There is this design flaw with my wireless logitech keyboard where the batteries randomly pop out of place and it stope working. Since it is wireless though I am always wondering if it jsut disconnected or somethhing so keep I turning it off and on. Whatever, I think it is working now.
My wife and son are on a Disney cruise so I am just home with my daughter. I'm still surrounded by disney stuff but at least i'm not stuck on a boat! I don't want to go on a crusie - I want to hang out at my house and play guitar and drink too much coke zero. Is that too much to ask?!? Anyways I will be on a Disney cruise for Christmas this year - I am girding my loins!
It has been wild seeing the dead in the news because of Booby's passing. I am always thinking about the grateful dead but now other people are bringing it up which is interesting. I am oddly enthusiatic about John Mayer maybe doing something with the group's music moving forward. He is such a dweeb but he did a really good job playing "Ripple" at Bob's funeral service so he's a good guy in my book!
I'm enrolled in this jam band guitar course and I am learning a lot about playing musically but the guy does occassionally throw in guitar hero tricks. He has a lessons that he quickly conceded is just freebird-riffs. One thing that is great abouut rock and roll in my opinion is that for all of the ink spilled and high brow discussion sometimes it's just about playing loud and fast. It's so much fun
Me and my daughter had a really good saturday and tomorrow is another day!
One side effect of feeling good is that you start doing things! Lot's of wild and heavy stuff happening in the world at large, but on a micro-level I am making friends, playing guitar, and enjoying building a community with my family. I'm even more productive at work!
We lost Bob Weir over the weekend. Bob was the youngest member of the group and the last of the frontmen who covered vocal duties to go. I don't know what this means for Dead and Co. but it is really a beautiful thing to see that he was able to play and have love and community up until his last days.
Wrapped up the February shows today and actually had to listen to a commercial release! The archive.org February 28, 1973 show is somewhat truncated so had to use spotify (which I really need to quit paying for).
The set closes with "We Bid You Good Night" which works well as a eulogy for Bob - we will miss you down here on earth!
Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest
There was an active shooter alert at work yesterday. Not sure how I feel about it yet. IT was weird because we were all nervous but also just kind of perplexed. I sat in my office with the lights out trying to catch up on e-mails. It was simultaneously disconcerting and at the same time very pedestrian. Who's going to pick up the kids? Will I still be able to grab dinner on the way home? When can I leave?
Anyways - still alive!
Powering through these February shows. There is a liveliness to the playing and the new material compared to the roadweariness of the december 72 shows. I really like Eyes of the World, it is the first time post americana that the dead start pushing into a jazzy direction. It's not the jazziest chord progression in the world (I V IV) but they use a mjaor 7 which compared to all the straightforward chord voicings feels like a big change. I love that it is such a positive song and that it was a song for extended jams from day 1!
Still walking a lot and listening to the dead excited for things to come!
Had a good Monday today. I was very busy with meetings but I got a good walk in and enjoyed dinner. Liking the 1973 shows and still getting in 1-2 shows a day! Might try and get through 73-75 this year.
Today was my son's first day back at school. I think he had a good day too! I'm so proud of him. He and I are playing the pokemon card app on the ipad and he is so into it! He pulled a Charizard the other day and continues to rub it in my face lol. My daughter continues to speed run the entire disney animated catalog.
Having a hobby is something I really want to share with my children. Work and stress can be so much and I feel like giving them an outlet is a good lesson. I hope having hobbies, whatever they may be, will be a positive aspect of their lives as they grow and become adolescents and young adults.
I did it - I listened to all the shows from 1972! I think it is like 85 or so? (I need to check). But anyhoo, I am so hyped - I have had a blast getting into the grateful dead. It has really been incredible to have a band you can really dig your teeth into. For a long time I have been searching for a group to sort of take a deep dive on and honestly not many groups have substantial depth to explore. More than that you are just limited to the studio output - the live stuff really only serves as a footnote for most artists.
