Grateful Dead

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Ithaca is indeed a very cool place.

Based on the timing of your post, you have likely left for Buffalo. I would’ve given you some other places to check out. Feel free to send me a PM if you would like.

It’s unfortunate that Canadaland is still closed. The falls are something to behold from that side. Also, Niagara on the Lake is a neat little town.

And the Anchor Bar is overrated for wings. Duff’s is decent and is right on your way to the falls.

So found myself Truckin' up to Buffalo with the wife and her wonderful sister, her awesome husband, and my fantastic teenage niece. So far, since they arrived last Wednesday, we have taken in a trip to Newport, RI for some good food at a place called the Red Parrot we ate at a few months ago, and took a quick walk down to the sea at the Cliff Walk. Then drove back home outside Boston, slept, then off to Falmouth and a ferry to Martha's Vineyard. When we got there, we decided bikes in the heat and humidity would kill those of us well beyond the thought of in shape, and thus rented a Jeep. After lunch at a packed spot, where at one point a very soft acoustic guitar and bass began the familiar rhythm of Scarlet Begonias, then a soft female voice sang it. Hard to hear over the din of the restaurant, but unmistakably Scarlet. But food down our gullets, we proceeded to cover most of the island in several hours. (Several hours of this idiot foregoing sunscreen and the top in the Jeep. Though, at least I wore my hat to protect the bald pate.) We saw several lighthouses, but fog shrouded much else. Though some cliffs were visible, just nothing beyond 20 ft of the water or so, but the sun appeared in spots. We ferried back, and today we set out for Niagra Falls, and in the search for something to do on driving day, I suggested we stop for waterfalls in Ithaca and Barton Hall for a quick few photos.

What a great decision! There is something really fantastic about Cornell and Ithaca. The college is situated on top of a large hill overlooking a valley carved by glaciers, and the massive Cayuga Lake behind it. Seeing it behind the lake on the way out was just magnificent, you could get a better idea of the grandeur of the architecture or Cornell. Barton Hall itself is a giant track and field brick barn. It looks like an acoustical nightmare, as Bob Weir himself said it was. But it sits neatly among these awe inspiring buildings on a campus that has produced incredible things in a variety of fields and done so for a long time. I think that partly has to do with the idyllic setting. If you ever have the chance to pass that way, do yourself a favor and go through campus and check it out. Peek in the window, and imagine the crew setting up for the show. Peer up at the scaffolding in the ceiling and think of the dying chords of Morning Dew reverberating their last on that Mother's Day evening... Right after that we went to the Ithaca Falls, which is right down the road, and behind the campus. Walking down a little gravel strewn path for a couple hundred yards towards an intensifying roar of water thundering down 156' falls gives you a sense of the power of a place like this. But tomorrow those falls shall be eclipsed by those at Niagra.

Back on the road following our visit to the site of the mind control experiment, when it came my musical selection I chose Jack Straw from Cornell. I wanted Scarlet, but they would have balked at 12 min, so went with Jack at 6. As it played, I found I could picture them playing it there in a way I really couldn't before.

It bothered the heck out of me when I saw the Dark Star date was 10/12/68, because......where is Pigpen with his repetitive keyboard melody? (this is what had me guessing as late as 1970). Went to archive.org to look at the show and read "Notes: Pigpen was absent".

The world is back to normal.

39 years ago today, I was down in Ventura for the 2nd show of the weekend, it was the first year the Dead would play in Ventura. They brought back Crazy Fingers on this day , they hadn't played it in awhile. I'm sure there are enough good shows from Ventura to make a great box. Ventura, Greek, and Frost, not a single release yet, I tell ya, a lot of those shows seemed pretty good to me at the time.

O sure woI'll ld like that.

I sure would like that.

I heard 6 22 86 set one for the first time earlier today. Glorious Greek energy.

Jim, SDUBBZ03, sounds like you guys concur on 10/12/68. Thank you also Mr. Ones DOC for your input. Even better that I can go through the 30 Days of Dead pick it up. It was one of those deals where I stumbled upon it and normally wouldn't have paid much mind to it, but I thought it was just really really extraordinary good. So then the hunt began, but I didn't have it on my phone on any of the official releases or the many soundboard dark stars I have uploaded to it. And of course I don't have 30 days of dead on my phone. That may change soon, because I also just recently found a much better recording of Bird Song from 9/10/72 on 30 Days of Dead.

I ended up putting together a bunk bed set today and haven't had a chance to grab this elusive Dark Star, but I did listen to it a bunch of times on the YouTube video. It will be in my Jam playlist by sunset.

I used to have software to do that kind of editing and crossfading. Made a couple of cool Pink Floyd mixes about 20 years ago when CD burners were all the rage. I'm looking for some kind of comparable software do that with now. I would love to meld together a mix like this again.

I was like Eureka.. then refreshed the page and saw someone beat me to it..

Great show.

I compared this to the 9/2/68 Dark Star from Betty Nelson’s Organic Raspberry Farm, based on Doc’s observations. It compares favorably, so I’ll say sometime between Sept.-Nov. of ‘68.

I think the mystery dark star is from 30 DOD 2019. 10/12-13/68 would make a nice box either way. Late 89 sounds good.

89 complete box with vids!!
I’ll take 2 lol
MORE 89! Philly anyone?

PF/Dave’s Text: 😂