Gratefulfest Xii Complete Wrap-Up

[DaysBetween]

Ok so here ya go. This review is dedicated to everyone who made at least tentative plans to go to GFest with me but for various reasons had to bow out. This forced me to take my family, and who knew (!?) that a family-style GFest could be so awesome! Anywho...

The Sound. I, like most of you I'm sure, catch a lot of shows (but sadly not as many as I used to). The sound at the Ledges is better than anywhere. Even at my campsite, which was closer than ever this year, I could listen to the show and clearly hear EVERYTHING. Through the woods no less. Now THAT is something.

The (Other) Music: Probably the best LOAD of music I've heard at a festival. I enjoyed every band from start to finish more than I have in years past. Rumpke Mtn Boys Thursday night were great (and hilarious with the punning and whatnot). Boombox early in the day??? Somehow, it worked and people were dancin . Gawd I love Cornmeal and can't wait to see them again in Vegas at the end of the month. Donna Jean is always a treat but Saturday was the best *I've* ever heard her. New Riders. Awesome. Railroad Earth I enjoyed, and people seem to LOVE them, but I just haven't gotten into their whole thing yet. I missed most of Rusted Root while taking the kids around the lake for a jaunt but the report I got was top notch. JGB was STELLAR with Jeff leading the way. I hope someone has that set online somewheres where I can DL it please. Keller is another I wish could play at night. GFest '04 he played after DSO (right ?). All I know is I remember the lights and Keller's goofyness and it was still my favorite Keller set, although I was digging Birds of a Feather... are flocking outside hehe. Gans was nice all weekend but An American Family he sounded especially P.O.'d and I dug that lol. The sing-a-longs like Down To Eugene are always fun too.

DSO: First Night. AGAIN the first night was my favorite. It seems like this happens every year. I caught one other '69 show but this one (4/4/69) FAR surpassed it. Cryptical thru Death Don't in the first set was face-melting. Lovelight MUST have been long because it started, my daughter accidentally shot a good amount of hand sanitizer in her eye (she's fine now but SCREAMED so loud she out-did the PA where we were and people came runnin'), I cleaned it out with bottled water, then the med-tent guys (TY!) cleaned it out with Visine, then we walked it off a bit, and THEN Dark Star started. It was one of those ultra-deep-spacey Dark Stars that made her inquire "This sounds weird. What IS this?". Yes it does, honey. Yes it does Again, kinda busy with the fam for for parts of the 2nd, but Hard to Handle, Hurts Me Too with Lisa on (at least some) versers, and Like A Road all sounded great.

Second Night. Wait a minute... Let's go back to Thursday night, the soundcheck or show #1955.5 if you will. The 5 tunes were all nice, B.T.Wind being the highlight in my opinion. It would be nice to hear that again too. Anyone? Putting it up on the archive? Hmm?

So yeah Second Night. Dan from Cincinnati and I knew it was '76 because we had it all figured out. I had 6/10/76. But once Estimated dropped we knew we had erred (3/19/77). Doh! Can't win em all. What a first set though! It continued with Terrapin > Playin > Samson > Playin and yep, it was as good as it sounded. Eyes opened the 2nd set and was real bouncy and fun and the glow sticks went a-flying. Dancin continued that vibe. Wharf Rat was a big powerful WHOOSH down to something gnarly and then it was back to high octane with Franklin's and Sugar Mag. During the Saturday Night encore it started to rain, and it seemed like it was gonna be a BIG freakin rain, and I just remember Kevin BANGING the bass as if to announce he was pissed off at the rain and was telling it to hold off a little longer. It mostly did, but not quite. Thought that'd be it, but Uncle John's came next, and THAT was the end. Time to go check on the campsites and make sure they're still there!

