Tag Archives: Garcia

©Jay Blakesberg

©Jay Blakesberg

For Throw Back Thursday, I thought it was a great time to salute the people that add so much LIFE and LOVE to everything that has and is happening in Grateful Dead Land. This piece is as relevant today as it was this time last year. So much of what has made last Summer as well as this Summer so special is US. The best fan base in the history of Rock and Roll! It is just as relevant this year as it was last year to tip the hat to the most fun and loving group of people ever assembled from coast to coast, US!!!!
See y’all in Wheatland tomorrow night!!!

In the months leading up to the past 5 Shows, by looking at message boards and forums, particularly the band’s official pages, one might have thought, “There sure are gonna be a lot of horse’s asses heading to the shows…” Lucky for US, every single one of them either stayed home or got completely transformed while travelling to get there. The amount of complaining in the months that preceded all of this was unmatched. At times it was almost embarrassing. Like most things in life, the difficult times gave birth to the creation of brand new groups and places to seek refuge from the storm that was raging from January on. Those groups and the people that started and maintained their vibe deserve a big shout out! There was a lot of time and commitment that went into the greatest pre show celebrations in the history of our scene. Great job to all that took part in the communities that pumped positive vibrations into this celebration from early on and continued throughout. We’ve formed incredible bonds that will last as long as we do and a scene along with a record of it all that will be here long after we’re gone! That’s pretty mind blowing!

So many questions came up in the days and weeks before the shows about all of the rules that were in place. Parking lots… What size bag could you have… On and on and on as if, as Deadheads, we ever gave a shit about the rules. When I checked into my hotel on Thursday I wasn’t sure if I was at The Fare Thee Well Shows or The Cannabis Cup. Every floor of every hotel in all of Chicago smelled like The American Society of Skunk Breeders was in town for a convention. At one point earlier on Thursday, I saw your typical “Type A” Hotel Manager walking briskly through the hall on my floor with a can of Lysol. I couldn’t help but to ask him as he walked by if Lysol had a new line of Marijuana scented products. He didn’t know what to say really. I then told him that he really smelled like Pot and should probably wait until he got out of work to burn one. I looked closely at his name tag and said, “I’m a little surprised at you JAMES.” I had all I could do to keep a straight face and he had all he could do to maintain his managerial smile. I could tell he was getting a little uncomfortable so I said, “You don’t have enough Lysol to make it through the day let alone the weekend bro, Let it go… It’s gonna be a great weekend!!! How about a hug”. I got one of those extremely reluctant type of hugs from James but by the time I saw him Friday Afternoon, he had inhaled enough second hand smoke to loosen him up dramatically. He was a high-fiving, fist bumpin, how about a hug motherfucker of a manager! It reminded of the old days once again. When Deadheads roll into town, we lighten up the mood EVERYWHERE we go! We’ve always done it in a way that’s been completely Kind, completely harmless, and completely hysterical. We give Professional types around us the permission they seem to require to loosen the hell up a little bit and have a good time. All of the interactions I observed through the course of the weekend were Deadheads providing laughter and making employees that were paid to treat them like guests, get treated by Deadheads like WE were in charge of the hospitality. There’s another reason I have to give so much credit to US!!! WE ROCK!!!

