tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post173739065163539992..comments2024-03-15T18:58:45.318-06:00Comments on Jerry Garcia's Middle Finger: Darkness, DarknessFate Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-81778927363141851982022-02-26T15:04:36.991-07:002022-02-26T15:04:36.991-07:00Lisa Robinson: How do you feel about the new album...Lisa Robinson: How do you feel about the new album (American Beauty)?<br /><br />JG: I like it. I mean, it's difficult for me to listen to because we were having some heavy times when we were making it. There's a lot of emotional trips happening in that record.<br /><br />! ref: Robinson 1970, 18Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-37586995185487154662020-06-15T19:15:59.191-06:002020-06-15T19:15:59.191-06:00David and the Dorks doing "Motherless Childre...David and the Dorks doing "Motherless Children" in December feels really poignant.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-63774745052411372102019-08-07T18:50:21.076-06:002019-08-07T18:50:21.076-06:00Promoter Jim Pagni adds that "they called bac...Promoter Jim Pagni adds that "they called back two days before the show they'd already canceled and offered to do it, but I told them I already had refund spots running on the radio. I didn't lose anything on them but I'm out about $3,000 in miscellaneous concert costs".<br /><br />! ref: "S.D.," San Diego Union, October 4, 1970, p. E-2.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-29939115913617613892019-08-07T18:46:39.688-06:002019-08-07T18:46:39.688-06:00Promoter Pagni was told that the gig could not go ...Promoter Pagni was told that the gig could not go on because Garcia had blood poisoning. <br /><br />! ref: "Arena Rock Concert Off," San Diego Union, September 25, 1970, p. A-17.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-58380394250519048452019-07-15T17:37:24.724-06:002019-07-15T17:37:24.724-06:00Thanks!Thanks!Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-46315823213985203072019-07-15T13:53:15.034-06:002019-07-15T13:53:15.034-06:00Tape box, 9-1970, Sheet #1-3, David Crosby, Wally ...Tape box, 9-1970, Sheet #1-3, David Crosby, Wally Heider Recording, Ste-phen Barncard, 2012-04-12, email to author.Jerry's Brokendown Palaceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06451361448230329754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-1938537901290402962018-06-23T19:33:52.955-06:002018-06-23T19:33:52.955-06:00Hart said that "making [Mystery Box] saved hi...Hart said that "making [<i>Mystery Box</i>] saved his life" after Garcia passed and the Dead disappeared (Selvin 2018, 6).Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-85605652931446833012017-02-09T19:28:07.414-07:002017-02-09T19:28:07.414-07:00Croz:
"I had a terrible thing happen to me. M...Croz:<br />"I had a terrible thing happen to me. My girlfriend had gotten killed in a car wreck. She was somebody that I loved and I was very shaken by it. I didn't have the emotional equipment to deal with it. The only place I felt comfortable was in the studio. We had finished doing "Déjà Vu" and it was pretty tough for me to exist outside of the studio. In the studio I could at least concentrate on the songs/music and it would ease the pain."<br />https://www.facebook.com/jake.feinbergshow/posts/1243346175741911Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-74458795841693091652016-02-09T16:57:50.249-07:002016-02-09T16:57:50.249-07:00I happened to look up a little more on James Pagni...I happened to look up a little more on James Pagni - he was San Diego's main concert promoter in the '60s and early '70s, doing shows at the Community Concourse and Sports Arena and Balboa Stadium in the late '60s. (He was called "the Bill Graham of San Diego.")<br /><br />He did shows outside San Diego, too - the Dead's 6/22/68 Phoenix show was put on by him, as the 6/21/68 Arizona Republic paper states: "At the Phoenix Travelodge theater tomorrow night, James C. Pagni of San Diego is bringing together a couple of acts that ought to bring glee to the hearts of dedicated followers of fashion." (See deadlists entry.) <br /><br />I know he also did some Doors shows in June '68, in Bakersfield and Fresno, and also Jefferson Airplane in Fresno (Selland Arena, 8/2/68). He even put on shows in Tucson (U of Arizona Stadium, '68).<br />Pagni also promoted a Dead/Mothers concert in San Jose, 6/21/68, which was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales; but Pagni also did the Mothers' show in Sacramento the following day.