MINI MOG MEET? April 18th for The Dead
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For some folks....The Grateful Dead ceased to exist when Jerry Garcia died. To these folks Jerry's soaring liquid laserbeam guitar squiggles were the very essence of The Grateful dead. His gentle voice gave life & character to the lyrics of Robert Hunter in ways no one can replicate, and to The Dead's credit, they do not try. By calling themselves The Dead they maintain their ties to their past...while signaling (perhaps?) a new stage, a new chapter.
After all, hard as it may be for some young hardcore Deadheads to believe the Grateful Dead were a legitimate rhythm & blues band, lead by a greasey, hard drinkin' hard livin' bluesman (wannabe?) by the name of Ron McKernan aka Pigpen. To see a Grateful Dead Show in the late sixties/early seventies was to see Bobby sing a song or two, Jerry to sing a song or two while dropping bouncing silver guitar notes about, and Pigpen closing out the set with piano pounding spit spewing rockin rhythmnblues, bringing the crowd to their feet and dancin' in the aisles. When Pigpen died it was a shock but not a surprise. Still, some insisted the band could not survive without the rhythmnnblues heartnsoul of The Grateful Dead.
But they morphed.....in truth the process had begun befor Pigpen's actual death as his lifestyle & consequent health problems had diminished his role within the band quite a bit. Bobby found his voice, his personna, in his beloved "cowboy songs", Jerry & Robert hunter hit their stride and came up with consistantly eloquent lyrics & music, & together the band mastered the fine art of the improvised space jam. Not everyone's cup of tea, admittedly, but to some.......heaven
So now?.....A new stage? A museum piece, touring forever on the strength of an old songbook? Or a new vital era with real creative flower? Time will tell.
But I & RockRoll43 shall be meeting up and attending the show in Worcester Ma on April 18th. Anyone else going?
Comments (8)
Wish I was on the East coast to meet you. I have always enjoyed the Grateful Dead.
wish I was, I feel a day with the dead would do wonders for me right now
Would love to attend but for 2 small problems:
1. I live in Kansas City
2. I don't do acid anymore
Have fun though, and think of us while you're rockin'.
kk
Have fun, Jeff! I hope that more MOGgers will be able to join ya :)
It's a short drive from Providence.... hmm. I might have to find a ticket.
I'd love to go but I can't afford it at this time.
For me TGD ceased to exist after the '80s ended. I liked 'Touch Of Grey' but never got into much after that or before. Then again I didn't do any drugs of any kind so it's not a wonder I couldn't appreciate them, lol. Hope your mini mog meet goes well & you enjoy the show though.
I did mind-expanding drugs; I don't now. I loved the Grateful Dead; I still do. But I must admit Jerry was the man for me. His voice, his fingers on that fretboard--THAT lives on in my musical heart. Was it all about the dissolving bit beneath my tongue? I really don't think so. Can I make it to a show in middle MA from northern (true northern) CA? I really don't think so. Do I wish you well and am I envious? Absolutely. Have fun for me!