Third Night. This one was uneven for me. Example: Music. I thought the transition from the slow jam back to Music proper lacked something, but then the hard jam to end the song was SCORCHING. There were a few songs like that, where I really enjoyed THIS part, but then something seemed off for another part. Not Shakedown > Woman Smarter though. All good. Bird Song > Fire > Bird Song > NFA with Keller was all good too, especially the jam from Fire back into Bird. I'd had actually forgotten that they started with Bird Song. I know I wasn't the only one. We almost had a Fire on the Stage as one of those lanterns floated up and got hitched ever so briefly to the tree over the stage. Fireworks references in NFA. Fireworks! Wow. That was some show up in the sky. The 2nd set, or encores, or raffle songs.. I'm really not sure how to label this show since the 1st set was SO long.. included the DSO's 1st ever Positively 4th Street. I wasn't the guy who dropped a GRAND on the song but I was the first person to put a bunch of little tally marks beside it. It sounded wonderful Tender, and perfectly chosen, Brokedown Palace closed.

The Scene. It's been bantered about for years now but I think the Scene at the Ledges really has improved. Maybe all the talk prior to the actual festival had an effect. Now, I wasn't back in the Warzone, but I saw only two glass pieces in use all weekend, and not a word muttered in the dark as I walked through the winding roads of campers after the shows about any sorts of sacrements. And the young crowd that I sometimes get a little down on because they can get out of control (although I know some older guys who do sometimes do the same) were MUCH better behaved, respectful, kind, etc. Speaking of the young crowd...

The Child Labor. I must have had 5 or 6 children wander up to me this weekend selling anything from beads, to necklaces, to water, to incense. Baby Oscar didn't wander up to me as he was stuck in the space-age green chair he had, but he too was hard at work selling jars, "goddammit".

It's refreshing to see that, as far as I know, the festival went off without a hitch, the music was spectacular, and we have in the forecast a GFest XIII. I kinda NEED this lol, and don't want to see it go away anytime soon. Grrrr, now I oughta go unpack, huh? Cya.

[Mango]

Nice review there Days. I was only there for friday and I would like to hear someone's account of JGB with Mattson. Now I love JGB with Stu but i'm a far bigger Jeff fan and would love to hear this show, or at least hear about it.

[anddave]

JGB+Mattson was everything it should be and more. My personal highlight of Jeff being in there was the Deal and how different it was from a DSO Deal. Listening to Jeff play is endlessly interesting.

Of course the BEST part was seeing and hearing Melvin. That is a sure-fire smile-bringer. His work on TWLWMYD were the set lighlight sez me.

a family-style GFest could be so awesome!

Word!! Let them with ears hear!

[nwnj steve]

Great review days ,would of loved to of met ya . Glad Red eye came up to me and intruduced himself ,love meeting people from the boards ,only complaint I had about this weekend and believe me it had nothing to do with dso ,they brought their A game this weekend .Got there 6:00 frieday night after 6 hour drive no line at the gate ,and this young girl starts freaking out at us telling us to turn the fuck around aand to park across the street ,so I calmly told her that we had people at a sight and that their was room for us and her reply was something like why don t you just go back to fuckin jersey if you don t like it then this other women came over and started in on me and my wife also but after awhile Vince talked a much more level headed person into checking out the campsite and everything was cool but I gotta say that if you ever read this Evin you can go fuck yourself becouse I will never set foot on that property again .You hire a bunch of tweeked out assholes that have no clue on how to treat people ,after being in the car all after noon then having to listen to that bullshit ,no thanks - other than that it was a great weekend -Thanks again DSO ,family and friends for making it what it was!

[August West]

.Got there 6:00 frieday night after 6 hour drive no line at the gate ,and this young girl starts freaking out at us telling us to turn the fuck around aand to park across the street ,so I calmly told her that we had people at a sight and that their was room for us and her reply was something like why don t you just go back to fuckin jersey if you don t like it then this other women came over and started in on me and my wife also but after awhile Vince talked a into checking out the campsite and everything was cool but I gotta say that if you ever read this Evin you can go fuck yourself becouse I will never set foot on that property again .You hire a bunch of tweeked out assholes that have no clue on how to treat people ,after being in the car all after noon then having to listen to that bullshit ,no thanks -

Don't make Ernst go Jersey on you!

