An interesting article on Bluesman Robert Johnson

Lyricists Barlow and Hunter are back online with their blogs.

I don't quite know where to start...A great time all weekend!
Two very different evenings.
I journeyed up to the Fillmore both nights with the intrepid Kemmie. Saturday we got to the line at a reasonable hour and hanging there found or found by Katrinka, Tahoe Julie,Patrick,Paulyy, Martha and eventually Scotto. Chilly but fun with all the eccentric highlights that go along with "line duty"...Stuff like watching the comings and goings of musicians. Watching people stare out car windows wondering what the heck we are doing. Too many usual suspects missing from the line, chalk it up to the show being sold out way before Bobby and then the rest of Ratdog were added.
While waiting in line we tried to phone Mischa to wish him a Happy one but he wasnt answering and I remembered the Kid was probably gambling away his birthday money (our folks give cash) in Las Vegas- he likes to go to the electronics convention every year around his birthday. We sang Happy Birthday into the cell phone and it was time to get into the venue.
Fillmore staff look in purses and ask that jackets be removed as they check folks through. Kinda hmmmm when it's a $75 ticket benefit but whatever. I never thought much about it but noticed lately. It makes it seem like forever when all ya want is to just get inside and find space. And there's still all those steps to run up..Scotto, tired from working all day decided to sit this show out upstairs in the bar. I glided over to the rail with Kemmie and Patrick and a moment later Katrinka wove her way over, Martha, Paulyy and then Mazzy came on by too.. Still a bunch of time to go before Ratdog opened. Next to us was a huge happy portrait of Bill Graham. Above the stage was a slide show of photographs of Bill Graham with everyone from Bob Hope to Carlos Santana.
Oh ((((Bill))))!
I still miss that guy!
As time grew closer to starting time we could spot Charux and one of the newer to me guys (Vadim?) getting everything in place. Someone nudged me to look up and in the balcony, by the velvet curtain were members of Ratdog smiling down on our little cluster of WeirFreakz. Waves back and forth. I hope they were impressed. All of us had to scramble to find tix to this one. Except for Patrick who had already planned for the show as he is visiting from out of state. Bobby & Ratdog were a special bonus for him.
Guys came out and took their places , MK was audience Left and Jeff was right. We were at Mk's feet.
They all looked nice and rested too. I was surprised at the Tomorrow Never Knows opener and giddy with October Queen and TOO...Easily predicted we'd get OMSN and the reputed BG's fave Dead song- Sugar Magnolia . I enjoyed every moment of their set more than I can write. All smiles among us Dog fans as well as a happy looking group on stage. One of my biggest pleasures in life is to be surrounded by friends, on or near the front of a Ratdog show ( hardly a secret eh?!) The vibe was so nice up there, I'm smiling now just thinking about it! You know what I mean or you wouldnt still be reading along now!

It was over too soon. I decided to go find Scott and get something to eat. I bid the rail crew good bye, let some of Jackson Browne's lady fans move in on my space and wiggled away from the front rows.
Scott was doing just fine without me upstairs. I found him lounging on the banquette (damn, what ARE those things called?) Except he was a little bummed that he could not find his cell phone. Scotto has absolutely the worst luck with cell phones- breaking them, losing them, buying broken ones...he went through 3 or 4 of them just in the last 7 mos. We figured it was lost forever somewhere on Geary where we had used it to speak to Misch.
Upstairs was a great party atmosphere! The stage could sort of be viewed if you stood up and looked out the balconies. Every few moments someone would check out the stage and fill us in on who was on.
At different times various members of Ratdog moved through the bar as did Jackson Browne when his set was over. I didnt check out everyone moving through but I did see a few of "our" guys and Jackson Browne hanging out for a few minutes. I overheard someone say "Hey Jackson, it's so cool, all that shit you do for the environment!" That got a smile out of me..I turned around to see who said that and found myself looking right into Jackson Browne's face. Yikes!

Across the hall in the restaurant/gallery Birthday cake was being handed out and there was a silent auction. We battled and bidded all night for an autographed Ratdog Portland (the show we went to back whenever with Haze, Mazzy & Arrow) At the very last minute someone else won it! Aw, well, it's not like we don't have our share of posters and autographs...
The rest of the evening flew by. There was mingling, dancing, watching, oohing ahhing, Bobby made it back down to share the microphone with Jackson Browne and others around finale. I watched with Scott from the balcony. On the way out we were handed the commerative event poster. Of course it was put in a frame immediately. Just got to find the right spot to hang it.

And I'm off again!!

Gotta head to work!
Fun time last night- No Bobby but saw lotsa good music- one band -ALO- are coming on that Bahamas cruise too!
Had to get back to Fillmore anyways to pick up the cell phone Scott lost there on Saturday..
Someone on Deadnet posted a link to a Bobby interview
Have a great Monday!
.........
Awesome find by someone at Dot org!!!!!
Bobby/Ratdog vids 2005!

And I'm off!

Back to The Fillmore for The 2nd part of the BGBB!
No rest for the Weiry!
For details skip down a little.

Hopefully if any brain cells remain and synapses willing, I'll try to get some sort of review up tomorrow.
..........................

Spent today working on painting ceramics again. Had to get something finished!
Here's some of the stuff I've done this month..

Bill Graham's 75th Birthday Bash featuring "the New San Francisco Sound"
the new San Francisco sound, Tea Leaf Green, ALO, Hot Buttered Rum, Eric McFadden

January 8, 2006 at 8:00PM

Buy Tickets

Doors open 7:00:00 PM

Bill Graham's 75th Birthday Bash featuring the New San Francisco Sound
Tea Leaf Green, members of ALO, Hot Buttered Rum, and The Ritual, plus Samantha Stollenwerck, Eric McFadden and many more. A gathering of San Francisco Musicians
A Benefit for the Bill Graham Foundation
Tickets are $20.00 general admission.
Extremely limited table & chair seating.
All Ages.
.....................
I am one lazy blogger this morning- Trinks managed to keep track of who played when, I'll add my own thoughts later-
........From Deadnet-......................
katrinka - Jan 8, 2006 2:21 am (#1045 Total: 1050)

Happy 75th Birthday Bill Graham (last night now)

It really was quite a show.

RatDog opened. When did Mark and Jeff change sides? That flipped me out - at first I was on the wrong side of the stage, but luckily irenie and kemmie grabbed the space in front of Mark and I was able to join them.

RatDog was followed by Jackson Brown, who started out acoustic. Bonnie Raitt joined him for a song, and then a really great choral group, and Carlos Santana.

After the next break, Mickey came out and just about everyone joined him - there must have been about 50 people on the stage.

Then the Neville Bros. came out - Carlos joined them, and then Bobby and Jackson and Bonnie. And everyone came out for a big finale.

There was birthday cake in the poster room.

RatDog was just fantastic. One set only:

Tomorrow Never Knows
October Queen
Lazy River Road
Sugar Magnolia
One More Saturday Night

From where I was standing, in front of Mark, I could see his setlist - and originally it read October Queen/Deep

(Deep Elem?) Sugar Magnolia was not on the original setlist, which had Lazy River Road followed by OMSN.

But Sugar Magnolia - Sugar Mag for BILL - that was a much better choice. And I love the way this band can turn on a dime and do Sugar Magnolia on a whim. Guess they can do that with almost any song these days. They are just amazing.

I had a wonderful time, sharing space and time with irenie, scott, martha, kemmie, mazzy, and the one and only TERRAPIN!!!

Plus too-many-to-count Jackson Browne freaks - did you know they have their own web site????
..........................................................................
Add The Other One to the setlist above and Probably it was The Deep End not Deep Elem...
Still waking up here - hoping to make it back to Fillmore tonight for more!

Happy Birthday Mischa!!!!!

Mischa is my baby brother. He is 12 years and 1 week younger than I am. So, I guess he's turning 35 today!!! We didnt have a lot in common except for being outdazzled by our beautiful, brilliant, talented and amazing sister (Alexis is the classic overachieving middle child ). Some where along the lines, Scotto and Mischa became friends, invited each other to play on each other's softball teams and go out to watch sports and lately, traveled to Amsterdam together. I don't know if friends is the correct term..maybe brothers is the better word.
And yes, I need to take my little brother to a Ratdog show...though ABC Soup is closer to his musical taste...Another resolution for 2006- take the 'kid' to a show..

Yeah!

Can't wait to see this guy tomorrow night!------------->

.............................
Take a tour of The Fillmore!
......................................................................
For those into The Beats, Here's an item from today's Leah's column:
The Beat Museum is moving from Monterey to Grant Avenue between Vallejo and Green, where it will open on Monday. The museum's Jerry Cimino and John Allen Cassady (son of Neal and Carolyn Cassady) will do a series of multimedia performances about the Beats that week, and they hope to be joined by John's sister Jami, and their mother, Carolyn. Cimino says the museum "belongs in North Beach.''

.......................................................................
Unrelated irenie rambling-.
Already January is skipping along!
It's been a nice week at work. I have a new little guy in my 2 yr old class and he's very sweet.
The three year olds all seemed to have matured so much over the break. Also very nice is that I've been invited back in to a another creative curriculum in Jewish Preschool fellowship. I worked with these folks a few years back and spent the sweet stipend from it on the UK Ratdog tour. I'll receive a stipend again this time- not as large, but enough to get me to a few shows somewhere! Our first meeting is next week.
Been having a good time painting ceramics. Been bringing Sasha along with me. It's been totally enjoyable except the place plays a Pop Music station that repeats repeats repeats the same 10 songs over and over and over again. Once every 100th round they toss in an oldie from like 2001 or 2002. The only news is Entertainment news/gossip ...If I were alone, I'd take my iPod along so I could listen to RENODOG over and over and over again and repeat repeat repeat that "Walking Blues".

Yay!
Now not only do we have tickets for Saturday night's BGBP but we have an extra as we werent aware a friend had found one.
I guess I'll check among the other Bobby freaks to see if anyone is in need before going back to KFOG Ticket Swap.

WOOF!

