Jerry passed ten years ago today. Oh how life changed for so many of us.
It’s difficult to explain to those who never had the opportunity to share in the music—people generally underestimate the impact (so what? Another Rock Star died, get over it) or they vastly overestimate the scene, considering it just a drug-focused group of cult followers. It’s the rare person who can truly understand what we lost on that day.
It was all about the music. That was unquestionably the central focus, the draw, the definitive reason for being there. Everything else, the scene outside the venue beforehand to the nighttime after-partys at the campsites, the drumming, the friends made on tour, all the associated experiences, all hung like ornate frames and stained-glass lighting around the central highlight of the music.
Studio recordings are great. But they’re somewhat like illustrations of a sunset. Live recordings are the next step closer—but remain as powerful as a spectacular photograph of a sunset. Seeing them live… seeing them live was like sitting on a desert mountain, watching the actual sun set. Nothing can truly come close.
I’ve seen a lot of great shows since, shows with none of the Dead, some members, and almost all of them… but nothing has been able to recapture the energy, drive, and magnitude of The Grateful Dead. It’s been ten long years since that most sad, sad day.
My fiancé will be sitting down tonight with some glassware given to me by the owner of Graphix and taking in one of the Views from the Vault. It’s not the same, but it’s still wonderful—Thank You Jerry!!!
From the land of the midnight sun
where ice blue roses grow
‘long those roads of gold and silver snow
Howlin’ wide or moanin low
So many roads I know
So many roads to ease my soul
Rhythmdvl
Wow, 10 years. For me it’s one of those “Remember where you were when…” moments. I was in a training class for a crappy job in Illinois when I heard Jerry died. Luckily the hotel bartender was a Deadhead and she and I talked through that night with the help of a couple of bottles. I was just remarking to my wife last week that ‘Black Muddy River’ and ‘Black Peter’ still tear me up inside.
Thanks for reminding me, I have loaded the CD player with some sweet shows from '69.
You said it better than I could. I just finished reading Phil’s biography. It was very well written. I got a sense of Jerry that I haven’t from the few books written about him. His flaws and his brilliance. His dedication to the music.
I saw his last show at RFK. He seemed barely cogent. You couldn’t hear his guitar, he walked around like a automaton. He didn’t seem to want to be there. We all said to ourselves “This is the last time we are ever going to see that man.” He looked close to death.
I’ve been frequently angry at Jerry these last 10 years. I understand that addiction is a complex issue, but I resent that he couldn’t get himself together at the end. I wonder if he even wanted to.
I’ve never been a big fan, tho’ as a guitar player I certainly know Jerry and the Dead. You all have touched me deeply. Please recommend a couple of live show DVDs that a Doper could view to get a (distant, faint) view of what you all saw…and loved.
I was working in a body shop at the time. I was up in the office that had a big window that looked out over the bays. A bunch of the guys were crowded around down there, pointing up to get my attention—not ‘heads themselves but they knew I was. I called down on the intercom, they told me but I didn’t believe them—practical jokes were not unusual. But I tuned into the local rock station, and heard the Dead. Nervous but still not quite believing, I tuned to another station and heard more Dead. Then NPR. Then wherever I tuned, if the format allowed it there was more Dead. Called friends, even called my Mom, quite choked up. Completely lost it in the middle of the shop when Ripple came on the air. Boss didn’t quite understand, but did understand well enough to send me home for the afternoon. Gathered up some friends and headed to a park for one of the vigils.
All of them
Actually, I can’t comment much on DVDs. Most have their ups and downs, the View from the Vault series probably has the highest video quality. Maybe a personal favorite is the Closing of the Winterland. It does a great job of capturing the feeling of a show, but then again they all add something. A big facet is what style/period/whatever you are in the mood for. That is, the Winterland disc is a hot show from the Donna years. They went through a lot of subtle changes in style and intensity so that a ’67, a ’77, an ’89, and a ’92 show will all have different characteristics.
Almost all of their music is freely and legally available on the net, from about their very beginnings to their last show. They’d sell special ‘taper’s’ tickets for their shows—it allowed you to set up right behind the sound boards and bring in recording equipment and mic stands—and let lots of folks tap right into the sound board. The only stipulation was that you could no sell them, only give away or trade for other shows. So the ‘net is filled to the brim with very high quality recordings. That’s just one of those things that highlights everyone’s attitude—it’s all about the music.
As for audio recommendations, I think (again, personal opinion, but one that is shared by a lot of folks) that the best intro-to-the-Dead show, and one of their top shows in their history, is Ithica/Cornell ’77 (5/8/77). A HOT first set closing with Dancing in the Streets, followed by a blistering second set that opens with a Scarlet>Fire, and doesn’t Fade Away until the Morning Dew. They were at the top of their form that year, and that show’s one of the high points of the tour.
It all rolls into one
and nothing comes for free
There’s nothing you can hold
for very long.
And when you hear that song
come crying like the wind
it seems like all this life
was just a dream
Stella Blue
You can download the Barton Hall show for free (and completely legally) here. If you like it, that site has plenty of other shows to check out. Take Rhythdvl’s advice and get some shows from different time periods and see which ones you like most.
Thanks for the heads up. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years to the day. I remember getting the news – it sucked.
I know you rider
gonna miss me when I’m gone
That song may have been a poor choice to help get me through waiting in a hospital while a friend underwent brain surgery, but then again tears are supposed to be therapeutic. (And fortunately she came through fine.)
I’ve queued up winamp with nothing but Grateful Dead. Morning Dew is starting to tug at my heart strings.
I have a friend who’s a Deadhead and related a story about this very subject. At one point, the guys in the band approached Jerry and basically said, “It’s the drugs or the band.”
Jerry chose the drugs.
While I’m not much on their music, I find the band very interesting. Back in the 80’s, the band appeared on Letterman a few times. I found Jerry to be very funny.
I wonder if any will ever do his life story on film.
I’m pretty partial to Downhill From Here (I have it on VHS and need to upgrade to DVD one of these days). Taken from a couple of shows of a run at Alpine Valley in 1989, one of the (IMHO) peak years for the band. Other years I tend to favor when looking for a show to download are 69, 73, 77, and 90.
On my way home from Panama City Beach, I had the top off the Wrangler with my brand new Bear riding co-pilot. Beautiful weather 'till I hit Phenix City, AL. At a stoplight the DJ announced that Jerry was gone and the skies opened up and cried with me. Bear and I were soaked. I still have Bear, aviator goggles and all. I was fortunate enough to see Jerry in Honolulu at the Waikiki Shell. Memories are made of such…and I have a cat named Sugar Magnolia - “head’s all empty but I don’t care…”.
I worked security at the last Dead show at Soldier Field. I was working backstage and the band walked past me. I gave them a thumbs up sign but I dont remember what response if any I got.
I just remember how electric the atmosphere was and how cool it felt to be there with the great music and the fans enjoying themselves.
