?

[NJJohn]

When I was in Santa Clara last month, I got to sit up front in the ADA pit. There were people there who were a lot worse off than me, however dancing for me is still not in my near future. Anyway there was this Asian girl who I got to know who was with her friend who was confined to a wheelchair due to MS. I did not speak with her during the show because she was dancing so hard and good. After the show, I said "thanks for dancing for me." She came over to me and said "Did you feel it? I was dancing for all the people here who couldn't dance." That is the Spirit of The Grateful Dead. I felt her vibe and was tuned into her Spirit. She was so cool. This happens because of the music, not who is playing it. I got tickets today for 10/31 and 11/1 at MSG. Hope all you folks are well. Be cool.

[Mango]

If we really want to get into this discussion...one might want to consider that to think of oneself as separate from everything, to have your own personal experience, is the essence of ego. To become one with the crowd- not valuing your own experience over another's- is to truly be without ego. This is semantics, of course. I think that there is almost always some level of ego activity going on in the human experience. We might catch glimpses of total presence but let's face it, we don't stay in that space. What's important to me in my growth is to resist judgement of other people and myself. That becomes difficult for me when I want to dance and THEY are talking and 'taking up space'. In this situation one is assuming that their experience is more valid than the other people. And one could come up with some real good arguments as to why this is true. To truly envelope oneself in the dance is to transcend unnecessary thought and allow the already-present love-presence prevail. Sounds cheesy, maybe. 

 

I just try to stay out of my own way and let the music move me. Of course personal character will shine through- that's a given. It's what makes us unique and makes life beautiful. There's nothing wrong with appreciating others or being appreciated! Lift each other up, let's make this thing grow and shine. 

[Tom Banjo]

mango, you need dance practice. I thought when a head moved to Santa Cruz the fairy god mother turned you into an incredible dancer.

enjoy Stu. I wish I had something local that good to do this weekend but we will be camping and listening to the real thing. Dancing will probably take place in my head.

[gr8fulpair]

Like the most interesting man in the world said, "if you pay only for your own drink, that's probably who you'll be drinking with..." Dancing alone is fun, but sharing dance is euphoric. I can feel other people's movements when the group is tight and the energy is intense. One cannot simultaneously turn their body over to the music and worry about who's watching. It's an oil and water thing.

[Tom Banjo]

I guess I still need to learn to turn my body over to the music (sarcasm). I try again in Eugene. Love you guys

[John A]

When I was in Santa Clara last month, I got to sit up front in the ADA pit. There were people there who were a lot worse off than me, however dancing for me is still not in my near future. Anyway there was this Asian girl who I got to know who was with her friend who was confined to a wheelchair due to MS. I did not speak with her during the show because she was dancing so hard and good. After the show, I said "thanks for dancing for me." She came over to me and said "Did you feel it? I was dancing for all the people here who couldn't dance." That is the Spirit of The Grateful Dead. I felt her vibe and was tuned into her Spirit. She was so cool. This happens because of the music, not who is playing it. I got tickets today for 10/31 and 11/1 at MSG. Hope all you folks are well. Be cool.

 

NJJohn, 

 

that's an awesome post.  Especially your conclusion, "This happens because of the music, not who is playing it." 

 

As for me, I consider myself a bopper more than a dancer.  But to each his/her own.  That's the ultimeate beauty of this scene.  My most intense experiences with this music occur in the dark, mostly still, sometimes alone and sometimes with like minded folks, sitting in front of a meticulously assembled audio rig.  For many Heads, that wouldn't really work.

[Brian NJ]

I struggled with whether I should post or not because of …. Well just because.

 

First I will quote Gibran who in my opinion says it best…

 

The Dancer

Once there came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha a dancer with her musicians. And she was admitted to the court, and she danced before the prince to the music the lute and the flute and the zither.

She danced the dance of flames, and the dance of swords and spears; she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space. And then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind.

After this she stood before the throne of the prince and bowed her body before him. And the prince bade her to come nearer, and he said unto her, "Beautiful woman, daughter of grace and delight, whence comes your art? And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?"