And from David Gans-
Here are the confirmed dates for the next couple of months.
Detgials, links, etc. at http://www.dgans.com/gigs.html

Also: please visit my new BLOG, http://playback.trufun.com

Thursday, January 12: DG and Ralph Roddenbery w/ Mark Van Allen at
the Pour House, Charleston SC

Friday, January 13: DG and Ralph Roddenbery w/ Mark Van Allen at the
Kodiak, Rutherfordton NC

Saturday, January 14: DG and Ralph Roddenbery at Jake's, Decatur GA

Wednesday, January 18: DG and the New Traditionals w/ Mark Van Allen
at the House of Jam, Jacksonville FL

Thursday, January 19: DG w/ Mark Van Allen at the Bamboo Room, Lake Worth FL

Friday, January 20: DG and Ralph Roddenbery w/ Mark Van Allen at 550
Blues, Macon GA

Saturday, January 21: DG and Ralph Roddenbery w/ Mark Van Allen at
Java Junction, Clearwater FL

Thursday, January 26, 9:00 pm: The Invitational: DG, Mario DeSio, Ira
Marlowe, and others TBA. Hotel Utah, 500 Fourth Street (at Bryant),
San Francisco. $7. 415-546-6300

Saturday, January 28, 9 am to 1 am pst: the annual KPFA Grateful Dead <----WHOA! HUNH?!! WOOF-WOOF!
marathon! Bob Weir and Ratdog will perform live. More details TBA.

Thursday, February 2, 8pm: Benefit for Plant a Tree w/ DG, Rowan
Bros., Greg Anton, Jimmy Sanchez, Grapefruit Ed, Scott Huckabay,<----It's Paulyy's benefit! Have to miss it, going on cruise!
12 Galaxies, 2656 Mission St., SF. $25.

Monday, February 6: Mystic Hot Springs, Monroe UT. DVD shoot!

Saturday, February 18: with Joseph Langham and Each Others' Legend at
the Spirit Room, 166 Main Street, Jerome AZ. 928-634-8809

Thursday, March 9, 9:00 pm: The Invitational; Henry Kaiser, Jeff
Blair, and others TBA. Hotel Utah, 500 Fourth Street (at Bryant), San
Francisco. $7. 415-546-6300

March 23-26: The Suwannee Springest in Live Oak FL! www.magmusic.com

March 28-April 1, 2006: Jamm in Jamaica at Seven Mile Beach in
Negril. w/ Donna the Buffalo, Railroad Earth, The Big Wu, Under Full
sail, Hot Buttered Rum String Band, Everyone Orchestra, David Gans,
Vince Herman. jamminjamaica.com

David Gans - david@trufun.com or david@gdhour.com

I got an email about this show a long while back but with no mention of Herr Weir, I wasn't interested in attending....so the party sells out and...
THEN, they add Bobby to the mix!
So we are at the mercy of a nice lady from Craiglist (or was it Kfog's ticket swap?) who is looking to sell at face with fees.
Tag phone calls have been made, emails sailing to and fro...with a little luck, this could work out!

I miss my friends in the UK

I liked this so instead of linking it- I'm gonna post it!
So there!
Or, Here:

Britain

The Times
January 03, 2006

The Summer of Love is still top of the pops...
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter

THE Summer of Love has maintained an enduring grip over a generation of music fans as 1967 was voted the greatest year for pop in a poll of Radio 2 listeners yesterday.
It was the year the Beatles unleashed Sgt Pepper and the British Establishment rescued the Rolling Stones after a notorious drugs bust.

Amid the ferment of anti-Vietnam protests, Jimi Hendrix conjured unprecedented sounds from the electric guitar, the Monkees ruled the charts and the Beach Boys expanded the vocabulary of pop. Thousands of listeners placed the achievements of 1967 above the rock’n’roll explosion of 1957 and 1973, when Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon eclipsed all progressive rock contenders.

The search for the ultimate music year provoked heated exchanges during yesterday’s radio debate. The broadcaster Andrew Collins argued that 1967 was seriously overrated, citing as evidence the 13-week reign of The Sound of Music soundtrack at the top of the album charts.

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band dominated reflections on 1967, when the Beatles performed All You Need is Love to 400 million people on the first worldwide television broadcast.

British groups held America in thrall and the Rolling Stones agreed to tone down the lyrics to Let’s Spend the Night Together on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was the only concession to propriety from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who were convicted of drugs offences but avoided a stay in jail after a plea for clemency in a Times editorial.

The origins of the modern rock festival can be traced to 1967, when 200,000 fans gathered for the Monterey festival in California, where they witnessed stunning performances from Hendrix and The Who.

The average age of Radio 2 listeners is 51 (and falling) and it is likely that many who voted had personal experience of the psychedelic atmosphere that fuelled the Summer of Love.

The musical axis switched to San Francisco, with Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Doors and the Byrds. Aretha Franklin and Joan Baez inspired a new wave of women performers and future British stars such as David Bowie, Pink Floyd and the Bee Gees began to find their recording feet.

The vote also produced a candidate for the worst year in music: 1999 generated the fewest votes out of the 50 possible candidates. In a desperate search for highlights from this musical nadir, the Radio 2 website hailed “the year of Robbie Williams and Eminem, Britney Spears emerges with Baby One More Time, Blondie reform for No Exit and Dusty Springfield dies”.


A nice little guitar store article
..........
Been back to work and kidz are home.
Nice to see three tan faces and have the place buzzing again.
Not that I didnt LOVE having all that time to myself (read 2 and a half books!) and then lotsa time with friends!
And it was heaven-We did our own "home stretch til the kids came home" Dead-a-thon dvd kick back,
Vegging out in front of the fireplace, watching Festival Express, followed by Dead Ahead, then the JGB @ Shoreline and some of my old video trades, coffee table full of junk food, trading show stories with Scott and a buddy.
But, yep, it's all over now..gotta finally get the preschool newsletter together and stop procrastinating on the TY notes and email.
Did I mention, one month til Ratdog?
woof!

Happy Bertha day Bones!

Happy Bob Year!

Yeah, I bet you expected a Hippy New Weir...

Happy 2006!
Had a very happy birthday. Glowy came down and spent time painting stuff with me. Don't know where the time went but we spent hours painting away...when we left the studio, it was dark out! Oh no! NYE, birthday night and I still had no idea what I wanted to do. Plan A was wait and see if Senor Bob was stopping by any venues. None of my guys playing except Jay and his venue was sold out...so, I was fine with Plan B- staying in, especially with such wicked weather ...though, I gotta admit to waffling for a moment about going to the Civic center... The lure was not to see/hear Phil et al, but was the promise of balloons falling down on me at midnight. It's one of my favorite things about NYE at a show. Glowy said there would probably be lots and lots of balloons. In the end, I went with Plan B which included a visit to a favorite Indian restaurant, a dvd or two,stony treats, vodka shots and a big scratchy New Year's kiss at midnight! It was a lovely end to an interesting year.
Just one month til that Bahamas Ratdog cruise!

It's All Good!

OMIGOD! Jay Lane in Les Claypool!!!
At the Fillmore. We were with Glowy. Though our friend had lived out here for a while, she had not yet been to The Fillmore. Since this was an un Bobby related event, I had no desire to get stuck holding space anywhere and was able to give a tour . There were the apples by the bench, under the photo gallery, when you first walk upstairs in to the Venue. Down the hall (left) is coat check and next door to that is a woman's room on one side and the merch booth on the other side.
There is a bar downstairs and open to the floor, on one side of the room is a wall of seating, just banqueetes or whatever they are called. Some are usually reserved. Above the dance floor are great chandeliers, seems like there are black lights aimed at them so the effect is a purply otherworld like glow to them..like the haunted mansion in Disneyland. Overlooking the floor are some balcony seats which you get to via the upstairs bar.
Next to the Merch booth, there is the stairwell. It's narrow not grand but carpeted and you pass by a good sized portrait of a young Grateful Dead (Sweet, smooth, dimpled Bobby face) And then there is the HUGE portrait of Jerry in a wonderful wood frame with roses painted on it.
The venue isnt huge but upstairs is a restaurant/multipurpose room and also a bar and a hallway that leads to tables for the all access crowd. On every available section of wall space are framed posters. Hundreds of them from all the Fillmore shows. We found 2 Ratdog posters in the bar but there are probably more, it would take a long time to look through them all.
I should tell the time I (literally)crashed into Bobby at the bar a CS&N Fillmore show (96?97?) in that bar, but Not now...
Oh yeah, Les Claypool-
What a young unDeadheady crowd! Scott and I looked seriously out of place but didnt give a Ratdog's ass about it. Had a ball Sorry tonight's NYE Hatter's Ball is sold out. AJ was there to set up the drumz. Always glad to see his sweet face and big grin. There was an opening band that was some sort of steroid infused bluegrass thing- fun and I thought I heard them play Dire Wolf. Could be wrong- it was loud and fast.
The entire Les Claypool "Fancy band" came out dressed as Santas.Kitsched to kill. Even Gabby La La, the zitar/sitar player, was a vision in red and white. Jay eventually took the beard & wig off (had his real hair in 2 cute braids) but gotta give him credit for keeping the rest of his costume on. In addition to Les, Jay and Gabby LaLa, there was a Sax player and a guy playing a glockenspiel. The glockenspiel guy was shirtless by the end of the night. The show was eclectic and loud and I danced like a maniac most of the night. Jay was furiously unleashed and yeah, WOW! WOW! WOW! Someweir in there was a big fat unmistakeable Easy Answers riff, which made us hollar out YAY JAY! Along with the Claypool fans Great job! Time to order drum shaped candy molds!
Lots of energy in the audience....
.............
Best OLD Concert of 2005??? Yeah, hunh, eh? But a link is a link...speaking of that, here's a little unrecent but still 2005 article that I don't think I had seen before.
..............


Thanks for the berthaday wishes, vibes and blessings!
I like the sound of any number with a seven in it. While forty seven is nearing that middle age peak (50 being the "youth" of old age) I feel groovier than ever. I'd recommend growing older (not the same as growing up) to just about anyone! Then again, I have a wonderful life...wasnt always this way which is why I must stop and appreciate how everything has turned out .
Wouldnt turn back that clock for anything!

