Tragedy strikes the Dead.

So, after experiencing The Dead for the fist time and not wanting those highs of, not only that show and the four shows to follow, (three of them at The World Music Theatre) to not fade away... Unfortunately less that a week later they did. Brent Mydland, the legendary keyboardist and vocalist of the Dead passed away. It was a moment that I remember so well, but now that I look back on it as an adult, it did strike me till now that I wasn't as sad as the rest of the "heads".

I think I wanted to be, and in a way, felt some empathy for them but had know idea that SO many people we SO sad - like they had lost a brother. I know now, that after spending the next five years getting everything Dead I could get my hands on... living, breathing, walking and seeing Dead, I too would feel their pain, what they were going through. I won't get into the morning of August 9th, 1995 right now, but, I have never cried so hard and felt the pain of death, till that day. In all the 35 short years of my life, it still remains the saddest day. Granted, I have lost some grandparents - but no one real close.

I guess what I am trying to get across is there is a connection through the music. After years with someone in your life, day in and day out, it is, a relationship. The music never lets you down though. It is a drug. You only want another song, another tour. Another encore. One more hit. I know now what the loss of Brent meant to the "Deadheads". I spent that whole summer getting my hands on as much Brent as possible. In a strange way - I wanted to feel their pain. SO I engulfed myself with more of the lifestyle than ever before.

Being a part of this phenomenon was what is was all about. It was, in a way, one big happy family. For the small about of problems that I had at that moment in my life, this band made them all go away. There is a line from "Almost Famous" where the groupie says to William, "Do you know what its like to love a band so much that it hurts?" Yes, I do. Yes, the Deadheads were that passionate.

It seems that after Brents tragic death, the tour changed a bit. It was saddened, but with all the positive vibes that came with so many wonderful people, it also was strengthened. This is true in all life travels. All adversity can be overcome. With a strong family, it just makes it that much more easier.

Up next...A New Look for the Dead.

...And I Got On

As far as collecting goes, this show on that 18th of July in 1990, is my baby. I can put this show in anytime, and it'll bring a huge smile to my face. The setlist alone, as I stated before, speaks for itself. And if I were to just write down a wish-list for a dream show. I couldn't have done better myself.

The most amazing thing, and kinda shitty, is that it was was first show. I was nowhere NEAR prepared to hear a Help>Slip>Frank to open the first set and a China>Rider>LLRain>Terrapin>D/S>Other One>Morning Dew to take care of the second. Are you kidding me? Over the next five years I am not sure I saw a better show. You wanna talk about getting you cherry popped, WOW.

The atmosphere of the Green Acres campground and the parking lot afterwards was incredible. Saying "top-five" and "best show ever". I had so many people tell me I was so lucky to get that as my first. I was just thrilled to be there, ya know - taking it all in. There were a lots of firsts at that show, and not just the songs. I don't think I slept that long, long, crazy night.

The next day we hit the lot in the afternoon again. My mission was to find a copy of the show. I was lucky enough to find this guy who had it on DAT. Mike had been talking with him and worked out a trade of some"kind" and got a 1st generation, as they used to say. For, those that traded, it was obviously better to get a copy from the original. After that, your tapes picked up more static.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to get it home to make a copy. My other mission was to start trading like a mad man. I was going to build up my collection that summer. I got address from other "heads", sent them tapes, etc. I still remember a lot of my tape covers came from a guy who called himself "Marbleized Mike". Each individual cover was different, "just like a show", he used to say. The covers, that fit right into the tape cases had pics of Jerry, the tiger, the shakedown man, etc, and they were hand dipped in tie-die type colors. I put my first cover from him on that Deer Creek show of 1990. You can't even read the writing on it some twenty years later.

There were only a few more shows on this summer leg, so I wanted to get in as many as possible but ultimately I was waiting. The next year was to be a big year (my friends and I would be 16) because we'd be driving, selling, trading...enjoying the ride. Next up...Tragedy Strikes The Dead.

The Bus Came By...

The day was July 18th, 1990. I believe it was a Sunday. This is THE day of my life...where everything changed. Deer Creek already had a bit of a reputation, but after this show, not only would it remain the greatest venue to see The Dead, but many others as well. It had the best camping. The people were friendly as hell that owned the land around there (maybe they had no clue who the Dead were).

They just opened up their land and let us park, camp, party into the night - you name it, they loved it. As a matter of fact - the town of Noblesville, IN economy today probably is centered around those few days in July. The Subway built a couples years later - their employees would actually wore tie-die's. Just awesome. They loved the Deadheads. The previous year may have been the bands first performance here, but as I said, this show set the tone for excellence. And since this Deer Creek, it has remained amongst the heads-of-any-sort - the place to be.

