Friday, November 18, 2005

A Deadhead's ramblings(excerpts from letters to Deadshows)

WINTERLAND
Ah, memories of being pulled back over a dilapidated rusty railing, by the ass of my patched up blue jeans, to the cheers of my compadres, that I didn't ruin the evenings festivities, by falling (seen a guy do it at a Pink Floyd show in 73)...The shows I seen, half I don't recall too good, but to name a few I DO Remember: Of course the Grateful Dead '72 with koolade, Quicksilver Messenger, Steve Miller Band, Elvin Bishop-Mike Bloomfield-Paul Butterfield(all together), The Who, John Mayall, Fleetwoood Mac,ZZ Top,Johnny Winter,Rush,The Tubes,Kiss, Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Earthquake, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Hot Tuna, Tower of Power, Les Paul, Climax Blues Band,Siegal Schwall, Little Feat, Lou Reed, the names go on and on... The supertooper on the mirror ball...That old wooden floor that would bounce as we shook our bones...Bill G throwin someone out he personally caught tryin' to sneak a free show, He was generous, but did like his gate sales, or just sayin high as you walked in the joint...next to the old black security gaurd who always yelled "have your tickets ready, PLEASE". I would love to know that gents name...ah so many shows there, memories flood back...a lot of sidewalk time,did I mention the mirror ball?

WINTERLAND AGAIN
It was 1974 at Winterland in San Francisco, and one of our fellow members here is in it, but I am sworn to secrecy, and cannot reveal their name...(wink,wink,nod,nod,grin,grin), as far as New Years shows, I attended many at both Winterland ,and Oakland, and always loved wondering what getup Bill Graham would embarrass himself with...LOL...same panel member spoken of above was also one of the GIANT heads...(pixie the dust fairy)
smoke JAH's herb, and give him Praise-

DEER CREEK
Listen to Keller Williams, Stage Right...the Deer Creek Song...so was he, he wrote a song about it. We have always referenced ones who supposedly "Got on the Bus" after Touch of Grey that behaved like heathens "Lot Rats" or "Dirty's", a bunch of pseudo hippies who have never been taught manners. I work security for Renegade Productions here at the Lake and see my share of assholes, but a miniscule amount compared to the warmth and love of my phamily.

PHIL'S ABSENCE
I have heard rumors, that although Phil's absence from Comes a Time was due to his supposedly putting his kid in college, most schools had started by the 24th of September, rumor has it that Phil and Bobby are on bad terms right now, who knows the real story? Not me, but it is FUN to speculate

QUICKSILVER
My favorite sons of mercury, The Quicksilver Messenger Service, one of the most uncelebrated bands of the late 60's and early 70's in various incarnations. Favorite lineup was Gary Duncan,John Cippolina,Nicky Hopkins,and David Freiberg, and Greg Elmore...