Whoooooooosh!
Leaving again for SF in a few minutes. I left my car in the Mission last night. Not sure hhow this will work- will likely drive myself back home (after exploring the Haight with a friend), let the dogs out, refresh, dress up a little and then head back into the city on BART. We are supposed to check out Les Claypool tonight at The Fillmore! This should be quite fun!

This looks like a fun Grateful Dead blog.

There's still a few nights left of Hanukkah! If you havent yet finished your SHOPPING!
Nice lil Bruce Hornsby article.
...................................
How you all doing?
Weve had old friends in town and saw a lot of them.
December has been quite the month for old friends. Now a new friend is in town and today, we'll get a visit in. If the weather holds (no rain now) we'll shop, if it rains, we'll do something girly like get facials or something artsy, like drop by the paint your own pottery studio. I visit the one in San Carlos every Friday- I'm slowly replacing all my chipped everyday stuff like sugar bowls, spoon rest, butter dish with my own weird designs. I also like to paint faces on sushi plates.
My family called from Hawaii yesterday,phone got passed around while they were waiting for restaurant seating. All is well! Everyone was enthusiastic. My mother even complimented my youngest on his being "so obedient and so polite" . The youngest told me his sister "Is being a lot nicer to me here than she is at home!".
My educated guess is that bribes and pacts have been made and I'll never really know how it's going..ah, ignorance is bliss, indeed!
.........

Thanks Alan Sheckter!

A Jerry/ Bobby related article about Sitar player Sanjay Mishra FWIW- I have the cd "Dua" by Sanjay and Wasserman and love it!

I don't know but I think he plays soccer?
And he enjoys listening to Bobby

Merry Christmas! and Hippy Hanukkah!

Hippie Holidaze!

Remember this classic?

O COME ALL YE GRATEFUL DEADHEADS

O come, all ye Grateful,
Deadheads to the concert.
O come, Grateful Deadheads,
And camp in the street.
Bring rolling papers,
Don't forget your sleeping bags.
O come get us some floor seats,
We've followed them for four weeks,
O come get us some floor seats,
To see the Lord.
O come, all ye hippies,
Throwbacks to the Sixties.
Paint flowers on your van,
And don't wash your feet.
Wear your bell-bottoms,
And your tie-dye t-shirts.
O come let us adore them,
We've quit our day jobs for them,
O come let us adore, them,
Garcia's the Lord.

By Bob Rivers
.............

The kids left yesterday morning for Maui. My whole family goes every December. I went for a while but prefer taking my vacation at home with Scott.
Scott can't go anywhere in December because it's "the most wonderful time of the year" for businesses. Though, he's had some tough moments seeing people struggle to get money together for the holidays. At the Pawn shop things do balance out when he's able to make prices low enough so a parent or significant other can afford to get that loved one a guitar or piece of jewelry. The shop Scott works at (family owned & operated) sells new items as well as used items and if you havent made that special purchase yet, you might want to call your local pawn shop and see what you can get. The prices are probably a load lower than you might expect. Excuse the plug, but hey. why not?
So what's happening with no kids or any family for the holidaze here?
Well, we got invited to Crazy Carl and Embar's (she's Israeli) house for "latkas and vodkas". I should be frightened, Carl is nuts in the way all brilliant people are. Hilariously funny with absolutely no fear of anyone or anything...Oh the stories!
Love Carl (and Embar) back "in the day" Carl joined us for Grateful Dead shows - at least one show a run. Carl is a software engineer and back then worked for the mighty Silicon Graphics. Because of that, we used to get to park in their lot across the street from Shoreline Amphitheater. Carl got to meet Jerry Garcia and talk to him about computers when Jerry entertained at a private SG party. In the last 10 years, Carl has found the love of his life, moved her here and now has three beautiful kids- all with Carl's crazy gleam in their eyes. I am wrapping a bunch of little musical instruments (from ye old pawn shop) to give them. Wouldnt be a holiday without a bunch of noise now would it? I'm also (leaving after I blog) going to buy one of those prebaked Gingerbread houses,give it a Hannukah make over and bring it along.
Gotta run- Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas and A Groovy Kwanzaa and an Amazing Solstice! Or just a great few daze if you don't know what you believe in!
WOOF!

I don't understand all this hubbub over Holiday greetings?
Now that someone has gone and dragged our Bobby into it (can't anyone give him a break already?) I might have to read up!
I have been a very bad blogger - just been busy - getting the kids ready for Maui and recovering from jetsetting around last week. The best thing about having to hang around an airport is being surprised to find your favorite band (alas no lead singer) is also stuck. It was nice to have a few moments to thank the guys for a pretty great year and to wish them Very Jerry Holidays. My next 'official' Ratdog show is sometime in February, somewhere out there on the sea...but hopefully, the band members will be playing in various configurations around town before then.
As a matter of fact, Kenny Brooks is supposed to be playing tomorrow night with the Realistic Orchestra at the 12 Galaxies in the Mission (I still have my twenty free passes from the Tsunami benefit drawing too!)!

Here's a rather nice Ratdog show tale, I just found Clicky here

What is it about Bobby and buses? My cousin is a Mac geek freak and never misses a conference, I'll have to ask him to see
if this event is open to lesser techies?

Show reviews (not mine but..) on Reno & SF can be found at Dot org Reno
and Dot org SF

Eight is great!

.............
Wow!
What an incredible week it was!
Three great shows in three different states...Lots of mountains, holiday travellers, taxis, shuttles and the kindness of strangers. Now that I've had some sleep. I'm ready for more!
Three very different venues. My favorite was/is still the Reno Hilton. Growing up, my first taste of musical entertainment was at Nevada Casino show rooms. As a kid, my folks took me to the dinner shows, Tom Jones, Glenn Campbell, Andy Williams, John Denver, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Sammy Davis JR, etcetera, of course, the most memorable show was ELVIS!
I figured that the Hilton would have a modern room for the Ratdog show but was delighted to find myself in a huge show room just like the ones we used to go to the dinner shows in. Booths with tables, red and brass decor, terraced levels .So much room! The stage was huge. The rail was low. The band was set up deep back on the stage which actually was nice.
As I mentioned the acoustics were wonderful. I could really hear the show. The rail isnt always the best place to hear the music and usually, I'm right by a speaker. It took a while for the room to fill. I only knew one person at the show and didnt see him til the show was over. Met a few people from the message boards though and that was nice! My neighbors on the rail were Setlist Jerry on one side on the other was a fellow who had won his tickets from answering a trivia question on a Reno radio station. He wasnt sure what to expect. Afterwards, it was gratifying to hear how much he enjoyed the show.
One of the fellows I met was taking pictures and gave me his card. I'll have to email him and see where he is posting them.
I had never been to the state of Washington even though I have an aunt and first cousins living there. Flying in was bumpy but scenic, Mt Ranier, the Puget Sound..and flying right by Seattle I could see all the landmarks. After resting briefly at my hotel, I took a cab to the venue. I was surprised by how much Seattle looks like SF and LA. The Showbox is a small club but has a bar and I was able to get dinner there. Tasty fries. Hung around the bar and enjoyed seeing Beth & Lee again. Very festive atmosphere. Soon it was time to get in line for the show. The bar seemed to be the head of the line. The venue was funky in a fun way and the stage seemed really small. The rail was wide open as most of the early birds grabbed the small tables for themselves. Another amazing show this time with a fellow sitting in with harmonica and mandolin. Bobby was almost chatty though I can't quite remember what he was saying.. Something about a song (oh God which one?) being meant to have a Mandolin playing in it....another time Bobby was referring to the key of G ..Hot show, Spirited crowd..reminded me a bit of the first show of 2005 in Anaheim.. my mind swept clean by one song being better than the last. At the end the entire crew joined the band for the last bow of 2005. I waited too long and wasnt able to buy the cds. Hopefully, Disc Logic will have them up soon.
The Grand in SF was also new to me. It was lovely and elegant, with an upstairs like the GAMH has, though I never made it up there to check it out. I can't say where my head was at through the first set but the second set was fantastic! I bought the cds of this show in Seattle and listened to the first set again, as I waded through traffic on the way home from Oakland International Airport. The first set is truly fine! I guess the insane second set just made the bigger impression on me. .....................

woof, I'm back!

12/17/2005 Showbox, Seattle, WA
I: Jam > The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > Cassidy > Dark Star > Odessa > Little Red Rooster* > Lazy River Road > Dark Star Jam > Bertha
II: Blackbird@3 > K.C. Moan@3*, Friend of the Devil@5 > A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@*, Silvio* > Tequila* > Silvio* > Althea* > Scarlet Begonias > Stuff > Scarlet Jam+ > Dear Prudence > Dark Star > Cassidy Jam > One More Saturday Night
E: Ripple
*-w/ ? (harmonica/mandolin); +-w/out Bobby; "Saturday Night" tease before "Cassidy Jam"; Stuff - Robin/Jay/Jeff

Reviews delayed, got one more show to get to!

Until they put me under, it's festival time!
Both SF and Reno were amzing.
Reno will likely be my favorite show for a long time - Though, tonight will be an adventure, I'm sure.
If Reno were the Lotto and the songs were numbers, I'd say I hit the Jackpot.
Everything better played than ever too. I t was all outstanding.
The venue was one of those dinner entertainment rooms, the acoustics were wonderful. Resonating, might be the word I need to put here.
SF was strong show- 2 saxes one was Dave Ellis!
And we got MAMU and He's Gone which were songs Scott has on the 'Uncle Max" cd he's been singing along with for a few weeks now.
Reunion time for Scott and I with old friends after the SF show
It was like old times to be having a really early breakfast/midnite snack with friends we used to go to see GD with. I grew up across the street with one of the guys. I thought he gave up on going to shows so didnt expect to see him. Hard to believe it's been over 5 years since we last spoke to each other.
I'm the woman in green, staring lovingly at Bobstar in this Minkin photo

.....................
Kudos for Kemmie for finding low fare RT flights for me to Seattle!
And so off I'm going to see the last Ratdog show of tour and of 2005!
Scott has to work today but is happy to send me off.
"You shouldnt miss it- they are playing so well!"
I've never been to Washington state before.
Bought flight and ticket online.
So, just need to find a hotel- shouldnt be too difficult.

