LangeradoSoul

I really hated to miss this. How was attendance?

Over the years I've gone back in forth in my mind as to what tour did I think Brent's playing shined the best on. As a whole tour, Fall 1979 and Spring 1990 are really the top contenders for overall playing. That being said, here's my currently and as of today top brent era shows: 1. 9/1/1979 The whole show is executed perfectly. Get the aud, its the best. Mississippi Half Step>Franklins, and Scarlet Begonias>Fire On the Mountain are my highlights. 2. 8/16/1980 I love everything about this show and its aud vibes. You can hear the rain, and you can hear the audience eat up the energy from the band. I love the Deal. 3. 3/5/1981 I really love the second set inspired Jam>Passenger. Check it out! 4. 3/13/1982 Yeah. Second set is like untouchable. Seriously. it's an underated and under listened show. You've not heard Jerry & Brent jam this hard on a Franklin's tower in the 80's. I'm not lying. It's stratospheric. The Stranger>Franklins>Estimated>Eyes>drums is really just mind blowing, even though it looks standard. Its anything but standard. 5. 6/20/1983 Each show in the June 1983 run are a mix of sloppy but super inspired and high energy playing. I really love this show, especially the second set, and Drums>Encore is the meat & potatoes. That Bob Star really does it for me. So does the lightning strike during Wharf Rat which cuts the PA for a split second and causes the band and audience to lose their minds, and the Sugar Magnolia is the epitome of this tour: its seriously heavy metal high energy Dead and the sloppiest version you'll ever here. It's rocking. 6. 6/10/1984 I shouldn't like this show, but the June 1984 tour and this show is also hot, and I really love the He's Gone>Space>Don't Need Love>Drums 7. 3/25/1985 The Jack Straw and Sugaree really get me grooving and I love the whole first set 8. 5/10/1986 Honestly, 1986 is a tough one for me, but I LOVE this second set, especially the crisp AUD. The whole second set is where its at, but Weir, Brent, and Jerry really set an amazing groove on this Estimated Prophet. It's just so perfect. 9. 3/18/1988 So many choices in 1988, but the second half of the second set is especially inspired, and the Other One & Throwing Stones rock way harder than normal. 10. 3/26/1990 Really, all of Summer/Fall 1989, and Spring 1990 are top notch for Brent and band, but I really like this show. All of it is pristine. I could list 100 more shows from all these years. Whole shows, partial sets, specific songs. But this is a good starting list of where I am today

Just a few short weeks left. Normally at this time of year I'm so desperate and dying for a getaway I'm almost unhinged. This year I changed jobs and took a week vacation prior to the Jubilee and I think it's gonna make this Jubilee even sweeter than before cause I'm feeling super relaxed, which is crazy for me in May. It's also a great sign for the band that VIP & VIP RV are sold out, and I hope GA sells out prior to the event just to make it worth it for the band. I'm looking forward to seeing John K play with Melvin this year.He's upped that bands game, and they've broadened their songbook with him on board. I've not seen John K since 2010, and I know he'll drop in with DSO, and that will be cool, cause I've not seem him with DSO live since 2000. Lastly, usually I sneak in and around the DSO shows with a low profile, but I may say hello this year and be slightly more friendly. Times are strange, and its good to give greetings and appreciate these moments before they are gone.

It was different but good. They played JGB & Dead tunes. They jammed out songs but the only transitions I heard was China>Rider. The lead guitarist alternated between guitar and pedal steel. His pedal steel chops were impeccable. The backup singer played acoustic on many tunes. What this did was lend itself to giving their songs an American Beauty/Workingmans Dead vibe. Their drummer has played for NRPS, so this sound fit into that. I’d go see them again.

Had a blast in Portland, hard to come back to be honest, but arrive back we did after a full week

Is this the first time VIP sold out a month before the event?