[chuckvegas]

Don't make Ernst go Jersey on you!

Don't need another 4 dead in Ohio...

[Captain Zap]

Don't make Ernst go Jersey on you!

WOW ... hope it went better after that. Sorry I missed you all this year ... really tried to jiggle things around ... anyhow Richmond tomorrow ... and the other 3 NC shows to follow ... All Good if All Goes Well ... already setting my sites on Jam in the Dam ... will definitely see you two before that ... missing GFest was hard ... see everyone next year ... Oh yeah ... I posted last years pictures yesterday ... never too late ... Enjoy

CZ

[Tom Banjo]

Wow. Gratefulfest never ceases to be something special. The new friends, the old family, the Quarry and most of all the music. The 69 shows always blow me away. I know they are too spacey or trippy for some, but they really hit the spot for me. That being said, the show of the weekend for me was on Saturday. The whole show was high energy and a great reminder of why it is, I do what I do and why I keep coming back for more and more. I just can't get enough. I will be in Richmond and the NC in the upcoming days. I just need more DSO in my life. I got to catch 2 songs I've never seen DSO perform - Like a Road and Positively 4th Street. I am not certain, but I believe the 4th St was a first for DSO. Anywho, I'm glad everyone involved made this happen one more time. I hope it happens again and I will be there next year if it does. I am so glad I got to spend time with all of you. The importance all of you have in my life can not be understated. I love each and everyone one of you. See all of you guys soon at the play ground.

[acududeman]

This was my first GF and I had a blast. It was a bittersweet weekend for me. I awoke Saturday morning to the news that my dad had passed away. Even though he had endured a prolonged illness, hearing the news was like a punch to my gut. My mom told me to enjoy the weekend with my dad in my heart, so that's what I did. Besides my girlfriend who was with me, I didn't tell anyone. I just wanted to soak in the emotions of the weekend. Aside from being with my family, there was no place I would rather have been.

Highlights include the '69 and '77 sets from DSO........2 of the best shows I've heard them play. The other highlight was a talk with Rob Koritz in the quarry lake. He's a down to earth and very cool guy. It was great to finally get a chance to rap with one of the band members after 12 years of shows.

It's always nice to see folks from here on the boards (Steve/Kris, Gary/Connie) and to meet new ones (Vince, Scott and others.......sorry, bad with names).

The scene was great.....quite a trip. I was impressed at the kindness exhibited. A big shout out to the port-a-potty folks who had those suckers cleaned by 8am every day. The scene and sounds from the deep woods late night is simply wild.......those woods pulsate with psychedelic fervor until nearly daybreak (thank god for ear plugs!).

The quarry lake is a godsend.......so fun and refreshing.

A great time.......thanks DSO for a real good time.

reid.

[nwnj steve]

Reid ,I ,m so sorry to hear that ,we were swimming together saturday ,wish you said something , hang in there

[New York Steve]

Great review days ,would of loved to of met ya . Glad Red eye came up to me and intruduced himself ,love meeting people from the boards ,only complaint I had about this weekend and believe me it had nothing to do with dso ,they brought their A game this weekend .Got there 6:00 frieday night after 6 hour drive no line at the gate ,and this young girl starts freaking out at us telling us to turn the fuck around aand to park across the street ,so I calmly told her that we had people at a sight and that their was room for us and her reply was something like why don t you just go back to fuckin jersey if you don t like it then this other women came over and started in on me and my wife also but after awhile Vince talked a much more level headed person into checking out the campsite and everything was cool but I gotta say that if you ever read this Evin you can go fuck yourself becouse I will never set foot on that property again .You hire a bunch of tweeked out assholes that have no clue on how to treat people ,after being in the car all after noon then having to listen to that bullshit ,no thanks - other than that it was a great weekend -Thanks again DSO ,family and friends for making it what it was!

nothing better than ernst pissed...I can see it now, an explosion!!!!!!!!!!! Fireworks before the fourth, wish i was there to witness it....