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!

Hola Amigos!
Reno was amazing!
Seriously, it's my newest very favorite show- brought me to the level where I almost want to wipe all my older shows off the hard drive and begin again...If that makes any sense?
If it doesnt forgive me..I need sleep.
AND
SF was great!
I will get on with impressions and stuff later tonight.
Yesterday was "processing through it day" followed by late night of listening to the Reno cds with Scott.

Today is the final day of work for me for 2005..
WOOF!

WOOF!

Someone posted this GD Link on dot org and it made me smile big this morning!

Yipee! Tonight's Ratdog in SF! First real show (not counting benefits) in the city for a very long time!
Scott's softball team has a bye/bi/buy/? tonight so he is relieved about not missing the show (he pitches and is a good batter) All systems are go! go! go!
I have an extra because everyine I know already bought their tickets.... My son was tempted to take it but it's Tuesday and he keeps stockbroker's hours...My daughter was begging to come but then realized she has way too many papers and tests coming up.
The day is gonna fly by- it's my Sunflower class's Holiday party. Then I race home to get everything in order...then wait for the call of the K woman...off to the city. Home..back to work for my Rainbow class's Holiday party. Then from there I'll go directly to the airport and fly out to iReeno!
WOOHOO!
I'll try to squeeze in a moment for blog but if not, look for the review later in the week. I have to be back at work on Friday!

Deadbase online

Oooo, new photoblogwebplacething ->Grateful Dead Concert Photos

I am finally done with my chocolate doings.
Well, for today anyway.
No recipe just following the directions on the Candy melts wrapper.
Making chocolates is a quick fix for the need to make a lot of goodies in a short amount of time.
It helped to have multiple candy molds, the electric chocolate melting pot ( or use a fondue thing, set on low, scorched choco is yucko) and all the wrapping bags, ties ready to go. I now have made a bag of choc Dreidels for Jase to take to to his work, a bag of same for me to take to work, 11 huge guitars for Sash to give to her friends (I showed her how to do everything so if she needs more, she can make them herself). Also, I have a few hundred tiny choc guitars for those doing Ratdog line duty on Tuesday.
As I said, the candy I make is all about presentation not taste.
For incredible tasting chocolate products, created by an honest ta Goddess Deadhead, I recommend a visit to Jeff's LillieBelle Farms website. I keep hearing good things about those lavender caramels..

12/10/2005 The Wiltern LG, Los Angeles, CA
I: Jam > Truckin > Ramble On Rose > Jack Straw > Little Red Rooster > Dark Star* > Althea > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio
II: A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@*+, Even So* > October Queen* > The Deep End > The Wheel* > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Stuff* > Dear Prudence*+ > Dark Star*+ > One More Saturday Night*+
E: U.S. Blues+
*-w/ Gabby La La (sitar); +-w/ J.T. Thomas (keys); Stuff - Jay/Gabby > Jay/Jeff/Kenny/Gabby > Jay/Jeff/Robin/Gabby

12/9/2005 4th and B, San Diego, CA
I: Jam > Playin in the Band > Tomorrow Never Knows > Lucky Enough > West L.A. Fadeaway > Looks Like Rain, It's All Over Now > She Says > Liberty
II: Victim or the Crime@, Mexicali Blues@3, When I Paint My Masterpiece@, The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > New Speedway Boogie > Ashes and Glass > Stuff > Come Together > Sugar Magnolia
E: Casey Jones
....................
I just got the funniest holiday card yet this season!
My friends Lynn & Leif always come up with great cards!
Last year, they photoshopped themselves and Vito (their pooch) in to a 50's Vintage holiday cable car SF scene.
This year, they found a great vintage 60's Haight Ashbury photo and there they are on that corner, in hippie gear. Even Vito has a bandana on.....
I need to figure out my photoshop.
Some day.
In the meanwhile, I'm only online for a little bit. I've got chocolate going on here! I have candy molds in the shapes of dreidels and gelt gotta fill em with melted chocolate, cool em, dump em into little bags-I'm giving them out at work.
I have several molds in the shape of guitars. Sash needs some big guitars to give out to her friends and I'm making a whole bunch of tiny ones to give out at Ratdog!
Woof!
...................
Found this online- 40 years ago today!

The Birth of the Dead


A youthful Jerry Garcia on a 1966 poster.
In the coming decades they would play to more people than any performing act in history, but at their first concert the musicians who two weeks earlier had been called the Warlocks had trouble persuading the promoter even to put their new name on the bill. Bill Graham had invited them to play December 10, 1965, at the Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco, but their new name “gave him the creeps.” The group begged and placated, and finally Graham relented. The new name went on the posters, with “formerly the Warlocks” in place of a group photo. So it was that, exactly 40 years ago today, the newly dubbed Grateful Dead played the first of more than 3,000 concerts.

Their original incarnation was as Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, formed in San Francisco in 1963 by the banjoist Jerry Garcia, guitarist Bob Weir, and keyboardist and harmonica player Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. They “played anyplace that would hire a jug band,” Garcia said, “which was almost no place, and that’s the whole reason we finally got into electric stuff.” Adding a bassist, Phil Lesh, and a drummer, Bill Kreutzmann, they became the Warlocks. A new sound came with the new name, as Garcia recalled: “The minute we get electric instruments it’s a rock & roll band.”

Meanwhile the author Ken Kesey started building their fan base. In 1959, as a Stanford graduate student in need of extra cash, he had signed up to ingest hallucinogens in an experiment at the Veterans Hospital in nearby Menlo Park. While he wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in the early sixties, he continued the experiments independently, joined by a growing number of friends. The group became the Merry Pranksters, and their La Honda, California, commune and drug-fueled public displays formed the model for sixties counterculture. On November 27, 1965, they threw the first acid test, an all-night house party with light shows, tape-loop sound effects, and plenty of LSD, which had not yet been outlawed. The Warlocks, who first met Kesey through a friend of Lesh’s, attended, and as Lesh later wrote, ”It ended up being just like every other acid party—people getting high and doing pretty much what they wanted. . . . The energy was too spread out. It seemed as though some kind of focus was needed to transform diffuse individual energies into coherent collectives. Clearly, music was the answer.”

So when partygoers conducted their experiments at the next acid test, on December 4, the group provided the soundtrack. They became Kesey’s house band, and the Pranksters, the original hippies, now became the original Deadheads. The acid tests formed the blueprint for all future Dead shows. The line between performer and audience, star and event, swirled like everything seemed to at Kesey’s parties and remained indistinct even as the band morphed into a professional touring act. Free-form improvisation, through which the band glorified the experience of the present moment that was so vivid at the tests, became the Dead’s signature.

A few weeks earlier, Lesh, browsing the racks at a local record store, had found a single by another group called the Warlocks. Never quite satisfied with the name anyway, the group brainstormed for days in search of a new one. Kreutzmann suggested “the Vikings,” Weir “His Own Sweet Advocates,” Garcia “Mythical Ethical Icicle Tricycle.” None stuck until the band pored over Lesh’s reference books one afternoon. While Lesh paged through Bartlett’s, Garcia opened the Funk & Wagnall’s dictionary and poked his finger at a random spot. “Everything else on the page went blank,” he recalled, “diffuse, just sorta oozed away, and there was GRATEFUL DEAD, big black letters edged all around in gold, man, blasting out at me, such a stunning combination.” Lesh remembers “jumping up and down, shouting, ‘That’s it! That’s it!’” Others were not so pleased. Weir found it morbid, and of course Bill Graham thought it creepy enough to put off his Fillmore audience.

Bill Graham was wrong. By 9:30 p.m. on December 10, the ticket line circled the block two abreast. The show, which also featured the Jefferson Airplane (as well as acts destined for less eminence, like the Great Society and the Mystery Trend), was a benefit to raise money for the leftist, avant-garde San Francisco Mime Troupe. The Dead played in a hall decorated at either end with signs bearing the word “Love” in three-foot letters. Owsley Stanley, the chemist who almost single-handedly supplied San Francisco with acid in the mid-1960s, sat in the audience. The Dead “scared me to death,” he said. “Garcia’s guitar terrified me. I had never before heard that much power. That much thought. That much emotion. I thought to myself, ‘These guys could be bigger than the Beatles.’” Rock Scully, the band’s future manager, concurred: “We’d never seen anybody play like that before. Jerry was lifting the roof. Of course, we were slightly stoned.” Scully and his friends weren’t alone. “I’m absolutely sure Jerry was tripping, too,” Scully said. “Every now and then, he’d look down at his guitar and I though he was seeing some kind of monster. He was all surprised. Looking over at his hand down the neck of his guitar like ‘Wait a minute. Where is the end of this thing?’”

The concert raised $6,000 for the mime troupe; more important, it brought the Grateful Dead to its first public audience. In 1966, as the Dead played to increasingly packed houses, the Hollywood record industry caught on to the growing San Francisco music scene. The Dead recorded numerous albums with Warner Bros., but they would never have much success capturing the energy of their live shows on vinyl. Their phobia of formula and suspicion of rigidity and routine made for far-out concerts but translated on records, like their 1967 self-title debut, 1969 Aoxomoxoa, and 1970 Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty as inexpert, if charming, imprecision. Garcia explained it in characteristically self-deprecating terms. “We’re really not that good, I mean star kinda good or big-selling records good.” However, their looseness did not betray a lack of ability. When pushed, as by David Crosby on his first solo album and select Crosby, Stills, and Nash tracks, the Dead revealed themselves to be a tight, note-perfect session band. The music was, at its best, an amalgam of Americana, blending Garcia’s bluegrass background, McKernan’s affinity for Chicago blues, Lesh’s classical training, and their collective love of John Coltrane.

In the seventies, as the hippie scene went out of style, the Dead faded into obscurity. Their nonstop tours, though consistently attended, drew almost no attention from the press; their few studio albums failed to make a ripple on the charts. To critics, their output lacked the dexterity of groups with similar influences, like the blues and bluegrass acolytes Led Zeppelin or the super-competent, jazz-trained Steely Dan, but also eschewed the exciting aggression of the equally messy, elaborately iconoclastic punk movement. They were written off as dinosaurs. Garcia was fine with that. “I feel pretty good about . . . stopping being part of that mainstream and just kinda fallin’ back so that we can continue to relate to our audience in a groovy, intelligent way.”

