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DeaD and Co., thoughts?


TnJed#48

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Alright, Brief history.... I am 38, introduced to the Dead when I was 14.  Only Dead show I was inside was June 95 Pittsburgh.  Spent a lot of that 95 summer in the lot at the shows for various reasons.  After Jerry passed I checked out Further, The Other Ones but things had changed.  That summer of 95 before he passed the lot was not always a great place...lots of dark things going down..you may or may not have had a similar experience.  Anyway, Life kinda went on, grew up, got married, have a lil one, responsibilities and all the American Dream stuff.  Went to my first DSO show last summer at Pisgah, NC and it fired me up....WAYYYY more so than Trey playing with the band for the 50th shows and wayyy more than various Bobby, Phil projects.  The vibe was there! The music was spot on, the solo's got me there!  As a not so well off AMERICAN with a lil one, I was excited about the cost but the show gave me much more than I could have expected!!!  My wife never has seen the Dead but has seen DSO twice and I would consider a pretty savvy listener of the years of the good ol GD....So all of that brings me to this.....

 

I am really trying hard to swallow this Dead and Co. offering to us fans. I respect them wanting to carry on the musical legacy of the Dead but am I missing something?  I would love to take my wife to a show so she can get a sense of the scene and the community but she is not interested!  I have watched numerous Dead and Co. shows online, even the most recent Bonaroo show with a super open mind and it just does not grab me.  Mayer is talented but the whole thing just makes me feel weird.  I love the fact that the people who can relate with John Mayer that have had no experience with the Dead are seeing and feeling things that can only come from being connected to the music of the Dead.  If I could afford the tickets to take my wife, daughter and I...at this point I don't know that it is nothing more than a money grab.  Now I will say this..... Mickey and Billy are killing it!! That to me has been the HIGH point of the whole Dead and Co. thing...Oh yeah, the concert art work has been pretty stellar also.

 

Am I the only one who is not on that Dead and Co train?  I read the reviews from their shows and lots of folks talking how this is the best line-up since the passing of Jerry. I am sorry but I strongly disagree.  I have watched and listened and while the music has moments...it is not the DEAD!  Like I said...I cannot even afford the whole Dead and Co concert experience with my family.  I guess I am one of those kermudgin heads.... so I am open to hear others thoughts to shed some light on things maybe I am not seeing by only experiencing Dead and Co via couch tour.

 

If you took the time to read this kudos to you... If you respond...Cheers! Much Love!

Sean

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Take what you need and leave the rest........

 

As for me, I saw the GD roughly 35 times between '83 - '93......I "retired" in '93 because the shows were getting lame and I chose to quit while I was ahead.

 

Post Jerry, I tried many of the various original band member line-ups. I usually left the shows disappointed, so I don't go. The most recent exceptions were 2 Furthur shows with JK.....pretty good.

 

BUT, I discovered DSO in '99.....and now I have seen more DSO shows than GD shows. I get MUCH more satisfaction from a DSO show......better product, less people, smaller venues, less $$......for me it's a slam dunk for DSO.

 

Good luck and enjoy your musical journey ;)

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To my hubby and me, Dead & Co is no different than any other jam band right now, which is not what we care for, our own opinion. We've become very strict Starheads because that is where our "high" is. We both have seen quite a few GD shows since low-mid 80s, met each other at Buffalo 89 and been together since. At first we almost felt an obligation to see any Dead related shows, but always disappointed, so stopped going to Further shows after 3 in 2010 and knew with a passion that DSO did what we needed and enjoyed the most. We have skipped many Further/Dead shows that were only 20 miles away, yet flew 3000 miles to see DSO. Do what your heart and soul want you to do and don't feel obligated or guilty about Dead & Co, again our own opinion. Peace, Kristina and Scott

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TnJed, the music is all good...some of the bands hit one's ears better than others.

          Many of us suffer from preconceived ideas of who has the lead guitar roll. Personally I thought Mr Mayer was a terrible choice but then I caught the live stream from Bonnaroe and was ready to cross the country to see Dead and Company play. Recently there was a "Morning Dew" circulating on facebook with John K and Phill and Friends. I don't know when that show at the Capital was preformed but it was the second best Dew I've heard.   The JKB band has been doing wonderful shows, especially in smaller venues. John K seems to have a couple different styles in the various band combinations he is putting together lately. I did not care for the stronger music of his Golden Gate Wingman last summer but if you like heavy jamming that was it.   Personally I prefer John K over everyone else for his singing and fine guitar.  

