All things Grateful Dead.

[Jim]

I thought Weir's playing was fine on Saturday. The vocals, not so much.

[McGregor]

Article on the setbreak music:

Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well: 5 Hours of Intermission Music Written for 50th Anniversary Shows

Guitarist Neal Casal tells Billboard how a jam in Ventura, Calif., yielded insta-band Franklins of the World and the soundtrack to the Dead's five-night run.

The Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well run, which kicked off Saturday, June 27 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., brought out the jams in a big way -- not just onstage, but during the hour-long set break.

That's when fans got to hear original music composed by Neal Casal (of Chris Robinson Brotherhood/Hard Working Americans fame) and a group of musicians he recruited and (jokingly) named Franklins of the World. He got the gig after Bill Kreutzmann's son, Justin, a noted filmmaker who curated the visual component during set break, asked him to come up with a minimum of five hours of original music to soundtrack the nightly Fare Thee Well time-out.


As in all things Dead, the music will change from show to show, Casal tells Billboard. On night one, the selection was of the drone-y variety, but there's plenty more material taking the jams in other directions.

The goal was to "capture the essence of" the Dead but not "mimic" the band, says Casal. "So we would do something in the the realm of 'The Wheel,' but isn’t 'The Wheel,' or we'd go for the general vibe of 'Playing in the Band.' We had some guidelines to work from, but we just went from there."

All of the music came together over a two-day live recording session at Castaway 7 Studios in Ventura, Calif. Players included Adam MacDougall, Casal's bandmate in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Dan Horne, who plays in Beachwood Sparks and with Cass McCombs (another Casal side gig) and drummer Mark Levy, a member of the band Congress.

Peter Shapiro, Co-Producer of the Grateful Dead's Reunion Concerts, Reveals How He Got the Band Back Together

"We didn't have too much time, so we would talk over a certain feel that we wanted, play for 10 to 15 minutes and rehearse the part once or twice," Casal explains, adding that sometimes, "we'd start out in the style of a Dead song but eventually stray from the script and end up in these spaces where none of us had been before. It became quite an adventure, which didn't end up sounding like the Grateful Dead, but was in the spirit of the band."

Indeed, titles for the "songs" nodded to several Dead favorites. "'Scarlet Magnolias," "Friend of the Dead," "Dealbreaker" and "Fakedown Street" were among the names used to identify distinct pieces. "Some were over 20 minutes long, which is not easy to play and keep it engaging and interesting."

Adding to the challenge, "Justin wanted music that didn’t repeat so it's not the same program for every show," says Casal. "I thought it was kind of insane, because it is."

Fans wondering if they can purchase or download the music should sit tight -- although the option isn't available now, positive reaction on social media may open the door to a release down the road.

As for Casal's own take on Fare Thee Well, which he watched from the back of the stadium. "It was awesome," he says. "Trey [Anastasio] did such a good job, especially of how he handled his role --- approaching it like a band member. He doesn’t command your attention, but if you pay attention, it sounds great. It didn't seem burdened at all. It was a light feeling all night long."

[Guest]

5 things to fix for Chicago, besides maybe rehearsing "He's Gone" (Finally listened to that. Dear Lord, that was terrible.)

1) Let Trey and Bruce Sing – Remember how all the talk from the “core four” prior to the shows was about how part of the reason they chose Trey was the fact he can sing? Well then why the fuck are they not letting that happen? Bobby’s got his own tunes – does he really need to be singing so many Jerry leads? Sure, his Bobbyisms aren’t as bad as they’ve been in previous years, but we all would have loved to hear Hornsby do “He’s Gone.” And how much more phenomenal would that “Eyes of The World” have been with Anastasio on lead vocals? We’re trying to remember and honor the Grateful Dead here folks, not feel nostalgia for the past two decades of accepting Phil’s horrendous voice. I have a feeling that Trey was too modest to ask to sing more, but he is clearly hankering for it, and three minutes of “Alabama Getaway” ain’t gonna soothe his fix.

2) Bobby Can’t Lead The Band – Yes, he’s the greatest #2 man of all time. But just because #1 ain’t with us no more don’t mean that he steps up to the role. And it’s not that I have a problem with Bobby running the show, but the fact of the matter is that he doesn’t know how. Thank the heavens that Trey paid no heed to his call to end “Hell In A Bucket” early, but it was still frustrating to hear him try to force it close while the rest of the band was clearly still willing to keep going. You can’t have seven guys on stage who have barely played together, and just expect them to all be on the same telepathic page. Somebody needs to be making the calls, and Weir is dropping the ball bigtime – which leads to problems like…

3) Nobody Is Calling The Ending Of Songs – I don’t mean to keep harping on Weir here, but I’d say that over the weekend only 15% of the songs played ended correctly. And the reason for that is that everyone is waiting for Bobby to turn around and call the last chord, but he’s totally flaking on it. Again, let Trey make the call here fellas. Someone needs to stick the neck of their guitar into the air and cue the band to hit the last chord. The deflating fizzle is no way to end a great jam. However, if Trey is going to be the guy to call the endings, then…

4) Trey Needs To Have His Head Up – I get it. Shit ton of pressure, you’re in the zone, and maybe you’re trying to intentionally ignore Bobby’s irrational signals. But there were several times, on Sunday especially, that Phil was trying to catch Trey’s eye to give him a signal and Anastasio was completely oblivious to it. It was actually somewhat surprising to me, because usually he’s really good at listening at staying on point with whatever non-Phish players he’s on stage with. I’ll chalk it up to him just getting too deep into the groove, but there were more than a few times when I was thinking “eyes on the prize T-money!”

5) Turn Up The Fucking Keys – So I streamed both of these shows from the comfort of Portland backyards, and it seems like there’s less of a consensus that this was as much of an issue in the stadium, but I think I heard Jeff Chimenti’s organ twice the entire weekend. And the thing is, that cat can play. Hornsby was equally as quiet in the mix on Saturday, but was notably louder the following night. But whoever turned him up, forgot to turn up his fellow board-member. It also seemed like he wasn’t very high in the on-stage mix as well, since more than once Bruce had to wave at the rest of the band to remind them an organ solo was way overdue.

Now the fact that most of these changes fall into the measly gripe category is a testament to how great this band is actually sounding. In fact, if none of these changes happen, I will still be beyond satisfied with what I’m expecting to see in Chicago this weekend. Reports are that the whole band is already in the windy city, so hopefully they squeeze in a few rehearsals and get those nobs dialed just a smidge bit tighter for the final three shows. And as for whether it’s apt to actually call this band The Grateful Dead…? Sure it’s not the same, but it sure feels good to see that name on a ticket one last time.

[chopitulas]

I come from the Bay Area where I had played music with the same people for 30 years. We rehearsed every week...that was part of being in a band. When I got to New Orleans and started playing, I was amazed that no one rehearsed. I have come to find that is not 100% the case but it is a hallmark of playing here. You learn to be able to basically learn songs on the bandstand...quickly...and "arrangements" and endings are often subject to the band leader's ability to communicate, for better or for worse. Being in that position has made my ears hypersensitive to band dynamics (which I sometimes wish wasn't the case.)

As professional and experienced as all the FTW musicians are, I could really feel the tentativeness, the inability to end and start song's strongly and not a lot of movement from song to song. It was much more a clunky ending followed by a shaky start. The Grateful Dead were very good at melding one song into another and often the most interesting music of the night were those jams that moved from things along.

Part of the problem is expecting too much out of Trey. He has clearly learned the signature licks and is doing a good job with that. But he lacks the experience with the material and with the musicians to really be a leader, to lead them from one song into the next, to know when the song is supposed to end or start. He does fine once the song gets going but can't really be the presence needed to strongly guide the music throughout. As experienced as the musicians on stage all are, that is not enough to weave everything together seamlessly with only limited rehearsal with everyone and thus we are subject to the train wrecks. It is one thing to run over the changes with the other guitarist, another for the full band to have everyone on the same page. I still find it amazing that things like who sings what in "He's Gone" were not decided on before hand. You can't just step onstage and call a tune and have it work like magic, even at these guy's level.

[McGregor]

Very interesting re: your time as a musician in Nola vs SF.

I think Trey would have zero problem leading the band. I think the issue is it's not his band to lead. The power struggle is elsewhere. Being tentative rarely works. Full speed ahead and if you crash you crash!

[Lit]

I think Trey would have zero problem leading the band. I think the issue is it's not his band to lead. The power struggle is elsewhere.

I agree with this 100%.