Happy Trails, Quicksilver Messenger Service (Capital ST 120)review by Greil Marcus
On the cover of what is presumably Quicksilver's last album is a delightful picture that might remind on of the old Fredric Remington paintings of the old west. The lettering is done in pure thirties world fair script, on the back are members of the band in pen-and-ink, their cowboy portraits matching their sound: there are even little pictures of Coit Tower and the Statue Of Liberty. It's Quicksilver's version of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, on tour from sea to shining sea.
It begins with an entire side dedicated to Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," superbly recorded at the Fillmores East and West. Quicksilver has been doing this number for some years. Now they have taken Bo Diddley's horror story and come back with one of the best rock and roll recordings to emerge from San Fransisco, a performance that captures all the excitement and grandeur of the great days of the scene in a way that is almost too fine to be real. If rock and roll really will stand, as the Showman sang, it will be music like this that makes it that way.
Quicksilver goes into it at full speed. John Cipollina's guitar alternately harsh and sweet, clashing with Gary Duncan's rhythm, Greg Elmore's drumming simple and solid, never an iota of sloppiness, not a note missed. They use the infamous Bo Diddley rhythm not as a crutch, not as something for the rhythm section to play with while the lead takes it; Quicksilver finds dimensions of that "bump bubby bump bump-bump bump" beat that no one has even suggested before, as a motif or a bridge, as an idea rather then as a pattern.
The vocals are wild and screaming, like on the first Moby Grape album, but with singing constantly jerked in like a zipper pulled hard. This combination of vocal anarchy and almost vicious timing pushes everything just past that point where one thought the limits were.
Describing this song is almost like trying to explain the plot of a movie by Godard; it opens with some of the finest hard rock ever recorded, then moves fast through a Bloomfield-like solo by Gary Duncan (but with an edge on it). Then into an interlude of yelling and shouting by the audience, the participation of the listeners almost like a "found object" out of Dada, a beautiful example of the kind of communication rock and roll is all about. Cipollina takes over again, the excitement flashes, and finally David Freiberg and his bass slowly take it apart and put it back together, with chilling words whispered and hissed out to the audience-"graveyard mind...don't mind dyin'"- the tension builds and they hit it all at once, guitars harder and harder. Elmore pounding, voices screaming, everything working. By the time the band yells "Bye!" to the audience it's just not to be believed.
There is another side to this record:"Mona" comes off very well, as do two compositions by Gary Duncan which closely resemble "The Fool." Happy Trails closes with Dale Evan's "Happy Trails," which was a nice idea. But it took me two hours to even get to the other side.

I don't ever want to see you crying,And I don't ever want to see you blue,oh no, all I ever wanted to do was know youAnd maybe hope you could know me too.Well I don't ever want to make you sorryFor anything you've ever said or done,Oh no, all I ever wanted to do was love you,And maybe hope you could love me too.And it's all right baby, I'm in love with you,And it's all right, I would never make you blue or try to play with you,Well I don't ever want to spoil your party, babe,Or tell you where to go or what to do,Oh no, all I ever wanted to do was know you,There may be hope you could know me too.And it's all right baby, I'm in love with you,And it's all right, I would never make you blue or try to play with you,Well I don't ever want to spoil your party, babe,Or tell you where to go or what to do,Oh no, all I ever wanted to do was love you,There may be hope you could love me too.


ON BEING TO OLD TO TOUR
bullshit, pardon my french...you are as young as you feel, tell that to John Lee Hooker etc., they kept on truckin' on till the wheels fell off. i am 51 and have no regrets and no intention of being any less true to myself and my culture.
still wavin my freak flag high

SHORELINE
Most memorable would have to be the last time I saw Jerry, the encore was Brokedown Palace, and even then it brought tears flowing, Jerry sounded so tired...

06-04-95 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Ca. (Sun)
1: Bertha> Wang Dang Doodle, Peggy-O, Queen Jane, Loose Lucy, Mama Tried@> Mexicali@, Lazy River Road, Cassidy
2: H. C. Sunshine, Victim> Unbroken Chain> Eyes> Drumz> Miracle> Days Between> NFA E: Brokedown
gratefully,
tahoejimbo420

DEADSHOWS
Always happy to lend a hand. This is turning into an awesome group!!!And welcome to all the new members from the hippie in the mountains!!!

FROST AMPHITHEATER, STANFORD
Once upon a time,after a considerable wait for 4 sparkly MO tickets to arrive, on a warm April weekend that felt much more like a couple of summer daze, the boys were back at one of their favorite venues, and positively mine. Frost was a wonderful place for shows a fairly small amphitheater ringed by ancient oak trees (sometimes filled with people) on the Stanford campus that for those shows flowed with positivity (and a fair amount of psychedelics). I recall how hot it got those two days, but had such a good space staked out that I wouldn't leave (except once to pee and hydrate) and it was one of the few times we were treated to TWO encores that last day, as I was leaving and the crowd had thinned out considerably there sitting indian style,very low key and semi incognito was the man who brought so much into my life Bill Graham, I walked up to him and thanked him for the show and he shook my hand and said he recognized me from Winterland and thanked me in turn. It was a small moment, but one of many that I treasure...