One thing I know about Ernst, he never forgets....

[Evangeline]

So sorry to hear about your dad, acududeman. Glad that you were able to have your heart lifted by the wonderful weekend, though. Gratefulfest was such a fantastic treat for me! The music was spectacular and each year I have more friends here and it feels really good to be amonst the DSO family! Along with the incredible DSO shows, I also enjoyed the DJGB and, of course, JGB w/Jeff on his birthday was such a delight! Thank you DSO and thank you Starheads!!! What a great weekend!!

[acududeman]

Reid ,I ,m so sorry to hear that ,we were swimming together saturday ,wish you said something , hang in there

Yeah, it was great just hanging in the lake with you guys Saturday on such a stellar day.

The news was still so fresh at that point, and it just felt right to keep it close to my chest for a couple of days.

Believe me, Steve, you helped me out without knowing it. Great to see you. Sorry for your hassle at the front gate.

[sgrmag2564]

Got there 6:00 frieday night after 6 hour drive no line at the gate ,and this young girl starts freaking out at us telling us to turn the fuck around aand to park across the street ,so I calmly told her that we had people at a sight and that their was room for us and her reply was something like why don t you just go back to fuckin jersey if you don t like it then this other women came over and started in on me and my wife also but after awhile Vince talked a much more level headed person into checking out the campsite and everything was cool but I gotta say that if you ever read this Evin you can go fuck yourself becouse I will never set foot on that property again .You hire a bunch of tweeked out assholes that have no clue on how to treat people ,after being in the car all after noon then having to listen to that bullshit ,no thanks - other than that it was a great weekend -Thanks again DSO ,family and friends for making it what it was!

Glad you had a good time. Too bad about the gate thing. I had to miss this year, but I will be back next. Too bad I won't see you there, but you never know what the future holds. G-Fest is just plain fun.

Peace,

Joe

[gr8fulpair]

This was my 3rd GFest in a row and easily the best. The scene was sublime and the music...... well what can I say. Got my first 60's show - THANK YOU DSO for helping me live out my dream of hearing live 60's Dead music in person. I missed the original 4/4/69 show because my babysitter thought better of letting a 3 year old travel to California to see the Grateful Dead play at the Avalon. Went to the festival with my best Deadmate, my brother and one of my best friends who happens to be 67 years old and a beautiful free spirit. He heard the Dead in earnest the first time only 3-4 days before we left for the festival. He worked his ass off all of his life and is now retired with grown kids and grand kids. He was making plans for next year before we left NLQP. He enjoyed the music, but could not stop talking about the scene, the kindness of the people and the ultra-cool vibe that was omnipresent. He even jumped off the ledge! He thanked me for helping him re-live what he totally missed in the 1960's while in college. He claims it was probably good that he didn't discover the Dead scene in the 60's or he may not be successfully retired now. Just goes to show that it's NEVER too late to introduce someone to the sheer bliss that is the GD/DSO community. Met a few of the forum regulars for the first time and that was a treat. Only 362 more days until the next GFest!!

[Guest crazy digits]

This was my first GF and I had a blast. It was a bittersweet weekend for me. I awoke Saturday morning to the news that my dad had passed away. Even though he had endured a prolonged illness, hearing the news was like a punch to my gut. My mom told me to enjoy the weekend with my dad in my heart, so that's what I did. Besides my girlfriend who was with me, I didn't tell anyone. I just wanted to soak in the emotions of the weekend. Aside from being with my family, there was no place I would rather have been.

Highlights include the '69 and '77 sets from DSO........2 of the best shows I've heard them play. The other highlight was a talk with Rob Koritz in the quarry lake. He's a down to earth and very cool guy. It was great to finally get a chance to rap with one of the band members after 12 years of shows.