As much as I think The City of Chicago was a gracious and magnificent host to all of US, I feel obligated to say that we were the biggest Blessing to come through their city in a long time! Not only was the economic impact ENORMOUS but The Deadhead Community brought a vibe of Peace and Love and Lightheartedness that made Chicago an abundantly better place for everyone while we were there. The only encounters I saw between Deadheads and Chicago natives were interactions that were fun, respectful and loaded with laughter and kindness. We brought Smiles for Miles and passed through Chicago like Leaders of a Better Way Of Life instead of just Followers of a band. The footprint we left behind this time around resembled a piece of art as opposed to a pile of trash. I saw some bumper stickers that took a new take on an old one. The Original Bumper Stickers said, “THERE Is Nothing Like a Grateful Dead Concert”. The stickers I saw said “THIS Is Nothing Like a Grateful Dead Concert”. The only thing I could think of when I saw them was, “THIS poor fuck must have only toured in 95”. I got off of the full time bus after 93 because it was becoming less and less like a Grateful Dead Show then… If that person only toured in 95 they were right… The past 5 shows were Nothing like a Grateful Dead Concert in 95… There was no Gate Crashing, No Drunk Fraternity Dickheads, No Tear gas and just about zero hassles… While I’m sure it seemed like a cute idea a month or 2 ago, the reality was GD 50 in 2015 seemed MUCH more like a Grateful Dead Show than just about all of 94 and 95 did. I imagine that sumbitch has plenty of bumper stickers left. The scene all around the venues as well as inside of these shows was absolutely everything that was always right and great about the Grateful Dead Experience. I saw another crew trying to sell shirts that said “F*CK YOU, PAY ME!” (The guy that runs the Fare The Well Satirical site saw this post and just sent me a picture he took of the shirt in Chicago)
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They seemed like OK folks but their idea lacked any creativity or intelligence at all. I would imagine somebody thought it might be funny but it wasn’t. I sat in that tunnel and watched them for a half hour as they not only sold absolutely NOTHING but didn’t get a single laugh either. I’m sure they thought it was a cute idea too but they went home with about 4 less shirts than they came with. While stuff like that may garner a few comments on message boards filled with dumb shits, it wasn’t selling at Soldier Field. Their attempts to get paid themselves got a big F*CK YOU from the universe. Maybe once they try etsy or ebay and sell none of them there either, they’ll do the right thing and donate them to a homeless shelter to be used as ass rags… I’m sure they won’t be selling many… Attempting to Perpetuate shitty vibes doesn’t sell on Tour… Never did, Never Will…

There’s a lot of groups that planned big parties the past 2 weekends. They had great ideas and were willing to spend money to execute them. Take some of those VIP Tailgate parties for example. They had an idea and a budget and all kinds of special shit planned. Most of them were absolute busts. They had a bunch of fancy food, amenities and live music. They weren’t worth a shit in the long run because they didn’t have many of US! A party is only as good as the folks that decide to show up for it. The Grateful Dead agreed to throw a party and Peter Shapiro did an outstanding job as the Party Planner but what made it the greatest party in the world that weekend was US!!!
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The people that I was surrounded by all weekend were just like the people you were surrounded by all weekend. We danced together, we laughed together, we cried together. WE had a HUGE part in providing the kind of environment the band needed to do what they did. Without US there is no them. Dancing to our favorite tunes with our favorite musicians was incredible. I cherish the moments I had with people 3, 4, 5 or 6 rows away from me. Those folks that in the midst of joyously dancing you’d make eye contact with and smile. We were all deep in the soup together and even if we didn’t meet face to face our bonds are no less significant. I can remember all the faces I shared those moments with throughout the weekend and there were many of those great moments with many great people that all form the incredible family known as US!!! Just as much as we’ve spoken highly of the organizers and the band, I was never so proud to be a Deadhead as I was the past couple of weekends. Nothing could be better than sharing so many moments with those that are cut from the very same cloth as I am. The cloth may have some ragged edges and there maybe some folks that seem to come from a little further from the center of the cloth but the cloth in its entirety is what makes up US!!! The only place I can find as much commonality and consistency in that fabric has always been at Dead Shows. It’s the only place we can all go and experience everything that represents US. What happens from here? Some like Phish, Some don’t. Some like WSP, Some don’t. The only place we can all agree is right there where we’ve been the past couple of weeks. As much as I dig all of the projects put together by all of my favorite musicians, it’s never the same experience because it’s missing too many of US. Billy and The Kids make some great music. Phil and his Friends make some great music. RatDog makes some great music. There’s something I’ve yet to experience at any of those shows however that I experienced over the past 2 weeks. What happens when those guys all drop the other stuff, play together and add all of US! The Music grows wings and goes to another place altogether. It goes from being Music to Transcendental Magic. A song becomes a supernatural experience… It’s a place that none of them can quite get to individually and a place that doesn’t even exist without US! In the future they will decide to make music and sing songs or continue creating Supernatural Magic, they certainly know how to find US!

