It was the summer between 8th and 9th grade that I bought my first Grateful Dead cassette tape, Wake of the Flood. I guess that would have been in 1985. My old friend, Ben Schmidt, had been sharing some of his records with me around that time too and I was starting to become a bit of a Deadhead. On that first cassette I remember there was a sticker saying “20 Years So Far”. It’s very hard for me to believe I bought that over 30 years ago, and now the Grateful Dead are turning 50 this summer.
Since then, I’ve owned and listened to more Grateful Dead music than I care to admit. I probably listened to them pretty much exclusively (with a little Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath sprinkled in there from time to time. Oh, and Jimi too. Jimi Hendrix was and is still a constant musical companion) up until I discovered Jane’s Addiction. Ha! I guess I was a classic rock geek for a long time there. I saw my first Grateful Dead show out in Colorado at 19 years old… And my last show in 1995, although I don’t remember for sure if that last show was in Las Vegas or Salt Lake (the concerts both took place pretty close to each other). In between that first and last show I probably saw them some 30+ times…
Thinking about all this makes me both sad and very happy at the same time. Sorta sad thinking on how fast time goes by, but happy as hell thinking about great memories, good times, and such fantastic music.
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I don’t know all of the details, and haven’t seen the footage yet, but from what I understand an artist I’ve sort of followed for close to 15 years helped put together some of the artwork and multimedia that was used during the Fare Thee Well 50th Anniversary concert last night (6/27/15). I guess it was projected behind the stage as the band performed.
Andrew (Android) Jones has kind of made a name for himself over the years with his “live” performance painting (among other things). He’s made artwork for a number of different musicians that gets projected and incorporated. I look forward to seeing what he painted for the Grateful Dead during their show. So cool! It’s been great to watch Jones’ success over the years.
Android also made the artwork at the top of this post to celebrate these farewell/anniversary Grateful Dead shows. If you like the artwork at the top of this post, you can buy it from Android’s website by clicking the link below.
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Brokedown Palace
by the Grateful Dead
Fare you well my honey
Fare you well my only true one
All the birds that were singing
Have flown except you alone
Going to leave this broke-down palace
On my hands and my knees I will roll roll roll
Make myself a bed by the waterside
In my time, in my time, I will roll roll roll
In a bed, in a bed
By the waterside I will lay my head
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul
River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
All the way back back home
It’s a far gone lullaby
Sung many years ago
Mama, mama, many worlds I’ve known
Since I first left home
Going home, going home
By the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul
Going to plant a weeping willow
On the banks green edge it will grow grow grow
Sing a lullaby beside the water
Lovers come and go, the river roll roll roll
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul
www.youtube.com/BrokedownPalace