I still have the setlist memorized....But before I get ahead of myself, let me rewind a bit. For the road trip/lot is half the story. It was about a three hour drive from where we were so we left early in the morning. This was a time before the internet really. It was in it's fetal stages at best, and to get any infomation about what was going on, "on tour", you had to be there, as they say. I must have listened to that Casey's '72 show 100 times over.

I bought American Beauty, Blues for Allah, Terrapin Station and Skeletons in the Closet (of course - who didn't own that) that past year as well. Just by listening to those got me well acquainted, or so I thought, with the Dead. Little did I know I was about to get my socks knocked off. I had my favorites, and Mike let me take a look at his other shows as well from time to time.

Mike gave me a copy of Barton Hall '77 to kickstart the weeekend. This show too became another staple in my future trading. This show was the soundtrack of that road trip. The second set speaks for itself as the St. Stephen>NFA>St. Stephen>Morning Dew still gives for goosebumps to this day. A definite must have of any collector.

We stopped off and got bread and cheese, some garlic season-salt, some water, and soda for the lot. We did have some beers that we swiped from our parents but nothing to write home about. For we were told there would be plenty to buy there in the lot. I sure didn't know what he meant at the time, for I just nodded, chipped in when I needed, and enjoyed the ride...to Noblesville.

By the time that Barton '77 show had ended, we were already backed up to the traffic into the Lot. I had never seen such a site. People with their fingers up, smiling, walking all about. Those of you that have been there know what I mean. We parked, set up our area, got to know the people around us - shared stories, etc. We made the best damned grilled cheese ever. Mike sold them all afternoon for some cash - that we used for beer and other "entertainment". "This was the way of the Deadheads", I remember him saying. Everyone just sort of sold something to pay for something else. It was a small economy in and of itself. For this was a different scene than what I saw lust a year ago.

And this was what it was like on tour. Life seemed so simple. Almost, like a dream. I felt at home.

Up Next...And I Got On.

My First "Tapes" - A Deadhead Experince

Back in the summer of '89, I had just graduated from the 8th grade. I was about to become a freshman in high school. My friend John, had an older bother, Jim, who was constantly talking to his buddies about heading up to Alpine Valley in July to see The Grateful Dead. I really had only known the Dead from their popular video on MTV (yeah they showed real videos back then) that I thought was cool because of the dancing skeleton's in "Touch of Grey".

Alpine was only about 2 hrs away so Jim and his buddies planned to go up, camp close by, and come back the next day. John and I convinced our parents we were staying at each others house - and once we convinced Jim to let us tag along - well as they say, it's all downhill from there.

I rode with John, Jim, and Jim's buddy, Mike. Mike was a real (hippie), at least to a 14 yr. old anyway. He smoked, had long hair, wore the raggedy Dead shirt with tie-die colors all faded. With him, he bought along his camping gear, a backpack and the most important thing... a sleeve of twenty Maxell XL II's. These tapes he referred to as bootlegs.

The name just sounded cool and the way he said, "Hey man, you mind if I throw in the booter from Kesey's, '72?". It just sounded cool. They were all in colorful sleeves with neatly printed words lke Help ->Slip->Frank, and Dark Star -> Other One ->Dark Star, Scarlet->Fire, etc. As Mike was popping in this legendary show, which I will get to in a minute, he would tell stories from the road, about this song, and that. How "The Dead" started in the Haight Ashbury district in Cali, what Pigpen was really all about and how he was the original leader of the band. It was awesome.

The show, was known around the campfire as Kesey's Creamery Benefit (8/27/1972). The legendary Ken Kesey, and this was one of his "Field Trip" shows. In the archives, it is the Old Renaissance Faire Grounds. You see, Ken and his family owned a Dairy Farm and hosted many field trips - but this one here in Veneta, Oregon, this one is legendary. Legendary not just for the Dead being there along with the Riders of the Purple Sage, but in the tape traders market as well. Quite possibly top five of all time on all "must have" lists. Now, I didn't know this at the time, but this was the first show that I would be given a copy of and is now infamous in my collection as well.

This show is like no other; From the swingin' style of Sugaree, the unmistakably, and undeniably the best China>Rider; to the second set Bird Song and Dark Star...I was hooked.

It was only after I promised Mike, to follow a few rules of taping etiquette, that he copied me my first show.

We stayed in the parking area that evening during the show. It was an eye-opening experience that was unmistakeable, and would ultimately plant the seed to blossom for many years to come.

When I got home I tucked this gem away with some of my other prized possessions in the top drawer of my dresser. I would pull it out from time to time, drop it into my Walk-Man, and listen intensely to the subtle sounds of percussion, Jerry's timid and restless voice and amazing lyrics, the deep rapping bass of Phil, and Bobby's sheer joy and energy throughout.

The next summer was already planned in my eyes. There would be no stopping me from getting back to the "Promise Land" - But how would I figure out to be gone one entire summer when I was only 15?

Up next... The Bus Came By... My first Dead show, on the inside.