And the dancer bowed again before the prince, and she answered, "Mighty and gracious Majesty, I know not the answer to your questionings. Only this I know: The philosopher's soul dwells in his head, the poet's soul is in the heart; the singer's soul lingers about his throat, but the soul of the dancer abides in all her body."

 

I had and continue to be healed by my new passion for dance while seeing dso for the first time over 10 years ago – it all blends into one…

 

Healed physically from my many ortho injuries, emotionally from the scars of living/dying in this world, spiritually from the weight of being human with all my faults.

In dance all time stops, all my petty thoughts are extinguished and nothing exist anymore while at the same time I am a part of everything that has ever been.

Throughout the many years from 1974 to this day this music brings me tears of joy and tears of pain all of it good. From deep wells of sadness this music has made my spirit brighten all the sky. Yes this is my ego- how I view myself, good bad or indifferent.

 

The communal love of dance with like-minded spirits is priceless and a sense of this world not going to shit arises as the sweat flies from one another onto one another. Dance has brought me back to a time before language existed, when fire was the most sought after possession and survival meant relying on each other for our common welfare.

 

Do I dance well? Eh who cares! I still get the comments after many shows from strangers about loving my moves, awesome watching you dance etc. Makes me feel strange, as if I was dancing for them and not an expression of life and love. If I can only give it to them…       

 

If I had a song to sing
I'd sing it to you - as long as you live
Lullabye - or maybe a plain serenade
wouldn't you laugh, dance, and cry 
or be afraid at the trade you made?

 

I hope that dance never becomes a distant memory for me. Getting more and more difficult this last 14 months. I continue to go into the shop for lubing of joints and have been getting oil changed every other week. Not changed just draining the old stuff. I have had to sit out some tunes because of this and after the shows I sometimes speedball anti-inflammatory meds. 2 aspirin 2 ibuprofen 2 tylenol  is the perfect combo.

 

I am very adaptable and will continue to let my soul shine in my dance   

[Michael Doc Watson]

Thank you for these wonderful thoughts.

[Tom Banjo]

I thought both CNJBrian and NJJohn both had lovely posts. I may review the 5 shows in one long winded post today. I may not. I think my posts make it seem like I want attention and to be honest, I may be tiring of the attention. It certainly makes some believe that I'm not dancing for me and that I'm just dancing for the approval of others. This couldn't be further from the truth. I dance for Jenna, I dance for my mom, and I dance for my dad but most of the time, I dance for myself. I love sharing that dance with a community of people that are also dancing for themselves and all their loved ones. Maybe sharing my journey and story is plain selfish. It serves me and fills my boredom. It provides me a chance to continue to spend time writing but unless others here actually want to read it why should I take up the bandwidth. I may have the post show blues and I would really love to return my thoughts to that happy place. My place of serenity and bliss. My heaven on Earth but I don't want to go there for all the wrong reasons.

I'm definitely going to listen to 10/1/76. Jerry is always good for the blues.

[Brian NJ]

 I think my posts make it seem like I want attention and to be honest, I may be tiring of the attention. It certainly makes some believe that I'm not dancing for me and that I'm just dancing for the approval of others. This couldn't be further from the truth. I dance for Jenna, I dance for my mom, and I dance for my dad but most of the time, I dance for myself. I love sharing that dance with a community of people that are also dancing for themselves and all their loved ones. Maybe sharing my journey and story is plain selfish. It serves me and fills my boredom. It provides me a chance to continue to spend time writing but unless others here actually want to read it why should I take up the bandwidth. I may have the post show blues and I would really love to return my thoughts to that happy place. My place of serenity and bliss. My heaven on Earth but I don't want to go there for all the wrong reasons.

I'm definitely going to listen to 10/1/76. Jerry is always good for the blues.

 

 

 

I've never read your posts thinking you are attention getting or self serving. I see them as an enlightened view of what's real!

[Tom Banjo]

Thanks bryan. I hope you know that I consider you to be a mentor almost a spiritual guide. Definitely one who's life experiences have led them to a place of enlightened thought. As well as, one of my closest friends. I love you brother.

[cm_hayden]

Let's be honest, all you old farts like me pay for our night of dancing the next day.

