R.I.P. JERRY

[tetsuma]

A good way to raise our glasses to the man and the mission, would be to find a copy of the Tom Snyder interview of Jerry and Kesey. It's a hoot and shows how devilishly smart and mischifeous those guys were.

If you haven't seen it, catch the brown paper bag question from Tom, "uh, what you got in the bag, Ken?" and Ken's answer, "the ripples from germany, and the acid is from Switzerland (Sandoz). (They were swigging off a botte of special wine)). Snyder handles it pretty well.

Rest on, sweetly, and spin through the eons and continue tio explore. Thanks for bearing all that weight through the years.

the second way to celebrate should be to dose. get a dose day set up and everyone plug in at the same time whereever we are. I'm game. Would be fun.

david

[powderfinger]

find a copy of the Tom Snyder interview of Jerry and Kesey.

Ask and you shall recieve. Follow the link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPBDWAwxbU

[Benny Profane]

Funny you should bring this guy up. Just watched Gimme Shelter the other night (God, is that a depressing movie), and am still amazed at how he and the Dead got off so easy from any blame at Altamont. I could almost hear the conversation - "uh...hey, man, they're cool, man. The Angels have been doing it for us for years. It's cool, man. Here, take this." And him jumping out of the helicopter and his Oh Wow reaction and then running and hiding. Fucking hippies.

[sea2ski]

Funny you should bring this guy up. Just watched Gimme Shelter the other night (God, is that a depressing movie), and am still amazed at how he and the Dead got off so easy from any blame at Altamont. I could almost hear the conversation - "uh...hey, man, they're cool, man. The Angels have been doing it for us for years. It's cool, man. Here, take this." And him jumping out of the helicopter and his Oh Wow reaction and then running and hiding. Fucking hippies.

Why would anybody but the Stones be blamed? Altamont was all their idea because they had missed playing Woodstock.

As for running and hiding, I guess you would be eager to go on stage after one of the members of Jefferson Airplane had just gotten his ass kicked by so called "security". Having seen a women try to kill a guy with a switchblade about three feet away from me and numerous other shit happen in dive bars I performed in, don't mock it till you've been in a similiar situation.

[Benny Profane]

I guess this is ancient history here, but the Dead had an ongoing relationship with the Angels for some time, using them as security for Dead concerts. No doubt the common ground here between the two subcultures was sex and drugs. It was their idea to use them at Altamont. Then we saw Hunter Thompson's first book come to life on the silver screen.

[strawjack]

bobby played in my hometown that night. several hundred, maybe a thousand or so showed up w/out tickets. the police were so ready for a riot. they had dogs, horses, helmets on...the works. everyone just hung out and listened to the music outside, totally mellow like usual.

i remember dan rather or some cheeseball news caster thinking they had the exclusive bobby interview after the show and bobby blew 'em off hard knowing it was just a rating thing...nothing to do w/ jerry as a person. that was beautiful.

[daPig]

Funny you should bring this guy up. Just watched Gimme Shelter the other night (God, is that a depressing movie), and am still amazed at how he and the Dead got off so easy from any blame at Altamont. I could almost hear the conversation - "uh...hey, man, they're cool, man. The Angels have been doing it for us for years. It's cool, man. Here, take this." And him jumping out of the helicopter and his Oh Wow reaction and then running and hiding.

I'm not going to try and play historian here but the Dead actually tried to convince the stones to not use the Angels for security. The Stones were under the impression that the Angels in the USA were the same as the Angels in the UK. They werent. The angels in the USA were ass kickers and the Stones paid the price for not understanding the difference. The Dead were very good friends with the Angels but only used them for security in the very early gigs, before things even got large enough to fill basketball gyms. They were way too smart to attempt to use tha Angels for something like Altamont.

[/QUOTE]Fucking hippies.[/QUOTE]

-10 for zero originality

[powderfinger]

Mick Jagger also announced in New York there was going to be a free show in San Francisco when he was told he shouldn't.

[Tippster]

Read this Book to see another view of what happened (and WHY) at Altamont.

