BTW, HF) pretty much every time on shrooms (including last Thursday for the Phish opener in Mexico!).

I had looked into this a little while back out of curiosity, noting the frequency of occurrence on my end.
Turns out they don't know *exactly* why it happens, but I did find this excerpt to throw some light on the topic:

"It’s also important to know from a physiological standpoint why magic mushrooms cause yawning in some people. What it comes down to is formulations containing precise amounts of certain compounds. Studying and understanding all of the compounds found in magic mushrooms and how they work together may result in formulations that have different properties (and therefore different effects) than pure psilocybin or magic mushrooms."

A deeper study indicates it has to do with affinity for the receptor that initiates a yawn, so it appears to be dependent very much upon the actual physical construction and binding of the various molecules within each individual.

A very interesting topic overall, to be sure. And I agree that the takeaways from these experiences (especially the early ones back in college times) are best digested from a few steps back to try to understand how the things I experienced impacted me and my worldview - which they did in numerous, profoundly positive ways. The very first time after I did psychedelics (shrooms) back in my freshman year of college, I recall in the midst, as well as afterwards, the discussion being "If everyone in the world did shrooms all at the same time, there would forever be world peace." It was that monumental discovery that everything, all of us, all of it - is all connected and those innate feelings of "looking out for humanity" become embedded (or perhaps brought back to the forefront after being subconsciously suppressed). These realizations then have lingered with me my entire life.

It seems that World Dosing at this point might be a reasonable idea to get everyone on the same page and back to looking out for each other.

Be Well People.
Sixtus

Sixtus - your account chimes very well with my experiences. I started doing voluntary work in 1987, the year I re-discovered mushrooms, and I did both until 1993. Its very hard to put, credibly, into words, but I felt very strongly that there was no difference between the people as I was trying to help and myself. That we were all different versions of each other. This wasn't an idea, or a theory, it was felt experience. Something that had always been there but which I had never noticed before. It influenced how I worked with people then and in the job I subsequently got. Meditation also became part of my life around then, and for me that was also part of how things unfolded. It never occurred to me to do this until a chance encounter with someone who did. That was another incredible surprise doing that -very different from what I thought it was. But that's not relevant for on here.
Somebody told me yesterday that Putin is addicted to steroids. I have no idea if this is true...but it figures.

Trips are for kids lol. Wasn’t that a t-shirt BITD?

Best place to trip was in the front row of GA Dead shows!
Like the dude in the Winterland movie.
Some of the best experiences of my life. Being that close, if your coherent and really paying attention, it’s like your in the band. Being a musician, you could catch them making little mistakes etc, and throwing things back and forth, and they have this whole other level of communication going on, much like anyone who works in an intimate, intense group setting. So they could tell if you were hip to what was actually going on and if so, they’d include you. Like say Jerry missed a solo, he’d look to see who was watching, who caught it, and if you did, and he knew you did, it was great fun.
The best was busting Bobbies balls all the time. We’d pester him to play the good shit in stead of endless repeated lame stuff. Usually stuff he wasn’t currently doing. He’d get kinda miffed, but Phil would laugh his ass off and egg us on, great fun! Billy too, but when he was playing he usually didn’t make a lot of eye contact, which if you’ve ever watched him up close you know he’s like a possessed person with his eyes all rolling in his head in another place, Bob gets like that too. etc. Kieth didn’t look around much. Brent seemed surprised/happy that anyone paid that kind of attention to him lol. Never got close to Vince?
Mickey liked to show off. If he knew you were watching, he’d do some extra rolls or something special to see if you caught it, he’d test ya, hell they all would. I’m sure it was more fun for them to have folks close by that actually had an idea what was actually happening and not just some over intoxicated noncritical clueless young fans who would eat anything as they’d say. Think screaming girls at Beatles concerts…probably would get pretty old.
But for the initiated, with everything dialed in just right, there was nothing else like it!

TRIP TIPS: Tolerance and familiarity, practice is the key. Just like with weed. When I was a professional and ate veggies all the time, id do all kinds of stuff, I’d go have a quick bite with the folks before things came on full blast. I didn’t like driving, but I’d be the one to go in the store at 3am and stock up on beer etc, because I was in practice, I did it all the time. Now I’d probably be scared to leave the house lol.
So like anything, if your comfortable and used to it, it’s easier etc, that and I agree that knowing what/how much etc is crucial to having a good experience. This is true with ANYTHING. Remember, if your going to be dumb, ya better be tough, and having an overly intense or bad trip for 12-20 hours ain’t fun!
Oh, and keep busy. How many times have you been really high but because your playing music, or skiing, something involved that your into or whatever, and your all good until you stop, then your like “holy crap am I fucking high” lol. Playing music, especially live was like this. As long as you were playing, you were good! One time we were doing A and crank. During rehearsal, while playing, I was fine, but as soon as we’d take a break, lol, wooooeeee, shit was intense! So don’t get hung up. Keep playing lol.