In one of the last pieces I’ll write as it pertains to GD 50, I thought it was important to give credit where credit is due and that would be completely incomplete if it didn’t include the most important thing in our community… US!!! It wouldn’t mean anything for me to write if it wasn’t for YOU! I could never tell you all how much I appreciate YOU for making it a pleasure to provide whatever I could throughout this whole thing. The best thing about that is I’m just another one of YOU that makes up a collection of characters called US!!! We make up the greatest and most committed fan base in the History of Music. We may be fortunate to have experienced all or part of the 50 greatest years of live music that history will ever know but no more fortunate than the band has been to have had US!!!

Love You Long Time!!!

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)

The Photos are from Jay Blakesberg. He always takes tremendous pics.

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I’m gonna preface this by saying I don’t take drugs anymore so my experience typically isn’t colored by taking speedy acid or some kind of Chinese Counterfeit Molly mixed with rat poison. I tend to contribute more to the vibe in my environment than be affected by it. I think that should probably be the case for most of us by now… I hear things as they are and not how I hope they’d be. I don’t say it’s all great because it just isn’t.

Night one in Chicago came with a fury as the vibration of the entire city proved to be an outstanding host and a perfect choice for this event. Every hotel and establishment in the city is Rockin Grateful Dead music throughout the buildings and the experience is on as big of a scale citywide as I’ve ever seen. I’ve been treated absolutely fantastic everywhere I’ve been and I’ve seen little to no hassles happening anywhere around me. The scene is as kind as I could ever imagine for taking place in a big city. I Love my home city of New York but I don’t think it would’ve played the part of host nearly as warmly as Chicago is. I sure hope you’re all experiencing the same thing.

Entering Soldier Field, I began having what would be a series of vivid memories. The electricity that filled the air was unlike anything I’ve experienced since Garcia was with us. I began to realize the feeling of intensity I had all those years wasn’t really the drugs coming on as I previously thought. It was the sense of impending joy that only sharing music with your favorite musicians and 70,000 of your friends could provide. Either that, or I had one hell of a flashback Friday night. By the time the band took the stage we had all thoroughly seasoned the air they’d be breathing with a lifetime’s worth of Love, appreciation and anticipation. With the kind of juice the community was providing, an ideal environment for the creation of something far beyond music was clearly established. The Box that started the night was perfect as it’s a tune we all love hearing Phil sing. Eyes, not so much, but Box of Rain served as the initial spark that would provide all that’s required for the creation of a flame. Weir fooled everyone by playing Jack Straw on the 3rd of July and the flame was turning into a fire. It was clear that the makings of something very special was underway.

Bertha was always a favorite opener for me throughout the years. The solos would begin and Garcia would sound as if he was musically chasing the band. At some point during the solo, while dancing furiously, you’d hear Jerry get a burst of steam and begin squeezing as many notes as he could strand together, picking up speed and momentum as he’d go blazing past the rest of the band to take the lead. In a matter of seconds the band was now chasing him and it would climax with all of them getting to the peak in a single explosive moment that would send shockwaves through the venue. Those were magical moments and that shit didn’t happen because only Garcia was capable of that kind of shit. Bertha was outstanding none the less. Trey was off to a stellar start.

Passenger was a great surprise and it was becoming obvious that there was something much bigger than a concert that was taking place. When Weir is in the zone, his eyes are difficult to see even when the lights hit them. Friday night they stayed in the shadows of his face and he was in full melt your mind mode. No man’s land the only game in town! We were all fully engaged and completely committed to each moment.

By the time Crazy Fingers came around, everybody that talked shit about Trey for 6 months realized they were not only Dead wrong, but a complete asshole as well. Trey did what we all hoped he’d do and stayed true to Garcia’s perfect phrasing and timing while throwing musical gold into the air with a confidence that caused all of us to become that much more confident. He was completely himself and that’s all he ever had to be. And he tried… And he tried… And he tried!!!

The Music Never Stopped covered ground that hadn’t been covered in years as it seemed like the clock got turned back for all of us. The jams throughout were as commanding as the delivery of the vocals and it seemed as if Weir could fit into some ill fitting shorts all over again. Shows for me were seldom made in the first set but there were a few and this was certainly one of them.