[Tom Banjo]

I'm not that old and I've been dragging ass for 3 days now. Some of it is certainly physical but some of it is without a doubt mental. I'm having trouble doing the dishes and getting to the market but I refuse to eat out again tonight so I need to find the energy somewhere.

I'm leaning towards no review. So many of you were there. I'd rather here your takes.

[cm_hayden]

Healing vibes to Mason's Child.

[Tom Banjo]

Hey thanks for the positive thoughts but I really just need a good kick in the ass.

[Brian NJ]

Thanks bryan. I hope you know that I consider you to be a mentor almost a spiritual guide. Definitely one who's life experiences have led them to a place of enlightened thought. As well as, one of my closest friends. I love you brother.

Thanks Rick, you too are a close friend and feel much kinship with you!!!

[Brian NJ]

 

I watch everyone. Those dancing and those not. I pull energy and learn moves from the dancers and I need to know where the others are. I don't want to knock into anyone.

I was overtaken during TOO and spun into a few. This is rare for me as I'm a pretty sure footed weaver but I just completely got lost. I'm not completely sure of anything but believed I crashed into Torin and mango and an unidentified female on at least 1 occasion but I was in a death spin hypnotized by the music. No one else existed for a minute and I was "that" guy who you hate at shows b/c they have no regard for others space. I didn't mean to be "that" guy at all. I blame the music for my indescretions. After that short blow out period I integrated into societal dancing.

 

This happens to me rarely, usually because of someone walking through. Staying aware of your surroundings is good advice. If banging into someone happens at every show it's  time to find a corner in the back where nobody is affected by being out of control. A mosh pit this is NOT! .

[Mango]

In regards to collisions...

To really push the limit sometimes you have to live on the edge. I'll be the first to take blame for any foot stepping out clunking. Just a reminder to stay present

[Rude]

Was the 1st time like that for me Brian. I'm generally as respectful as I can be about others space. And there was tons of room in that area and still wasn't evough. I went to the very back by the vendors realizing I needed more space. But it was the other one and shit was tribal. There were probably 40-50 people in that area weaving in and out of each other. Was a special dance party. The issue was spinning. I'd turn around and someone else Woukd be right in front of me and they weren't there before. With football season almost upon us it's like when a RB does a spin to avoid a tackle just to get laid out by a safety he didn't see as soon as he finishes that spin.

[Tom Banjo]

Life on the edge? I wouldn't know nothing bout that. I figured you miss stepped. Now I know you just waking me up. I really enjoyed dancing with you mango. It had been too too long.

[Tom Banjo]

Dog park and market helped with my spirit. Just have to tackle the kitchen and maybe I start reviewing tonight. I really feel like a story should be told here. I keep hoping rude or sun or gratefulpair chimes in first. I'm sure their journey is just as interesting if not more so than mine.

I'm so grateful DSO took me on this ride.

Enjoy the break, especially you RB I know Europe awaits.

[Rude]

PDSD. Post darkstar show depression. Anti anxiety medicine works as well as booking tix and a flight to future shows. The latter is more expensive and has side effects of high credit card bills which may add to the PDSD. I've gotta sell this shitty unrented rental house. 2 mortgages and supporting a college gf are greatly impacting my ability to travel even though I've increased my show total every year for the past 5 years. Speaking of that if anyone wants to move to west KY I have a cheap house to rent. I'm willing to trade for show tix and plane flights. 1st months rent is a flight to Virginia plus tix to the the Charlottesville and 930 club shows. Deposit is a flight to Vegas. A 1 year lease comes with a free ride to jubilee.

[Supplicated Velvet Thunder]

So..... Even without the unicorn hat, and even at just a silly parking lot show with the cover band here, I still had people video tape and take a bunch of pics of me dancing (sure, there were prolly 5 of us or so.....) and it made me giggle that nothing ever really changes OR stays the same. I must dance funny

I go to the ecstatic dances here sometimes.... No talking on the dance floor, and the same dancer groups happen- leaders and movers and stay in spotters, wallflowers, meditators and those that do the dance competition.... And those that just flail about at random. I giggle and appreciate it (thinking of maybe doing some GD dub step to trick the kids into space hahaha) and find it amusing that the same dancers are EVERYWHERE (yes, including voyeurs!)

