| August 9th, 2005 01:07 PM |
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| Happy Motherfucker!! |
I posted this under another topic, but it's only fitting that it should be posted again under this topic. 10 years ago today the world lost one of the greatest guitarist. He was a very caring person and brilliant artist and songwriter. It's a very sad day as millions of fans remember Jerry and all the happiness that he brought to their lives. I would love to hear some stories from other members here about your experiences with Jerry and The Grateful Dead. The Stones and Dead are two great bands that have brought so much to the world of rock music, and as we get ready for The Stones to unleash their legendary music upon us again, there are many lovers of both bands that remember the importance that The Dead had on music and to the lives of millions of people. So as we celebrate the return of The Stones, lets take a day to remember another great band and guitarist that brought such joy to the world.
Remembering Jerry Garcia-
Oh how I miss that man and those sweet guitar notes filling the universe with something magical that just can't ever be captured again. The 10th anniversary of Jerry’s death is here, and for me it will be a very sad day, yet beautiful as I listen to Grateful Dead music continuously throughout the day and reach in and pull up trunk loads of memories of the many nights that I spent having a truly unique musical experience with the man. I've had the pleasure of meeting all the member of The Dead except Jerry, yet I always felt as if I had known him like he was one of my best friends. It's very rare that you have a relationship with someone like that, someone you have never meet but felt as if you were part of his family, and we were. After seeing The Dead well over 150 times, I look back at those wonderful days and realize just how much I learned from Jer.
Ultimately my life changed the evening of July 7th 1987, when I caught my first Dead show in Roanoke Virginia. Not being a big fan before then, I had no idea that my life would be forever changed from the first notes of Mississippi Half-Step. I was completely blown away by Jerry and the band. I had never witnessed anything like it in my life, almost bordering on a true religious experience. The music moved me effortlessly and Jerry's notes swirled around the arena practically stabbing arrows of joy throughout my soul. It was the best sounding concert that I have ever heard up to that point. The music was crystal clear, yet loud enough to shake the rafters when they wanted to. It sounded like the very best home stereo system in the world. There were not very many speakers on stage, as most all the sound was coming directly from their awesome PA system. I had never heard a band sound so damn good! And the place was rocking baby! I didn't know many of the songs but yet I was totally blown away by each and every one. Whether it was Jerry or Bob singing, each song was like a breath of fresh air considering all the hair band crap that was happening around that time period.
Anyway, I walked out of that show a different person, it did indeed change my life, the way I looked at things, being a musician, the way I approached music, my ideas about society and so much more. That was the beauty about this band and Jerry, sometimes they were not so great, not every night can be, but it was on those nights when everything clicked and the band and fans became one, was what made The Grateful Dead truly special. It was those nights that you chased, and when you found yourself locked into one, by God you knew it because there was nothing on this earth that could bring such bliss and pure joy as a Dead show. When they were "ON", you certainly knew it!
The second night in Roanoke they played "The Last Time" and the place rocked uncontrollably. It wasn't like The Stones, but something entirely different and it made you feel great! Jerry and the boys always did have a love for Stones music as they (The Dead, JGB, Old & In The Way, Ratdog) had covered many of their tunes throughout the years, including LSTNTG, Satisfaction, Dead Flowers, Torn and Frayed, Wild Horses, As Tears Go By and I’m sure a few more that I can’t think of off hand.