It's always nice to see folks from here on the boards (Steve/Kris, Gary/Connie) and to meet new ones (Vince, Scott and others.......sorry, bad with names).

The scene was great.....quite a trip. I was impressed at the kindness exhibited. A big shout out to the port-a-potty folks who had those suckers cleaned by 8am every day. The scene and sounds from the deep woods late night is simply wild.......those woods pulsate with psychedelic fervor until nearly daybreak (thank god for ear plugs!).

The quarry lake is a godsend.......so fun and refreshing.

A great time.......thanks DSO for a real good time.

reid.

Reid, sorry to hear about your pop......thinking of you my friend..

[acududeman]

Reid, sorry to hear about your pop......thinking of you my friend..

thanks

[GermanShepherd]

This was a great event. My wife and I drove back to the good ole USA from Quebec just in time to get there Saturday night, park the car, and get in the crowd to catch the beginning of Wharf Rat. My current favorite tune, and it was a stunner. Rest of Saturday night was great until the wind picked up and it was bound to rain. Being nearly sober, time to head back to the car. Sunday we were more prepared with plenty of booze and greenery and watched the entire day. Keller was awesome. What a talented guy. Next year the timing should be better so we can plan to camp there, as that is clearly the best way to go. See you all then. Maybe catch you at Gathering of the Vibes.

[redeyedbert]

Glad Red eye came up to me and intruduced himself ,love meeting people from the boards

Nice to meet you Steve and others. I'm sorry you had trouble at the gate. I hope time mellows your thoughts on never coming back.

Steve you obviously know how to work the park. I had a good laugh during JGB involving you. We got there 3 songs late because of a dead car battery. Once we got there we came up to 20 feet away from the stage. My god it was hot during the JGB set. The sun was blazing. My wife immediatly left where we were to find shade. After a couple of songs I went to find her and we found a shady area 100+feet back from the stage and settled in. So, I see you walk by away from the stage towards the quarry. 2 seconds later I see a completely soaked Steve going right back into the fire. Clearly a veteran. What made me laugh was how fast you were. You were probably gone from the stage area for a minute. Nicely done.

I am bummed I didn't meet some others. I was by Camp You Are Here one morning and I didn't see any movement and I figured I would get back eventually. I never did. WeatherCommand pointed Herdy out to me on Friday and I figured I would talk to him sometime over the weekend. Just never had a good chance again. I knew I could come by Gary and Steve during the show and ask them who is so and so? I did that on Friday night at set break but the other 2 breaks were fireworks Sunday and a super short 5 minute set break on Saturday.

Oh, I met TeacherMatt and he totally told me how he really knows that Ohio blows and he just rags on Michigan because he is insecure. It's ok Matt.

I came with friends last year who couldn't make it this year. The wife came this year and she is not a camper. She did great but, if I could choose next year I would bring the friends back. Shes more of one or two shows/ hotel girl.

I feel we got the perfect 3 days of dso. 69 shows are special. My wife isn't a jam fan but she loves Dark Star-Stephen-Eleven which I always find funny. She doesn't like 20 minute songs but likes Dark Star-Stephen-Eleven. Go figure.

The 77 show was more up her alley and I thought it was a fake 77 show because the setlist was so awesome. More specifically the Estimated-Terrapin-Playin-Samson-Playin to end the 1st set!!!!

I liked that the original setlist felt like another 77 until Shakedown. I was fooled by Mission to as I knew the Dead did it 5 times. Lazy lightening/Supplication/Mission/Music never stopped was my favorite part of the 1st set. Blow Away/Strange Man/Positively 4th street=wow.

I love DSO. I love the Grateful Dead.

Thanks DSO for a great weekend.

[comesatime]

This was my first GF and I had a blast. It was a bittersweet weekend for me. I awoke Saturday morning to the news that my dad had passed away.

Reid , I just started reading through this thread and I'm so sorry for the loss of your dad ... you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers ...