Deadthread

[Colfax]

Did anyone else see the article in Rolling Stone about the new '77 box set?

There is a quote in that article from Bobby saying that he thought the late 80's were the best period of the band.  I thought that was really interesting as I had never heard anyone, let alone a member of the band, say that. 

'89 up until Brent's death in '90 was definitely the peak of the years I got to see them ('86 to '95) but I never would have thought of it as their absolute peak.  The energy of those shows was amazing though, and Jerry was so engaged and sharp in that time.

Many of my Deadhead friends have always felt this way. Personally, if Brent isn't on the keys, it isn't the Dead for me. I understand people who feel this way about Pigpen too, but for me, I enjoy Brent's vocals and playing way more than anyone else.  And I've always felt that era is the most musically inspired.

I'll listen to some other eras occasionally, but definitely never throw in anything that includes the wailing screeching of Donna that's for sure.

[APR]

I cherish the memories from my two Dead shows.  One was '94 (maybe '95 with Traffic opening at RFK stadium) and the other in '95 (Dave Matthews Band opening in Vegas).  Being a big music fan but not much a GD fan, I still really wanted to see them to experience the show and atmosphere.  Both experiences were very memorable and special..... the concerts, the parking lots, the people..... nothing will be like that again.

Watching So Many Roads above and reading the posts that its been 18 years since Jerry died made me sad.

[zanjam]

Did anyone else see the article in Rolling Stone about the new '77 box set?

There is a quote in that article from Bobby saying that he thought the late 80's were the best period of the band.  I thought that was really interesting as I had never heard anyone, let alone a member of the band, say that. 

'89 up until Brent's death in '90 was definitely the peak of the years I got to see them ('86 to '95) but I never would have thought of it as their absolute peak.  The energy of those shows was amazing though, and Jerry was so engaged and sharp in that time.

I read the article.  I agree that the Brent years were fantastic, but IMHO can not even come close to holding a candle to '77 or '74.  Not. In. The. Same. League!!

I love reminiscing about Dead Days.  By some cosmic serendipitous intervention, I decided quit my job to go on summer tour in '95.  Who knew it would be the last?  Certainly not me.  I had been to strings of shows, but never an entire tour.  I went to every show that tour, except for the second RFK show.  I was at Phish at Waterloo -- also awesome!  So when I lament about not being able to go to OBH, I remind myself just how good I had it at one point in time! 

While I had the time of my life, the energy on that tour was really weird.  I was one of the first people into Highgate and I was on the rail (seems some things never change.)  By the time all 100,000 people got in there, the front was squished to the stage and people had to be pulled out of the crowd, me included.  Then there was the cancelled Deer Creek show, where I watched Heavenly Creatures at the hotel on pills with a bunch of other pissed off Deadheads.  And I'm vaguely remembering something about a deck that fell during one of the St. Louis shows, and people may have died? 

I do however, vividly remember calling my brother from a pay phone during the

China Cat Sunflower ->
I Know You Rider
It's All Too Much
Saint Of Circumstance ->
Terrapin ->

at the second-to-last show and telling him it wasn't that great.  Not that great?!  How could those songs be that not that great?!!  Ugh.  It just wasn't.  Things were off.  And the fact that they closed everything - ever! - with Black Muddy then Box was just a premonition of what was to come, IMO.  Can you even imagine if they had closed with Touch, or an upbeat song?  No.  The prophetic eeriness of Black Muddy paired with the death-embracing Box was exactly what they needed to close with.  Like...as awful as it was, there was just no other way to go out.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for sure.

I mean, on paper it sounds like it sucked!  But all I have are glowing memories.  Missing a Spanish Jam while I was peeing (Doh!!) Talking to Chris Robinson in the audience!  Soaking it in like there was no tomorrow, which turned out to be true.  Living my life with reckless abandon.  Feeling free.  The good outweighed the bad, but it certainly was one of the heaviest times in my life.  Yin and Yang.

This band shaped who I am today and I can not credit any one entity, more than The Dead, with the path my life has taken.  So good on ya, GD!!   

[LBSUNFLWR]

FILM OF DEAD'S FAMED AUGUST 27, 1972
SHOW WILL BE AIRED AT THEATERS NATIONWIDE




On August 27, 1972 the Grateful Dead played a benefit for the The Springfield Creamery in Veneta, OR that became an instant classic in Deadlore. A film dubbed Sunshine Daydream was shot that day using four 16mm cameras and while the movie was never released, it has circulated in fan circles and been shown at film festivals. This summer, Sunshine Daydream will finally hit theaters nationwide.