[chopitulas]

Another thing I have found odd is Mickey's use of brushes and mallets not sticks. I have found the drum sound to be lacking basically because Mickey is mostly inaudible. I don't have a problem with him using that stuff some of the time but feel the music would be better served by the distinct sound of two drummers playing together, hitting the snare and the cymbals with sticks. That's the sound I remember and I don't think we are getting it.

[McGregor]

Another thing I have found odd is Mickey's use of brushes and mallets not sticks. I have found the drum sound to be lacking basically because Mickey is mostly inaudible. I don't have a problem with him using that stuff some of the time but feel the music would be better served by the distinct sound of two drummers playing together, hitting the snare and the cymbals with sticks. That's the sound I remember and I don't think we are getting it.

Agreed.

Those white gloves are a nice touch though. haha

[bennyboy]

Deadhead Had No Idea Bob Weir Was His Biological Brother

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Before running away from home to join what would become the Grateful Dead at the age of 16, Bob Weir was raised by adoptive parents in San Francisco. It wasn't until he was contacted by his birth mother 80s that he learned of his biological origins. His mother, Phyllis, had become pregnant from a man named Jack Parber while attending the University of Arizona. She arranged for Bob to be adopted by a wealthy family without alerting Jack. She was going through a divorce at the time and forced to keep the pregnancy a secret.
Bob Weir Receives Diploma And Plays At School That Expelled Him For Pot
Decades later, Phyllis contacted Bob, but they didn't particularly hit it off. She did, however, tell him about his birth father. Jack was in the military which didn't vibe with Weir's extremely ant-authoritarian views. He hesitated to contact him for over a decade. Finally, in 1996, they met and Bob informed him that he was his son. The two got along right away and remained extremely close over the years.
To top it all off, Jack had four other sons, all of whom happened to be guitarists, and one of whom was a huge Deadhead! Anthony Parber attended several Dead shows throughout the 60s, unaware that the budding guitarist was his brother.

Read more: http://liveforlivemusic.com/news/dea...#ixzz3efpqJbMm

[bennyboy]

Grateful Dead's Security Flyer For Dealing With People On LSD





A security precaution regarding handling people who are on LSD at the Grateful Dead reunion shows has leaked. It warns that "guests under the influence of LSD may 'see' images, 'hear' sounds, and/or 'feel' sensations that do not actually exist."
The Complete Guide To Grateful Dead Chicago Pre- And Post-Parties
It goes further to break down a "pleasurable" vs. "upsetting" trip. Attendees on acid having a pleasurable experience, they explain, may "sit or recline in a trance-like state" or "dance or spin with intricate and repetitive hand motions."
NBA Legend Bill Walton Raged Grateful Dead Santa Clara Harder Than Everyone
An upsetting experience, on the other hand, may be characterized by acting "on their increased sensuality (removing clothes, PDA, etc.), poor judgment, and disregard for personal space. These people "may be combative" and security personnel are warned not to make contact with them, as "LSD can be absorbed through skin to skin contact."


Read more: http://liveforlivemusic.com/news/gra...#ixzz3eg0JXVKX

[Jim]

Another thing I have found odd is Mickey's use of brushes and mallets not sticks. I have found the drum sound to be lacking basically because Mickey is mostly inaudible. I don't have a problem with him using that stuff some of the time but feel the music would be better served by the distinct sound of two drummers playing together, hitting the snare and the cymbals with sticks. That's the sound I remember and I don't think we are getting it.

I don't have a problem with this. I think I actually prefer it because I don't think Mickey is much of a drummer.

[chopitulas]

Mickey was always more the accent guy, more likely to hit a gong or scratch a shaker, but I just thought some of the more straight ahead numbers needed more beat. The brushes muddied things up for me. I always liked the sound of both of them playing traps together on things like "Mexicali Blues".

[20-20]

This is totally coming from far out in left field but it is an innocent question from a casual bystander. Long long ago before this series of shows really grew legs and morphed into what it has become there was much discussion in the "Dead" space about Weir's health and "condition". Bob had as we know canceled shows and stopped touring. I asked here on the forum what all of that was referring to and if anyone could flesh it out. Not much response, even Bennyboy was pretty quiet. So here I am again just being curious. There are so many references to Weir just kind of being lost, looking for signals or whatever. The apparent disjointedness, is there any chance or rumor that Bob could perhaps be in the early stages of alzheimer's ? It's just curious the supposed definiteness that they never play again so on and so forth. Just asking. People here follow them so.

[Lit]

[McGregor]

that is OUTSTANDING!