But while the mainstream ignored them, the Dead continued to pick up new fans. By the late seventies the Deadheads were turning into a phenomenon in their own right, a family of unreconstructed and newly turned-on hippies who followed the band across the country to party at each of its concerts. By the time the Dead scored their first top-ten single, “Touch of Grey,” in 1987, the Deadheads were as much a part of the band’s mystique as was their music. Alone among their contemporaries the Dead carried the torch of the sixties continuously through the next decades.

As other bands and artists broke up, died, feuded, or transformed into slick pop acts, the Dead did what they always had. They played. Garcia’s death from a heart attack on August 9, 1995, meant that the last show of that summer’s tour, at Chicago’s Soldier Field a month before, would be the last ever. It came five months and one day shy of 30 years after the first. In addition to the band’s three decades of music, there’s one more thing Deadheads can be grateful for. They aren’t Mythical Ethical Icicle Tricycleheads.

—Christine Gibson is a former editor at American Heritage magazine.

Hippy Berthaday Kemberlini!

Thanks for all the wonderful memories!
a gazillion local shows, venues large and small, Marysville Dead and the Anaheim-Phoenix Doggy weekend ! The ACLU luncheon! The Stanford Thing! The Black Out on the way to Puddleduck at the Sweetwater! Earthquake predictions.KPFA! Thanks for driving, Thanks for listening, Thanks for having common sense and a sense of humor! Thanks for looking in on Noah when I was away, Thanks for being my friend! Thanks for being You!
Preschool Teachers are special.
Have a fantastic time in Colorado!
Happy Birthday!
and
it's either chocolate or beer. Not both at the same time!

12/7/2005 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
I: Jam > The Music Never Stopped > Easy Answers > Baby Blue, Bombs Away, Ramble On Rose > Picasso Moon, Friend of the Devil, Wang Dang Doodle > Hell in a Bucket
II: Jack-A-Roe@4 > Deep Elem Blues@ > Festival@ > Mississippi Half-Step > The Other One > Stuff > Ship of Fools > Throwing Stones
E: Brokedown Palace
Stuff - Kenny/Jeff/Jay > Robin/Mark/Kenny/Jeff/Jay

Happy Belated Bertha to Vera!!!!!!

I can tell the Queen of Diamonds

By the way she shines!





12/6/2005 Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ

I: Jam > Feel Like a Stranger > Big River, Queen Jane Approximately, Tennessee Jed, This Time Forever > Shade of Grey, Weather Report Suite Prelude/Part 1 > Let It Grow

II: Blackbird@, The Winners@, The Weight@, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Ashes and Glass > Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Stuff, Wharf Rat > Two Djinn > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower E: Johnny B. Goode

i Reno

Irenie going to Reno!
I promised myself on Monday, I would march right in and see if it was possible to take a little time off to go catch the Reno Ratdog show. As soon as I arrived at work, I walked over to my director's office. El is always good about letting us do what we (feel?) we need to do. Since I only work a few hours anyway, she was sure there would not be a problem but still she had to check. Sure enough, a few other teachers were already taking the day off...but somehow there was still one extra teacher available to cover for me. YAY! YAY! YAY!
My school (and thanks to the Union) rock!
Of course, not 10 miutes out of El's office came a call from the nurse at my youngest's school. Tummy trouble. So, back to El's office in need of an immediate sub.
Kid is okay but I bet it will be a lonnnnnng time before he eats those nasty garlic fries he gobbled down Sunday night. TMI?
Once I got him home and the tum stabilized, it was reservations time!
WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

And Woof! There's a new template. Lost my custom links but as you can see, I was able to round most back up again.

Who be in the mood for a Party? Nope, not on my berthaday but hey, I should familiarize myself with ALO since they'll be on that cruuuuuise too. It's music, December a bennie with surprise guests and ya never know!
...............................
Here's something PearlyBaker from Dot org put in response to some of the ungratefulness..and it just about sums up my point of view.

"The true fans didn't jump to conclusions and immediately start posting bullshit about bob (or other members of the GD) without knowing more about what was happening.

The true fans didn't feel as though they were losing access to something they were entitled to.

The true fans gave them the benefit of the doubt and realized that there could be a lot more going on under the surface that we didn't know about.

The true fans realized how much free stuff they have given us over the years (more than any other artist or rock group - BY FAR)...

The true fans didn't start up some bullshit boycott...

it was a "fuck you" to the lame asses that started that petition... and i can't blame him for that.

It WAS NOT a fuck you to the fans, cause no real "fans" signed that boycott petition.'


as always if you get confused listen to the music play.

Heppy Bertha Drummerboy!

12/4/2005 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
I: Jam > Here Comes Sunshine > Maggie's Farm, Senor > Youngblood, Brown-Eyed Women, Fly Away > Bury Me Standing > Greatest Story Ever Told > Scarlet Begonias
II: Peggy-O@, Desolation Row@3>6, Wrong Way Feelin' > Uncle John's Band > He's Gone > Stuff, Standing on the Moon, Samson and Delilah > Uncle John's Band (reprise), Touch of Grey
E: Black Muddy River
Stuff - Mark/Robin/Jeff/Jay/Kenny

He's Gone.
Gotta appreciate when the setlist gets in sync with personal events
Thanks for the emails wrt Max.

And a setlist too!

12/3/2005 Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, NM
I: Jam > Jack Straw > Supplication > Bird Song > Odessa, Crazy Fingers > Josephine > Loose Lucy, Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance
II: K.C. Moan@3, Victim or the Crime@, When I Paint My Masterpiece@, Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > The Wheel > Stuff > Black Peter > Bird Song (reprise)
E: One More Saturday Night
Stuff - Jeff/Jay/Mark/Robin/Kenny

Denver Fillmore Review
by RLappi
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INCREDIBLE show, folks.

Bobby filled the fillmore, and I think that Ratdog should be the permament house band there. Stellar performance all the way through. I got my money's worth with the HUGE Shakedown opener alone , and they continued to smoke throughout the evening. Gotta say that this is probably the first Ratdog show i've seen where EVERYTHING was jammed out--nothing cut short before it reached its full potential. To the contrary, Bobby was ADDING all kinds of improvisational segments to songs, while still retaining an energetic, loose boogie throughout. This led to many absolutely EXPLOSIVE moments. Big railraod blues, sugaree, and st stephen>11 sticking out the most.

The Row Jimmy was stunning, with Weir using his custom late 70's era cowboy guitar, and I felt transported in time by such a familiar tone.

Minglewood and She Belongs to Me were both tight and energetic. Lucky Enough had a VERY spacey jam in the middle, more so than I've heard before. Not my favorite song, but the musicianship redeemed it in a major way.

Funny thing, during Big Boss Man, 3 cops walked through the crowd right where I was, trying as hard as they could to not stick out, but everyone was pretty much laughing at them and the irony of the situation.

Bobby was all smiles during El Paso, captured in the moment enough during Mark Karen's solo that he forgot to start singing again, extending the music a few more measures.

Masters of War was masterfully done. Very dark and angry, and really one of the most evocative versions of just about any Dylan song. It couldn't have been represented in any truer sense, at least to these ears.

Aiko Aiko was SO good. Very nice to hear Bobby singing it (Mickey's version always makes me cringe). Very festive, New Orleans feel (of course), with tons of great jamming and really good harmonies. They really brought this song back to its roots.

"Stuff" was great, as always. It took about 30 seconds for Jay to figure out what he was going to do, but then the band launched into this great Jazzy lounge kind of jam.

Corinna kind of dragged on, but still done nicely, and considering that's my ONLY complaint of the evening, I'd give the show an 11 out of 10.

Sugaree went to the stratosphere, and St. Stephen>11 was absolutely nuts. The 11 had this sort of weird theme going after the william tell bridge. Can't really explain it, except to say that there was this kind of tension going on for a few minutes where the theme of the song wasn't fully materializing. You knew what it was, but it was almost like it was in a different key, and the band was trying to resolve if. Anyway, it was a GREAT jam, although they finally had to just go into the familiar 11, so it wasn't the smoothest transition. Still done very well, though.

Also wanted to say that the fillmore is the PERFECT venue for these guys. The sound was BIG yet it still had this incredible intimacy. Looking around the venue, I thought I had found myself in a Muppet movie. Only surprise was that no one was swinging on the chandeliers...

I think we've yet again reached the next level here, as this show went well beyond the 3 shows I downloaded from the first leg of this tour, and is light years beyond the show in Boulder I saw just 2 and a half years ago.
....................

.....................................................
Hey!
All this babble about selfishness and greed is so wrong.
I listen to my lawyer and my accountant when they advise me.
Who wouldnt?
In this season of giving, let me ask you...
Do you have a favorite non profit cause that you actively support?
In any particular way?
I am not one for meetings or organizing so most of my support comes through donating creations or contributing cash.
Look at all the good work Bobby is doing! This list is just a drop in a bucket of what Bobby does when he's not on the road or cocooning with family. It doesnt even include non profits he's performed for or signed donated stuff for-
These are just some of the non profit organizations that also keep the Bobstar busy with his support whether as a board member or as an honorary board member.

>Furthur Foundation
http://www.furthur.org/ns/home.ns.html
>Seva Foundation
http://www.seva.org/board.php
>Rex Foundation
http://www.rexfoundation.org/rex_home.html
>Earth Communications office
http://www.oneearth.org/fs_index.htm
>Headcount
http://www.headcount.org/images/about.htm
>The Farm School
http://www.farmschool.org/html/staff.html
>RAN
http://www.ran.org/info_center/factsheets/01b.html
>Trips for kids
http://www.tripsforkids.org/about-board.htm
>Reef Relief
http://www.reefrelief.org/who/board.shtml
>Amicus Foundation
http://www.amicusfoundation.org/amicus-2/who-we-are/who-we-are.htm
>Little Kids Rock
http://www.littlekidsrock.org/friends/
>Camp Arroyo
http://www.ttff.org/fundraising/letter.html
...................
I know, I need to find a setlist of last night's show. And soon (I just got permission) I'll put up a nice glowing review about the CO. show I found online.
....
Spent the morning at a funeral. Scott's wonderful Uncle Max who had at age 92 years old the distinction of being The City's oldest Pawnbroker! Anyone reading this who has made the excursion to the shop ought to have met him or seen him sorting through the tickets by hand... Not just an uncle and mentor but a beloved friend too. I made a special cd mix for the drive to the funeral included "Me and My Uncle" as well as "He's Gone" and of course, "Mission in the Rain" {{{{{Max}}}}}}
................

