Grateful Dead

dead.net the official site

(not mp3's...) ozark mountain daredevils - "it'll shine when it shines" yes - "going for gothenberg" 11/12/77 gothenberg swed lynyrd skynyrd - 7/3/76 winterland traffic - 4/30/70 paris theatre, london uk

Currently up in the rotation is Phil and Friends at the Riv in Chicago, 10-21-00, Just a Little Light. Latest thing to knock me out is The Great 1955 Shrine Concert with some pretty amazing live gospel music. "I tremble for my nation when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." Thomas Jefferson

Put the new ABB archival on my I-pod - 8/17/71 Boston Common, great playing from Duane and Dickey, well-worth having

new on my ipod recently: Bonerama's new CD - they're a brass band from New Orleans who are so wonderfully funky, 4 'bones, a sousaphone, guitar and drums. Sounds weird but oh so work. check out http://www.bonerama.net (heh. don't go to the .com unless you're interested in, um, another sort of bone). Roger Waters from MSG 5/30/07 latest GD on there would be 4/6/82 Spectrum. one of my all time ever attended faves.

John Hartford moved into the house next door to me when he moved out to California in 1968. He was a very talented guy. As to what's new on the IPod: some music from a couple of groups that I got turned onto at SpringFest this year, Crooked Still and Ollabelle. And the most recent GD is the great 1976 New Year's show at the Cow Palace, my first and still favorite New Years show.

Oooh, John Hartford. I only saw him a couple times at multi-decade intervals, but wotta guy. This reminds me that I have to load onto the iPod that John Hartford Tribute show with most of the O Brother crew at which Hartford himself comes on at the end and says, "I know why you're doing all this. You think I'm gonna CROAK!" The only Wilco tune that has really grabbed me is "California Stars," which I am forever trying to get my friends' band to do. Of course, it's not typical Wilco, being Woody Guthrie's words set to music and Billy Bragg in the mix somewhere, but man, I love that song. Usually play it about four times in a row before moving on to something else. Latest Dead show on my iPod is Veneta 8-28-82, which may not rank with the great shows of all time but was a really transcendent mix of the perfect band, the perfect setting, the perfect crowd, the perfect vibe. Also it saw the return of Dupree's after a long hiatus, and was the debut of "Day Job." Which I was very proud of myself for recognizing because Hunter had done it at the 10-9-81 show in SF, which seared my brain and changed my life forever. If I could have one show again it might well be that one.

It's not into the ipod yet, but I just downloaded 9.12.73, College of William & Mary. That's where I met my wife, and the show was played 25 years to the day before our wedding day. Oh, the bliss.Also just grabbed a nice performance by John Hartford at Telluride Bluegrass in the mid-'80s. I've taken a few shots at Wilco and just can't seem to dig it. Maybe one more try.

A few new albums are getting my attention recently. I really enjoy the funky songs and fun lyrics to ALO's new album "Roses & Clover." I really like the album, "Try" is my favorite song so far. Also, Wilco's new "Sky Blue Sky" is a stripped down almost Dylan-esque effort by this very talented band. Awesome lyrics and melodies that just get better and better with each listen. I also recently fell back in love with Aoxomoxoa, lots of good ones on there.