This week, fifteen years ago, Jerry Garcia left this world. For those who loved him, it was a tragic loss. Few musicians in history can claim such a devoted following and to this day, no other musical group has filled as many venues as often as the Grateful Dead in their 30-year career.
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| photo by: Bruce Lipsky, FL Times-Union |
Fifteen years later, it's still going. Although this year's claims to be the last.
Patterned after the famous parking lot villages at Grateful Dead concerts, fondly known as Shakedown Street, the festivals are pretty much a free-for-all. Musicians, bands, street performers, vendors are all welcome but it's every man for himself. This isn't a highly organized event.
No Dead tribute would be complete without a drum circle and dancers.
A tribute to Jerry.
It wasn't long before the sky clouded over and a summer afternoon thunderstorm formed, right on top of the party or course.
The festival was held in a really nice city park built under the I-95 bridge, but it wasn't cover enough for sideways rain and pretty soon the tell-tale rain drops began to appear.
This year's festival probably will be the last as Brenda is moving deep into the country where she's built herself a Yurt and intends to develop a yoga and holistic health center. It's probably just as well that it's the last festival as a goodly percentage of the crowd at this year's event were curiosity seekers there because of a feature article in the local newspaper, not for the music or the memories.
It's the passing of an era which, to me, is sad on several fronts. For one, I miss the "good vibes" Deadhead community which seems to be largely missing in today's music and culture, and, I really miss Jerry Garcia. Jerry had just reunited with David Grisman a year or so before his death and the music these two giants made together promised to become the pinnacle of the Americana-folk genre. Acoustic eclectic at its best.
I miss you Jerry, but I am eternally grateful for what you left behind.
We love the idea of a yurt! And oh my, has it really been 15 years? That makes me feel old as hell. I remember attending a GD concert with my brother. The 30 minute drum solo nearly killed us, but absorbing the crowd and the music--the whole atmosphere of it all--was quite the experience. They were truckin' it for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWe'll just have to keep truckin' for him.
ReplyDeleteA fine tribute.
ReplyDelete"Let it be known
there is a fountain
that was not made
by the hands of man."
Gropius... You can relax, it's really only been 14 years. I decided to look it up and found he died in 1991. But you are right about the concerts, no experience like them.
ReplyDeleteHolte... I think my truck has a flat.
wonderful post, deep into the country...that sounds nice.
ReplyDeletemuch love and thanks for stopping by...
Sorry Punch... we must have been posting at the same time. My favorite line from the song as well.
ReplyDeleteStacyJ... I knew you would connect.
I always wanted to go to one of their concerts.
ReplyDeleteI use to have a friend that looked a lot like Jerry Garcia he too is grateful now.
Wow, yeah he died the year I graduated high school. I remember it vividly since they had their revival when I was a teen with the "Touch of Grey" video and all. It was because of that (their lesser work) that I went back and listened to the stuff that made them legends. But to me, most of the music from the sixties has NEVER been surpassed. Definitely the best decade for musical creativity and the biggest difference to me about then and now was that folks from the sixties took all of that adversity and made great music. We have just as much crap going on now if not more and most of the bands are just so plastic and undefined.
ReplyDeleteI am with you Mr. C
ReplyDeleteVery nice post C. Not to dwell in the past, but the promise of those days, as well as the people of those days seems to have passed as well...sadly.
ReplyDeleteI remember dancing with my wife to Sugar Magnolia.
ReplyDelete