Fathom Events is throwing their third annual Grateful Dead Meet-Up At The Movies on August 1 at 7:30 p.m. local time. As this year's presentation, theaters across the country will air the entire two hour and 10 minute Sunshine Daydream.

Here's a description of what to expect:

Experience the most requested performance of The Grateful Dead's entire career; Sunshine Daydream! Shot on 16mm film on a blistering summer day in 1972 and painstakingly restored to glorious HD resolution, the previously unreleased feature captures the band at the height of their powers. More than a concert film; Sunshine Daydream is a time capsule from August 27, 1972 exploding with the colorful sights and sounds of the counterculture experience. Featuring never before seen footage of the day as well as original, recent interviews with the key participants of the time such as Merry Prankster Ken Babbs, tour manager Sam Cutler, peace activist Wavy Gravy, and Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Garcia among a host of adventuresome characters providing insight on the sense of community that made such a special day possible.

We're excited to hear the film has been restored to "glorious HD resolution" and hope a DVD/Blu-Ray release will follow. Check out Fathom's website to find out which theaters will be participating this year and to purchase tickets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been the last 2 years and it was pretty fuckinawesome! Seeing them on the big screen in surround sound is as close as we can get these days to being there!!

Happy Birthday Jerry!  

[ericm]

Happy Birthday Jerry. 

"We need magic, and bliss,and power, and myth,
and celebration,and religion in our lives,
and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it".

Jerry Garcia

[LBSUNFLWR]

Thanks, LBSUNFLWR, for the head's up on the concert movie/documentary Sunshine Daydream. I just got back from seeing it in Louisville. It was pretty wonderful. Some of the footage is rough, especially near the end when the sun was going down. There were lots of naked hippies! Lots! The sound was great! I'll be getting it when it comes out for sure.

I was disappointed in how few people were at this showing. It seemed like only about 45 to 50 people. (There was one more theater in Louisville showing it and one across the river in southern Indiana.)

HA! I went to Tinseltown, where were you?

I thought there were only about 20 people in my theater which is more than there were in the same theater last year! I really liked it too but I think I liked the last 2 years better b/c they were more just straight concert footage. Though this was more like a movie than just a live concert on film. While the naked hippies were amusing I kinda wish they would have showed a little less crowd and more band. It was still awesome. And great to see a 30 year old Jerry who wasn't fat at all and who had black hair still. And one drummer!


Glad I posted the info here. 

[ItBeats4Jew]

Did anyone else see the article in Rolling Stone about the new '77 box set?

There is a quote in that article from Bobby saying that he thought the late 80's were the best period of the band.  I thought that was really interesting as I had never heard anyone, let alone a member of the band, say that. 

'89 up until Brent's death in '90 was definitely the peak of the years I got to see them ('86 to '95) but I never would have thought of it as their absolute peak.  The energy of those shows was amazing though, and Jerry was so engaged and sharp in that time.

I read the article.  I agree that the Brent years were fantastic, but IMHO can not even come close to holding a candle to '77 or '74.  Not. In. The. Same. League!!

I love reminiscing about Dead Days.  By some cosmic serendipitous intervention, I decided quit my job to go on summer tour in '95.  Who knew it would be the last?  Certainly not me.  I had been to strings of shows, but never an entire tour.  I went to every show that tour, except for the second RFK show.  I was at Phish at Waterloo -- also awesome!  So when I lament about not being able to go to OBH, I remind myself just how good I had it at one point in time! 

While I had the time of my life, the energy on that tour was really weird.  I was one of the first people into Highgate and I was on the rail (seems some things never change.)  By the time all 100,000 people got in there, the front was squished to the stage and people had to be pulled out of the crowd, me included.  Then there was the cancelled Deer Creek show, where I watched Heavenly Creatures at the hotel on pills with a bunch of other pissed off Deadheads.  And I'm vaguely remembering something about a deck that fell during one of the St. Louis shows, and people may have died? 

I do however, vividly remember calling my brother from a pay phone during the

China Cat Sunflower ->
I Know You Rider
It's All Too Much
Saint Of Circumstance ->
Terrapin ->

at the second-to-last show and telling him it wasn't that great.  Not that great?!  How could those songs be that not that great?!!  Ugh.  It just wasn't.  Things were off.  And the fact that they closed everything - ever! - with Black Muddy then Box was just a premonition of what was to come, IMO.  Can you even imagine if they had closed with Touch, or an upbeat song?  No.  The prophetic eeriness of Black Muddy paired with the death-embracing Box was exactly what they needed to close with.  Like...as awful as it was, there was just no other way to go out.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for sure.