To me the most incredible thing about dead shows is that it gives you a whole different way to experience songs. They grow and evolve, taking on new tempos, parts and meaning over time. "He's gone" picked up some Donna riffing as it was played more and more, Jerry's solos gain new changes, "Dark Star" becomes an hour long (jk it's usually liek 30 minutes at most). But for real the songs are great and I love getting to hear the nuance as they are performed night to night
As someone who can't really go to a bunch of shows, even if Dead & Co. were performing regularly at this point, having access to everything they have ever released is an incredible experience. I think a lot about dead fans who couldn't just pull up 30 years of live shows on their phone while they're stuck in traffic - crazy stuff.
Enough about that - let's dive into 1972. This was a huge year in terms of the number of shows played (>80) and number of locations (all over the states and a european tour). They just had bill on drums which gave them a little more freedom to explore. Jerry and Bob really come into their own as band leaders and the setlist rules. I don't know what to say, I will probably be unpacking 1972 for a while - more to come! Also FYI I have already listened to 2 1973 shows thus far and I am really enjoyning the new stuff as well!!!
Finishing up the holidays and coming to an end of my 1972 listening. All I have left are the 5 california shows from Decmeber '72. I will have to listen to multiple shows
a day which is not something I have done in a minute but feeling very excited!
I'm just wrapping up their run of texas shows from novemeber which were consistently good. Also a lot of nice recordings available, so no complaints from me, esp as a texas transplant.
Anyways, Christmas and birthday were good. I have gotten to spend a lot of time with my family which has been really increbile. I feel like I have connected with my wife and children in a way that I haven't gotten the chance to in a while. I feel grateful and blessed.
Today is my birthday and I get to celebrate by finishing up a great soundboard recording after a series of mediocre audience recordings. Finally!
People often discuss how polished the band was in the late seventies but the band can still really lock-in in 1972. Like they are wrapping up this show (Oklahoma City Music Hall on 1972-11-14) and they are freaking cooking. Fun to hear!
I'm excited to be turning 37. At points this year I felt like I was going to die. I have a hiatal hernia and where I give blood I had become anemic. The combination of the 2 really made me short of breath but I thought I was in heart failure! I am at a much better point with my hemoglobin and my breathing now - thank God!
Anyways, one fun thing about having a birthday near Christmas is that we have carolling at work which I am really excited for. I even get a guitar solo. SO I will enjoy doing that today.
One wild thing about listening to a lot of the grateful dead is how the shows and the music become a part of your life. Like anything else when things happen and you are listening to music you associate moments with songs. I think this is how music becomes meaningful to people. A song recalls a moment or a memory or a person. The more I listen to dead shows, just by the nature of time passing, I am building memories with the band.
Me and my son were driving to a camp out on Friday night when a man passed us on the left. We didn't see him for a time and then we came up to a car on fire crashed into a piece of construction equipment. I intially passed the car, I think because I was a bit shook up, but we did a uturn and help get the door open so the man could get out. I think he was on something because he just lay there, but another man and I were able to pull him away from the burning car while the first responders came. His dog was in the backseat on a leash and was totally fine. My son held the leash of the dog while we helped the man.
I was listening to the Cleveland 10/28/72 Dark Star when we came to the wreck and it was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I'm glad the man is ok and no one else was hurt. I am thinking of him and I hope he is well.
I kind of don't know what I am getting at with this post, but it was a crazy experience and I am just kind of unpacking it. If you are reading this, please drive safe. If you are on something and you need to get somewhere - get an uber or call a friend. It's not worth it.
My daughter threw my glasses in the toilet. I was picking her up from daycare and I was holding her while I used the bathroom (she's 2 - she can't run wild). Anyways, she took off he shoe and threw it to the floor. I was unphased. SHe grabs at my face - suddenly she has my glasses. In one swift motion they flew from my face and splashed into the porcelain. I went to the hall to ask for gloves but the woman in the hallway didn't really speak english. Although she didn't understand my words i was somehow able to get a plastic cafeteria style glove and grab my glassses. I washed them vigourously in the sink. Anyways, now I am wearing them, being an adult is wild.
I am getting out of a slump with my grateful dead listening. THere was a run of shows that were either truncated or just poorly recorded and it was a slog. I like an audience recording when the audio quality is good, it can even be fun to here the clapping and banter, but much prefer a soundboard recording. Anyways I am finishing up october and things are picking up - full shows and high fidelity.
SiriusXM, the worst-named streaming platform available, is free on my car stereo right now. THe have a grateful dead channel which is actually pretty fun. It is neat to hear stuff from different eras, especially when i have been so focussed on the 1972 material. Some of the 80s stuff is rough thoug. I like Brent a lot but some of that material is too much for me, maybe I will get into it someday. Love Brent though - he's the man.
The grateful dead quit playing the song alligator in 1971. It was one of the first songs robert hunter wrote for the band. Listening to it - it feels like a minor work - but wild that it is knind of important. I am wrapping up the 1972 show and listening to a crowd recording from october. The crowd likes to instigate the band from time to time by asking for alligator. Occasionally one of the guys will say that they forgot how to play it!
I am still getting to play a lot of guitar and learning some fun stuff (not just GD). My guitar teacher assigned "cuddly toy" by the monkees because it has a lot of crazy borrowed chords - having a lot of fun.
Kids and family are doing well - getting Christmas stuff out and gearing up for TG -good stuff happening here.
Has everything been done before? Sometimes I wonder that and then something new comes along. However things are rarely completely new - everything has a context - everything comes from something else.
What's old is always new
Although AI slop is everywhere - old art can always be new if someone has never experienced it before. Also experiencing something in current times gives different perspective. The way I am experiencing dead shows from 1972 on archive.org is very different then people being at the shows - which is kind of cool.
I am finishing up the October shows which are really great. I miss pigpen but the band are really coming together with Donna and Keith in tow. I am also getting back into Dub music! DUb music is art that all about taking something old and making it new and interesting.
SO now I will take this day - which is much like other days - but make it new and interesting!
I have always been a huge Donna fan, also my Grandma's name was Donna - so always looking out for an awesome Donna. Donna Jean made such a big difference for those 70's show and really her singing is a highlight on many tour staples - see "He's Gone." I am going to do some Donna research and report back
If a man among you/
Got no sin upon his hand/
Let him cast a stone at me/
For playing in the band
Wow - what a weekend. I had a bunch of fun with the fam this weekend but very busy. Friday trick or treat, Saturday a bunch of stuff with the kids (also terrible allergies), and today (sunday) park/cleaning/work stuff (I'm on call for the weekend).
I got to listen to a really good October show this weekend too - 10/9/1972 Winterland, San Francisco. The play box of rain and wharf rat - and DEAL. Killer show.
Anyways, back to work for real tomorrow and a bunch of extracurriculars - wish me luck!
I have become really interested in the old internet and old computer programs. I have had a lot of fun getting into HTML and I have very recently started getting into DOS gaming again.
I am trying to listen to dead shows while I play carmen sandiego and unfortunately there is this incredibly loud SOUNDBLASTER music for every country you go to. Also there is actually a lot of voice-acting, which was almost non-existent on console games at that point, that is actually pretty awful sounding as well. I would put it on mute but the voiced parts are actually important to the gameplay.
In spite of this, I have finished the September 72 run of shows - October here we go!
Happy trails
Quick check-in! Playing a lot of guitar this week - really inspired by all of the early rock covers the dead do - learning some chuck berry. I am also in a cover band and having to learn some van halen. A real work-out for the fingers!
Hoping to have some restorative rest this weekend. I have really been productive with my research and teaching the past few weeks which has been really validating.
Took a big walk this morning and now catching up on some creative outlets since I am caught up on clinical work. I always have research stuff I could be doing but such is life. Nice to be doing something other than farting in my office.
I watched a video abut how creating things makes us happy. I think if all we do is consume, life gets heavy and tough to bear. So playing a casio keyboard (i figured out how to play a couple of ocarina songs from zelda), doodling, and now I guess I am blogging!
Listening to a COnneticut show but once again reminded about all of the americana the dead brings up in their songs. Workingman's and American Beauty are full of this stuff. ALthough they continued to play all of these early songs there is certainly a difference hearing the electric performances versus their early more acoustic approach.
In terms of Americana songs, friend of the devil is my favorite, and that is a song that has popped up in different times in my life. I learned how to play it around the end of high school and would play it with friends when I worked in new mexico in the summer of 2007. When I got into the dead recently, it was a familiar friend to hear on sets when i was still getting into the rest of the catalog. I should learn it on piano now!