So, as the 10th anniversary of Jerry’s death comes and goes, not only fans of The Dead, but music lovers in general, should take a minute to think about him and all the good that he did for music. But, it was not only music that made Jerry the legend that he is, but his humble humanity as well. He supported many great causes by playing benefit shows, donating money to things he truly believed in, such as the rain forest preservation, homeless shelters and the continuation of music in the class rooms for students. (He donated thousands of dollars to make sure that schools in California had instruments and all the material that they needed for students to excel in music development) Yes, Jerry had his many faults as well, like the monkey on his back that he just couldn’t seem to shake, but I believe that he will always be remembered for what mattered the most to him, his music. Jerry had a true talent and sound that will never be captured again. His playing was sophisticated, yet he could make the song by playing the most simplest solo imaginable. Just one note and you could tell it was Jerry Garcia, that’s how unique his sound and tone was. He always said it not what you play but what you don’t play that can make a song played live a success or failure. On the many times that I had the pleasure of seeing him, most of the time he was “On”, and that was what it was all about. He could easily bring out every emotion in your soul. There were many times that I shed a tear when he was singing a heart felt ballad such as Morning Dew or Stella Blue. It was like he was singing it directly to you and that he meant every single word.
It’s sad to say that the last year of his life his playing was not very inspired and he was forgetting a lot of the lyrics as well. You could see in his eyes and face, up on those huge video screens, this was a man that was dying before our very eyes. But in one of his last performances, as he was singing an emotional “Brokedown Palace”, you could tell that the end was near and that somewhere deep inside, he knew it also. The Summer Tour of 95’ had been a disaster from the start. There where way to many people at the shows, fans crashing the gates, riots, a roof collapsed at a camping area killing several people, lighting had also took the life of another as she awaited to enter a show. Then there was the death threat on Jerry’s life, which caused the band to perform the 2nd set at Deer Creek with the house lights on. The scene had become total chaos and so had Jerry’s life.
When he checked himself into Serenity Knolls Rehab Center on August 8th, everyone knew, especially the band members that Jerry had to win his long battle this time or the future of The Grateful Dead would be in jeopardy. His health combined with the disaster of the Summer Tour could quite simply mean that the band would be forced to stop playing live, and this is a band that lived for the road. But none of that mattered anymore as news broke out of San Francisco on the morning of August 9th. Jerry was dead at the age of 53, and suddenly a fantasy world that I and millions of others alike loved so much, all came crashing down. That was one of the saddest days of my life. When I heard the news I told my boss that a friend had just died and that I needed to go home. Of course when I told him it was Garcia, he couldn’t understand or comprehend how I could ask to go home from work because of a “druggie rock star” that I didn’t even know personal had died. Needless to say, I gave him a few choice words and out the door I went. All evening friends and family were calling to offer their condolences, because they knew what Jerry meant to me and his fans, and his passing was really like a best friend had just died, there wasn‘t a bit of difference. If you were a Deadhead, then you know exactly what I’m talking about, for those that were not, this was something that was hard to understand. I spent the evening listening to his music, looking at pictures, reminiscing and shedding quite a few tears. The next evening there was a memorial service nearby where about two thousand people had showed up to pay their respect.
Yeah, the long strange trip was over, but the music never stopped. For the past 10 years Bob Weir and Phil Lesh has seen to it to carry the torch with their own bands and keep the music alive and well. Every time that I’ve seen these bands, Garcia’s presence is still there, watching over the flock and smiling about the beautiful music still coming from the stage. That’s the thing, long after the surviving members are gone, as well as you and I, Garcia’s legacy will remain. It’s rare that a shinning star can remain burning brightly throughout history, but Jerry Garcia’s sweet guitar and fabulous songs will be doing just that.
For Jerry’s entire life he always made sure that he put others first, his fans, his crew and his music, but in the end he couldn’t help himself and that’s one of the greatest tragedies in rock music history. I for one couldn’t careless about the man’s faults, they were his to deal with and his alone, but if I could just say something to him, it would be “Thank you for enriching my life Jer”
Once In Awhile You Get Shown The Light In The Strangest Places If You Look At It Right!
Jerry Garcia 1942-1995
Fare Thee Well, Fare Thee Well, I Love You More Then Words Can Tell, Listen To The River Sing Sweet Songs To Rock My Soul. --Brokedown Palace -Garcia/Hunter
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| August 9th, 2005 01:17 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
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