After the standard, extended GD 50 intermission that was filled with hugs and the abundant transference of Love between all of us, the stage was relit and the brilliance that has been Candace Brightman for decades began to bathe us in the same colors as our fully illuminated minds. The light show was a perfect example of going as far as one can possibly go before going entirely too far. It kept the band and the music at the center of it all and enhanced the experience tremendously without any attempts to become bigger then the moment. That to me is the genius of Candace. Thank you Candace for brightening our lives all these years! I always felt if I wasn’t turning on the lights of Life itself through Chiropractic, I’d be a lighting or sound engineer. That’s definitely because of my years spent around the work of Candace Brightman and Dan Healy. I wish Dan was on the soundboard. He’d turn Jeff WAY the hell up!!!

The second set began to roll with Mason’s Children and the music began to activate the same type of physiological response as the LSD did all those years ago. I found myself looking in my pockets intermittently but constantly trying to find all the same shit that was there only a minute ago. Phil was outstanding and showed that when the material is right for him, a microphone can suit him just fine. Not on Eyes tho… That’s all I’m gonna say about that…

The first chords of Scarlet are some of the happiest sounding chords I’ve experienced in this lifetime. “Not another Scarlet-> Fire” said nobody ever! The entire band was breathing a single breath. It was one of those nights that their connection to the source of it all was running on the same cable. It was as if a decade of chemistry was discovered in the 5 nights between Santa Clara and Chicago. Trey was pure and his sound and tone seemed to be multiplied dramatically. His increased opportunity to sing was welcomed by damn near everybody and it became increasingly clear that not only was Trey the right choice for this celebration but he was the ONLY choice. By the time Fire came around I began discovering new dance moves I didn’t even know I had. The Music was dancing through me as I felt like I was actually observing myself from somewhere outside of me. Those are the moments we’ve cherished all these years and we were right there in the psychedelic stew. Almost ablaze!!! Then in the midst of that frenzy, Fire stopped so fast it was like the entire band got hit by a bus… None of those licks that typically end it just BAM…

Drums was outstanding and we’re the most blessed fan base on the musical planet to have Bill and Mickey do what they’ve done for us all these years. I don’t know what’s up with the oven mitts and spatulas Mickey is playing with but he’s sticking with em. The Rhythm Devils were outstanding. Mickey was in the zone deep and was like some kind of wizard. Bill was rock solid and continues to amaze and inspire.

New Potato Caboose out of Space was great and The Playing ratcheted up the experience to 11. The parts that have order were in perfect order and the parts that get chaotic were perfectly chaotic. The meltdown jam at the end showed Trey’s ability to get as weird as everyone else while still being completely in charge of the chaos. At one point the jam sounded like somebody falling down a staircase made of bass strings with a tambourine in their hand. Thick, deep, way out there… YES!!!

Let It Grow was HEAT!!! They made what they made since their world began. You really didn’t need much more at that point of the night but instead we got hit with the Cosmic Motherlode of Help-> Slip-> Frank to close it out. Once again the years started rolling back and I felt like I was 22 again. My legs regained new life under me as I danced furiously in the pocket of sound that surrounded me. The training paid off as I was in full Rocky mode throughout. I felt like I could drink eggs, Catch chickens, jump park benches, beat a side of beef, chop wood and still have energy to spare. I was climbing the steps to the top in total victory and the theme music for all of it was being provided by the only band that can do what they do. The songs that shaped my life were fresh and coming from the stage with a combination of everything that’s fuckin great about being alive! It wasn’t Bob’s band or Phil’s band or Trey’s band, it was OUR BAND!!!! Those are the moments I’ve quit jobs and made decisions to defy any and all logic to be a part of. Those are the moments that what it took get there, be it time, challenges or treasure, completely vanished and the one thing that emerged was an experience that never caused me to consider a price tag. Money comes and money goes, the experiences we had together last night far surpassed all of that bullshit. We left the physical plane of this life and were transported someplace that is truly priceless. The Ripple encore was like a diamond on top of it all. I’m different today for having experienced that last night. It was a moment that is indelibly embroidered in my heart and mind as long as I exist… How does it get any better than that??? I’m not sure…

Dead To The Core,

Dean Sottile (pronounced So Tilly)