        Dark Star Orchestra shows are the best for capturing the older Grateful Dead envirnment in both the music and the family of friends. DSO provides the best music and are usually a price that you should be able to afford for all your family and bring a friend or two also. Its only forty four more days until DSO plays at Black Mountain which is a beautiful venue under the trees with good local brew. I know your wife will enjoy those two nights.  Hope to meet you there.

 

Peace and Love,

Doc

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Saw them last year at msg on Halloween it was a hell of a show, I'm going on Saturday to citi field. I'm very curious to see how a year has treated them playing together. I've been hearing good things. That there geling and flowing t a little smoother I was also very skeptical of Mayer at the lead but was pleasantly suprised to see his jamming abilities. Eventho I do enjoy DSO better and at smaller venues this dead and co is a good show.

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They definitely sounded better on the streamed bonnaroo show. But lawn ampitheater seats sucks for sound. I've never heard sufficient volume in the grass to please me. Plus the hassle of dealing with 50k people was cool when I was 20. Now I love shows with 1k people where I can park next door and get great sound and can dance without seats hitting my shins. I've seen enough shakedown's to not give s crap about that scene either. Again that's a young mans game. I'll take 30 buck tickets being with die hard dead fans at DSO. Only saw 1 dead and co and the crowd sucked. No way the crowds there will ever equal say a black mountain DSO show. Too many there for the spectacle of it all, vs being there solely for the music. DSO crowds are more knowledgeable about the dead. I bet 1/2 of the people in Nashville had no clue what Viola Lee blues was when it was played. At a DSO show people go wild when they realize it's a viola. It's so funny that when I wear a dead shirt everyone asks me if I'm going to see dead and co tour. Nope. I'm going to a better tribute act.

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I saw the tour opener in Charlotte week before last. There were moments of wow, and moments of wtf. Definitely a strong teenage Mayer contingent on hand. As far as the value proposition goes, DSO hands down. But that's for me, I like authentic GD music without fiddlesticks all sprinkled in.

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Lowered expectations is key. Went in with real low exp, some parts impressed, some still managed to disappoint. Dont expect to get off like one would at DSO or you may walk out with a case of blueballs.

Cool part was remembering being on that lawn when i was 17, but looking to my right and having my 17 and 13 yr old with me this time.

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The best thing about the music tonite was the gorgeous young women to look at. I hope they go home and find jerry.

I have a lot to say. Not all of it favorable obviously. It was an experience. I'll be back in folsom. Not sure how much of this act I can see really.

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MC how was the actual music? Anything good to mention or was it just mediocre at best? It's def a totally diff experience from darkstar but it's still GD music coming from orignal members. In my opinion they won't be touring for long but it still rocks to see billy and Mickey kick ass and of course bobby still doing his thing. I mean they are legends. Not to mention the other 3 musicians are very talented also

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I don't want to discourage people from going. I need to get to a lap top. I'm going to fully share my experience before I sleep.

I truly hope these kids go home and listen to Jerry. I start with Barton Hall. Back to the basics.

The music was mediocre at best. Hyryder after party in Cincinnati inspired me more than this. They had advantage of small club, no expectations, and intimacy.

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As time energy and opportunity dictate the outcomes, I will not get to a computer.

I had zero wow moments. I found not fade away and watch tower to be very enjoyable. Rocking high energy. I found standing on the moon down right offensive. JM vocals were brutal to listen. All sweetness no raw emotion. He's not standing anywhere longing to be with anyone. I found most of his vocals to be poor but only this truly offensive. I definitely don't feel he understands the west la fadeaway. Not sure he's ever really been down shakedown street and I'm not talking about where the kids sell t shirts, pins, and grilled cheese. The drums which I was hoping to be real shining moment was very Electronica for a good portion of the segment. I found this offensive. I'm not here for the EOTO show. The rest of the show was passable for sure. Fun to dance to some. Harder to dance to at others.