Was trying to find a fun picture for friend of the devil and landed on Devil Anse Hatfield, of the Hatfields and McCoys. These two families had a big fued in appalachia and the Hatfields were from WV, my home state. Devil Anse was the head of the Hatfield family, and apparently a real character. Not sure how he got the nickname but I know there was like murder and romance and stuff going on. ANyways, some of the Hatfield descendents still live in WV and my dad used to go to a store in Wayne county run by a man who clamed to be a Hatfield. Apparently he was a character too! When I think about the grateful dead and Americana, this is where my thoughts often land - maybe the devil that Jerry was talking about was a man like Devil Anse!
Did you know Jerry played pedal steel on "Teach Your Children" by CSNY?!?!? SOrry that is kind of blowing my mind. I have been inspired by jerry to pick up slide guitar - I'm not committing to pedal steel quite yet - so stay tuned. I play guitar most days so it will be neat to try something new.
I have always been a big music nut and one thing especially interesting about getting into the grateful dead is being able to enjoy playing their songs as much as listening to them. For a long time I have been more focussed on what could be done with recorded music - basically I wanted to hear tracks or albums that pushed recorded music to new heights - like how the beatles quit touring to focus on making records. Fast-forward to the modern era where everything is recorded and commodified - now I am so much more excited by performances.
Obviously GD is super commodified but I love getting to hear a group of musicians focussed on playing as opposed to getting something on tape. Ultimately this is probably why the studio albums will always be lacking compared to the live shows - the spontinaiety of the performance is what it is all about!
"Goes to show you don't ever know"
Still exercising and feeling much better these days. Kids can wear you out! It ends up I don't have sleep apnea and the doctor just said I was exhausted. ANyways - on the mend and feeling good now.
Rocking and rolling today. I went to the doctor and I am still exercising eery day. Starting to get healthy again. I also did my sleep study so I should have my sleep figured out soon. It's not easy to take care of yourself when you have a lot going on, but I am finding that it is worth it.
The kids are really into Disney music and I have been taking a lot of meetings in the car, so now it actually feels like a treat when I get to catch up on dead shows. I am working my way into September 1972 and they are so good, but I am really missing Pigpen's contributions. Taking some time to catalog my listening and update the site.
I called into my favorite podcast, the Best Show tih Tom Scharpling, and told him about the Oregon show which was really fun. I think it was my first successful call on the show (he usually razzes me), so a win on the whole.
Feeling really great this morning. I have been sleeping better and I am doing a good job at work. My family has survived hand foot and mouth disease and things are moving at the house. My son with dyslexia and adhd is getting what he needs, and, for what feels like the first time, on track at school.
For a long time, I have tried to be fiercely independent, but I have come to realize that opening up to others and asking for help is really incredible. People want to help you and it is amazing to have that kind of response. I jam glad to be a part of something bigger.
Wrapping up this August shows at the Berkeley Community Theatre. I have really gotten into the 8/24 version of “Bird Song.” Jerry wrote this song about Janis Joplin, who he was in love with but had passed away a few years earlier. It speaks to the beauty of life and the ephemeral nature of great people and things
I have always been neurotic. I am not sure if that is getting better or worse with age! I am starting to feel better. I have been resting more. I have also been on call so I haven't been drinking which seems to have buoyed my health. Also my kids are keeping me busy! Lots of walking and activities.
I am happy to be listening to more of the august shows. The band is starting to add new material which is fun to hear, but unfortunately may have been prompted to fill the space left by pigpen. I miss that guy. ALso I have almost made it to the point where I am listening to shows that are happening in the same time of year. It will be cool to listen to september shows in september!
Happy trails
Working again. Life is getting better, maybe it's getting better all the time???
Spending more time on Dead shows and projects today and it feels good. It is said that your 30s are a time of great upheaval, and I would tend to agree. Raising kids, moving, jobs, and perhaps most importantly your marriage are things that require care and attention. It is a lot of pressure but it is all very worthwhile. I'm glad to get up every day and have a chance to do it all again.
Why did the grateful dead cover "El Paso"? Like I get that it is an old country song and they were kind of into similar subject matter, but it is so wild to here them play it for YEARS. Like there was this thing in the early 2000s where it was kind of a joke for indie artists to cover rap songs. A lot of it was napster fodder but some of it seemed ok, although in hindsight probably a little racist. But yeah, i think el paso was meant to be ironic initially and then the dead kind of adopted it. Of note Mexicali blues was supposedly inspired by it.