And I gotta say:

I love it all!!!! I love every drunk guy that ever bumped into me, the guy that grabbed my hips, the guy that punched me and every dancer that I ever judged to be dancing for the "wrong" reason ( how did u guys handle me?!?! I had such a huge stick up my ass.... Thanks, Family, when I had no wings to fly and all that!) here and there and In every scene where people allow musical experience to take us to a place beyond our normal communication capacities and express our innocent and sincere experience of each new moment as the flame from the stage burns the old building of self obsessed and neurotic habitual mindlessness out of each of us and replaces it with the certainty to take the next step, hop, swoop, bend, or leap towards the liberation of all our fears and hopes.

I recently learned that there is actually nothing particularly special about the Grateful Dead, or DSO, for that matter...... Now, don't get me wrong, revolutions of culture and the passing of the torch and all that is totally legitimate on one level. However, beyond that, it is actually the sheer simplicity of there being no stand alone entity that IS the Grateful Dead or DSO to attribute any kind of independent amazingness to. Is the band he members? We see it exists even when members change. Is it the music? Well, that certainly never stays the same! Us, the fans? Still doesn't hold up, and neither does saying it is all these combined because we still call it the Grateful Dead when one element is absent. Is it the perceptions of our experiences that is The Grateful Dead? Maybe it is more like an interconnected phenomena that defies reality and cannot exist except as the ephemeral, shifting, transient moment of awareness that the particular note that is washing through your body right now reminds you of. And everything we can experience is just that. No more or less. So the Grateful Dead and DSO are only about as "real" as a dream, for both can change the world (your mind) yet neither has any independent reality outside of our collective chain of actions we all dream and dance within.

But I sure do miss dancing in front of Jeff and Rob B. Dancing in the front tends to mean someone is watching at some point! I miss spinning with all of you. I whined about no one spinning here at dances and that night everyone was spinning lmao. Manifestations are easy once it all relaxes into not needing to know anything anymore, except that

If I am walking, I'm sure that I can dance!

Kiss kiss, loves!

[Rude]

Dog park and market helped with my spirit. Just have to tackle the kitchen and maybe I start reviewing tonight. I really feel like a story should be told here. I keep hoping rude or sun or gratefulpair chimes in first. I'm sure their journey is just as interesting if not more so than mine.

I'm so grateful DSO took me on this ride.

Enjoy the break, especially you RB I know Europe awaits.

I did have an amazing beach sandwich with 2 shows on each end of 5 days at the beach. Walking on the beach barefoot at sunset is about the most peaceful thing on the planet. Now I just have to find out how to tell my mom that we believe the lube fell under the bed and was forgotten and if she could grab it b4 my dad sees it and gets grossed out and wants to have the house professionally cleaned. I had so much fun with all my tour crew. Love those guys. Lucked out on a cabin again. Thanks amy and mike and sunny for making that happen. Made the gf skip the last week of her summer classes to make poca. Luckily anyone with over a 100 IQ can make straight A's at Murray State, not saying that's her IQ. Plus she's Asian so school and organization are hard wired into her genes. Is it racist if I use only positive stereotypes? Plus Gr8fulpair is such an amazing guy and let us crash with him in Charlotte Thursday night to allow us a quick drive to BM. We had an epic week and a half and even though I was nervous she wouldn't have a good time, she loved every second of it besides her helicopter ambulance ride inside the poca venue, but that's another story. She can't wait until New Years assuming it's in the cards this year. Plus MC is such a great guy offering to fly her to Colorado. I assume our conversation got cut off as the invite wasn't extended to me as well. Cotter and Hunter playing at the gazebo was a great finish to Friday night even though many left before they started pulling out the 60s tunes. Lyrics to mountains of the moon and doin that rag are no joke to remember. I was pretty amazed that both of them knew every song thrown at them.

Ok so it's time to back off my forum spamming. Just had such a great time it's hard to not relive it here.

[Brian NJ]

rude,helicopter ambulance ride? You really gotta watch for others when you dance!