[powderfinger]

In this book it says Graham blamed Rock Scully who suggested the Angels. Scully's book about the Dead is said not to be wholy believed so he is a little shady to begin with. Sam Cutler with the Stones ok'd everything but he was under Scully for this event. The Stones didn't go on til after dark, so they could shoot the movie, delaying the show. Like I said earlier Mick decided to let everyone know about the free concert against the advice of those in the Dead camp. This book says the Stones were cocky at the time coming to the US to prove they were the greatest rock band in the world on the heels of releasing Let it Bleed. Bill Graham was not impressed by demands for their show earlier at the tour stop in Oakland. The show did not go well and Bill didn't like Sam Cutler either. The book says he catered the show from a local burger joint. And by the end of the show he was wrestling with Cutler on Stage.

The crowd was said to be: "299,000 people who had come to see a show and were comfortable arrayed; and then there were the 1,000 desperate to be up front, some of whom were not acting sanely. Some of them were "the wierdos too," wrote one eye witness, "speed freaks with hollow eyes and missing teeth, dead faced acid heads...."

The location was a speedway...lots of concrete with views of hills with dead grass and a freeway. Kinda like woodstock 99 (all concrete). It was the third choice for a location to hold the event.

The times were wierd. My Lai massacre story had just broke and they had to block marchers from the whitehouse with city buses. Nixon started Operation Intercept to slow the flow of mexican pot coming in to the US. It was about the same time the CIA was bringing herion from SE in body bags from the war.

Meredith Hunter did have a gun. The Angel who stabbed him was found to be in self defense and innocent.

It seemed like something bad was coming and it culminated at Altamont.

[waxman]

we did a cheer at an Ultimate Tournament in Oregon soon after his death:
"Jerry Garcia died in d-tox, come on guys get some d-blocks"
needless to say discs fell out of the air followed by silence....

[gr8fldoug]

You're a cheerleader for an ultimate frisbee team?
Jerry meant alot to me when he was alive and still means alot to me now.
RIP

[tetsuma]

In this book it says Graham blamed Rock Scully .

Powderfinger - how is the book? this is one I haven't read -- ok, I didn't read Lesh's book, either.

And thanks for pointing out the link to the interview. It's such a treat to watch that thing. -David

[Rasputin]

And thanks for pointing out the link to the interview. It's such a treat to watch that thing. -David

Yeah, what he said.

[powderfinger]

No problem.

The book is awesome. I am thinking of reading it again soon. He was the publicist and he did Kerouac's bio which I would like to read. He puts the band and the times into context very well. One criticism is he did not talk about the 80s much in the book. I saw McNally speak and met him at Terrapin Station 02 @ Alpine Valley and I got it there before it came out to the public.
I knew it was coming and was looking forward to it for a long time. I read all the other ones first and I liked this one best.

I've read Garcia by Blair Jackson(good exhaustive bio),

Living with the Dead by Rock Scully (crazy dosing/party stories also most fictitious of dead books) very entertaining read to be sure.

Phils Book(some nice nuggets I hadn't found in any of the others)

Steve Parish's Home before Daylight (some wild/disturbing crew stories. he also has dealt with great loss in his life)

Wendy Weir - In the Spirit: Conversations with the Spirit of Jerry Garcia (very wierd. I got it for $2)

I would like to read Sweet Chaos sometime.

------------------------------------


There is a lot of Dead related material on youtube if you just search for it.

[iskibc]

Ask and you shall recieve. Follow the link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPBDWAwxbU

Wow. First time I've seen this. Heh. Snyder is a tool. Good stuff though. Oh how the times have changed.

[Rasputin]

Wow. First time I've seen this. Heh. Snyder is a tool. Good stuff though. Oh how the times have changed.

I like how Snyder scolds them for talking before being introduced.

[iskibc]

I like how Snyder scolds them for talking before being introduced.

The entire 8 minutes would be a great SNL skit.
I like it when Kasey goes off on an acid induced tangent and Snyder is lost for words. Nice and long pause followed by a "ehhhhhh, ok, moving along now....." type of quote.



Thanks powderfinger, this is a gem. Good stuff for sure.

[Benny Profane]

Can never get over how this is has been like a religion for upper middle class white kids for many moons. Just don't get it. He died a fat diabetic selfish junkie, and he's revered like a saint. But the coolest guy in the group was Pigpen, and even he drank himself to death before he got grey hair.