Happy trails
Feeling good today - sleeping better! I even got up and exercised, will I get in shape this year?!
Kicking off a day full of meetings with the 7/26/72 Dark Star. Big meeting days are sometimes daunting, but... sorry got interuppted. I am too busy! 😅 ANyways, happy to be at work getting stuff done. Excited to be listening to a dead show!
I think I have sleep apnea? Anyways, going to the doctor on Friday - feeling hopeful to get things worked out.
Big into my mp3 player right now. I am currently downloading all of my mp3 library. I uploaded all my music to google music in college and it is somehow all still there all these years later (although it is now called youtube music). Not doing as good of a job listening to only the grateful dead right now, although I do have the 7/25/1972 show on as I type this. Just excited to be discovering music again on my own - i am still having a lot of fun with all of this
My daughter went to the hospital on Thursday for bronchiolitis but today we are home baby! We actually got home last night but I am so relieved. It was such a stressful experience and it is really great to be settling back in at the house. I do kind of have a headache because we were so busy with things today, but it is a happy headache (if that is a thing).
I did break down and get an mp3 player only to discover that all the dead soundboard recordings became streaming only in 2005! Fortunately there is still stuff to download but in my endeavour to listen to full shows I am still tied to a phone/computer. I listened to another show from July in Seattle (7/22/1972) while I put together some furniture for my son's room. It was really wonderful, and I honestly felt like the kids were kind of into it which was wild
The gratefuldead website has been putting out downloads since 2006 so I fortunately have found some more stuff to check out, this will supplement my show listening. It is also kind of fun to have stuff that you can't download and some stuff free to download - feels very 2006.
Feeling pretty good again today. I have been getting more sleep and walking more. I also changed up my reflux meds and I think I am healthier for it.
Anyways, I am post-spotify in terms of my live Dead listening. It is interesting going off streaming for your music after things being so easy for so long. I'm not going to get an mp3 player but using archive.org or some of these grateful dead streamers is actually kind of a hassle. Is there any money in making a high quality grateful dead streaming app??? Modern problems
The author talks about a number of things but also emphasizes that people's tastes change as we age. When I was growing up, sort of paralelling the author, everything needed to be quick, cool, edgy - now I just want to enjoy some music. Especially given the enormous backcatalog of live sets, I feel like I can really dig into this interest. It is also funny because I would have thought this was very lame even up to just a few years ago - anyways - here I am, at least i'm having a good time!
Feeling good this afternoon, a little groggy in the AM but my kids wanted smoothies so at least I had a healthy breakfast.
FInished the june show and on to another audience recording today from July 72. Have been trying to get through some of the 80s studio stuff and it is such atreat to hear this gritty, loose version compared to the adult-contempo sleeze of late-era dead.
Also having fun watching people do listicles of grateful dead studio records on youtube. I watched this one of some wannabe anthony fantanos refusing to listen to the live stuff and ranking all of their studio records only. What a tedious project. Like even bob weir says they never made great records. Further, they talk about how gimmicky a lot of the production sounds, which makes sense because they were trying to sell records. A bunch of hippies trying to get one over on the record-buying general public. Glad these dweebs checked them out at least 😅
I'm on the treadmill again! I stayed up too late watching vertigo, so feeling a little run down this morning.
There is an ebb an flow to life and I feel like things are currently on an upswing. I'm not sure if you believe in karma or God, but something is out there and things are working out!
I branched out an listened to some non-dead last night which was kind of exciting, but working throught the june 72 show right now. It is an audience recording as opposed to a soundboard tape, and it is super fun. I was initially bummed about the audio quality, but it is actually great to hear the audience and some of the hiss and crackle of an amateur recording. I probably won't come back to the show but enjoying the ride
Happy trails
8/14/2025
I have been exercising! I am really enjoying it. I have a treadmill at my desk so I walked 2 miles while I caught up on email. Had meatloaf for lunch with fig newtons and coffee for dessert.
