Random thoughts and randomness in general

[2muchfun]

14 hours ago, Tom Banjo said: 

 

I know Dark Star delivers a quality product that I never feel like the cost of admission is a rip off or not worth it. But I am grateful and blessed I can afford to go. Stay in nice hotels. Eat nice meals. Party favors. Life is beautiful. 
I’m enjoying this ride. 
 

I know I didn’t school you on nothing just saying. I think people that where like I saw DSO at Martyrs for 6 dollars and refuse to see them now cause of the price. Just really aren’t that into the music. 

 

Sometimes the songs that you hear…

[John A]

21 hours ago, Tom Banjo said:

I can’t say for sure but I’ve heard rumors of your sound system your taste for fine wine and bourbons. I feel like your ability to spend has outpaced inflation too. 

 

Wow, I inadvertently struck a serious cord. I’d let that whole rant roll off me if not for the quoted bit above.

 

With the caveat that my wife sometimes accuses me of not communicating so clearly, I don’t know how the context and tenor of my post could be that misconstrued. Of course we live in a different world price wise than when Jerry was with us, and of course I could have cited any number of examples where live music has become exorbitant. Hell, a friend recently paid $1,000 each for back of floor Springsteen tickets. And a 5-8-77 Barton Hall ticket stub says $7.50 ($6.50 for Cornell students!) - amazing. My analogy to DSO felt obvious because (a) their prices are just barely above the most a face value ticket ever cost to see Jerry, and (b) we’re on a DSO chat forum after all.

 

I love witnessing younger Heads like you who were never able to see Jerry so passionately, profoundly, and palpably enmeshed in The Grateful Dead’s musical universe. That’s the future of this scene, and it’s a bright and wonderful thing to behold. What I don’t appreciate is you making it personal with me about money.  Yes, I can buy more or less whatever I want. Although a yacht and the monthly rental for the berth to keep it in Saint-Tropez would hurt.  😂

 

But how does that change anything, much less the observation I was trying to innocently make?

 

You said in another thread you were heading to Costa Rica. The air is great down there. Take a deep breath.

[Brian NJ]

11 hours ago, John A said:

 

 

You said in another thread you were heading to Costa Rica. The air is great down there. Take a deep breath.

"Like" 

 

Thank you John A. I have also paid less than $7 to see the Grateful Dead.

 

Money is relative. 

 

Financially I have had feast and famine a few times in my life.  I've taken many long extended vacations and I have been able to stay in nice hotels and have great dinners while going to shows. I have also made sure I had enough cheese, rye bread, peanut butter& jelly and eggs to eat for a few weeks because I wanted to go to Grateful Fest or do the Florida run. I once lost a gold crown on a back molar that had no opposing molar so I went to the jewelry store and got $90 for the 22 karat gold and went to the next three DSO shows.

$ Is just $

I have found that happiness does not come from material wealth but from the ability to love myself and others, live with dignity, and find great joy and beauty in my surroundings. To look at myself in the mirror and to know I have lived a life well lived. To walk through life with self acceptance being grateful for all I have experienced, all my mistakes and triumphs, all my missed and lost opportunities, the ability to live in harmony with nature and to know in my heart I have given more than I have taken from this world.

These are Priceless gifts that money could never buy!

 

I am happy that you are doing well Rick. Since you are my friend I will share something that has enriched my spirit time and again. When financially doing very well a few years back I made a commitment to donate a couple hundred dollars a month to somebody less fortunate or to a cause. 

It's good for the spirit and Good Karma 😀

 

Most mornings I wake up between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. with sciatic pain and I get philosophical. I think the philosophy of giving to humanity what you can is  great for the spirit of anybody that chooses to live that way. Be it $, time, selfless acts etc.

At times it is a difficult balance between being selfless and hoping for that miracle ticket or next opportunity.

 

I fully support anybody that finds a mode of living that brings them comfort and peace.

 I could go on and on with philosophical thoughts experience and theories but I'll end this rant with Live life to the fullest and don't hurt anybody ✌❤

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

Beautiful. I have been on this planet for 64 years and have come to the conclusion ( only recently) that the secret to life is service to others. It will keep food on your plate and a warmth in your heart that can only be achieved through giving away a part of yourself. Find out what your gift is and give it away. Look at Jerry. He gave it all and left it on the stage repeatedly. He never really had a home. He went out and gave and gave until he had nothing left in the tank, laid down and died, with a smile on his face. 

[Brian NJ]

4 hours ago, Greg from Chestertown said:

Beautiful. I have been on this planet for 64 years and have come to the conclusion ( only recently) that the secret to life is service to others.

 

I "like" this.