Clapping hands for Grateful Web's Ratdog pictures

12/2/2005 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
I: Jam > Shakedown Street > Minglewood Blues > She Belongs To Me, Row Jimmy, Walkin Blues*, Lucky Enough, Big Boss Man*, Lazy River Road, Big Railroad Blues
II: El Paso@3, Masters Of War@, Corrina > West L.A. Fadeaway > Tequila Jam > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Iko Iko* > Stuff, Sugaree > St. Stephen > William Tell Bridge > The Eleven
E: Ripple
*-w/ Boots (harmonica); Stuff - Jeff/Jay/Kenny/Mark/Robin
..........

Hey!
I was pleased to find Weir Freaking among an index of .Kynd music links!

Have a Happy Weekend!

The new Deadnet is UP!
It's very cool!
Lots of new stuff including a Spell Checker(wish I had one on here) and an "Ignore User" button!
I learned real quick to scroll past the names of those whose posts continually irritate me. The Bobby Bashers and then, the "Know it alls". I am online to enjoy myself. If I want to be a masochist and argue I can merely go downstairs and hassle my teenager about something. If I want to listen to a pedantic rant, well, then I can go down the next flight of stairs and start up the young adult ( not one but 2 college degrees). No small wonder I am drawn to age groups that believe in unicorns, rainbows and that hugs have special powers..
At any rate, the new Deadnet is very nice! Lots of photos and streaming video..Lots to see!
.......
And, Tour is on! Ratdog tonight!!
Less than 2 weeks til the Bay Area gets some!!!!!!

Deadheads grateful for RatDog: Bob Weir's band, now 10, plays plenty of Grateful Dead stuff
By Cathalena E. Burch

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.01.2005

Guitarist and Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir has a confession: He's afraid to go on stage.

"I put off going on stage as well as I can," he admitted. "My entire crew knows all about that, every trick I'm going to pull. They just get me on on time and that's that."

Weir's stagefright has haunted him throughout his storied 30-year career. You never would have thought one of the men responsible for starting one of the most respected and revered rock bands in the history of popular culture would be scared to stand before an audience.

But in a voice that conveys some of that insecurity, the 58-year-old father of two young kids quietly confesses that that fear and being away from his family are the two things he hates most about being a musician. All the rest is gravy, and Weir and his 10-year-old pet project RatDog are swimming in it.

RatDog has been billed as a Grateful Dead tribute band of sorts, and there's truth to that. Weir said the bulk of the group's performances are drawn from Dead material. The blues-rock group - Weir on lead vocals and guitar, Jay Lane on drums, Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, Mark Karan on guitar, Kenny Brooks on sax and Robin Sylvester on bass - also follows the old Dead modus operandi, he said.

"We state a theme, we take it for a little walk in the woods," explained Weir, whose band returns to the Rialto Theatre for its first Tucson show since early 2003. "We try to cover as much ground as possible. If you come to a show in a given town, you're not going to hear anything you've heard the last two or three times we've came through. We mix it up pretty well."

But RatDog has evolved into much more than a Dead cover band. The group has developed its own style, crafted its own material and nurtured its own personality. Every night, once the Dead ride is over, RatDog, a superb jam band, continues with its own ride of improvisation that crosses rock and blues and jazz.

The audience each night will be a mixed bag of Deadheads and "Dogheads" - those are the "aspiring Deadheads . . . because they never heard the Dead," Weir explained. Somewhere in the middle, the two camps meet, and RatDog produces a sound that's a perfect blend of Dead and Dog. That's nirvana. "When we hit the right chord and everybody's pleased, the place rises," Weir said.

By the time the band gets to Tucson, Weir suspects they'll have finished writing a few new songs and will be ready to road-test them. How brave, you might comment. Bands today would never dare spring new material on audiences even before the ink has dried.

"That's how it grows up," Weir responds. "It's all I've ever done. We've very rarely written stuff then taken it cold into the studio." Weir says his audiences indulge them largely because that's the way the Dead always did things. Write a song then play it for an audience with all its rough edges jutting about.

Weir and RatDog are in heavy writing mode and hope to "eventually get around" to recording a new album. It would be their second release of original material; their first was the critically acclaimed studio album "Evening Moods" in 2000. Since then, they've recorded live efforts, but they haven't made it back to a studio.

Weir doubts they'll make it to one this time, either. "We have the technical ability now to do it on the road, and I think the band's probably going to be, performancewise, a level hotter than it could ever be in the studio," he said.

That means one more chance to shake the frights and face the fears.
"I'm not the only guy in the band who has horrendous stagefright," Weir is quick to clarify. "Once I get over that, which happens on a nightly basis pretty much, there's nothing I'd rather be doing. Period."

I'm Tom Waits...

Which fucked-up genius composer are you?



The Fillmore
1805 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, CA 94115
General Info: 415.346.6000
Bill Graham's Birthday Bash featuring Neville Brothers, Jackson Browne and Mickey Hart
Neville Brothers / Jackson Browne / Mickey Hart
January 07, 2006 at 8:00 PM

On Sale December 4, 2005 - 10:00AM

The Artists :: Neville Brothers | Jackson Browne | Mickey Hart
Bill Graham's Birthday Bash
with
The Neville Brothers
Jackson Browne & Guests
A Benefit for the Bill Graham Foundation
Doors open 7:00 PM
Tickets are $75.00 general admission.
Extremely limited table & chair seating.
All Ages.




Wowza on the archive thing.
I mean, I 've been reading rumours that the sbds were gonna get pulled off archives.org for a long time now..
Even KFOG is getting in on it- the morning show opened up the phonelines for opinions and tomorrow, they promise someone from GDP will be on to discuss it.
Dead news -there is a link around here, has pretty much rounded up about as much as anyone could want to read about it.

Outta here and off to the dentist.

Monday, Monday

A new Bobby & Ratdog article

........
YAY! Scotto's home from The Cup!
Amsterdam was cold.
He couldve made his own reservations and just bought the Judge's pass outright.
He prefers the Leidesplein to the Dam Square area..
Aside from that, he had a great time!
Though, I'm sure he wouldve missed me after another day or two or hundred,
The Judge pass got him a goodie bag full of tee shirts and stuff that came in useful during his 4 day coffeeshop crawl. Some cute souveneirs too. Oh, There were parties, too. I am very jealous that Scott got a set from Patti Smith (Because The Night,People have the Power were played or so Scott thinks he heard them) at the opening party/ concert at The Melkweg (not the Oude Hall where Ratdog played but the other room there) and told me that Patti was hanging out afterwards too. He was probably too scared to talk to the witchy one but I wouldnt have been. I would cower in a corner (my usual routine) if it were the Bobstar.. but... Patti Smith!!!!!, I would so much want to chat with Patti Smith!!!!!!

Hippy BerthaDave!

To the hippest of the Hip!

Nice!

I hear John Perry will be back to blogging soon, so keep an eye out for that. His blog is listed among the links on this page.
............................................................
A nice Ratdog mention from this columnist- read on-
SOUNDBOARD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Abbott

A Dead Head holiday

Somehow I never made it to a Grateful Dead concert, even though a bootleg cassette tape of the band compiled for me by a Dead Head girlfriend was once a prized possession. It's still in a box of mementos somewhere, I hope.

On Sunday, I went to the next-best thing: a marathon performance by Bob Weir and Ratdog at House of Blues. There was enough tie-dye to start a pretty groovy commune, and the vibe was copacetic, even though the security searches at the door were more intense than at any metal show I've ever attended.

My wand guy even wanted to inspect the wadded-up paper napkin that I removed from my pocket. Eeeuuu.

Weir and the band played two long sets that amounted to roughly three hours of music. Anyone who wanted to wait another 20 minutes after the show and part with $23 or so could walk out with three CDs of the night's performance. Why don't more bands do that?

At 58, Weir is the old man in the band, but the younger musicians were seasoned in his style, which juxtaposes extended, free-form jams with a knack for accessible tunes. Guitarist Mark Karan offered inspired solos on his gold Les Paul, especially in the soaring spiritual finale of the Dead's "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo.''

Weir balanced Ratdog tunes with a generous assortment of Dead songs, including a rollicking "Samson and Delilah," as well as a few well-chosen covers. He opened the second set with an ominous rendition of Dylan's "Masters of War'' and later unearthed the complex beauty of the Beatles' "Dear Prudence.''

Between the songs, there was a lot of aimless jamming, but Ratdog never approaches the kind of self-important instrumental excesses of, say, the Dave Matthews Band.

A decade after the passing of Jerry Garcia, Weir is hitting all the right notes to keep the Dead's spirit alive.

Jim Abbott can be reached at 407-420-6213.
jabbott@orlandosentinel.com

Grateful Everyday

For all the blessings in my life!
.................................................

Who needs to perform or receive a Miracle?.

I got a garbled email from the smoked one. I think he mentions he sent the "boys" to a museum (good going, it's their last day in Amsterdam) and that a mission to Waterlooplein flea market (One of my favorite places) was completed. Very well, he can now come back home!
....................
Off to little sister's posh palace in Marin. Gotta stuff the kids in the car. Without Scotto around to cook, I have been given the task of bringing Sparkling Water!! How easy is that? So I went to my favorite market (((((((Molly Stone's)))) and was confronted by a wall full of sparkling waters. About as many sparkling waters out there as there are wines! I randomly picked 6 different types and hope one of them is exactly right.
Time to burn myself a disc for the ride over & back.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

There is much to be grateful for!

For one thing, there's David Dodd's Annotated Lyric book!. I've had it for a few weeks now and am enjoying actually reading it...I used to go check out lyrics on the lyric website but just to check that I had the line of a song right for a tagline here and there.

