Greg from Chestertown

Saw that man take a hack saw to a stretch of chain during drums at the Electric Factory many moons ago. That’s when I knew Dark Star was for real. Talk about recreating the Grateful Dead experience, spot on.

Sending vibes up into the sky for you on my birthday. Should land on you and your lived ones by tomorrow which is your birthday!

I remember when he went to the Phillies. It was a big deal. He was a difference maker. I was at the game when they won the pennant in ‘80. Their manager, Dallas Green was on the same high school basketball team as my Dad. Yes, the tickets were miracled.

We lost a good one. My favorite lyric of his, “ I’ll trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday…” Powerful stuff there.

…and if you did play Seastones, was that the first time played?!

I will never forget sitting slightly behind stage at one of my spectrum shows, Mickey is barely hanging on to his seat with his ass checks while all four limbs are keeping rhythm, in your basic spread eagle pose. Four drummers, one body.

I talked with my buddy who’s seen the Dead since ‘72, yea, Pat and Stan were there, had to push a green VW bug for the last two miles because the traffic was so bad. (?)

I was listening to Englishtown this morning. Funny how at the end of the first set, they tell everyone that they’re taking a little break, “don’t go anywhere.” I do believe that security was a ring of train cars in a circle, making it a venue. Growing up, we always heard advertisements on the radio for the drag strip there. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Raceway Park, !

Caught one of those up at the Ambler Inn? Up in Pa. It was impressive but I was a spectator, not familiar with those tunes.

Half of a hit for the airplane. I have heard it on the radio before.

I loved the harmonizing in the debut. We are Star… We are gold… of course, the bar is set pretty high, we’re talking Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

How was that version of Woodstock? I checked the dates, debut was playing in Lower, Slower, Delaware on the anniversary of original Woodstock concert. Planned?

Looks like I am headed back to the old Electric Factory in Philly. …got to callin’ it home.

So, my brother who’s two years older and I go for a walk one summer night in Ocean City New Jersey. There’s a girl who must have been babysitting her little brother, sitting on the stoop on the side of this house while some six year old plays with a toy truck on the sidewalk. We stop and start talking to this girl. My brother being two years older, was flirting with her while I was just kinda sitting there, listening. I’m like thirteen. We talked with her for about an hour. Beautiful brunette with long brown hair wearing a sundress, Definite hippie chick, probably my first encounter with a real one. Somewhere towards the beginning of the conversation, she said “ when you hear the song Woodstock, and they say, I came upon a child of God, that’s what we are. I am a child of God.” I did Mapquest satellite and that stoop is still there, on the southeast corner of 46th and West, in Ocean City. I must have driven past that spot a thousand times since, always remembering that stoop as where I met a child of God, circa 1975. Yea, that debut struck a chord with me. ….Lately, it occurs to me, ….

Yea, without Donna, we don’t get Lisa.

Volunteer parking lot attendant told us that they’re going to rebuild that place. (Might as well, now that there’s a crater) they’re going to grade it into a bowl, or , I don’t know, a crater? Turn it so the stage is facing the entrance to the venue, the parking lot. He said they’re going to have a thousand seats under roof, permanent bathrooms.

Skip sung the other verses. The energy was unbelievable. There is a crater, smoldering, in Selbeyville, where they busted that tune out. I was front and center for the night. My knee cap is screaming at me this morning from stomping my foot to the beat, on that row of tiles they have running back to the mixing board. Apparently, I really needed a show. Just a really great, easy day that left me not dancing but just standing, watching it all unfold. This band is just so enjoyable. Their playing is mesmerizing. Jeff on Comes a Time was swimming deep. Never better. I lost control of my limbs while dancing to the jam in Dancin’ with some hippie chick I remember from a few years back. Afterwords, another girl standing there said, “you have some energy”. I said “I just worked a lot of shit out”. “I am cleansed!”. The sign of a successful show for me, I shake out the angst and recharge the batteries. Mission accomplished last night. Brought to tears twice, Comes a Time and Brokedown. Fitting lyrics for me. To end the show with “gotta get back to the garden” Christ, I’m a gardener. Woke up to rain on the roof, drove through rain to get there but things let off and the skies cleared for the show. Ran into a rainstorm on the ride home too. I went early and swung by the Nanticoke Indian museum in Millsboro on the way. They have a nice collection of artifacts to check out. Nice appetizer before the show. Perfect break from the daily grind, so appreciative for the entire band and everyone behind the scene. These people are dedicating their lives to us. Fortunately, they’re having just as much fun, getting just as much out of it. Thank You.

Wow

Cough, Jerry’s Birthday, cough

I was a sophomore in high school. I remember my friends who went to public school talking about it right afterwards. (The Grateful Dead never came up in conversation while attending a private, catholic, all boys high school) Simply described as some big surprise concert where everyone just showed up. That was the second time I ever heard of the Grateful Dead. The first time was another neighborhood friend commenting that the Grateful Dead were coming to Philly. Musta been ‘76, after their hiatus. I remember immediately asking another friend about them. He described them as a different band whose concerts are like no other. Fast forward to fall ‘79, I go away to college. Everyone is bringing their musical influences and tastes to the dorms. I turned everyone on to Steely dan and Little Feat, bragged about loving acoustic music. So, this guy sits me down and says, if you like acoustic music, check this out, …he plays me Friend of the devil. That’s actually where it all began. I don’t remember a bus, though, but was definitely transported. Turns out my major was Grateful Dead and the classes were taught by my roommate. That’s all I learned during my short college experience.

looks like it’s only played twice. The internet misinformed me. Gotta get deadbase. Rookie move.

Was reading up on scarlet>touch>fire, only played originally three times, all in ‘84. Apparently it wasn’t a real good fit and didn’t hang around. I’m wondering if Dark Star did it some justice.

I was at the show the night before the first of only two or maybe three California Earthquakes. It was the first show after that San Fran earthquake. Remember the highway collapsed all over town? Yea, they opened up with Shakedown Street that night. So, that’s gotta be a first time played for Dark Star Orchestra? Showstopper stuff there.

Absolutely! That Man has brought Dark Star orchestra to a new level.

Looked so good I took in the original show. Turns out lost Saint is the first set closer. Second set opens with Scarlet Fire. Just saying.