I have never been that much of a fan in my lifetime. Feller, Aparicio, Big Red Machine. Laker love during Wilt and Showtime, 69 Mets, Willis Reed era Knicks, McSorley's illegal stick. As I got older and after giving up television 18 years ago, my fixation largely limited itself to a morning after glance at the newspaper. Couple ball games a year.
I was a fan of the Grateful Dead. They were responsible for creating a forum, a playspace if you will, for some of the most ecstatic and important moments of my life. The relationships I formed during the 1970's and 80's while touring heavily with the Dead, are the fulcrums of my life to this day.
Jerry would have been 69 yesterday. Every summer in the early 90's we would make the sweltering trek to Las Vegas to catch the dead on a three day tour. This one with Traffic was maybe the last or next to last, I don't remember. Jerry was such an incredible player and so committed to his craft and I owe him a lot. He gave it his all.
Vegas is a blast furnace in August but we all cooked together in the desert heat. God those were great times and the setting was so damn beautiful. I would climb to the top seats in the back and watch the lightning and thunderstorms while Jerry noodled so quietly the strains of Terrapin. Miss you Jerry and thanks for your visit.
While you were gone
these spaces filled with darkness
The obvious was hidden
With nothing to believe in
the compass always points to Terrapin
The sullen wings of fortune beat like rain
You're back in Terrapin for good or ill again
For good or ill again
*
Dave Jacobs, one of those great old friends, emailed this shot he took today in Boulder on his ipad. Hope that it is a good omen for all of us.
these spaces filled with darkness
The obvious was hidden
With nothing to believe in
the compass always points to Terrapin
The sullen wings of fortune beat like rain
You're back in Terrapin for good or ill again
For good or ill again
*
Dave Jacobs, one of those great old friends, emailed this shot he took today in Boulder on his ipad. Hope that it is a good omen for all of us.
3 comments:
Thank you Baby Jesus for the Blue Heron Blast! As i mentioned the other day, great stuff on the blog. A plethora of varied topics and perspectives. Loved the Obama, sounds like an irish name, thank baby jesus he's not or he be a Kennedy and not a two faced pussy, found the transcript on climate change interesting but too long, Awesome work. grateful for BLB THANKS
robert. drive safe. eat well. sleep like a baby, and sell sell sell. make a bucket of dough. party like a peasant. sip a cold one and take some photos. by the way. one of the best concerts i ever been to was vegas with you and les, jerry in the hot tub and sting ripping a homage to Hendrix..... what a great concert that was. maybe the second to last vegas show for the dead w/ jerry... good memories. good friends. love u. lean
Thank you both. I got a call from my old friend Ida the other day. Her knees are pretty much shot and she is waiting for insurance to finally kick in to fix them. She first wrote me a beautiful note complimenting the art, music and writing. But she told me that being housebound for the last three years, the blog has given her an opportunity to vicariously travel, even share meals with me. She is seeing the world and getting out. I can't tell you how good this makes me feel.
Thank you all for contributing and love to all of my old and new friends.
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