[RootSkier]

Yeah, well I was a lit major and I think Pynchon is a religion for upper middle class wannabe writers. Just don't get it.

See how stupid that sounds? Yeah.

[powderfinger]

Yes yes, and his own daughter called him a shitty father at his funeral. Nobody is perfect. He had demons/issues just like most of the brilliant minds who have created great art/literature did throughout the scope of human history.

For me it is the music, (bluegrass, rock, psychedelic rock, country, reggae, motown, jazz, experimental, blues, spiritual, sea shantys!) that and the mythology, the Americana, the History, the inspiration, the beats/SF scene, Pranksters, politics, apolitics, the feeling of family, the artists (posters blotter etc.), the intellectual curiosity, thirst for knowledge of the world and cultures and everything and everyone else that came out of those times (the mid 60s).

Just don't get it.

Thats ok. Some do some don't.



The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics

Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow. Pick a song any song to see how much history/mythology/religion/obscure reference is wrapped up in it. Scroll down to see the songs then click on them.

http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/AGDL/gdhome.html

BTW Benny I have some pamphlets and I can send two deadheads over to your home if you just give me your address which will also put you on the mailing list.

[Benny Profane]

Are you employed in the world of finance? Or are you a corporate drone? I'm always amazed at how many, ahem, deadheads are slaves to their father's dreams, and, I guess, trust fund requirements.

[Rasputin]

Can never get over how this is has been like a religion for upper middle class white kids for many moons. Just don't get it. He died a fat diabetic selfish junkie, and he's revered like a saint. But the coolest guy in the group was Pigpen, and even he drank himself to death before he got grey hair.

Newsflash! Benny doesn't get it!

Your prejudice is obvious, you hate middle class white kids (as if those parameters make them inherently inferior to other groups), and you think you have something figured out through your ignorance of something you admit you don't get. You don't believe from your lack of experience what others attest to from their wealth of it, well that's bright.

I never talked to Jerry, but I lived with people who knew him personally, and what they said was that it pained him to the core that his success caused him to become isolated from the people he wanted to hang with. He wasn't selfish so far as I could tell, he carried the weight of an entire community, and he kept playing until he couldn't anymore, for people who loved what he did. He could have retired long before, but didn't.

As for being a diabetic, do you really consider this a charactor flaw? A junkie? Well I've met many a junkie who was less judgemental, and more kind at heart than you are showing yourself to be. Get off your high horse, what have you done that anyone will value and remember?

[powderfinger]

Sorry for the lag time in my response. I had to go rethink my life. I felt you pegged me perfectly with your condescending generalization.


I would love to have a trust fund though. I have two childhood friends who most likely have trust funds in place and they are both great people.

This Deadhead:

I'm 25 and I take care of my younger brother who has MD. We live in a town of 2,500 people in rural MN. I trade alot of live music of many different bands. The Grateful Dead just happen to be my favorite. We have been fortunate to travel to every state* in this country, alot of it by road. A lot of Dead songs take place across the U.S. and The Grateful Dead and Neil Young have been the soundtrack for exploring new places and meeting new people "On the Road" with friends and family. I have been to the Dead house on 710 Ashbury in SF. Yes it was a bit of a pilgrimage. I'm this fanatical having never seen Jerry live. I've seen ratdog, phil the other ones and "the dead" a bunch.

I have deadhead friends who are dirtbag ski bums and everything in between up to a 2nd cousin who is a Lawyer, professional writer and organic chemist.
------------------------
Deadheads come from all walks of life. Just a few notables include: (from wiki)
* Al and Tipper Gore
* Bill Clinton
* Tony Blair - played in Mars Hotel-inspired student band
* Owen Chamberlain - claimed the Rhythm Devils gave him "interesting ideas"
* Keith Haring
* Joseph Campbell - proclaimed deadheads as "the world's newest tribe."[18]
* Pete Carroll (sourced here)
* Ann Coulter (sourced here)
* Patrick Leahy (also sourced here)
* Bill Walton



*I''ve never been to alabama (#50 for me) but both of my younger brothers have seen all 50.

time for sleep.

[bad_roo]

I've just realised I couldn't name one single Grateful Dead song.