Grateful Dead

I’m working my way through 6-26-73 PNW and it’s hitting the spot.

:)))

That's what got me for sure!

Man I haven’t been hit with the ole GD tractor Beam/third eye in ???...
This last Dave’s: The BFF Phil show, was similar in that I had no expectations and for whatever reason I really clicked with it. But this is on a different level...
It’s so funny since I wrote 93 off years ago because of, ...well, basically too lazy and closed minded! I saw only one show 6/13/93, that I thought was perhaps the worse show I’d seen (it wasn’t!) 28 years later, arm chair psychologist I’d say life was changing as it will do, and I needed justification for letting go of such an important/prominent part of my life for so long?
Well fug all that now as hopefully we’ve been able to lose that dogma and go furthur!
Also think being much older now, the more relaxed feel that was often the MO of the last era, is now a plus, whereas then only in my thirties, I was accustomed to the more balls to the walls 80s energy, ya know “too much of everything is just enough”, and thus often felt non plussed? Or, more precise: my perception/reference has changed with age...

And 93 seems to be a good example, as I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the shows I’ve heard recently, especially this one! From the sweet Shakedown opener, nice Wang Dang, sure not 83 bad ass, but still fine and not just the same old, same old Bob tunes. A nice Lazy River, which makes me think to our recent plunge into the Port Chester run that made me realize how when they were breaking out new tunes over the years, the JG ones always seemed more together and gelled quicker than Bobs...lol
Desolation was/is always a top Dylan or Dead song for me. Though perhaps it lacks the verve of an 89 version, it’s still fine. Decent Ramble On, and then to me, a huge energy drop with Eternity, Still sorta on the fence with this one? Guess I haven’t spent enough time with it yet? Wonder if it would resonate better if it didn’t plod so much? Guess that’s what I remember NOT liking about late era shows; the plodding sometimes...(one thing I don’t like about D&C sometimes)
But it’s played ok, and followed by a decent set closing Liberty...
Picasso Moon, for the rocking second set opener. Not sure I ever fully grasped the lyrics to this one, but always liked the flavor and energy. Dig any tunes that let JG rip!
Crazy Fingers, always a personal favorite, even if not always tight. Perhaps the fragility/delicateness of it makes it prone to occasional turbulence? Perhaps just a litmus test for how together JG and/or the band was on any given occasion? But JG seems on tonight and we get a nice sequence thru Playing and eventually a short but Sweet Dark Star. This devolves nicely into another of those lysergic 90s Drumzzz, with perhaps the biggest surprise (for me) of the final of only 3 ever 2 Soldiers Jam. Like BC said this whole sequence through TOO and sliding into a sweet Days Between is an emotional playground that only the GD could provide.
This song resonated with me from day one, another instint Hunter/Garcia masterpiece, and though not perfect, another great rendition that once again got this old Sod all choked up!
NOTE: I also thought “Cabin Boy” in the jam, but was so intrigued I looked it up in Deadbase 10&50 which listed it as the 2 Soldiers jam, which upon further review makes sense. Performed only twice before on 9/22/87 and 9/12/90.
After a decent Good Lovin’ another big Smile/wow moment with LSD, no not that ; )
Now I knew it was coming, but since I’m not sure I’ve heard them do it before, (ok, good part of being old/forgetful, I can enjoy movies and shit like I’ve never seen/heard before lol.), really dug it! So Cool, now really bummed I didn’t get to see it : (
Perhaps that was part of why I became disillusioned in the later years; I was hearing about then playing Dark Stars, and Here Comes SS, and Lucy etc, and after many years of lucking out, all I was getting were what seemed like endless; Sambas, Eternity’s, and harumph, Loooonnngggg, Waaaaaayyyys, wasn’t big on Corina then either. But as I say, thankfully I’m more open to MOST of that now (Sorry Vince...)
So yeah, after over forty years it’s still nice to get shown the light....! And THAT, to me, is the beauty of this board. To go where not many have gone before, AND find the Golden Yummies!!
Mission accomplished!
So big THANKS (again ; ) to Bluecrow!

Not sure I’ll get to Alaska today? (but another curiosity that hasn’t been sniffed yet)... Lovey’s home so we’re listening to “other” stuff, like some L.S.D. inspired Beatles! No not that! ; )
Until next time me amigos!

It was in this behind the scenes video that Justin Kreutzman shot during The Dead rehearsals.

That Weir, he's funny!

yikes.

Good way to get a cymbal frisbeed to the head.

What has three legs and an asshole on top?

Either one of those drum stools behind me.

Hahaha.. Good one Bob.

Happy Friday!

PS - Nothing personal drummers, Bob said it.

A little Alaska in 1980 sounds good. Let's do it Vguy.

Good stuff Jim. Hopefully, soon we can all get back to living and making more good stories.

First, Alaska is fine with me.

Next, tales from golden nitrous canister:

One day in either the late 80's or the early 90's.. we found ourselves waking up early to climb the Middle Teton in Jackson Hole. It's really more of a hard core hike, no roped climbing, but with over 6,000 feet of vertical from the car to the top, planning to go up and down in a single day.. it was a big-en, much of it meandering up and down talus slopes which can and did munch up our footwear, my shoes were shredded by the end of the day.

Anyway.. and I'm pretty sure this part was my idea.. we decided to bring some party favors for the summit, which included a healthy number of those little nitrous canisters and one of those little balloon screw on thingies. So there were were at just under 13,000 feet having been pretty close to sea level just days earlier giddy with nitrous running through our veins huddled in some contrived stance to escape the wind and ice pellets that were pelting us in the face procrastinating the long hike (slide) down. Now Nitrous can have a wicked effect at these altitudes, it was all we could do to not fall off the mountain.. but it was a giddy high time full of laughter and stories that I will never forget. Somewhere there are pictures commemorating the event (which proved difficult to explain when my parents got a hold of the pics). We left at 4:30 in the morning and got back to the car well after dark to a car with a dead battery. Thank god it was a stick shift so we could push start it. What a grand adventure that was. At one point well into the afternoon still climbing up.. someone asked our fearless leader how much further, his reply.. I'm not sure. Both the other times we did this we all took acid. We knew we were in for a long day.

Believe it or not, this tale ties neatly into everyone's favorite fun band.. we were on a cross country climbing trip that culminated with a successful attempt at Devil's Tower and we had an off day in the Tetons with nothing planned. Climbing the Grand Teton was a bit more than we had in us so we were going to play it by ear and do something not quite so difficult.

One of my previous college roommates was rumored to be living in Jackson Hole and I really wanted to hook up with him, so I tried to look him up in the phone book to no avail.. (remember public phones when they used to have these thick phone books wired to the booth). So we got in the night before were were just walking around town checking things out. There was this bar and grilled called the Mangey Moose.. so we stroll by thinking to grab a beer or whatever and we hear the unmistakable sound of a Dead cover band, so we immediately head in. After about a half hour this guy grabs me on the shoulder, my old roommate.. and he puts us all up in the house he was renting (floor and sofa space), takes off the next day and was our tour guide for the hike.

Just a small detour on a side street and we are back to talking about everyone's favorite fun band, the Grateful Dead. What a small world where you can run into someone you used to be close to but have not contacted in years and randomly run into him 2,000 miles away from home. I bet many of us have similar stories.. we are everywhere!

....but you can't pick your friends nose. May I suggest 6.20.80 as today's pick?
https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1980/06/20