The few less than stellar trips I had were on Acid I wasn’t familiar with, or, occasionally, because of cumulative effect of too much for too long etc. oh, and yes HF, gotta watch that shroom powder in the bottom of the bag! LOL, whole long story about how I lost my shit in Hershey cause of the bottom of the bag shroom dust! (didn’t actually loose my shit, did need to lay down in the mud for a bit, but saw a home made shirt there that had that on it and always wished I had one lol. “I lost my shit in Hershey lol)
BITD Did plenty of A, but never liked big doses. Shrooms on the other hand, I was a warrior! Built up a nice tolerance BITD so could do strong doses and we did em often.
Nowadays, no desire to do A, well, micro thing could be interesting?
Veggies I’ve thought of retrying, just afraid I might have some other underlying unknown health concerns that they would exasperate? BP, heart etc?
Also don’t really have anybody to trip with, and the other half has never used anything more than drink, so not sure I’d want to go alone with just her around in case shit got weird? She’s a bit of a worrier so might get too worried and put too much weird energy out? Wouldn’t be good time for either of us.
Someday I’ll find the right situation. X, I have no desire to revisit. It was fun, but like A, I always felt like “this shit is really no good for me”. Never felt that way with the produce.

"over intoxicated noncritical clueless young fans who would eat anything"

Um, you must have known me "BITD"!

As a friend once said: "LSD is a young man's sport."

It's all about practice, and courage, no?

The weird turn pro!

EDIT: by “eat anything” I meant that no matter how the band played they thought it was the goat…
The band used to shit talk the fans: “they’ll eat anything”
I think monsieur Freak meant like eat as in literally to consume. In which case, I get the impression he’d excel at the latter, but not the former ; )

PT: Yaasss, not to advocate, but I know a guy like that. Knew a few who could drive after tripping ok, but this guy excelled at it!

Daverock, I never advocated driving under the influence, I just knew a guy who could drive really well dosed. Got to concur with others here that in my experience, shrooms are the way to go. I too, get those yawns, eyes start to water as you yawn away, a sure sign something is about to happen. Living in Florida all thru the 90's from May to Sep. sometimes Oct. we would be in the fields, every weekend. I enjoyed picking almost as much as consuming, well, almost. Been out of the loop for almost 20 yrs now, 2004 was the last time and 1999 was the last time with A. Miss those days but nowdays would have to be home, nice chill, with Jerry G and Gang or .... insert favorite trip music.

Apologies. It all seems so long ago now. I don't feel old enough to have lived so long !

Now you tell me..

What am I supposed to do, pull over and hope I don't see any cops for the next 12 hours? Besides, posting while driving is much more dangerous, it's a good thing I'm tripping or I don't think I could have pulled this off right now.

Cosmic Yawns.. still cracks me up. How long until that phrase appears in the Urban Dictionary? I have learned more reading posts here than many things they teach in college. (before anyone gets any ideas, leave my alma mater alone..)

It's quite possible, if I could go back in time and attend one show while dosed.. it would be 11/8/69 Fillmore Auditorium, Dicks Picks 16. Or the FW 69 entire run. Shows I wish I dosed at. Time to fire up the John Deere.

....after being out of the psychedelic loop for over 15 years, I finally found a hookup. Psilocybin laced chocolate is the latest thing apparently.
I cosmic yawned Saturday. Twas cool.

....and the Jack-A-Roe, Minglewood, Bertha still holds up!!
I thought it was a dream.
I'm OK w/ being wrong.
And I bid you goodnight.

I have been listening to an assortment of officially released shows from January to April 1969 over the last month - and they really did hit a peak at this time. It seems that maybe the previous six months led up to this period, and the following 6 months fell away again. I hope that If we ever do get a box set from 1969 it is focussed on the first half of the year, and not the second. Quite a difference between the two.
Not to put down 1968 in any way - fantastic energy - but these early 1969 shows sound a bit like the culmination of that style to me.

walked across the USA"

(actually I was 5 during most of 1969, so I didn't really walk across the USA).

I did catch the GD in Chicago 4/26/69.

No, not really.

Mr. Natural sez: "The whole universe is completely insane! Yep."

Agree Daverock, I think after Mickey joined and they became the eight limbed psychedelic beast, like a physical manifestation of the Anthem cover art, they were building up thru 68 and that version of the band peaked in early/mid 69.
After they mastered that and wanted to evolve, they started to completely reconfigure (more “normal” songs and acoustic stuff etc), which perhaps took a little longer, until they came out the other side a completely different band in early 71.
I think it’s similar to 76 thru 78, and 89 thru 90. After perhaps the biggest single change from 74 to 76, they started slow and built up to a peak in 77 and then went over the top in 78 before burning that rocket out, followed then by another significant reconfiguration. Same after the 86 coma, simplified, started out sorta mellow, and began another climb that built up significantly in 89 and peaked in spring of 90, until Brent checked out and they had to reconfigure again. Contrary to popular belief, especially by the media, they weren’t a static nostalgia act at all. Though the changes can be more subtle at times, they really were constantly changing!