FYI: I’m going to see “Rhapsody in Red” on Thursday night: https://thegoodfoot.com/event/rhapsody-in-red-grateful-dead-jgb-tribute-thu-4-28/ and hitting the coast on Friday

I'll be in Portland, Oregon, next week for work/pleasure. If you have favorite spots, let me know

I’ve heard 1968 Grateful Dead jams that reminded me of Sonic Youth, and vice versa

I love Dinosaur Jr. They are nothing like the Grateful Dead but J Mascis plays bone shattering loud electric guitar. I was a big fan of them and Sonic Youth a couple of years before I listened to the Grateful Dead, around 1991. heres J Mascis covering Box of Rain:

Last time I was in Columbus early for the Jubilee I grabbed dinner and then got a decent nights sleep and did as Rude suggested and got their bright and early on the day of. There are museums in Columbus. There’s Buckeye lake also

By chance did you go to the indy show 6/30/84? One of the first tapes I got in trades in the mid 90's, and I loved that show

Here’s Viola Lee Blues from this little show with a nice buildup at the end:

Some did camp in the bowl, like Dead Duck. I have more photo evidence, but don't want to go to the hassle of uploading. I think turnout played a part in this strategic decision. Dead Duck showed the grit the of the midwestern deadhead by ignoring the elements and rollin' with the punches. Dino & Lee Owen from lex dead cover band Born Cross Eyed along with a few other lexington folks including my wife started doing a JGB side group playing Lexington around January 2012. They played the 2013 Jubilee as My Sister's & Brothers, then 2015, 2016, and 2017 Jubilee as Owsley County, as they morphed from JGB side group into doing originals and non jgb material. They fizzled out as a group, but she still sings with Born Cross Eyed along with Lee and occasionally Dino on the rotating drum slot. Here's a little sample from Jubilee 2013:

I was on top of the hill, behind the pines, by the fence, and there was a river in my tent. For those downstream, even worse. Thankfully I had a cot that year, off the ground, so it made it more palatable. I did see the water under the stage, it was also a river, an even larger one. I had a great time. The Mickey Hart in the tent was an interesting solution, so I'm glad he returned in 2013 for a late night show.

Gonna post pics I’ve taken from Jubilee pasts leading up to this years event (assuming I can figure out how to post pics on the forums) Dark Star Jubilee 9/1/2012, Jeff Mattson & Rumpke Mountain Boys at VIP Tent.

I saw you but I hid under the guise of stealth as one does…

PS: I’m sad I missed We Can Run. Don’t think I’ve caught that one since 2012

The show last night in Cinci reminded me why I love the jubilee. Having a few days off to catch your breath and socialize and listen to music but not have to worry about beating traffic and expensive booze....is really a nice treat. See you soon

I realized tonight I'm a little rusty in the DSO show department, I'm really out of practice. So I'm glad I attended! The sound was really good at key locations. The crowd was pretty good, which made me happy. I wasn't able to leave Lex until around 6, so I arrived just prior to Mississippi Half Step. It was polished with all the right notes and high points. I didn't realize it was halfway through the set until they played Johnny B. Good. Chimes of Freedom was close to perfection. The slipknot was where I finally was finding my groove and it was a great jam. Weirdly enough, the Feel Like a Stranger "may" have been the best ensemble playing of that song I've seen the band do. It was really strong. I really enjoyed the Sunshine through the rest of the set. The Sunshine gives me the grooves that I need, and the gentle jam as Sunshine dissipated into drums was what I come to the DSO shows for. The beam & drums were awesome, the jams & space were my bread & butter, and the Dear Mr. Fantasy rocking. They band with much precision eased a transition into Days Between instead of Hey Jude, and that may be the first one I've seen DSO do, so I felt lucky-it was well performed. The Satisfaction was a great rock song and the Black Muddy River sublime. I'm always curiously fearful of new venues, but this one was pretty decent, with one exception: the alcohol pricing. Yikes! Looking forward to the Jubilee!

Here's another map I did for someone a few years ago, to supplement rude's post: The following is a rough and quick sketch on the camping areas of the festival. A. General Admission camping within Concert Bowl B. General Admission Camping within Concert Bowl C. Vendor Row by pine tree grove D. Main Parking lot outside of concert venue (you can camp at your car if you want, its a grassy field). E. ADA camping for disabled folks, restricted camping. F. Family Camping, restricted. G. VIP RV Camping H. GA RV Camping I. VIP Camping

Yes, it’s Friday 5/27- Monday 5/30