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7th Annual Greatful Dead Meet Up


Tea

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11 minutes ago, cm_hayden said:

Yes, I really need this with the bat-shit crazy President we have.

 

You mean if someone criticizes your policies it's not normal to call them low iq and ugly and say they were bleeding from plastic surgery while promoting your private club?  

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2 minutes ago, rudedogggg said:

 

You mean if someone criticizes your policies it's not normal to call them low iq and ugly and say they were bleeding from plastic surgery while promoting your private club?  

 

Actually in NYC it is not only normal but an almost necessity.

Also calling someone a schmuck there is not a criticism of ones policies but something way more personal....just saying as I have that life experience.

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Man, am I so there for this one! I was living in DC at the time, and a friend and fellow dead head who was also a housemate of ours had recently purchased a new car, so we drove to one of the subway stations, then took the train to a stop near RFK stadium. It was pretty warm when we arrived, which was bout 5:00, and we went looking for fun in the parking lot before the show. In search of some "mind expansion", we were not disappointed!. I also bought a very cool Garcia Surf Club tee-shirt, which I still have somewhere in a box. Upon entering the stadium, we were still on the straight and level, and, after grabbing some liquid refreshments, we located a friendly patch right in the middle of the field. I was struck by the awesome beauty of the bright banners that graced the speaker stacks and also over the top of the stage. Never before had I seen such a richly colored display...and then it began to dawn on me that things in my mind were no longer "straight and level";). After staring at the banners billowing in the wind for a while, Bruce Hornsby and the Range took the stage. I enjoyed this somewhat mellow preview to the main event, and remember loving the sound of his piano. Their set ran about an hour, and then it seemed like quite a while before the Dead came on, although my idea of time was not at all reliable. Just as the sun was setting, I spotted Jerry's ponytail and then the rest of the band sauntered on stage. The "Touch" that opened was fun, and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. I remember "Minglewood" also being tightly played, and I was very tuned into Jerry during "Half Step". I recall "Far From Me" only for the way it brought me down a bit, as I've never cared much for that song, but the "Cassidy" that followed was fiery and well sung by Bobby. The rest of the 1st set is a blur to me. Once my friend and I had made the requisite bathroom and concession rounds, we miraculously found our way back to the same spot for set 2, and were happy to find it surrounded by the same friendly folk as before. Needless to say, by this time the smiles on our faces were impossible to wipe off, and those banners now seemed like sails on a ship, billowing and flapping in the wind. I knew Bruce would join the band at some point during the show, and the "Sugaree" which opened the set was a perfect choice for bringing him in to the fold. Little did we know he would be joining the band as a (sometime) member less than 2 years later! I remember being entranced by his work on the accordion, and Jerry's vocals were also pretty smooth, melting like butter in my ears. "Women Are Smarter" also showcased Bruce's talent and he blended well with Brent on the keys. The "Ship of Fools" that followed was also well played, and them swaying banners seemed to wink at me on this tune, as if to say: "see, we wold you we are for real!". The jam out of "Estimated" was long and interesting, but my memory of the rest of the set is minimal at best, save for the scorching hot vocals by Brent on "Dear Mr. Fantasy", which sent chills up my spine, but in no way brought me down, as I love the song. I had no idea this would be my last time seeing Brent alive, and am glad to have this final memory of him pouring his heart and soul out for everyone to witness. "Black Muddy River" seemed like a strange choice for an encore, but was well sung by Jerry and tightly supported by the band. Somehow my buddy and I made it back to the subway station, then found his car, and managed to get home safely. We stayed up the rest of the night, drinking countless beers (which went down like water!), gabbing about anything and everything, until about 8:00 the next morning when we crashed. While not the best show I ever saw, the whole experience was one of peace, friendly people (even the cops), and great music. It took a while for me to realize what a special time that night was for me, and this movie will certainly clear away some of the cobwebs, allowing me to re-experience some of the magic of that evening, albeit without the "mind expansion":lol:.

