LAUGHING WATER

Last night at the Wellmont Theatre in New Jersey, Phil and Friends opened up there brief Northeast tour with the approbate Grateful Dead album "Wake of the Flood." It was fitting tribute to the victims of Sandy, one week beforehand. Several New Jersey residence are still without power, there are gas lines that are hours long and as if it couldn't get any worse, it's snowing.
The album that came out on October 15, 1973, now seems to have new meaning like its a concept album like "Dark Side of the Moon." "Mississippi Half Step" is the story of Sandy hitting the shore, and the aftermath is captured in "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away." Then "Row Jimmy" is fighting the flood waters and "Stella Blue" is the pain of sifting through the rubble of the left over personal affects. "Sunshine" is the purging clean up and "Eyes of the World" is the news coverage that this area has gotten. "Weather Report" is the Nor'easter that was then rolling though dumping heavy wet snow on the area that is still piecing together their lives.

I'll see you in the " Wake of the Flood" at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.