It was so beautiful to see faces old and new. I couldn't be happier that a message of love tolerance and understanding is reaching forth from this scene and community it a society that veils itself in the names but offers little of it. However I regret that this music and it glimpse it to the love and all it brings could be lost here on many because at the end of the day, jerry played dance music. The scene is large. The lubricants for dance are present. There is high likelihood of reaching a communal high a separation. The music didn't take me there. I feel most of these kids will hear cheese panic or phish play with the same scene in scope lubricant and grandeur present and kind of forget about today's experience or lose the possible valuable connections to the community and the music that it presented. I don't feel the other communities are teaching love and understanding in a way that would've really reached me on a deep higher level. This wouldve continued to be world I went to when I was in fantasy land. Not a living breathing organism that I know it to be today. I also don't hang in these communities and I'm sure they teaching values too. Nevertheless, a sacred connection to what I hold very dear could be lost as the music, the party, and the dance were better somewhere else.

At the end of the day, the grateful dead played dance music. To kids to high on something life or whatever to really do anything but dance. The music inspired you to move. This didn't happen. I moved because I already had a connection. I danced because I wanted too. It didn't show me the way.

The stories in these songs very much begin to hold meaning for you in all areas and all aspects of your life. It seeps into your heart and becomes part of the essence of your very soul. Nothing I heard tonite makes that connection. Nothing here even renewed thay connection. I already have it so dancing is what I do.

I found myself in a very similar situation when I first entered this very alluring would of music, drugs, and young women. The dead were playing in 04. I had seen some phish some Dave Matthews and then I saw the dead. Dave and phish were better. It was more fun. Higher energy. More dancing. More energetic collective energy. Then I saw dso. Jk really changed everything. I kept partying as you know we do but I got something else. Something beyond sacred beyond discription. A connection to something real and breathing. The lived and sang my story before I told it. They told the story of those that couldn't figure it out. That couldn't buy in. That were so sick of the world they needed to tune out. Without dso, I would've kept seeing phish really and probably just grew the fuck out of this whole festival sleep in car my back fucking hurts life style. This would've been a hobby and not a good deal my life. I will never forget what dso or jk did for me and as the cliche goes I am forever grateful.

My situation puts me in a unique position. I find many of those turned between 92 a s 95 or later to be genuinely loving it. Anyone that heard true to quality grateful dead music has to know this doesn't add up. I also have no allegiance to anything but this music and the world vision jerry laid forth through his community. A community he very much engaged early on in long psychedelic conversation and storytelling. Something members of this scene continue to do today. I carry these original members in very high respect and would always speak with reverence about them. I will always defend their contributions to this music community and scene. I'd even thank them for continuing to shine forth and bring this music to us all. When in attendance, I will always listen intently and share in the dance. But I'm going where the music moves me. Dead and co isn't that.

Bobby turned me off when he said things are fucked up go vote. I'm reading heads right now by Jesse jarnow. Great work on the history of psychedelic america. In his work, he mentions when kesey makes a speech to protestor before they go March with the general conclusion that you won't change anything this way. Look for me rhetoric aside Trump Hilary you looking at the same fucking preopositon. The same life. Nothing is changing. You would say a lot more right now by not voting. The time is to vote no confidence. I would've left that parade with kesey. I won't sit here and actually urge you not to vote. Things are fucked up and I may even vote for the first time in years but I truly appreciate the tact and grace the dead supported causes but remained apolitical. They more provided a vehicle to drop out then tried to be the vehicles of change. That was apart of my appeal to this community. A genuine interest on some principles of self reliance then trying to beat some bull shit political philosophy down your throat.

I hope more people find Jerry's music this way. I hope the play long enough like further did to have an impact on another group of college aged kids. I also very much hope they find dso and learn to dance and share in this music with me. This will be a passing hobby for me. A catch when I can without much effort. This music and dancing still currently a life passion of mine. It's more than a hobby.

Let mayer be a gateway to jerry.

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Come on. Somebody has to have used the Internet before and cemented in their memory who wrote viola, minglewood, and big railroad blues? They played railroad blues tonite. Pretty rocking really. Not great but good.

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Come on. Somebody has to have used the Internet before and cemented in their memory who wrote viola, minglewood, and big railroad blues? They played railroad blues tonite. Pretty rocking really. Not great but good.

Lewis could play two harmonicas at one time. One with his nose.

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Come on. Somebody has to have used the Internet before and cemented in their memory who wrote viola, minglewood, and big railroad blues? They played railroad blues tonite. Pretty rocking really. Not great but good.

cannon's jug stompers 

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