Cassi Creek: There is
a real disconnect, sometimes, between the demise of the Grateful Dead as a
structural entity playing seemingly endless tours, and the rearrangement of
reality subsequent to the death of Jerry Garcia 18 years ago.
Part of the
reason that we sometimes think of the band as if they were still an active organization
such as existed until 9 July 1995 is the availability of nearly every note they
ever played together in nearly any format you might wish to access and listen
to it. Another is the remaining member’s
long habit of spinning off his or her own performing groups and continuing to
actively play music and tour.
I enjoyed
their music more than any other band of that nature – jam band,
improvisational, however you choose to describe it. 18 years after they final show I still enjoy
it.
There is a
real, if small. Connection between Gloria, me, and the band. Had it not been for a late night on-line
search for tickets, I’d perhaps, have never met Gloria. So the band is partly responsible for the
last 20 years of happy marriage and a whole lot of musical magic.
We miss the
shows, we miss the changes in the music that made it unique and always
different. But a fix is only as distant
as the nearest stereo, tape deck, CD player, or electronic storage and playback
device.
About once a week,
I get some sort of correspondence offering me new copies of vault material,
cover groups, t-shirts, etc. The
Grateful Dead may have played their last show.
The parking lot and the Merchandising unit are still following us. That’s as it should be.
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