IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THIS LIFE WAS JUST A DREAM

The Grateful Dead never played a concert on this date. Strange considering that it was just like "any morning any evening anyday" until 1995.
The night beforehand in 1995, I went to THIS show. I was pissed because I got there late because of work. We sat in the park listening to Bobby then The Band and smoked joints in-between visits from strolling police man.

My friends and I had joked about how bad Jerry looked in the last tour about the fact that he looked like he was "Knockin' on Heavens Door." So when the phone rang while I was enjoying my morning bowl of cereal, I was in denial.



"James"
"Hey, what's up Dev."
"Jerry died."
"Ha Ha. What's really going on?"
"No really."
"Ok, I'm coming over."




I walked over to his house. He was out there with his brother. Another friend came down the street and we listened to the radio. WNEW 102.3 the classic rock station, went all Dead. They played nothing but Dead songs as we each called out tunes we'd like to hear them play.
We were hit with the notion of going to see Bobby. It was not that far away. We theorized about it, but we came to the notion too late. By the time we got in the car, fought traffic, and found tickets, it would be halfway through the set. It is still the only show that I find myself going back to from THIS DATE.

The music community shared in the sorrow of the loss of Jerry Garcia. The Dave Matthews Band performed "Eyes of the World" at their concert on that day. The Black Crowes opened their show on 10th with an emotionally charged "She Talks To Angels," which they dedicated to him. On 9/30/95, Phish dedicated "Blue and Lonesome" to his memory while playing at Shoreline Amphitheater.

I find myself craving certain tracks on this day. It's the only day of the year that I'll spend shuffling through my iPhone/iPod for certain songs. I usually like the full snapshot of the show, but I go for songs like this one;

Steve Parrish said that he put this song on after the funeral and completely loss it. This is one of my favorite tracks to listen to on this day. "So Many Roads," "Box of Rain," "Mission in the Rain," Branford's "Eyes," and of course "Morning Dew" are all tracks that I'll take solace in on this day. I'm actually more incline to listen to parts of the final show on this date rather then 7/9.

I wish Bobby would write the "Invisible Paint" song for this day. After the show on the 8th, Bobby hopped on the bus to take him to New Hampshire. He went to sleep there in the hotel and had a dream were he was backstage and he discovered some invisible paint. Jerry was backstage there dressed in a long black coat and Bobby asked Jerry if he wanted to paint with him. Jerry shook his head, smiled and walked away without saying anything.