Just a little over a month since his declaration to Terrapin Nation to “Be Kind”, Mickey was quoted in an interview with Billboard, when asked about guitarists, as saying “having Jerry clones in there? I’d rather drink 5 gallons of Clorox.” You can find that interview here. Apparently our favorite Vulcan gave an enormous wedgie to many who read the article. The breakout of Butthurt was rampant on Mickey’s FB Page as fans of cloning were totally outraged. Those who thought the behavior was unkind returned the favor by saying shitty things back to Mickey all in the name of Kindness. Apparently, when you don’t think something someone said was Kind, The appropriate thing for a self proclaimed kind person to do is respond with statements that are much more unkind than the initial unkind statement. Where the hell does that leave us?

As an individual with an edgy sense of humor, I thought Mickey’s comments were funny. I imagined the manner in which he presented that statement and the content in his heart when he said it. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Was he looking to throw a dart at any one individual or an entire handful of darts at all of the guys that spend their lives playing Jerry’s stuff? Maybe… Maybe the statement just flew out his mouth while he was being asked about guitarists and the joke fell a little flat with some of you. Here’s what I find interesting about it. Many of the same people that have done nothing but talk vitriolic shit about the musicians that have been chosen to play were the first to jump on the bandwagon bashing Mickey. If you’re really as kind as YOU claim to be, why wouldn’t you just find it within yourself to immediately forgive him for the statement that you found to be offensive and move on? People that proclaimed to be kind themselves ranted on his page about his comments to “be Kind” in Chicago and proceeded to be as nasty as they possibly could during the same sentence. Mickey played with Garcia for decades, he’s not interested in playing with the guys that attempt to play that role and I don’t blame him. Maybe we’re all just fucked up human beings that have found The Dead Community and it’s Music make us much better people when we’re surrounded by it and sometimes just as vulnerable and volatile when we’re away from it. The kind thing to do when encountered by something as docile as a joke that you don’t find funny is to brush it off and instantaneously visualize unicorns hopping happily through a field of healthy and vibrant landscape, completely encapsulated in a warm and loving white light that brings forth abundant healing to your own heart and all of the magical spaces in between the cells that make up your body! That’s what I did anyway…

I got a message from a brother that felt a little slighted by the comment and he approached me in a really kind and humble way. His name is Michael Morrow and he’s the singer and guitarist for Pure Jerry. They’re a band out of Philly that plays mostly JGB stuff. He told me he considered himself more of a disciple than a clone and thought the statement was a little hurtful from his perspective. When he wrote me, I couldn’t help but go to YouTube and check out his band. I personally never heard them before. I have to say, I was incredibly surprised by what I found. The brother has incredible chops that truly honor the songs and his voice was his own. It wasn’t a poor attempt at sounding like the master but a soulful sound that was completely and totally his. So much so that I’m not sure I’d consider him a Jerry Clone. I like him as much or better than anybody that’s out there doing what he does at the moment. While he might not be the most popular of the bunch, he’s definitely among the best of ’em. If you don’t know Michael or his band, you should check him out. He’s a great human and an outstanding artist. He helped me see things from the perspective of someone that sits in that position. His love for the Band, the Man and The Music run deep. Thanks for getting in touch with me Michael!

In the end, I don’t think Mickey was attempting to be malicious. I think he was attempting to be funny. I took it that way but apparently a lot of others didn’t. Mickey said “Be Kind” and good advice is good advice regardless of where it comes from. While we’re busy being Kind, I hope we can loosen up and not always look for reasons to be offended. Kind People don’t deal unkindly with unkind people… Or do they? My friends are some of the most beautiful Souls on the planet. They don’t hand out daisies at airports or wear long robes. They don’t talk to me with their hands in prayer like positions in hushed and gentle tones. They’re a bunch of comedians. They jokingly talk shit about my mama, make fun of damn near everything on the planet and have absolutely no sense of what political correctness means. At the same time, they have charitable hearts, Love deeply and they’re helpful in any and all situations. They would drop whatever they were doing if their assistance was required and they are compassionate as people can be. Kindness is more about what exists internally than every statement that comes out of someone’s mouth. In the meantime, Let’s all hope that Mickey can just get rid of the fuckin oven mitts and quit playin with the damn spatulas and Barbecue brushes and get himself a drum set again. Mama Mia, if I have to see him beating endlessly on shit that nobody hears again I’m gonna throw a fit. Can somebody make sure the Spock looking Motherfucker gets a cymbal or two and a pair of damn drumsticks this time around? Mickey, don’t bother telling us to be kind and we won’t bother letting you know when you’re not. While I’m at it, why don’t all of you damn blog reading fuckers go jump in a lake full of piranhas!!!

See… All that… I was just kiddin’… Love y’all Long Time!

dean (Total Nobody)