Photo by Rudi Roelz
...........
Did you know you can make popcorn on the cob with those decorative Indian corn on the cobs? Someone showed me how several years ago and since it's been one of my science things to do with my preschoolers .
Take off the husk like tops.
Put a cob in a paper bag
Close up the bag
put in microwave,
also put a small container of water in the microwave.
Push the microwave setting for popcorn .
Listen for the pops.
Turn off the microwave when the popping stops.
Give the bag a few seconds to settle down.
Inside the bag there will be lots of loose popcorn but also, there should be popped corn on the cob.
The back or bottom of the kernal (not the fluffy white part) will be pretty much the same color it was before getting popped.
The popcorn won't be as fluffy as commercial brands that are meant for popping but (it could just be me) it seems to have a little more flavor.
........................

I admit I have yet to read this Computerworld article but have noted a reference to our Mr Bobby in the beginning paragraph....
................................
11/20/2005 House of Blues, Orlando, FL
[Photos]
I: Jam > Playin in the Band > Big Boss Man, Lucky Enough, Picasso Moon > Shade of Grey, The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > Lazy River Road > Loose Lucy
II: Masters of War@, Jam > Even So > October Queen > The Deep End > Mississippi Half-Step, Samson and Delilah > Playin in the Band (reprise) > Jam* > Dear Prudence, GDTRFB
E: U.S. Blues
*-Jay, Kenny (percussion), and Mark (percussion) then Jeff, Jay, Kenny (touchpad), and Robin (percussion) then Jeff, Jay (keys), and MK

11/19/2005 Mizner Park Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, FL
I: Jam > Cassidy > Easy to Slip > Dark Star, All Along the Watchtower, Looks Like Rain > Bury Me Standing > Dark Star Jam > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin
II: Peggy-O@, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@4>6, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Althea > Ashes and Glass > Jam* > Come Together > Dark Star > Cassidy > One More Saturday Night
E: At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer > Touch of Grey
*-Jay, Jeff, and Kenny, then also Robin, then also Mark
Ratdog tonight on the radio It's last week's Woofster show being broadcast.

.................................
This was posted over on the TOOBoard by someone using the screen name- "Expendable"
I know I'm not the only one who should learn how-
Posted:20 Nov 2005 11:01   Post subject:  Dummy's Guide to Bit Torrent  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the Pat Metheny thread, some folks want to learn how to BT. I'm certainly no authority but I've been doing it for 2-3 years now. If you can click a mouse, you can BT. It really is that simple.

I won't get into the nuts and bolts about packets and seeding and superseeding and all that crap because it is not necessary for n00bs.


1) You will need a "client". This is the software that actually downloads the file. They are free programs, usually no more than 1-2 megabytes in size. I I use http://www.bittorrent.com, although there are dozens out there. Check bt.etree.org for other clients.

The client is a program that "talks to" the file you seek to download. It automatically locates the file and starts downloading / uploading it.

2) Install the client. This is no different than any other software install: you are prompted to select where the program will be stored on your computer. (It really doesn't matter). I have mine stored in my "Program Files".

3) Find your torrent (bt.etree.org, dimeadozen.org, tradersden.org, etc)

4) Click on the torrent link.

5) A window will automatically open, asking you something like "you have selected to open a file called [file name]. do you wish to open this file with Bit Torrent?"

(different clients have different prompts. Don't sweat it. Some automatically start the BT "window".)

6) Sit back and let the goodness roll in.






Kids all excited about the new Harry Potter movie.
Sasha's current most prized possession is her photo album of the time we spent in Oxford, specifically the photos of Christchurch dining hall where the Potter movies are filmed.
Robin DelaT., if you are reading this- a million thabks for the private tour!
We love you.

11/18/2005 Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, FL
I: Jam > Bertha > Big Railroad Blues, Little Red Rooster > Bird Song > Odessa, Wrong Way Feelin > Cold Rain and Snow, She Says > Liberty
II: K.C. Moan@3, Jack-A-Roe@4>5, The Weight@, Jam > Fly Away > West L.A. Fadeaway, Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Scarlet Begonias > Jam* > Sugaree > Bird Song (reprise) > Sugar Magnolia
E: Black Muddy River
(Mark Karan's 450th Show)

Deadnews blog has a nice story featuring Robert Hunter on it today.

...................
Ratdog leader wants songs to be alive
Published November 18, 2005


Every so often Bob Weir's band Ratdog plays a number that doesn't, on the face of it, seem to fit with an improvisational rock troupe. It's El Paso, a rambling story song and '50s hit by country singer Marty Robbins. Weir, 58, remembers it from his childhood, although a fuller appreciation of El Paso's virtues would come much later.
"The song was so good -- wonderful melody, wonderful harmonic development and incredible vocals, and that story, plus some spectacular playing by Grady Martin, the guitarist," said Weir, who leads Ratdog to Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton for a performance on Saturday. "I grew to hate that song because it was getting so much play when I was a kid, and I was getting tired of it."
But at some point in adulthood he heard El Paso again, for the first time in years, and pretty soon it became a Ratdog regular. In Weir's view, a country tune has no problem keeping company with the rock 'n' roll, blues and r&b songs in Ratdog's fluid live set. They're all apt to be played and, as Weir says, taken for "a walk in the woods" as Ratdog opens them up to free-ranging alteration.
El Paso also confirms Weir's thinking about songs as songs. "I truly believe that a song is a life form," he said in a telephone interview. "It may not be carbon-based but it's a life form. Some songs live a long time -- outlive their authors. But I do know that songs are born, they have an infant stage. Then they have their childhood. Then they start to develop and mature, and if they're maturing properly they have more impact when they've been on stage for a few years than when they were born."
Weir has written a few songs that have lasted into adulthood. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, the San Francisco native joined with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and an evolving support cast to bring rock and roots music into the improvisational realm that had previously belonged to jazz. But the first band to spread the "jam" also wrote short, concise songs -- Casey Jones, Hell in a Bucket, Uncle John's Band, Touch of Grey -- that observed the rules of pop craft as closely as anything to come out of Motown, Nashville or the Brill Building.
Weir said he is still working at the mysteries of songwriting.
"You try to find a corridor between the rhythm, what I guess I call the vamp, and the melody, and take it somewhere, and that has to fit the lyric," he said. "You know, it's a complicated process -- most of the time it's a complicated process. ... Any tune I do I'm going to approach from all those standpoints. It's going to be further accentuated by a harmonic progression that shades certain notes this way and that way, because every time you change a chord you change the lighting on the songs, you change the direction of the shadows."
It's rare, he said, that a completed song just pops out in one burst of inspiration.
"As you get older, your sensibilities become more acute -- more delicate, shall we say," he said with a laugh. "You're not going to go plowing ahead with this or that notion because you want to get a little more acuity in your writing. Plus a lot of the low-hanging fruit, you've already plucked. The easy stuff to say, you've already said. At that point it doesn't get any easier."
Asked if he can say which songs of his are favorites, or which do the best job of locating that corridor, he replies, "I really can't. Every song is so different. There are no greater or lesser successes, really. Songs are songs. They're like kids. As far as I can get in that direction is when I'm composing a set: There's a better, or not as good, choice. There's a better or worse song for the moment. And that's as far as I can get in that direction. I love all the tunes that I've written and all the ones that I've played."
Sean Piccoli can be reached at spiccoli@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4832.
Ratdog
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton.

When: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $35; Ticketmaster.com or 561-966-3309, 954-523-3309, 305-358-5885.
.............
Better late than never....
Bob Weir and RatDog will play the following show:
Sunday, December 11 at The Vault 350, Long
Beach, CA.
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time TBA.
All ages welcome. General admission.
Mail order tickets are available at $40.50 per ticket.

RatDog at Denver: tickets will be sent out today.
RatDog at Los Angeles: We should have the tickets
on Monday. We will send them out immediately.

All orders for all shows received will be filled. We are not
quite sure how the shows between Denver and LA will
be managed. We will be in touch about those.

Tickets are still available for all shows on the schedule.
Check www.gdtstoo.com for details.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
11.18.2005
..........
Hot damn I'm in lust with THIS!!

Charity Drum Head Auctions

Bill Kreutzmann, in conjunction with DrumART.com, is offering autographed replicas of the two custom bass drum heads used by Bill and Mickey Hart on The Dead's 2004 Wave That Flag summer tour. The heads feature designs created by Kreutzmann himself, and they have been signed by virtually every musician in attendence at the October, 2005 "Comes a Time" Jerry Garcia tribute show. For more details visit the following site:

Check it out HERE!

Hippy BerthasTwo yous!

woof!

ANNND more press for the Bob Star!
11/16/2005

Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
I:
Jam > Here Comes Sunshine*, Easy Answers, Senor > Youngblood*, Brown-Eyed Women* > Ramble On Rose* > The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion* > Lazy River Road > Jack Straw
II:
Me and My Uncle@4, When I Paint My Masterpiece@1>5>6 > Even So*+ > October Queen+ > The Deep End+ > Estimated Prophet*+ > The Wheel*+ > Drums > Bass/Drums/Keys/Sax, Standing on the Moon+ > Two Djinn+ > Turn On Your Lovelight+
E: Brokedown Palace*+
*-w/ Ms. Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay
+-w/ Jimmy Herring

11/15/2005 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
I: Jam > Truckin > Take Me to the River > Loser, Playin in the Band > I Need a Miracle > Tennessee Jed, Maggie's Farm > She Belongs to Me > Feel Like a Stranger
II: Candyman@, Corrina@, Might as Well > Tomorrow Never Knows* > Jam* > Playin in the Band* > Uncle John's Band* > Jam+ > Black Peter* > Throwing Stones*
E: Ripple*
*-w/ Jimmy Herring; +-w/ Brian Lopes... initially also Kenny and Jay then also MK on keys then all but Bobby

Paulyy Auday was right there with his camera!
And here's an article on those Radiaters!
It's The Radiaters with Bobby a few weeks back at GAMH!

3 nights at the Beacon!