04-27-85 Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford U., Palo Alto, Ca. (Sat)
1: Dancin> Bertha, Rooster, B. E. Women, Esau, Ramble On, Tom Thumb Blues> Cold Rain> Music
2: Scarlet> Eyes> GDTRFB> Woman Smarter> Drumz> Wheel> Truckin> Other One> Black Peter> Around> Saturday Night E: Day Job
04-28-85 Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford U., Palo Alto, Ca. (Sun)
1: Gimme Some Lovin> Half Step> Minglewood, Bird Song, Tons Of Steel> China Cat> I Know You Rider
2: Bucket> Crazy Fingers> Playin> China Doll> Playin> Drumz> Playin> Wharf Rat> Throwing Stones> NFA E1: U. S. Blues E2: She Belongs To Me

ON BILL
Just that little recognition and acknowledgement shines on, he was a good man, seen him toss a few people himself (no security help) for bad behavior/manners.
Nine mile skidon a ten mile rideHot as a pistolbut cool insideCat on a tin roofDogs in a pileNothing left to do butsmile, smile, smile

OAKLAND 10/31/91
"Buffalo Bill Is Defunct."
Black rose wreathes with silver lightning bolts through the middle adorned either side of the stage. Kesey came out mid- Dark Star to lament the recent passing of Bill Graham, What better night to mourn The Dead than Halloween?

We were still in shock as we pulled into the Oakland Coliseum parking lot that Halloween, Bill Graham, his girlfriend, and his pilot had been killed in a helicopter less than a week before and it still really had not sunk in. Arriving early we had hoped to meet up with some friends, but didn't find them until much later. Leaving me to occupy my time getting into mischief, first stop a 21 window VW bus with a large tank of NO2 in back, as I leaned in to take my balloon I felt a slap on my butt and turned to find Ma from the Skeleton Crew scolding me for my activity, I apologized and explained that I wasn't going to waste it and hurried back to the car. Once there I discovered that my significant something or other at the time had found and purchased some blotter squarez and here we go again...

As Help on the Way began we knew that once again we were in for a night of wonders, and right around the end of Little Red Rooster there was an older brother I recognized from a few other shows and offered up a seat we had been saving, and he no sooner sat down than produced what looked like a Visine bottle and told me to stick out my tongue (which I did) and by the time Fire on the Mountain began I was in another dimension. I know I remember seeing Carlos Santana come out at one point but don't think he was able to play due to sound problems. Then things started swirling and I can not be sure of the timeline but recall Ken Kesey in a mad stream of consciousness rap, and David Graham said a few words and you could feel Bills spirit in the house that night. I think it was during Dark Star that Gary Duncan came out and sat in for a few songs.
As quickly as it began it was over and we left the show after the last notes of Werewolves of London ended the encore, and for the last time I can recall hearing Greensleeves telling us that the show was over.

Set Onedead airHelp on the WaySlipknot!Franklin's TowerLittle Red RoosterLoserJust Like Tom Thumb's BluesLet it Grow
Set TwoScarlet BegoniasFire on the MountainTruckin'SpoonfulDark StarKesey RapDrumsSpaceJamDark StarThe Last TimeStanding on the MoonThrowin' StonesNot Fade AwayENCOREWerewolves of London"Dark Star" through "Last Time"with Gary Duncan on guitar(from Quicksilver Messenger Service)


If you browse the live music archive archive.org you will surely find it. They allow you to download in several formats (.shn,flac,mp3,ogg) and either whole shows or individual cuts, and many shows you can stream (I am streaming Keller Williams,9-2-2005 as I write this) with Winamp.


SOUND CHECK 1974, COW PALACE
"Experience is the best teacher, but the hardest, because the test is given first and then the lesson"

One lesson I learned long ago, in 1974 in fact. It was the night I had anticipated for a long time, the "SOUND CHECK" at the Cow Palace. Lesson learned? That barbiturates do not mix with Jerry and the boys. I had looked forward for a long time to hear the new system and when I picked up my buddy for the show he handed me about 4 reds, I waited until we got to our seats before I gobbled them down. I recall little else of the evening except by drums>space we were both sawing logs. My bad. After that (and to this day) I stuck with psychedelics and Jah herb...for consciousness expansion...
p.s. have a really old cassette of the sound check on a grateful dead hour for a half ass recollection

ON LLL
Don't know about epitome...but she's always been one of my favorite deadheads...
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes.And i knew without askin' she was into the blues.She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls,I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls.

