Monthly Archives: June 2015

GarciaWolf

Ok, we’re done with causes, cases, chaos and controversy here! We turn the page as of now.

Here’s a little something different. It’s a poem I wrote during Jerry Week last year. I still think of something Garcia related on a daily basis, without fail. I’m certain many of you do the same… Here it is.

Been looking for The Silver Lining but this one seems all Grey
Nothing’s been the same since the night you went away
The Story Teller makes no choice, that’s what you always said
It’s funny that we all found life amongst the Grateful Dead
The wrinkled eyes of Heaven know this day as if by heart
The tears through years of mourning that have torn our world apart
You’re the one that brought the treasure and grabbed magic from the air
Everyone craved The Golden Eggs but The Goose that left them there
The blistered hands of time still turn the crank that runs The Wheel
The cards all come back empty every time we get The Deal
Mercy wrote a letter, sent to Death by Standard Mail
The message came back, “Sorry but No Mercy is for Sale”
My face is callused from the salted water my Eyes have shed
Trying to recapture the moments from the memories in my head
I can’t believe 23 have passed since your Graduation Day
Still broken vans with broken plans like dogs that went astray
Another Summer passes by another Winter Near
And still remains the lullaby our ears all long to hear
Your sound is irreplaceable yet we try to turn the page
Where softly grows the silent fire that becomes full grown rage
Days are still found dazing in The Days that Lie Between
And thoughts churn in our souls yet we can’t figure what they mean
To hear a few more notes from you would cure this inward drought
In the spaces in between each one We figured the whole thing out
My thoughts and days are like the style of playing you were usin’
When moments of intense clarity seem to arise from complete confusion
In my head I see your frame, your chin pinned to your chest
Like you’re looking into your own heart and pulling out what’s best
I vividly hear the music build like champagne when you shake it
You took your time getting to the Mic we all wondered if you’d make it
But just as Springtime turns to Heat and Heat then turns to Cold
The only place we find Silver now is where there once was gold
With thoughts of you that never die and no replacement near
We celebrate the life you gave to all of us every year
Your Soulful Sound to Terrapin to Mission in The Rain
We’ll cherish what you gave to us until we meet again…

Dead To The Core,
Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

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Well… That escalated quickly… We’ve had an awful lot of exciting weeks since the official announcement but for me, this has been the most wild one of them all! My 15 minutes of fame got put on life support and lasted a day or two. I’m just glad we don’t have to hear about the Mercury retrograde any longer… If this is the kind of stuff that happens during the retrogrades then I LOVE RETROGRADES!!! I was afraid to leave the house for fear of the throngs of admirers seeking my attention. I went to the grocery store, autographs! Went to the mall, autographs. I went to the restaurant, once again autographs! What a week! I probably shouldn’t have done all that signing based on the planetary movements… Of course, I paid for all my shit with my credit card so I had to sign but I pretended everybody that handed me a piece of paper wanted my signature because they recognized me from this week’s events in the Land of The Grateful Dead. One thing I can assure you, I will NEVER sell out for anybody or anything!!!

*This Week in Review is brought to you by Meyer Sound, The Official Sound Company of The Fare Thee Well Shows!!!

The community scored a victory this week by taking the Spirit that has been infused in us throughout the years by the music and exercising it into our physical reality. While everyone wasn’t equally as pleased, the end result was a victory none the less. A lesson that goes to show, ya don’t ever know… We should spend most of our time laughing yet know how to become a Motherload in Mission Mode when the situation calls for it. I’ve met some great new folks and I can’t wait to boogie down with y’all in the Windy City!

How about that Santa Clara ticket release. TicketMaster turned from a Satanic Scrooge into Old School Oprah at Christmas. 3 days later, 100 level and GA Floor seats are still available and just sitting there for the taking. If there’s that many tickets left, I’m not quite sure why fans got denied on the initial Internet Mail Order, pre sale thing. If all those good seats are still available, why did so many folks that requested the highest level seats available get either denied or 400 Level? I’m not the kind of guy that says “I told ya so”(That might be a lie) so I’m just gonna say, much like me, Santa Clara is NEVER gonna sell out!!!

*Visa! It’s everywhere you wanna be!!!

John Mayer joined Phil and the guys at Terrapin and had his ass kissed by all the same people in the crowd that have been making awful comments about him on message boards for months(Theme of The Week). If you got a chance to watch and/or listen, you now realize that John Mayer is absolutely outstanding!!! The solo at the end of The Dew clearly displayed that not only can he slay any dragon that’s before him but, he was as connected to the moment as the rest of us. He went from an outsider to an insider quickly and is a guitar player that will be admired and respected by the entire community in an extremely short period of time. He obviously wasn’t intimidated by the moment at all. That brother was as comfortable as Ron Jeremy at a Porn Convention! It’s never easy being the least ugly guy in Grateful Dead related projects but with Weir as his mentor, he’ll soon be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Although much of the community previously were turned off by the band members associating with a mainstream artist, John is a great choice for future projects and much like the Grateful Dead and myself, we are definitely NOT sell outs!!!

*Grateful Dead 50th Anniversary Crocs and other footwear are now available at a store near you!!!

The shows are right on the horizon and one thing I’ve been clued in on is the magnitude of this production. This will be a feast for the senses like never before. No expense has been spared on The staging, lighting and multimedia experience we’re all preparing to be treated to. I think the entire community is thrilled that Candace Brightman is in charge of the visual experience. She has always been an innovator and an absolute master of illuminating our experiences. I’ve been informed that the plan she has put together for these events are second to none. It will be the largest scale visual experience the Grateful Dead Community has ever witnessed.

Sources on the inside have informed me that Derek Featherstone has the task of designing and running sound for the The Fare Thee Well Shows and is working directly with John and Helen Meyer(not to be confused with Mayer) to produce the biggest and best sounding experience we’ve ever heard. The Grateful Dead along with Meyer Sound have been innovators in the way concerts have been heard since the beginning and these shows will be no exception. A gazillion megawatts of sound will be pumped into every corner of the stadiums with the kind of power and clarity that our favorite band has always been known for. According to the TicketMaster website, the Chicago Shows are Sold Out. Much like me, I don’t think they’ve officially sold out yet!

*Meyer X 10 Speakers: If you’ve tried to reproduce the magnitude of the sound produced at a Grateful Dead show in your home with little success, The Quest is over…. Meyer X 10 High Resolution Linear Control Room Monitors: When only the very best will do!!!

I really have to thank all of my tribes out there for all the kindness and support this week. 80s & 90s Tour Vets, JRH, the folks at The Official Home of Unofficial GD Music and News, My Clam Pham, the Inhabitants of Limbo Land, Weir Here, Ripple Dead 50 Friends, FOJC, The Troll Society of America, Backstagers, Phish friends, basically all of you!!!
You know it’s gonna get Stranger!!! Let’s get on with the show!!! Let’s Go!!!

“We’ve been trying to sell out for a long time.”
– Jerry Garcia

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)