 

Does anyone else experience the like button not working anymore. For a few years I cannot like any comments or for that matter navigate to previous page or next page on any topic... 

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

I caught the previous page bug the other day, been coping with my inability to like anything for a long while now. 

[Masons Child]

I’m sorry guys. My post was meant to be very tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously. I’m sorry to have offended you John and anyone else with my comment. 

[John A]

Thanks all for the quality discourse, and thank you Rick for the apology. Consider it fully accepted.

 

Brian - there couldn't be more truth to you sentiments. Well stated. Despite having bristled at Rick getting personal, I'll share a very personal thing. We effectively adopted an older and formerly homeless Filipino man who my son befriended when he was in his early teens. This gentlemen has now lived with us for close to 15 years. First he slept in a tent against the side of the house when no extra bedrooms were available, then in his own room when the kids started moving out. I'm not looking to pat myself on the back; the arrangement quickly evolved into the consummate win/win. He's a character, but a super sweet one. I virtually never take out the garage or recycling, he's quite handy in general around the house, he's endeared himself to the neighbors and does yard work and painting for many of them, he takes care of the dogs allowing us extended no worries travel, etc, etc. No one asked any of this of him, it just evolved organically. That's the kind of tiny anecdote that makes the world spin just a tad more brightly. Moreover, he's even become more than a bit of a Deadhead. Ha!

 

All that said, you're all invited onto my yacht the next time you're in the south of France. 😜😂😊 

[Brian NJ]

1 hour ago, John A said:

Thanks all for the quality discourse, and thank you Rick for the apology. Consider it fully accepted.

 

Brian - there couldn't be more truth to you sentiments. Well stated. Despite having bristled at Rick getting personal, I'll share a very personal thing. We effectively adopted an older and formerly homeless Filipino man who my son befriended when he was in his early teens. This gentlemen has now lived with us for close to 15 years. First he slept in a tent against the side of the house when no extra bedrooms were available, then in his own room when the kids started moving out. I'm not looking to pat myself on the back; the arrangement quickly evolved into the consummate win/win. He's a character, but a super sweet one. I virtually never take out the garage or recycling, he's quite handy in general around the house, he's endeared himself to the neighbors and does yard work and painting for many of them, he takes care of the dogs allowing us extended no worries travel, etc, etc. No one asked any of this of him, it just evolved organically. That's the kind of tiny anecdote that makes the world spin just a tad more brightly. Moreover, he's even become more than a bit of a Deadhead. Ha!

 

All that said, you're all invited onto my yacht the next time you're in the south of France. 😜😂😊 

Thank you John. I needed to read this. It warms my heart to know that there are still selfless people in this world. Lately I've been seeing the self-centeredness of people communities dictators Etc. Only caring about what's in it for them and what can I get for myself and immediate circle. You are a class act!

So now when I click the like button the emoji faces pop up but still got a message saying something went wrong. Almost there!

[Ammagamalin Crew]

My post was more about sending off to San Rafael than the price of a DSO show. I've been defending Dark Star's ticket prices since 2008 when kids were complaining about $25.00 for Fox Theater shows in Boulder. I also defended Jerry when heads were trying to scam wristbands to get over Garcia's $15.00 ticket prices when he was playing three sets on the Eel River back in August of 1987. I'm like, come on, he's playing three sets way up here in Humboldt. Only to be admonished with "have you seen the house he has in Marin?!!" I gladly paid the $15.00 and made the 20 hr drive back to campus immediately following the show to be back in class by Monday morning.🫠

[Masons Child]

When we going yachting

[Masons Child]

Axial tilt New Orleans. Stay in town til the 28th. 

[John A]

Random fun Dead song lists fact of the day:

 

On 12-29-77 at Winterland, The Dead played China → Rider. Sounds mundane enough, until one realizes that they retired both those songs during the hiatus. This is out of left field and the only appearance of China → Rider from Oct ‘74 through Feb ‘79, when they rejoined the rotation. As Jerry must’ve of course been feeling it that night at Winterland, it’s the only Rider → China Doll ever and features one of 7 Terrapin encores.

[Greg from Chestertown]

Combine that with the randomness of Deadheads, image if that was one of your first shows. 

[2muchfun]

5 hours ago, Greg from Chestertown said:

Combine that with the randomness of Deadheads, image if that was one of your first shows. 

I have wondered the same thing if a rare primal DSO 60’s show was your first.

[John A]

Another random fun Dead song fact of the day:

 

I knew the gist of this, as when I was officially on the bus in ‘86 Looks Like Rain was a second set song and I understood it had been more first set historically. But the sudden and almost complete reversal is interesting. Previously it was sprinkled into a 2nd set here and there but quite rarely. After the abrupt reversal on the Spring ‘86 East Cost tour it would only show up in the 1st set 4 more times. Twice on that tour itself, once in Summer ‘86, and the outliner being 7-4-89 in Buffalo. And you can't count JFK Stadium '87 on the Dead / Dylan tour because it was a single set show.