I mean, on paper it sounds like it sucked!  But all I have are glowing memories.  Missing a Spanish Jam while I was peeing (Doh!!) Talking to Chris Robinson in the audience!  Soaking it in like there was no tomorrow, which turned out to be true.  Living my life with reckless abandon.  Feeling free.  The good outweighed the bad, but it certainly was one of the heaviest times in my life.  Yin and Yang.

This band shaped who I am today and I can not credit any one entity, more than The Dead, with the path my life has taken.  So good on ya, GD!!   

Jen, 95 did suck.  take a listen to one of those 95 gigs.  Remember how much fun we had at the Silver Bowl?  I mean Sammy, Unbroken, Eyes?!! 

http://www.archive.org/download/http://archive.org/details/gd95-05-21.schoeps.18799.sbeok.shnf

But it sounds like ass.  Almost unlistenable relative to the good years. 

And I totally hear Bobby on the late 80s/early 90s.  I'll put that spring 90 tour up against any era.  It may not win, but it's a worthy debate.  They played w/ more energy and crispness than those loose mid-late 70s shows.  Just my opinion, and maybe I'm biased b/c this was when I was seeing them, but I think they never sounded better than the late Brent era.  But you know, I think Donna sucks (except on Cassidy), so there you go.   

[ericm]

Here you go Mr. White. The DVD/cd available here as well as blu-ray

http://www.dead.net/store/music/live-shows/sunshine-daydream-deluxe-cddvd-exclusive?eml=dead/080113/ssddvd

[Colfax]

So Mike Gordon (Phish) sat in with Phil at Terrapin Station to celebrate 8/1.

Bobby joined Warren Haynes and the San Francisco Orchestra  doing a series of Jerry tribute shows. I was going to link to the shakedown I watched but it was on facebook, not youtube. He sat in for several songs so I suspect there are videos of it.

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

[Colfax]

Ok, as I mentioned earlier, for the past 10-15 years I have been exclusively listening to Brent era Dead. He just does it for me vocally and on the keys. Love me some Brent.

But the wife just got the 77 box set and forced me to listen to it despite Donna being on it. And wow oh wow is it good.

First, I'll address Donna. She sounds great. In tune. not screeching like so many shows I've heard. I don't know if it's post production fixes or what but I was impressed. She sounds like she does on the albums - which is good. She is still way too high in the mix and overpowers the melody, but that's not her fault.

Bobby sounds amazing. On songs like Samson & Delilah, he has so much passion and energy in his voice. It's a quality that just isn't found in those 80s years I've been listening to. I have a whole new appreciation for Bob after listening to these.

Jerry's guitar is slightly different than the tone I'm used to from my 80s listening. It's a little less refined, but he's playing with a lot of passion and soul.

The rest of the band is more or less akin to what I'm used to listening to, but I think I've just realized that by limiting my Dead listening to a very short era, I've been doing myself a disservice.

This box set is the real deal.

[LBSUNFLWR]

  Today's the day, 18 years ago. damn.

will be spending the day playing GD and JGB. That Garcia Live Volume 1 from this past year is awesome, if anyone hasn't heard.

R.I.P.

[ericm]

A sad day indeed, but I choose to celebrate Jerry's life today, and all the great memories.    His spirit, and music will always be with me.

Rest in peace big fella. 

[Shug]

Goodbye, Jerry
Lucky Old Sun
Brokedown Palace
Stella Blue
My Sister and Brothers
Black Muddy River
To Lay Me Down
Sugaree
He's Gone
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Box of Rain
Touch of Gray

This is my playlist for Aug 9 every year

Another one I made years ago celebrates the incredibly diverse range of Jerry's musical influences

Jerry Garcia, A Great American Musician
Iko Iko
Cumberland Blues
Peggy-0
Blue Yodel #9
CC Rider>
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Stagger Lee
Big Railroad Blues
Eyes Of The World
Dark Star
Stella Blue
My Sisters and Brothers
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Second That Emotion
Fire On The Mountain
Brokedown Palace

[MrWhippy]

I mean, on paper it sounds like it sucked!  But all I have are glowing memories.  Missing a Spanish Jam while I was peeing (Doh!!) Talking to Chris Robinson in the audience!  Soaking it in like there was no tomorrow, which turned out to be true.  Living my life with reckless abandon.  Feeling free.  The good outweighed the bad, but it certainly was one of the heaviest times in my life.  Yin and Yang.

