Furthur........

i saw The Grateful Dead many times, recording or language CAN AND WILL NEVER relay the majesty of the experience in its aftermath, it only callously stamps a border into the infinite. although jerry is by far my favorite musician of all time, he was not the grateful dead nor the ether that enveloped it. he was a skilled sailor in infinity and when the boat sank, the boys and us all swam for shore or sank. everything post-jerry by the band members has surely further developed them as musicians, but has been universally scattered, simply tribute concerts with new bells and whistles with no cohesiveness, easily translated through the crowd of isolative proximity, belligerence, nostalgia, oogles and the dominance of thug camp and feds scavenging outside. phish, string cheese, widespread, dark star and others all had their merits, but to suggest that they were in any way comparable to The Grateful Dead is just gullibility, stupidity, or desperation.

despite my frustrations, i always check out new line ups involving the boys much like i make that obligatory call to mom on the birthday, though i generally end up leaving early. again, i'm not at all wild about dark star, but, the john kadlecik invitation was logical, he does pull a familiar tone out of his axe, he has been playing the dead's music as long as jerry did, he grew up a deadhead. the music should be good, at least. i happened to move to nearby santa cruz recently and could use the social outing so i decided to pick up a ticket for all 3 nights, of course easy to trade them in thug/fed camp outside if i got bored the first night.

the venue was in downtown oaksterdam, those of you who don't know it is the heart space of the modern revolution with a university whose coursework is based on the cannabis industry. inside it was extravagant, red carpet, little circular a/c vents in the floor everywhere, ornate golden woodwork, kinda hindu temple/palace/mosque/polynesian/disco, and there were these 2 giant buddhalike statues pillared on both sides of the stage, a very large open floor up front, open platforms all over, a large seated balcony on top, and tons of random corridors throughout. there was a cig smoking stairwell although you could literally blaze anywhere and everywhere openly. i recall in the old days there was this glow shared among everyone as we entered that we were in for something special (even if it was a easy answers/long way to go home/i fought the law night!!) rather than just being corralled through while keeping your particular reflections amongst your immediate circle. maybe the venue, but that old glow was not a stranger by any means.

the lights dim. bobby and phil begin with a duet, mellow, fluid, crystaline, intimate, perhaps even incantative, nothing outrageous but i never remember them so symbolically expressing their unity through their polarity. the drummers mount up and bobby makes it clear were headed for the other one, john ignites with a lick that i liken to an apostrophe if it had a sound and so it begins. jay was an absolute monkey, raising the visual and physical energy to new heights. entirely from left field, joe russo is an absolute machine on the set with a constant glowing smile on his face...welcome home. jeff is simply amazing on the keys, he has come a long way, we are so proud. and then there is uncle john. he is clearly nervous as shit from apostrophe one, hesitant, awkward posture, blushing, standing in the shadows, and reasonably so, his entire life has basically been guiding him to this moment. eerie familiarity of the guitar tone seemed to uncage something otherworldly inside bobby and phil as i never remember them playing happier or with more resolve, as though the music never stopped. john clearly had his training wheels on but whenever the winds picked up, the band rowed with strength like hercules and john lifted the long rested anchor as arthur pulled the sword and the whole building set sail coalescing and piroquetting into divinity. post-jerry heads had no idea what hit em, elders had grins that's corners reached the stars, the venue staff went berzerk and were dancing in the aisles, the place was electrified 3 days strong and it only got better. this is the real deal, they are not exaggerating this time when they say furthur.
the furthur experience is no more translatable to description or recording than The Grateful Dead was. this is not the new version of the dead, there is not a pinch hitter for jerry, this is a new band, with new members, new tempos, new setlists (even a new song!) that has arisen like a phoenix from the sea to continue the sacred journey of the material. the synergy of this band is breathtaking. without a droplet of hesitation, FURTHUR was the most majestic musical journey i've had in 14 years/1000 shows of chasing the dragons tail.
if you have an open heart and an open mind, i welcome you home.

Wind in the willows playin tea for two;
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybodys playing in the heart of gold band

and family, please...why dull the senses? save the alcohol for bringing you down after the show.

I asked him for water, he poured me some wine
We finished the bottle then broke into mine
You get what you come for, you're ready to go
It's one in ten thousand just come for the show

 

wow that was a great read