JERRY
Hey Now!
I've gotten a few requests for a copy of this show: 8-29-87 Eel River, and as much as I would love to be able to make copies for everyone here, I can't. But I can tell you how to get this and a LOT more. First step is to download a program called Azureus to be able to download bit-torrent files, after downloading them they need to be converted, you will need to also download FlacFrontend for flac files and MKWact to convert .shn files. If you don't already have java you might have to download it as well.
Once you have those programs go to http://bt.etree.org/ and go crazy!!!!

SADDLERACK, SAN JOSE JGB
Hey Now!!
I have a treasured cassette tape from the 80s and hope maybe someone can direct me to where I can find a download of this show, it is :
Jerry Garcia Band at The Saddlerack in San Jose,Californication...
the original tape is dubbed from a radio station that broadcasted the show, KFAT out of Gilroy,CA.
Hope someone has this baby out there, Catfish John is off the hook...

KESEY
"Kesey's passing reminded me, and I think a lot of other people, that we have a responsibility to keep the show going; to be kind to each other; to keep the psychedelic community in contact with itself so that events will happen, events are what brings people together and without events we don't see each other. The internet is lovely and nice but we need to actually be with one another..." - Mountain Girl

DR. GONZO
The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.-- Hunter S. Thompson

WE MISS JERRY
In the sense of community that I have had a lifetime sharing with my Tribe, I feel obligated to share another site with the same sense, at http://wemissjerry.org/ YOU can participate in another online community of Deadicated heads, sign on and tell them tahoejmbo420 sent ya!!!!! This is turning into quite the group.
Also here is a good show I just downloaded . Fresh
Ratdoggy from last week.

2005 ACID TEST
lifted from http://at40vegas.com/ a review,


The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test at 40
The bus came by and I got on. That's when it all began...When I heard there was going to be a 40th Anniversary Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test scheduled for liftoff on Halloween night in Las Vegas, I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I had to get to Vegas. My fiance and I packed up the car and headed for the desert with our costumes I, of course, as the devil, and my better half as an angel.The event was thrown by Zane Kesey (Ken Kesey's son), the Merry Pranksters, and a few promoters with the ability to manifest the vision. The experience built slowly, with New Riders of the Purple Sage, a jamband from the '60s, serving as the launch pad. As I meandered through the costumed crowd I ran into my buddy Uncle Eddie from Dead Tour, and soon fell into a puddle. Next thing I know I'm munchin' on some fungilicious chocolates. By the time New Riders were winding down their set, I was winding up to the cosmos.
The Acid Test was a dynamic all-nighter, incorporating performance art; a video/laser/light show by Smoke and Mirrors, VJ Awiaz and Optical Deslusion; and music by various DJs and bands, the highlights being Mutaytor and Spun. The interplay of light, performance art and music was so visceral, fluid and erotic that it wrapped me in its folds and held me there enchanted, till the wee hours. The Merry Pranksters even got on stage at one point and did a really strange "Turn on Your Love Light" with George [Walker on the axe-a-phone].After attending hundreds of raves, 100-plus Dead shows, and every other kind of psychedelic event you can imagine, I honestly have to say this was the best party I've ever experienced. The Test was part jamband, rave, Burning Man, Cirque du Soliel, costume party and a host of other ineffables all rolled into one very groovy and colorful onion of experience. They took the essence of everything I understood the original Acid Tests to be, and boldly brought it into the future.There are whispers that the Pranksters really enjoyed being back on the bus. Could this be a new beginning? Well, only one thing is for certain: after 40 years, an Acid Test just happened, authentic and self-defining. And I of course passed it with flying colors.--Fredstrong