Hello everyone. I hope you are surviving the rather early mugginess we are experiencing. But I'm not here to talk about the weather, I'm here to discuss the once in a life time event that is Dear Jerry: A Celebration of Jerry Garcia, which occurred on May 14^th, 2015 at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
My beautiful and smart girlfriend Casey scored us these very tough tickets during the pre sale. I had some friends that haven't been to a show in years who were surprised how fast they sold out. One of the downsides of technology. For big shows, you almost have to bite the bullet and overpay for a ticket. I did it for part of the Phish West Coast Summer Tour 2013 and NYE 2010. But we got tickets at face value and I had been counting down the days until the show.

You can stream the show here

http://www.panicstream.net/vault/dear-jerry-05142015-columbia-md/

Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia
14 May 2015
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Columbia, MD

Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy & The Kids, Bob Weir, Allen Toussaint, Bruce Hornsby, Buddy Miller, David Grisman, Eric Church, Grace Potter, Jimmy Cliff, Jorma Kaukonen, Los Lobos, Moe., O.A.R., Peter Frampton, The Disco Biscuits, Trampled By Turtles, Widespread Panic, Yonder Mountain String Band And Communion Featuring Phil Lesh, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Ross James, Alex Koford, And Jason Crosby.

Communion with Phil Lesh

The Wheel > Uncle John’s Band, Standing on the Moon, Liberty

Allen Toussaint with House Band Get Out My Life Woman

David Grisman & Sam Bush with House Band Shady Grove

Peter Frampton & Bill Kreutzmann with House Band (I’m A) Roadrunner

Buddy Miller with House Band Deal

Jorma Kaukonen with House Band Sugaree

Jimmy Cliff with House Band The Harder They Come

Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Dave Schools, Bill Kreutzmann & Jimmy Cliff with House Band

Attics of my Life > Fire On The Mountain

Billy & The Kids

Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower

Disco Biscuits with Bill Kreutzmann & Tom Hamilton

Scarlet Begonias > I Know You Rider

moe. Loser

O.A.R. St Stephen

Bob Weir & Los Lobos Not Fade Away > Bertha

Trampled By Turtles Brown Eyed Women

Yonder Mountain String Band Shakedown Street

Bob Weir with House Band Days Between

Grace Potter, Bob Weir, Matt Burr with House Band Friend of the Devil

Eric Church with House Band Tennessee Jed

Widespread Panic Morning Dew

Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart Touch of Grey

Most Of The Evening’s Performers Ripple

I hit traffic on route 29 right as you get off the exit for MMP. I have never hit traffic here for any show including the crazy late 90's Phish shows. It took us an hour to get into the Lot and parked, about a mile or so. Why? Because they set up Shakedown Street right where everyone had to drive into the Lot. People milling about everywhere, rather disorganized but as it is with most things associated with the Dead.

This bus was at every Dead show I was at. Just don't drink their Kool Aid.

      Once I got parked, I was able to truly appreciate how great the Lot was. The police didn't bother anyone vending. They were extremely chill for Howard County police and I must commend them for that. The variety of goods that were being hawked was rather mind blowing. Amazing wood carvings, some beautiful hand blown glass dab/nail rigs, original t shirts, and so much more.
      The Lot and crowd itself were very different from a Phish or Panic Lot. I can't really describe it other than a lot more older people but it was definitely a Dead lot, even more than what I saw at Furthur shows IMO.
      After scoring a great Pigpen shirt, we headed into a really packed lawn. More packed than I ever saw it for a sold out Phish show. Phil was up first and it was great. I haven't even heard Communion before but the harmonies were tight. Allen Toussaint is an old school New Orleans musician who wrote Sneakin' Sally through the Alley among other tunes. He also arranged the horns parts for all the Band's songs. If you ever saw The Last Waltz, you know how talented this guy is. I was also pleased they were playing tunes from Jerry's solo career in addition to the Dead tunes.
      I haven't seen Grisman live since 1996 and never saw Sam Bush who laid down some tasty fiddle licks. Peter Frampton was an odd choice and kept his reputation up as the typical classic rock live album 1970's rock star he is. In light of some of the artists that were cut, he should have been at the top of the list. Buddy Miller was an unknown to me but was good. It was great to see Jorma up there. He was there at the beginning with the Jefferson Airplane and through the years with Hot Tuna. Check out Tuna's early 70's stuff to experience his greatness.
      Next up was reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. His voice is still as silky smooth as it was in the 70's. Check out the movie Harder They Come. The version I saw on a VHS tape had such thick Jamaican accents it had English subtitles on it. The Fire On the Mountain that had everyone on it was super cool as well.
     Following him was another band I was really looking forward to, Billy (Kruetzman) and the Kids. They were high energy Dead, much like Joe Russo's Almost Dead is. No offense to Furthur or Bobby/Phil's solo stuff, but these youngsters tear this shit up. The Scarlet>Rider>Scarlet with the Biscuits was the best versions I've heard Billy do with them. The Barber sang better than I've ever heard him. And after the traditional peak part during the transition, they took deep into Bisco territory. It was really cool to hear that. Flashed back to the first Camp Bisco way back in 2000. Good times indeed.
      Moe. was up next and did a decent version of Loser. But unfortunately, I had to work the next day at 5 am and had worked the day of the show at 5 am so I was freaking exhausted. I got to see everyone I wanted to except for Panic and them they had to cut a song due to the curfew. They also had to cut Railroad Earth and Greensky Bluegrass. How you don't cut O.A.R. and Frampton before those two bands is beyond me. And Phil not coming out at the end with everyone else? Weak sauce. I know one can build up a lot of grudges over 50 years, but this show as all about Jerry but I guess we should feel lucky he is doing the fare Thee Well shows if that is how he really feels. Remember, he did skip the 2005 Jerry celebration at the Greek Theatre.
      So there you have it. Feel very blessed such a great event took place at Merriweather, so close to my crib. And it was great seeing so many friends down there. For you youngins who never got to see the boys, that Lot scene and crowd were a pretty damn close approximation of what it was like. Next up, 20 Years Ago Today stories about Phish Summer '95 tour and my final 2 Grateful Dead shows.

Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll

Hello people. Hope all is well in your 'hood. Sometimes in our trip on this planet, there are events that are burned into memory. And this my friends, is one of those nights. So without further ado, allow myself to present another installment of Tales From the Devolver Side, October 20, 2000, a day with 2 performances in two different locations and a meeting of the elite of Hanover money and the elite of Hanover Headiness.
Devolver's first show was at the York Fairgrounds at an event called “Scare at the Fair”, hosted by 98YCR. Part of the show was broadcast over the radio. Bootleggers, roll your tapes! We all met at WC's house. ( As usual, I've slightly changed the names to protect the identities of my friends that are now grown ups with kids, responsibilities and reputations.) We were chilling out and and pregaming and WC declined. I can still picture him playing Foosball and saying, “No thanks. I'm gonna take it easy tonight”. Famous last words.

You can stream the show here

https://archive.org/details/devolvermusic2000-10-20

10/20/00 “Scare At the Fair” York Fairgrounds, York, PA
**evening show
**portions of the performance were simulcast on 98.5 WYCR
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad, Waiting By the Sand, Cafe Latte, Strange Red Afternoon, An Old Man & His Beer, Looking Blind, Surprise Surprise, Surprise, Glass Hawk, Edge of Town

We set up, kicked ass and then split. We had a good amount of the family up there. Then we all headed back to Hanover to play my buddy Will's birthday party.

You can stream the show here

https://archive.org/details/devolvermusic2000-10-21

And yes, this show took place on the 20^th, so it should be 2000-10-20b, but due to the naming matrix on Archive, I had to label it the next night. There are a few other mislabeled shows. Bonus points to anyone that can find them

10/20/00 Will's Birthday Bash, Hanover, PA
**late evening show
**acoustic performance (Josh on a stripped-down set)
I: Soul Shakedown Party, Shakedown Street->El Nino->Shakedown Street, Turnaround, Highway 29
->Tangled Up In Blue->Highway 29
II: Golden Years*->Funk II->Psycho Killer->El Nino, Happy Birthday, Crosseyed & Painless->Bubble Speak

*First time played

Now this show was quite a different scene than anything the boys had played before. Evidently, Will's parents had a lot of money, because a lot of wealthy people were at this party. I recognized a few, because I travel in all the social circles of Hanover. It was catered and had 2 bartenders. One was only making strawberry daiquiris. Everyone there was dressed up rather nicely and this band of merry pranksters roll up and are ready to freak people out.

They had a 3 piece jazz combo playing upstairs and told us to go downstairs and set up. It was a rather small space so only one electric guitar and a stripped down kit for Josh. Jake comes up to me and says “There is someone who wants to say Hi” It turned out to be my old friend from the Weis days Andy Arigo. See I told you it was a high class affair. I remember future restaurant mogul Melinda slapping someone from our family and Bucket asking an older woman if she wanted to puff. We also drank so much they ran out of strawberry daiquiris. And WC? He ended up passing out in Will's front yard. Sager had a great photo of what looked like Zach pissing over him, but it was just an optical illusion.

But Will had a great time and loved us, so that's what really matters. Check out all the shows on the Archive. Its free and they will be there as long as the Internet stands.

https://archive.org/details/DevolverMusic

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Kempepedia

Sunday, May 17, 2015