I finished the Academy of Music shows from March 72. Having already listented to the european tour for that year, I am now 6 months into 1972! THe crazy part is that means I'm only like a ~40% of the way through shows for 1972. THere is just so much to listen to. I am honestly astounded by how much recorded dead there is - a real embarrassment of riches.
ANyways, I have also been playing a lot of balatro - love that game. I am also getting some academic stuff done. I got a paper back with minor revisions and now I am also pushing some older projects forward. Academics can feel overwhelming sometimes, but really it's just about getting a little done everyday because in time it does add up.
Happy trails
8/13/2025
One thing that is weird about getting older is how serious things can get. Like sometimes a situation could be life or death or really important or meaningful.
THat's one thing I kind of love about the grateful dead. As a group who's output is mostly complete and more happy than sad, I don't have to take the grateful dead too seriously. That isn't to say there isn't depth in the music, the writing, or the things they accomplished but me getting to geek out about the grateful dead doesn't have to be seroius at all. Also they were delightfully silly. Like when they didn't want to play the song "Alligator" anymore, they would just tell audience members who requested the song that they had just forgotten how to play it. Love getting to hear snippets of banter in these live shows and enjoy how free-spirited the group and the fans were throughout the years, really stands in contrast with a lot of today's stan culture stuff - this is despite the fact they had equivalently diehard fanbases.
ANyways, I have gotten to work out every day for the past week. I;m still trying to fix my diet, but I am feeling better just getting some exercise in.
Happy trails
8/12/2025
Typing this while rocking the little one to bed.
I’ve been trying to wrap up the March Academy of music shows over the past couple of days. My daughter didn’t have daycare today and my son only had a half day at school so I have been on duty. It is kind of surprsing how much more music I get to listen to when I am working and commuting. Also my family revealed to me that they are all tired of listening to dead shows. So it goes!
Happy trails
8/11/2025
I'm feeling pretty good today. I had to go out and pick up a script for my son last night around 1030 and it wasn't ready until 11, so instead of being grouchy in a CVS for half an hour I went to the whattaburger next store and got a spicy chicken sandwich. He has a skin infection so we had to motivate him to take a pill at 1130, which he didn't love. ANyways after that everybody crased so I stayed up and finished the 03/25/72 show with Bo Diddley and played some balatro. Pretty good night overall.
One interesting thing about the show is that it sounds like Jerry uses an envelope filter on the 22 minute rendition of "Turn on your love light." The Mu-Tron was released in 1972 so this may be one of the first shows where Jerry uses it. It's the the classic funky "wah wah wah" sound he is known for.
This morning I am onto the 3/36/72 show, still at the Academy of music. It is still very exciting to hear the group gearing up for the Europe tour and it still sounds like peak GD. Also I love Pigpen, I have really grown to enjoy his songs a lot - what a loss he passed so young.
Happy trails
8/8/2025
Wouldn't it be wild if the grateful dead met the rizzler?
TOday I am listening to the 3/25/1972 show where the grateful dead is the backing band for Bo Diddley. THis is a really fun show. THis is kind of a unique scenario where the group is playing with one of their heroes, someone who probably got them into playing rock n' roll. Also, it is fun to hear something more akin to the source material - rock and R&B as opposed to hearing something more like what the influenced - jam music. Also where they play not fade away all the time, the buddy holly song that rips off the bo diddley riff, they seem primed to play bo diddley songs. Anyways, tons of fun - looking forward to listening to the beach boys collabo (my friend tyler recommended this). Collaboration between artists these days seems so common but early grateful dead collobration is crazy. That being said - nothing would be as crazy as Dead and Co playing Not fade away featuring the rizzler.
8/7/2025
I'm kind of dragging this morninng, but I made it to work and have already gotten a few things done. One tough thing about getting older and having kids is how tired you get! Now I am trying to get in shape!
Anyways, Listening to the Academy of music GD shows from 1972, before they went on their European tour. The band sounds loose and excited. It is interesting to contrast these shows with the recent Dead and Co. 6oth anniversary shows from last weekend. Obviously the setlists differ but even peak 72 dead - the vocals were never the focus. I think people, myself included, sometimes get too hung up on the group sounding old or feeling like they jumped the shark - I'm just glad someone is still here doing it.
Happy trails
8/6/2025