[Greg from Chestertown]

Donna has got to be a factor in that. She used to be a big part of that song. For me, I look forward to Jerry’s noodling as it builds up to the crescendo in more recent versions. As Bobby called it, “Balls out Rock and Roll”. Gotta be in the second set. I think. 

[John A]

3 hours ago, Greg from Chestertown said:

Donna has got to be a factor in that. She used to be a big part of that song. 

She absolutely was a big part, and the Bobby / Donna LLR duets, spring '77 in particular, are the stuff of beauty.

 

But as far as it moving to the second set, I don't see Donna having been a factor, as it was still a 1st set song for 6 years after her departure.  I just found the about face curious. Something in spring '86 caused it to turn on a dime into a set 2 number.

[Greg from Chestertown]

I wonder if they did that with any other tunes. 

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Maybe to make room for the return of Box of Rain

[John A]

11 hours ago, Greg from Chestertown said:

I wonder if they did that with any other tunes. 

Well, prior to the hiatus China -> Rider was a first set thing.  And when it returned to the rotation in '79 it closed first sets here and there, only to become a second set opener almost exclusively. 

 

In the '72 through '74 era, many songs that would eventually appear only in the first set would be sprinkled into second sets either before, or fascinatingly sometimes AFTER the big jam segment. Songs like Deal, Ramble On Rose, etc. But that's more an evolution of how shows would come to unfold than a set one / set two swap.

 

Finally, it occurs that simultaneous to the Looks Like Rain flipflop, a major set two Bobby song permanently left the rotation - Lost Sailor. This all occurred in the Spring Tour '86, so I wonder aloud if there's a connection there...

[Greg from Chestertown]

It’s amazing how focused they must have been to keep it random, yet, there seems to be some order here. I like hearing early tapes where they tell the audience, hold on while we figure out what to play. They perfected something they had been doing all along. After all those years and all those songs, yea, What a long, strange trip it’s been. This facet of the Grateful Dead universe fascinates me.  I read somewhere that they would play the heck out of  a song at first. Pretty much learning it on stage. Then it would do this settling into the rotation that they would or wouldn’t do. You couldn’t script it, yet, I think they may have. You know, as they were going along. 

[John A]

Greg, all you describe is indeed a wonderful thing!

 

In the 60s, they only had so many songs so sets were similar on the whole.

 

In the early 70s, they had many more songs but played more songs per show.  And they weren't concerned with any repetition around what they wanted to play.  I recall being flabbergasted, as a newly obcessed mid 80's Head, at the revelation they played Estimated in something like 45 consecutive shows in '77 after its debut.

 

By the early 80s, they'd perfected the novel concept of not repeating songs in multi-show runs in the same city. And even then, you get assholes like me saying, "China -> Rider, Estimated->Eyes -> drums -> space -> Other One -> Wharf Rat -> Throwing Stones -> NFA? Come on guys, mix it up!" I vividly remember a conversation in line before one of the final Feb '89 Kaiser shows. I was talking with my buddy, and hemming and hawing about having seen just exactly that second set at a recent show. A guy in line in front of us pretty much put me in my place, interjecting a comment about my smug protestations and punctuating it with, "they don't owe you anything." Fully acknowledged!  I did my best to save face by responding, "of course they don't owe me anything, but that doesn't mean I can't ask." Funny I remember that exchange so clearly yet haven't thought about it for years.

 

And for a final comment on shaking things up, I was living in The Bay Area by 1990 and wasn't doing any east coast shows anymore. But I had a guy on Spring Tour '90 feeding me the setlist after each show. I wrote them all down, studied them, and realized the whole 16 show tour contained a song that happened yet appeared. Maybe the streak ended one of the final nights. Amazing!

[Greg from Chestertown]

I went to the eye doctor today. Long story short, he lives in Columbia, Md. and lived there when the Grateful Dead came to town to play Merriweather. He said he knew they were coming because of the advertising. He had a conference that weekend that was out of town. When he got back into town, he said it was all over the news and how they wouldn’t be invited back. I tried to explain. He said they were just, no. 

[Ammagamalin Crew]

In Louisville, 1993 summer tour, they blew everyone's mind by closing both nights first sets with Don't Ease. I also vividly remember Bobby being way to loud and basically ruining the morning dew with a constant, loud, bang bang throughout, crinch worthy. Does anyone remember in 87 when there was quad speakers set up and during LL Rain they would channel Jerry's noodling around and around the indoor arenas?