Jen, if you ever feel bad about missing a Spanish Jam while peeing, you can think about a guy I know who was at one of the Madison Square Garden shows in '83 and in the bathroom when they broke out St. Stephen.  That's orders of magnitude worse than your story.

[iLikeBeer]

A sad day indeed, but I choose to celebrate Jerry's life today, and all the great memories.    His spirit, and music will always be with me.

Rest in peace big fella.

This is what I did as well.  The Dead brought me so many good memories, it's far better to reflect on the good times in celebration!  Finished up my night of Dead listening with that 3 song collaboration at Shoreline with Bobby and the boys!   

[Shug]

Ok, as I mentioned earlier, for the past 10-15 years I have been exclusively listening to Brent era Dead. He just does it for me vocally and on the keys. Love me some Brent.

But the wife just got the 77 box set and forced me to listen to it despite Donna being on it. And wow oh wow is it good.

First, I'll address Donna. She sounds great. In tune. not screeching like so many shows I've heard. I don't know if it's post production fixes or what but I was impressed. She sounds like she does on the albums - which is good. She is still way too high in the mix and overpowers the melody, but that's not her fault.

Bobby sounds amazing. On songs like Samson & Delilah, he has so much passion and energy in his voice. It's a quality that just isn't found in those 80s years I've been listening to. I have a whole new appreciation for Bob after listening to these.

Jerry's guitar is slightly different than the tone I'm used to from my 80s listening. It's a little less refined, but he's playing with a lot of passion and soul.

The rest of the band is more or less akin to what I'm used to listening to, but I think I've just realized that by limiting my Dead listening to a very short era, I've been doing myself a disservice.

This box set is the real deal.

Dude,

This is rad!  I'm as much of a Brent appreciator as you and I understand the pain of the Donna wail, too.  But  May 77 is so on fire that I can easily get past her vocals and Keith's decreasing presence on the keys and the lack of Hammond and soulful rough vocals from Brent.  Glad you finally got it!

[alienlanes]

Did anyone else order the Sunshine Daydream set? I got the blu-ray/CD combo one...

Already have a great SBD 3 CDR of the show, but can't wait to see the film all cleaned up!

[Shug]

Trying to decide on BluRay vs DVD.  Is there any point in going Blu Ray if the archival video footage is not a high def source?  Does the audio sound any better on Blu Ray vs DVD?

Amazon has the DVD set for about $30, but no Blu Ray.  Dead.net has both Blu Ray and DVD, both with some bonus stuff that I don't really care about but the prices are about $65 and $55 or so.

[zanjam]

I mean, on paper it sounds like it sucked!  But all I have are glowing memories.  Missing a Spanish Jam while I was peeing (Doh!!) Talking to Chris Robinson in the audience!  Soaking it in like there was no tomorrow, which turned out to be true.  Living my life with reckless abandon.  Feeling free.  The good outweighed the bad, but it certainly was one of the heaviest times in my life.  Yin and Yang.

Jen, if you ever feel bad about missing a Spanish Jam while peeing, you can think about a guy I know who was at one of the Madison Square Garden shows in '83 and in the bathroom when they broke out St. Stephen.  That's orders of magnitude worse than your story.

If there's ever a Cortez, by Neil or otherwise, you can be assured I will be in the bathroom.  That's how my life rolls..

But missing that Stephen is pretty major!!

[Crispy]

I mean, on paper it sounds like it sucked!  But all I have are glowing memories.  Missing a Spanish Jam while I was peeing (Doh!!) Talking to Chris Robinson in the audience!  Soaking it in like there was no tomorrow, which turned out to be true.  Living my life with reckless abandon.  Feeling free.  The good outweighed the bad, but it certainly was one of the heaviest times in my life.  Yin and Yang.

Jen, if you ever feel bad about missing a Spanish Jam while peeing, you can think about a guy I know who was at one of the Madison Square Garden shows in '83 and in the bathroom when they broke out St. Stephen.  That's orders of magnitude worse than your story.

If there's ever a Cortez, by Neil or otherwise, you can be assured I will be in the bathroom.  That's how my life rolls..

But missing that Stephen is pretty major!!

This is why we stop drinking liquids before shows!