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This was a cherry pop night for me. Those that ride that owsley train know what I mean. This isn't your virginity you can pop your cherry a few times a year if your lucky maybe even once every tour but once it happens you feel it but you don't really trip again until you take a good time off the ride. So I had some news from summer that didn't really seem to do the trick. I might feel a little something but didn't even give a jolt of energy most nights. I wasn't dancing til the daylight. I might even sit some songs at the shows. I thought the stuff was flat weak. So I over did it. Took 3 to get one you know the all prankster trick. I've got others with this before but not myself in a long time. Don't get me wrong I've been to this place just not by accident in quite sometime. First set was fairly par to the course. Whitney and I were a touch late but pretty close to on time for us. They started a little late so we caught the opener. Fairly solid first set hard to handle Cumberland sunrise highlights but fairly routine set for me nothing mind blowing but boy was a slowly coming up. The stuff already touched me more than it did over the summer. Boom. China cat starts and the kaleidoscope is on. The colors the light everything was so incredibly bright and in motion. I couldn't see anything but spirals of color. I panicked a little which didn't help the situation but I was out there. Floating in Milky Way of love and magic. Connecting to my emotions and the universe but totally unable to function in this world. I was supposed to do the 10 minute drive back to the hotel and at this point I needed someone to hold my hand just to make it out of the venue. Fortunately I have a trusted partner in this journey called life. I told her how out there I was and let her know she had to drive home. We also step outside the venue to go roll up a blunt to help me settle myself down. You could hear the show crisp and clear outside the fence on the sidewalk outside the venue. We settled in there for a bit. I'm not a huge low spark fan if I'm being honest. It's a song that felt special at first but dark star does too much in my not so humble opinion but this version was strong. I think I heard it more clearly than ever before. This has happened with other songs before. I remember seeing the picture painted by morning dew for the first time in Richmond. Lisa offered me a place to stay that night but I was confident I could drive home. About 30 minutes from DC the split open and melt became too much and pulled over and called a friend for help. That too was a cherry pop night. Then China doll. I shared here before this show that a good friend and mentor of mine killed himself recently. I've listened to 3/30/90 on repeat for weeks. The China doll is big in this show. Dark stars was even bigger. My aqueducts of my emotions opened. On the sidewalks of Birmingham I sobbed for Bob. I sobbed for the lost I felt and even more so I sobbed for Bobs step children especially Bryan who I consider outside of Whitney my best friend. The person I trust 2nd most in my life now. Mom and Dad you guys will always be first only rivaled by Whitney. It put me back to when my dad died when my mom died. How do I go on? How do I continue life without their guidance. Their love. Their support. I'm so sorry Bryan. The fracture he left is deep for me but I can't imagine how deep it is for you. I did pull it together and dance through the tears for bob for Bryan for me. After the flood of emotion I felt, Whitney suggested maybe it would be a good time to go. I still needed her help to get to the car but I agreed it was time to go. I had got what I came for. It was one of those magical nights that only dark star can bring me. Makes me feel human. Makes me acknowledge the love and beauty in my life. Experience and process the pain and sorrow but also remember the love and joy. It's everything a real trip is supposed to be. If you laugh cry and think all in the same day that's a good day. I stole that from jimmy V. Thank you so much DSO. I love you Whitney. I love my kids so much. I miss you mom and dad. Bob you will never be forgotten. love is real

FWIW, that's one of 5 Brokedowns in 5 years. All 5 from '74 to '79 being in '77

Shakedown C.C. Rider Loser Me & My Uncle > Maggie's Farm Strange Man Lazy River Road The Race Is On Tom Thumb Blues Loose Lucy Stranger Scarlet > Fire Gimme Some Lovin > Easy To Slip > Drumz > Fat Angel > Casey Jones > Throwing Stones > Morning Dew Love The One Your With **99% sure that was Fat Angel by Donovan. Never heard it before, and so I did a google search on the lyrics that I heard as it was happening All good all show long but I was really digging the little extra that many of the 1st set tunes had, like the C.C. Rider, Maggie's, and that STRANGER. What is it about Pittsburgh shows and that song? It always just RIPS here.

Clearly good to get that out and wonderful of you to share the cherished memories of such a good friend. Those lows help us love more deeply and make us hopeful for everything that is possible. Glad you’re safe and have people you can trust to pull you through

It was a really fun evening starting with dinner with Dino and other friends at the Speakeasy across the street then at the rail for the first set which included the best "Red Rooster" I've heard. It was good to hear Bobby Whitlock's and Clapton's song "Keep on Growing". For second set I went upstairs where I could occasionally sit down to rest my old body. The combined "Dark Star>Drums 'n Space" clocked right at 30 minutes. A beautiful young lady started dancing in the space in front of Chris and me which got me up shaking my bones again. "Wharf Rat" brought on a slow dance while we listen to the story of those less fortunate.....after Saturday Night and Brothers and Sisters, "I got up and wandered Wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just hang around" Outside there was a little band playing on the flatbed truck and folks dancing a bit and a few dogs on leash watching everyone have fun. Peace and Love, Doc

46yr old set list brought back to life in a venue not quite three times that age. The two went together famously. Cool part of downtown adjacent to Olympic park. Minglewood, high time and music never stopped were my first set highlights. Really the whole second set was a highlight. Drums into other one heart pounding. Security was a little rigid about the aisles, but there was some dance space to be found. A thousand thanks to the whole dso operation for bringing us the goods.