Hi All:
Since my game lately has been sucking-wind-big-time and it's been a dog's age since I posted, I thought I would entertain you with a concert review from 2003. We had lost a high school friend that day and celebrated his life with an evening of Grateful Dead Music in New York City by the Dark Star Orchestra. I hope you will enjoy this departure, while I try to figure out what the hell is wrong with my game.
Chief....
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The call came in from Dave B, fellow class of 79er, and avid
Grateful Dead fan. The "Dark Star Orchestra" was playing in
Grammercy Park.
Who the heck are these guys?, I asked Dave aka "Dave Deroo"?
"The play Dead music man"...."they recreate a past Dead concert and
perform it again in it's entirety"
Earlier in the day, we had received the news on Brian B's passing. Brian
was a big time Dead fan, so we decided to go and enjoy the show in
his honor. Dave later told me that he and Brian hit a Dead show
once together, years ago. Dave told us the story over dinner....It was a
classic yarn, of the boys piling in the car and heading to the show.
Levs also told a classic story about Dave getting "bambled" at a Dead
show at Giant's Stadium...It was so freaking funny that even that
part about him "tossing" did not upset my dinner while we were eating.
Surprisingly, Mike "Levs, Levy" was up for the show. Dave
sent out a flair earlier in the day to get support for the show and
Mike responded. I think Dave had to call him a wimp once or twice,
before he answered to the affirmative. We decided to meet at my west
village apartment for the pre-game festivities.
The three of us met, ordered a pizza pie, drinks, etc etc.....LEVS
brought a small "ankle sized" bottle of Southern comfort for "Burnie"
to sneak in to the show. "Burnie" is Dave's other
nickname...Apparently, Southern Comfort is the nectar of the
gods for a Dead show.
But this was not a Dead show, it was really "Virtual Dead."
On the way over, it rained so hard, it felt like Woodstock. I thought
we were going to slide in the mud at Union Square or help give birth
to a pregnant woman in the rain......who knows, but it poured.
So, we hit the show, Levs sneaks the booze in.....grown men sneaking
in booze. Danny "DL" from '78 was a big fan of Southern
Comfort, although DL preferred the larger bottle in his heydey.
DL has been on the wagon for years. God loves DL
and his antics...(can't get started on DL now).
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The Dead show was pretty awesome. These guys sounded and looked like
the Dead. The guy who played the role of Bob Weir looked just like
him. The "virtual Jerry" played a great guitar and had the voice to
go with it.
They cranked the two sets, including "Touch of Grey, Good
Lovin', Scarlet Begonias, some tunes from Terrapin Station, Uncle
John's band," etc etc....
They came out by 9pm....by 1am, we left. Old men have to work.
We walked back to the west village.
Unfortunately, for Levs, he had some trouble with his car and that
probably left a scar on the evening. It got towed. Burnie told me they got
home rather late, about 3:30am.
It was a good show and a worthwhile evening. We lifted our drinks to
Brian B in remembrance.
Standing in a Shaft of Light....Rising up to Paradise.......
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