topher44 Posted August 27, 2012 Report Share Posted August 27, 2012 Oh, how I wish I had been just a few years older in 1972, so I could have make the trek to Veneta, Oregon for what was, in my opinion, one of the finest all-around GD shows ever performed. 10 years ago, for the 30th anniversary of Sunshine Daydream, I had the good fortune of being at one of the showings of the upgraded film at the 92nd Street "Y" in NYC, which contained not only the heart-renchingly beautiful "Sing me Back Home", which saw light from the day fading to black (with no stage lighting), but also included the stupendous "Bird Song" (in broad daylight). By the end of the film, I was in a puddle of tears... so good, but so emotionally draining, as well. Something about that simpler time, a profound lack of stress on the faces in the crowd, and the remarkable experimentation by all band members, made this show one that will always be near to my heart. I would love to hear from others how they feel about 8/27/72, and would especially dig any feedback from those that were lucky enough to be there. Topher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP John A Posted August 27, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted August 27, 2012 I have an upgraded copy of the video, but not one that includes the 3rd set, so no Sing Me sadly. And it drives me nuts when the psychedelic nonsense replaces the band footage during Dark Star. That said, it's transcendent stuff. A simpler time indeed. The dirt under Garcia's fingernails gives one a sense of the organic, in your face clarity that the films depicts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Island Bro Posted August 27, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted August 27, 2012 Thanks so much for not letting this day slip by without recognition. I have always had a sweet spot for this show ever since I got turned onto it over 20 years ago. At the Oregon Country Fair (in Veneta where they played) this year they played the movie on Friday night on a big screen to celebrate the 40 yr anniversary and I must say that footage DEFINITELY transcends you to another time's forgotten space. The looseness of the scene seems remarkable even for that era around the grateful dead... And let's not forget the phenomenal Dark Star that was played at that show (some say the finest ever), such a lengthy journey that goes soooo far out there that it is somehow a comforting relief when they finally slip into the unusual placement of El Paso bringing everything right back down to the earth plane after a long exploratory journey! Also, one of my favorite Bird Songs ever... Before they played the footage at the fair this year a relative of Ken Kesey (His sister I think??) spoke about putting that event on in '72 (it was a benefit for their family's creamery business which was facing the need to upgrade a lot of new equipment under new health regulations for that kind of operation, as I understand it) and she spoke to how little they all knew about pulling together an event like that...they were figuring it out as they went along...hence the severe lack of water available for the crowd in the 100+ degrees heat and the orientation of the stage so that the band is playing directly into the intense late afternoon sun (notice in the footage the dinky shade tarp that they had strung above the stage behind the band and providing no shade at all over the musicians because of the (dis)orientation!) but I think all of that speaks to the youthful innocence of those times which is kind of what she spoke to. There's a nice easy going pace to that show, musically, in general (in the intense heat!) that I really appreciate... Thanks again for noting this date and special show! I wish DSO could have pulled something off for this moment, but they need to get some rest before next weekend!! Oh, I just remembered though, DSO did play the '82 Veneta show (The dead came back up for another Oregon Field Trip to commemorate the 10 yr. anniversary) on April Fools Day this year in Eugene...it was also a fun show,,, Onward:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Dstone5553 Posted August 28, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 If you haven't already...play it loud people. Starting at the China>Rider will suffice (all the way through to the end of the 'death set'--D Star>El Paso>Sing me). Don't forget the loud part.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum MVP Dstone5553 Posted August 28, 2012 Forum MVP Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Oh, how I wish I had been just a few years older in 1972, so I could have make the trek to Veneta, Oregon for what was, in my opinion, one of the finest all-around GD shows ever performed. 10 years ago, for the 30th anniversary of Sunshine Daydream, I had the good fortune of being at one of the showings of the upgraded film at the 92nd Street "Y" in NYC, which contained not only the heart-renchingly beautiful "Sing me Back Home", which saw light from the day fading to black (with no stage lighting), but also included the stupendous "Bird Song" (in broad daylight). By the end of the film, I was in a puddle of tears... so good, but so emotionally draining, as well. Something about that simpler time, a profound lack of stress on the faces in the crowd, and the remarkable experimentation by all band members, made this show one that will always be near to my heart. I would love to hear from others how they feel about 8/27/72, and would especially dig any feedback from those that were lucky enough to be there. Topher Thanks for sharing this (!) Mr Vegas was the one who answered all my questions about the added footage because I think they showed some of it either at halftime or after a DSO show on the east coast. I had always been told that they didn't really have footage of the Sing Me because of the lack of light and so this revelation was....a revelation! BUT...I was never ENTIRELY sure if Chuck had REALLY seen that, or if he had experienced one of those magical nights with DSO at the wheel and had just dreamed the whole thing (!) Now I have a second source! This whole SSDD film thing has been one long, arduous and kind of annoying trip. Fist discovering the film and some of those close-ups on Garcia's fretboard on THAT Dark Star was the one of the greatest discoveries in the world. And Kesey's people always seemed to be telling us at shows in the late 80s and 90s that it was REALLY close to being released. The old story with the boys was that they weren't happy with the guitars due to the effect of the sun on some of the songs and were therefore against it... I have no idea if this was true. I think there is a Weir quote saying that about the guitars being out of tune for some of the show though. Well...finally, me and my friends believed it was going to be released (after hoping for all those years)-- and this time with new, end of the world footage-- when they had those showings in the east coast....how could we not? To tell you the truth, I've never even been completely sure I wanted to see the Sing Me. To me, this stuff has always meant to be heard over being seen. The tapes have the power and the glory for me and trump the ever loving crap out of the videos. And the Sing Me is one of the highest pinnacles they reached in that year and that year is one of the highest pinnacles they reached in that band's history. There is just so much power in that version and in that solo and in those vocals for all of us, as well as for me personally, and I think there's a fairly reasonable chance it would be kind of anticlimactic watching it (kind of like if you saw what really happened in that shower in Psycho). Okay...self disclosure time here...after the summer of 1995, I was bummed like the rest of the world and I didn't listen to anything Garcia for a long time. I fell in love with a fellow head I'd been secretly in love with for a few years and we moved in together and we both slowly started listening to stuff. I hadn't ever cried or anything when he passed away...I just kind of moved into this state of clinical depression, and starting a relationship with this girl kind of saved me, because she was one of the few people that was exactly where I was cept for being a ton stronger than me. Anyway...we started listening to GD sets in full at some point in '96, but we'd always fadeout out the music if Stella came on (can't remember when we finally listened to that one). It was one day, when I was home by myself that I just got up and listened to the third set of Veneta. And after the Sing Me, I FINALLY did cry. I just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. It was the strangest release of all this pent up sadness. I mean, it's not like things in GD land were going well in the summer of '95 but one always held out hope for some kind of resurrection, whether it was going to be JGB or Grisman/Garcia or whatever... and the dousing of that hope felt like the end, probably even more so to those of us who weren't yet fully grown in terms of being adults. Anyway...something happened in those violent sobbing moments and I was able to kind of let go of a lot of that pain and get on with my life, or at least start the process in real. And it's kind of funny cause it is yesterday's date that holds the most emotion for me in terms of days in the calendar year, not 7/9 or 8/1 or 8/9...which seems kind of strange but I guess we can't choose this stuff. And that's the end of my sharing good people. Thanks for listening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blindman Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I appreciate your sharing David. I was checking back for your response on this thread. Figured it would be a good one . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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