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Lettres d'Uzès #55: The Dead Season

12/7/2015

8 Comments

 
There are very few compensations for being parted from Jill for a couple of weeks, but on my recent sojourn in the UK for family reasons (Leamington Letters #96), I benefitted from at least two.
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The first was the final three Grateful Dead shows at Soldier Field, Chicago. Jill not only missed the bus, but when she saw it, she jumped in a cab and disappeared in the opposite direction. 

So the fact that all three shows were available as a modestly-priced stream allowed me to indulge myself in the early hours of the mornings of Saturday, Sunday and Monday before watching the Sunday show for a second time at the Showcase Cinema on Monday night in the company of 300 or so local Deadheads. The sight of a motley crew of ageing groovers, some (though not me) in tie-dye, attempting to relive and celebrate their past must have been quite a revelation to the youngsters heading for Jurassic World, Minions and Magic Mike XXL, especially as I – a month short of 66 years of age – was one of the youngest in attendance. But hey, love-is-love-and-not-fade-away.

The Stalinist Deadheads have given these gigs some serious stick, but I enjoyed Friday and Sunday a lot. (Saturday less so, but then I was never a fan of Saturday shows – too many songs!) Lesh, Weir, Kreutzmann and Hart can still do it. Trey is not note-for-note Jerry but closer in spirit than the likes of John Kadlecik and, although I never embraced any of the Dead keyboard players after Keith, if I had to choose one, it would be Bruce Hornsby. And if you had to choose just one song from the entire run, it would be Cassidy on Sunday. Quite beautiful. Every component playing as one. Will never tire of it thanks to Bill Walker and NYCTaper.

So, a fitting celebration of 50 years of the Grateful Dead and of course, for me, a celebration of 47 years of my own life – and somehow appropriate that it took place in the early hours of the morning: much of my listening to Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa, for example, took place in seedy undergraduate rooms during those hours in the company of other nighthawks.
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These days, of course, if I am still around at that time, it is because of the Red Sox. I am getting too old to live entire summers on Eastern Standard Time, so I welcome lunchtime games at Fenway. And I certainly welcomed the games played during my Jill-less fortnight. The Sox actually won four successive games and started playing the kind of baseball we expect.

We are still in the basement of a pretty poor ALE, of course. And there are many causes for concern. But it is a positive pleasure to see Mookie and Bogey proving that they are no longer prospects but accomplished ballplayers. Eddie Rodriguez has been sensational and really looks the part. Clay is, as Rick Hough pointed out to me, “more Mississippi John Hurt than John Lee Hooker” but he has pitched superbly before this latest trip to the DL. Ramirez is a great DH in waiting if we can sort out how to play Papi (maybe at 1st a couple of times a week?) and it is no accident that our W total has improved since the return of Ryan Hanigan. He’s not ‘Tek, but he’s very, very good.

As things stand, the morning after beating the Yankees last night (and as England beat Australia), I am not optimistic of a Red October. I think the season is over from that point of view. But these guys are good enough to give us a lot of fun times between now and then. And I have been spectacularly wrong before. I hope I am this year.

One thing I know, though: Dead shows and Sox wins don't compensate for being parted from Ms Every! 

Today from the everysmith vaults: Not, at this moment, one of the Chicago Fare Thee Well shows, but the first Santa Clara gig and What’s become of the baby? – an extraordinary piece which I had never heard live before and, to be honest, never thought such a thing was possible.

 

8 Comments
TomD
12/7/2015 11:01:18

Two birds with one stone, eh? Dead and Sox. So now they are out of the way for a while ....

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DarkStar1945
13/7/2015 01:16:47

FYI: There was a quasi-live performance of WBOTB? in Chicago in 1969, when the recording was integrated into a feedback sequence via the PA. I guess that proves your point.

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Rob
13/7/2015 01:25:23

Electric Theatre, 1969-04-26. Part of the show is on Dick's Picks 26, but not WBOTB? The whole show is streamable but not downloadable at the archive.

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CJ
13/7/2015 03:57:18

Don't you miss those feedback sessions? The insane randomness. Space was never the same.

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CJ
13/7/2015 04:02:45

And talking of Keith, one thing I missed in the Fare Thee Well shows was female vocals. Donna had her critics, including Jerry and including me, but she added a dimension when she did get it right. Joan Osborne did some good shows with the Dead, and would have liked to see her up on at least one of the finales.

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AdrianS
14/7/2015 01:23:55

I think that if you take the five shows collectively, they do represent a celebration of 50 years and also, more importantly the 30 years. You can argue individual choices but I was happy to see shows which stretched from Golden Road to Unbroken Chain.

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Brian
16/7/2015 00:12:07

Thought I would redress the Dead Sox balance! It may be 25 years since a team has reached the playoffs after such a poor first half, but it has been done and can be done. I agree that these Sox are not good enough, but nor are the rest of the ALE. Keep the faith!

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DerekR
24/7/2015 01:14:02

What a wonderful image you conjure up! You setting foot on the Merry Prankster bus while Jill leaps into a cab and heads off in the opposite direction. Made me chuckle. Thanks.

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    Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father, grandfather and son. Resident in Warwick, England.

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