Bob Weir and RatDog will play the following shows:

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 6, 7 and 8, 2006
at the Beacon Theatre, New York, NY.
Doors and show time to be announced.
All ages welcome. All seats are reserved.
Mail order tickets are available at $51.75 per ticket.
First day to mail in for these shows is Wednesday,
November 16.

The Crew of GDTSTOO
11.15.2005

--

"I never could read no road map,
I don't know what the weather might do.
But when that rich wind whines
and I see the dark star shine,
I got a feeling there's no time to lose."

Weir/Barlow

geez

Another planet (yes, I emailed them about it) corrected the TM link so if you still prefer to purchase tickets online you can GO FOR IT!....We just cannot afford for such glitches to occur if we want MORE Ratdog in SF!
Let's sell this sucker out!
WOOF!

..............
Is Ratdog friend Joshua Redman an Ubersexual?

The following post made me SMILE..It was posted by someone logging in as 'grin'
It's a response to someone concerned that they werent seeing pictures of a smiling Bobby

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 4:28 pm    Post subject:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you can find time to smile when you are holding an Ibanez that you haven't played live in 20 years, in your giant paws, nailing some impossible chord changes, substituting an A b major 7th up and down the neck, and trying to reel off words to a song that Garcia used to sing, while being the frontman, main draw, and figurehead for a scene that has had more staying power for the fanatical than any organized band in the last 100 years, than.....SMILE!
About the Ibanez!

ACK!
Not a problem for those of you who do mail order -Which starts tomorrow for the Grand Ballroom show...
But if you, like me, tend to want your tickets ASAP, then here's the deal-
The Another Planet Weblink to TM brings you to an online webpage that doesnt list the SF Gig...
So PHONE! Because they are selling Grand Ballroom tickets via phone..
The # for the SF TM is 415-421-TIXS...

Hey this guy has some fun pictures and lotsa Dead related stuff on his Dozin.com website.
..........
11/12/2005 The Palladium, Worcester, MA

I: Casey Jones > Cassidy > Bird Song > Odessa > Lazy River Road, Walkin Blues, It's All Over Now > Loose Lucy > Eyes of the World


II: A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall@, Friend of the Devil@4, Bury Me Standing@ > Iko Iko > Jam*, Dear Prudence > Bird Song > Cassidy > One More Saturday Night E: Black Muddy River *-without Bobby, First "Casey Jones"
  

It's The Purple Bus!
.............
Don't ask me how I found this site but did you know there's a bug named after The Grateful Dead??
Did you really want to know which bug one it is? YOU DO??ew.. Then you'll need to looky around here
This just in:
Bob Weir and Rat Dog will play the following show:

Saturday December 3 at the Lensic Performing Arts
Center, Santa Fe, NM.
Doors open at 7:00 PM. Show time is 8:00 PM.
All ages are welcome. All seats are reserved.
Mail order tickets are available at $45.00 per ticket.
A taping section will be provided.
Monday will be the first day to mail in.

There is also a show scheduled for Long Beach, CA
on Sunday, December 11. We have not yet managed
to secure an allotment and hope to know more this
coming Monday.
Ruby.
--

Hippy Berthaday to our Sashi

"..And a girl who's just fourteen!"



Thanks for that one!

Nice setlist tonight!
Off Dot org- Thanks JJ and (Not sure maybe Chez?)
help on the way>
slipknot>
last time>
row jimmy>
josephine>
even so>
october queen
lost sailor>
st of circumstance

set 2
mexicali blues@bobby robin mark jay> <-------:O)
peggy-o@everyone>
deep elm@>
good mornin little school girl
st stephen>
william tell bridge>
the eleven>
stuff>
come together
dark star(verse two)>
foolish heart>
slipknot>
franklins tower

encore
us blues
___

And a HUGE round of ((((((((((Thanks)))))))))))) to all the Vet Heads out there.

Bob Weir and Ratdog will play the following shows:

Tuesday, December 13 at the Grand Ballroom,
1300 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA.
Doors open at 6:30. Show time is 7:30.
All ages are welcome. General admission.
Mail order tickets are available at $38.00 per ticket.

Wednesday, December 14 at the Reno Hilton Theatre,
Reno, NV. Doors open at 6:30. Show time is 7:30.
All ages are welcome. General admission.
Mail order tickets are available at $35.50 per ticket.

Alert: It's Veterans Day today so the post office is closed.
Do mail in whenever you can. We have large allotments
available for both shows. But as always, the sooner the
better.

This is pretty much it for the Western Swing.
Tickets are available for all shows on the schedule.
Be aware that a lot of the shows on the current tour
sold out so the same thing may be the case for the
Western Swing. Best get your orders in here so we
can make sure you all get to go. We would like to
have all the orders for these shows taken care of quickly.
=

COMING TO ASHEVILLE: Bob Weir still loves a fine jam
Former Dead artist brings RatDog to The Orange Peel
By Randy Moser
CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT
published: November 11, 2005 6:00 am


Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir has traveled to a lot of towns, but Asheville is up there on his list. Weir and his band RatDog are back for a Monday night show at The Orange Peel club.

“I always love to come to Asheville: It’s a singular place,” Weir said. “We go wherever people want us and the people in Asheville seem to enjoy our brand of music.”
Advertisement


Weir has been performing for more than 40 years — much of that time spent on the road — and he credits his enduring vitality to his love of the music. “It’s all I’ve ever waned to do,” he said. Even when the Dead performed close to 100 shows annually, Weir shared his talent with a range of musical projects.

RatDog, which has been around since 1995, started off as a vacation from the Dead for Weir, but has developed a strong following of its own. Teaming up with bassist Rob Wasserman, drummer Jay Lane (of Primus fame), pianist Jeff Chimenti, guitarist Mark Karan and saxophonist Kenny Brooks, Weir’s RatDog runs the gamut, playing both familiar Grateful Dead songs and music that blends different genres and styles.

The band’s lineup has been stable over the past few years, so the members know each other and can predict each other’s moods, Weir said, adding that he prefers to write the music communally with the rest of RatDog. “That way ideas come up that I would never have on my own.”

Like the Grateful Dead before it, RatDog is a jam band that taps into spontaneity. According to Weir, jam bands aren’t just fads tied to specific bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish, but represent a style that has existed since before recorded music, around the turn of the last century.

“It’s proven to be a very enduring aesthetic,” he said. “As an audience member you don’t know where it’s going because the band doesn’t know where it’s going,” he said. But even though RatDog’s music approaches its destination like a merry prankster, Weir pays special attention to the musical influences that shape the band’s style.

Drawing from Deadheads, Phish fans and everyone in between, Weir said he enjoys the instant feedback he gets when he plays a live show. “Our audiences become engaged naturally … they let themselves be heard and there’s no denying that they’re there,” he chuckled.

Although Weir likes a good turnout, he believes there are also mysterious elements that contribute to a great show. “It’s all a matter of spirit … there are a lot of things that can just push a show over the top.”

Citing influences from jazz legend John Coltrane to Indian classical music, Weir said RatDog draws from “virtually anything.” It’s important to Weir that he’s conscious of his influences, however, and considers the music he listens to carefully. “If I listen to something, take it in, it’s going to come out so I have to be a little careful … I don’t want to come out sounding like Dave Matthews, because I wouldn’t wear that well.”

So what does the founding member of one of the most popular concert bands listen to? “If I have to listen to music for my own pleasure and edification I want to go as far from what I do on a daily basis as possible,” Weir said.

If Weir were a teenager today, the hippie lifestyle would still look pretty good to him: “I’m not the type of person who likes to be spoonfed my directives or life choices and I think these kids wearing tie-dyes are kindred spirits. I think they’re going to live much more interesting and much better lives than they would otherwise, especially given today’s cultural climate.”

“Music ebbs and flows the same as culture,” he said. “There are times when cultures — and music — become passive and times when they become active. Right now the active people just happen to be reactionary.”

But Weir believes music still has the power to transform society. “If every Deadhead in Florida in the 2000 election — or even most Deadheads had voted in the 2000 election — we’d be living in a very different world today.”

Randy Moser writes about entertainment. E-mail RandyMoser@Yahoo.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/10/2005 Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA

I: Jam > Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion > Big Railroad Blues, Little Red Rooster, Easy to Slip > Supplication Jam > Jam > Dark Star > All Along the Watchtower > Dark Star Jam > All Along the Watchtower, Weather Report Suite Prelude/Part 1 > Let It Grow

II: Desolation Row@1>2>3>5, Looks Like Rain@ > Greatest Story Ever Told > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Tequila > Silvio > Ashes and Glass > Drums > Drums/Sax > Jam* > Sugaree > Dark Star > Throwing Stones
E: Liberty
* -w/out Jeff and Bobby, and then everyone but Bobby

Is it Saturday Night yet?

WOOF AT LAST!

Ratdog at the Grand Ballroom- 12/13
An interesting fact (or not) is that the Avalon Bllroom has the street addy of 1268 sutter @ van ness avenue
and this place is 1290 Sutter Street. Looks like the same building from the webpicture.
Reminds me I need to find Christine and let her know (also a few other locals who wouldnt know where to look if it's not in the newspaper)
Woof!
It's on the Ratdog.com dates webpage

Tickets on sale 11/13 (unless you prefer to order via GDTSTOO)
more info At Another Planet website!
Tickets on sale 11/13
info here-
http://www.anotherplanetent.com/

Now apparently known as The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center (or something like that)
It sure is lovely!



11/08/05 ~ Weinberg Center for the Arts - Frederick, MD.

I: Here Comes Sunshine > Maggie's Farm > She Says > It's All Over Now, Memphis Blues, Sitting in Limbo > Althea
II: Twilight Time@ > Me and My Uncle@5 > The Winners@4 > I Need a Miracle > Uncle John's Band > Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > Jam* > At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer > Corrina > Not Fade Away
E: Johnny B. Goode (*-without Bobby)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice review of a first Ratdog show over on Bornagain Deadhead's blog


A new Bobby article can be foundOVER HERE Different writer than the Woofster article too.

Joel Selvin (uh oh) reviews the Fillmore West cds in today's Chronicle
Sweet Bobby and Ratdoggy pictures Here!

Bobby Article here!