Forum MVP VincentPuleo Posted May 5, 2010 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Just came across this show. Right after Bill Grahams helicopter crash... seems like this could have symbolized the end of an era for everyone. The show is amazing... would be worth a listen for those who never saw anything in Vince's playing. And of course, the haunting Kesey rap in the Dark Star... on this recording it's in the track Jam... the way the band plays behind him is perfect... brought some chills up my spine, could only image being right there in front of him. It had to have been a serious moment... http://www.archive.org/details/gd91-10-31.sbd.gardner.2897.sbeok.shnf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonomajon Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Just came across this show. Right after Bill Grahams helicopter crash... seems like this could have symbolized the end of an era for everyone. The show is amazing... would be worth a listen for those who never saw anything in Vince's playing. And of course, the haunting Kesey rap in the Dark Star... on this recording it's in the track Jam... the way the band plays behind him is perfect... brought some chills up my spine, could only image being right there in front of him. It had to have been a serious moment... http://www.archive.org/details/gd91-10-31.sbd.gardner.2897.sbeok.shnf It was.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP VincentPuleo Posted May 5, 2010 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 It was.... haha, yes... did you know he was coming out before hand? Or did it just happen... that must have been insane.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP FunkyBass13 Posted May 5, 2010 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Definitely one of my favorite shows from the later years. Amazing all the way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Dstone5553 Posted May 5, 2010 Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 It was a terrible weekend in some respects. Bill Graham's people were all wearing this pin with his pic on it that said Saint of Circumstance and they all seemed like they had been hit by a truck. I remember the first show and last show as being really special. The Mona on the first night with Santana and Duncan was pure electric madness and classic GD in the moment stuff as Garcia was singing Hey Bo Diddly Dee as Weir started the vocals to Mona. And that last night...that E E Cummings poem has always been one of my favorites, going back to 9th grade. So when Kesey started reciting that in that voice, a voice filled with so much emotion, so much rallying power, while Garcia and co. had his back, ripping a D Star standing behind him, it was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still, where everything got a little weird and thick...it was pretty moving stuff to watch, but it was really heartbreaking too---just really powerful. One of those first sets, when Garcia sang "Sweet William HE is dead, pretty Peggy-O", the whole place seemed to shudder. I remember when I first came to California to catch my first west coast shows in '88 and how nervous I was walking up to Graham in the parking lot and asking him some stupid question about something he was doing in Sacramento to stop scalpers in California or something like that. When I approached him and started talking, he gave me this look that almost made me shit in my pants, but when he got that I was thanking him he seemed to change personas and was really warm. I always bothered him when I saw him in the lot, which is something I never do to people, but for some reason it was different with him. I would see him running around on a NYE show, frantic as all hell and making sure something was like it was supposed to be, or riding his bike up the mountain to Squaw Valley when JGB was playing there or walking around Shoreline with his girlfriend. Growing up, he was always this fictional kind of person to me--this guy you read about and heard so many stories about. I'll never forget when some of my friends were being yelled at by some meathead security guy at Calpo when the show had been over for a bit in '90... and here Graham comes to the rescue screaming at this guy, asking him if he thought he was a train and reminding him he was supposed to be a person. The Werewolves as the last tune of that run was really something. It was the only one I ever saw that band do. I knew absolutely nothing about Quicksilver but after seeing Gary Duncan play with Garcia the way he did, I began to get a lot of their stuff--what an insane bunch of musicians. It was a great culmination of the run when Garcia reminded everyone it was Halloween by playfully growling "A little old lady got mutilated late last night....Werewolves of Oakland again." It was such a powerful run but it seemed like such a great loss for the city of San Francisco. I remember getting into SF airport the night before and everyone gathered around the TV watching news of the hellicopter going down. No one could believe it. It just seemed to really suck for a lot of those people that knew him and still had to go on with the show. That band is at its best when things get weird and there was some magic that weekend for sure, but it's not something I look back on and smile about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus B Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Remember it like yesterday......Scarlet Fire was monumental! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP VincentPuleo Posted May 5, 2010 Author Forum MVP Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Awesome stories DStone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jazz-man Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Bill is needed in the world today IMHO. He wouldn't put up with the BS. Sure he tried to make a buck but he is light years better than the scum that dominate the music and ticket business these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugdog Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Great story D!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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