<br /><br />Aside from the Phoenix '68 show, he might have promoted Dead shows in other southwest cities as well (none of their Fresno shows, though). I'm not sure how many of the Dead's San Diego shows he promoted, but none in the '60s. <br />Their San Diego promoters:<br />8/2-3/68 Hippodrome - Trans-Love Airways Productions <br />5/11/69 Aztec Bowl - Hedgecock-Piering <br />1/10/70 Convention Hall - Magna Production <br />8/7/71, 11/14/73 - unknown<br /><br />Given that I haven't spotted Pagni's name on any other Dead posters, and that two Dead shows he promoted were canceled, I suspect there may have been some antipathy between him & the Dead. <br /><br />Pagni seems not to have been too popular among concertgoers at the time. A review of the 5/11/69 show mentions, "Hedgecock-Piering's obvious concern for the comfort of artist and audience alike is a welcome change from the policies of San Diego's leading rock entrepreneur, James C. Pagni." <br />Pagni proudly remembered overselling a Moody Blues show in '68, stuffing the Sports Arena with 2,000 over capacity; and his concern for the audience might be illustrated in this quote of his about the arena shows: “We started having crowd-control problems - we had to keep kids off the stage, because they kept running up and trying to get drumsticks and other souvenirs - so I brought in these big Samoans and dressed them in yellow so people could see them. They were unbelievably huge; you just couldn’t hurt those guys. And that really quieted things down.” <br />http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/November-2002/Hatbox-in-the-Marshlands/?cparticle=3&siarticle=2 Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-63018531032624522712016-01-09T10:30:10.078-07:002016-01-09T10:30:10.078-07:00Found an unsigned review of 1/10/70 that pins down...Found an unsigned review of 1/10/70 that pins down what I am looking for: San Diego is just too damn square, and the Dead's thing depends on the freer, San Francisco kind of sprit, everyone not so uptight. The Concourse presented the band with "hundreds of rows of carefully aligned and immovable chairs, plentiful police to keep clear the aisles (tape-check!, "petite, reserved … properly coiffed and outfitted" usherettes, and an overall scene more appropriate to Dvorak than the Dead. BTW, accompanying the article are some awesome uncredited photos of Pig singing, a Casady-esque Lesh, and madman Hart, hair flying.<br /><br />! ref: "Dead Live Aren't Always Dead 'Live'," Street Journal, January 16-22, p. 13, via Independent Voices.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-21183421540471029142016-01-07T09:11:25.932-07:002016-01-07T09:11:25.932-07:00Circling back a little to the Dead in San Diego, l...Circling back a little to the Dead in San Diego, listening to 1/10/70 and the band is hassling a little with the crowd about getting out of the aisles so they can go on. Phil: "Clear the fucking aisles, man."<br /><br />Also, the 7/1/80 hassle with the police, if I didn't mention it in the post.<br /><br />Seems like GD-SD was just a little star-crossed.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-19157064424923551762016-01-02T10:51:32.829-07:002016-01-02T10:51:32.829-07:00Awesome thought. Could have been.
http://www.chic...Awesome thought. Could have been.<br /><br />http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Matrix%20Shows.htmFate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-13103101658774066572016-01-02T10:29:31.492-07:002016-01-02T10:29:31.492-07:00Regarding Garcia "managed to jam in Los Angel...Regarding Garcia "managed to jam in Los Angeles and San Francisco over that weekend," how about Vince Guaraldi and Friends at the Matrix on the Monday night, 1970-09-28? We know Jerry and Vince played together on occasion, maybe Jerry was a Friend and this is one of those occasions.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-10804093053784307282015-11-24T15:59:14.611-07:002015-11-24T15:59:14.611-07:00American Beauty: Garcia et al. 2003 [1972], 71. &q...American Beauty: Garcia et al. 2003 [1972], 71. "I tried to block the whole trip out. You see, my mother died while we were making that record. And Phil's father died. It was raining down hard on us while that record was going on" (Garcia et al. 2003 [1972], 71).Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-89847819466110836432015-11-24T15:57:49.872-07:002015-11-24T15:57:49.872-07:00Workingman's: "The album was a tremendous...Workingman's: "The album was a tremendous joy. Being able to do that was extremely positive in the midst of all this adverse stuff that was happening … It was the first record that we made together as a group, all of us" (Garcia et al. 2003 [1972], 69).Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-51786124389218892562015-03-30T12:47:09.550-06:002015-03-30T12:47:09.550-06:00I couldn't find the dates.I couldn't find the dates.Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-22895595269742775782015-03-28T04:17:13.095-06:002015-03-28T04:17:13.095-06:00At one point I had seen some dates, but have lost ...At one point I had seen some dates, but have lost track of them. Do you know the dates on which Weir's parents passed away?Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-55479771542822167112015-03-27T22:42:41.434-06:002015-03-27T22:42:41.434-06:00Weir's parents died in spring '71, which I...Weir's parents died in spring '71, which I think stretches the definition of "the same period" - at least within the parameters of a post dealing with September '70! Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-8546390188825323772015-03-27T16:47:14.848-06:002015-03-27T16:47:14.848-06:00"During the same period, Mickey Hart's gi..."During the same period, Mickey Hart's girlfriend lost a child to a bicycling accident, both of Weir's parents died within a week ..." (Richardson 2014, 172).Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-46888478579191244262015-03-23T03:11:36.022-06:002015-03-23T03:11:36.022-06:00The Dead had slid out of an earlier agreement to p...The Dead had slid out of an earlier agreement to play in San Diego, as well. <br />The 11/20/69 Daily Aztec reported that the Student Mobilization Committee was planning a peace festival the next month, at which the Dead would play: "The Grateful Dead have agreed to play here in December. They'll play just for travel expenses." <br /><br />A couple weeks later, though, things didn't look quite so firm. The 12/4/69 Daily Aztec said that all plans were only tentative. An antiwar rally to be held in the Aztec Bowl was planned in early 1970, and the SMC was negotiating to get the Dead, possibly even the Airplane. <br /><br />I didn't see any more about this in a quick look, so the plans must have fallen through, or perhaps the SMC didn't command much financing or organizing power. At any rate, the Dead played at the Community Concourse in January 1970 (promoted by Magna Production, an outfit I don't know), so San Diegans got their Dead show. <br /><br />We should remember that we're writing from very limited evidence here - a few papers that happen to have been digitized & made publicly available. Different papers might have more info to relate. I still wonder whether anyone can find evidence for (or even lack of evidence for) the supposed 8/5/70 San Diego show - as far as I know there's no proof that show happened, but there must be some San Diego paper with entertainment listings that would settle the question. <br />It strikes me as odd that Pagni would promote a Dead show in an arena less than two months after the Dead had played in San Diego. The Dead were otherwise very infrequent visitors... Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-51719144207149809312015-03-23T01:37:58.047-06:002015-03-23T01:37:58.047-06:00I thought it may be useful to quote more from the ...I thought it may be useful to quote more from the 10/7/70 Sunrise article on the cancelled 9/27/70 gig: <br /><br />Promoter Jim Pagni "was forced to cancel because of Jerry Garcia's illness... [The paragraph follows on how much Pagni would have made from the show.] A funny thing happened on the cancellation of the GD, Leon Russell concert. Supposedly Jerry Garcia was ill, but he managed to jam in Los Angeles and San Francisco over that weekend. Maybe the Dead finally learned they were playing for an old enemy, James Pagni, and that he is still ripping the people off with his ridiculous prices." <br /><br />I wonder whether the writer had any sources of information at all. His financial numbers could be guesswork ($12,000 for both the Dead & Leon Russell seems rather low). His hatred of the capitalist-pig promoter (with the Benz and $100 suits) is clear. Where he heard that Pagni was "an old enemy" of the Dead is unclear (the Dead had played a show or two in Golden Hall that year) - most likely he's just speaking in class terms, that Pagni is "an enemy of the people" and of course the Dead are on the side of the people, etc. <br />And the info that Garcia "managed to jam in Los Angeles and San Francisco over that weekend" is curious - any musical gigs that Garcia had in SF that weekend have eluded historians. (Word of a little club appearance would probably not slip down to San Diego!) <br /><br />In short, this article is useful for telling us that the show was cancelled, and the reason the promoter gave. I'm not sure it tells us anything else factual. <br /><br />The same article also notes the upcoming Leon Russell/Hot Tuna/Pink Floyd show at UCSD on October 18 '70. Surprisingly, the author writes that "Leon Russell's group needs some equipment that works and is in good repair for the outdoor concert at UCSD on October 18" - a bunch of the needed amps are listed, and readers are requested to call author Dave Olsen or the Sunrise office. <br /><br />It's quite interesting to see Leon Russell placing a want-ad for amps in a local underground political paper before a show! It's possible that part of the author's indignation about Jim Pagni came from a conversation with Russell's group.<br /><br />In other news, this issue of Sunrise also reports: "A warning that the computer can become 'a horrifying tool for prying and repression' was issued by an international assembly of 400 lawyers. They also warned about modern methods of eavesdropping and interfering with human personality. The lawyers stated, 'obviously, national and international legislation must be found to protect individuals from manipulation...'"Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-24439482605552040632014-11-28T19:11:31.981-07:002014-11-28T19:11:31.981-07:00Ruth apparently went by "Bobbie". I main...Ruth apparently went by "Bobbie". I maintain an updated version locally, not sure efficiently and sufficiently aesthetically to get this info here.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-56146231388747120522014-11-28T17:42:22.483-07:002014-11-28T17:42:22.483-07:00Having refreshed myself on The Canon on this perio...Having refreshed myself on The Canon on this period (i.e., Jackson 1999, McNally 2002, and the relevant autobiographies), I find myself disagreeing with McNally to degrees and on occasion. For example, he ends his American Beauty chapter thusly: "That the band had even survived through 1970 was, on reflection, a little miraculous. That they had prevailed was just good old Grateful Dead dumbshit synchronicity. For once, the joke was theirs" (McNally 2002, 384).<br /><br />I don't disagree with the miracle of survival part. But it was more than dumbshit synchronicity. That's a big part of the Dead/Garcia story over all, of course; but we need to scope it properly, bound it by the other things going on. One of the other things going on that I try to lay bare in this post is also a lot of good, hard work. Workaholism has its pathologies --hiding in the library, the office, the studio is still hiding, I tried to say in the post -- but it's a more positive way to respond to challenge than, say, getting bombed on cheap wine. (That these aren't the only two choices is another point I briefly try to make.) Another thing contributing to success is good old well-functioning community. The hippies were funny in there funny ways, but insofar as it worked it depended on people making it do so, together. To chalk it up to "dumbshit sychronicity" (alone, which of course Dennis doesn't really do) is to deny these folks some of the credit they're due.Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-47927311007297660322014-11-28T17:20:24.130-07:002014-11-28T17:20:24.130-07:00"Wally Heider's, SF: 9/11/70: David Crosb..."Wally Heider's, SF: 9/11/70: David Crosby Jerry plays on Cowboy Movie"<br /><br />slip, where did you get this? I don't have it in my files.<br />Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18366371.post-25900712443297011872014-11-28T17:19:14.559-07:002014-11-28T17:19:14.559-07:00Fixed, and I used the occasion to, well, spill out...Fixed, and I used the occasion to, well, spill out a lot more words. Thanks so much.<br /><br />A random note/question to bloggers and anyone: I am a little stymied in keeping these posts efficiently up-to-date. On the one hand, Blogger inherently sucks as a compositional medium. I have lost many, many hours' of work to an innocent keystroke. So I like to compose, and can work much more productively and safely, in Word. But then in pasting back into Blogger, formatting is problematic. Grrr,Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.com