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Am I crazy or did this just happen a few months ago where they showed the original GD movie? I think I remember being fully reclined in our luxury theatre that always shows these events. I am however over 50 and subject to memory lapses. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
21 minutes ago, Vic81 said:

Hey topher..I think I'll be headed there, it's only an hour from me. 

What time does it start?

Hi Vic, the ticket and website state show time is 7:00, but probably will start at least a few minutes late. I'm planning on getting there about 6:30, or so. Hope you can make it, and you may want to call the theater first to see if it's sold out. I say this because the "Sunshine Daydream" meet-up did sell out at that venue several days before the movie showing. Good luck, and perhaps I'll see ya there!

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Well, let me start by saying that seeing and hearing this show again was indeed a pleasure, and the theater was pretty crowded (in a good way), but I was a bit surprised by my memory of certain highlights not matching what I think about them now. For instance, the Far From Me proved quite powerful, and you could practically feel the pain radiating through Brent's voice during this song. Jerry really leaned into his solo, and traded wide grins with Brent several times. This version is now my favorite, and I never had one before! Cassidy came across as kinda flat and sloppy to me last night, whereas at the time I considered it scorching hot! Also, I had forgotten how fun and focused the Eyes of the World was, albeit fast, and it was great seeing Jerry smiling so much throughout the jams. In fact, he seemed exuberant and happy for almost the entire show. I also loved when Bruce Hornsby switched from accordion to piano on Women are Smarter, and traded searing hot licks with Brent, almost competitively! This obviously drove the crowd into a frenzy, and Bobby carried the rest of the song with perfectly delivered lyrics and a commanding finish. Drums and Space were actually comforting and not too scary, with Billy and Mickey interacting so beautifully at times that I couldn't help but smile along with them. No time for a bathroom break, at least for me! Black Peter I had no memory of, but boy did Jerry pull on my heartstrings with it last night! His voice was spot-on, in fine form, and brought tears to my eyes (and I'm sure many others there, too). The Black Muddy River was also delivered flawlessly, with Jerry's soul spilling out of him with every breath, and I was almost overcome by its shear beauty. Regarding the quality of the movie itself, this was filmed just before the advent of digital film, and while the sound was decent, the picture was fairly grainy, which I should have expected. Not bad, just fuzzy. A minor complaint, and the camera crews did a great job balancing closeups of the band members with shots of the crowd. I actually think I spotted the back of my head in the crowd for about 3 seconds, before it panned away! Simply being able to watch this show again really opened my eyes and ears to things I either could not recall, or could not take in from my viewpoint on the field. Watching Jerry's and the others' interactions up close made the movie very special for me, and I'm thrilled that I went. Nothing like being able to witness a show again after 28 long years, if only in analog and 2-D!!!

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I don't think the Grateful Dead Movie showing wasn't billed as a "Meet up At The Movies" event.  Don't quote me on that.

 

I went to one of these for the first time last night.  Fun time, great performance.  I agree.... best thing about watching Dead videos from 87-90 is seeing Jerry so happy.  Bobby gets him going just as much as Brent sometimes.  He was in heaven between Bobby and Brent.  He's always laughing at them with a face that says, "I love these two lunatics!"

 

Bruce killed that Women Smarter though.  I assumed Brent might have forbidden Bruce to touch his keys, but obviously Brent was having a blast with Bruce.  (I don't think anyone told Bruce to not drink anything backstage.)

 

Happy 75th Jerry!  You are so sorely missed.  Your passing left a hole in my heart and soul. Thanks to DSO for plugging it.

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Dead.net is releasing the two Summer '89 RFK shows as a package. At over $70 delivered, I need this like another hole in my head (there are great audience tapes of both shows), but they had me right where they wanted me at "from 24 track masters".  CD package ordered.

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1 hour ago, John A said:

Dead.net is releasing the two Summer '89 RFK shows as a package. At over $70 delivered, I need this like another hole in my head (there are great audience tapes of both shows), but they had me right where they wanted me at "from 24 track masters".  CD package ordered.

They're also releasing a video box set too.  I wonder if that will have identical sound quality?  Most video footage of the Dead are pretty poor quality compared to today's standards.

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