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Since Im at work now, Ill try to type this out with a minimum of tears, although my heart is still aching. This morning I learned that Jerry Garciapassed away. Why should I care about a rock star who I dont even know? Why should I feeling pain?
Why should I even take the time to write this? I have asked myself these questions. But I feel compelled, and the answer will lie in this letter. The unfortunate first words I heard about his death were from a jerk work who was callously telling somebody on the phone, Yeah, he probably died of a drug overdose or something. My mind went numb, knowing the sometimes joked-about day is here, for me, and for all who appreciated his music. To communicate just how much impact this passing has on my life, I think its important to tell you that music has had an immense impact on me, and I think that it does on everybody whether it be Garcia's, Tools, Mozart's or Lawrence Welks.
It is my belief that most people unfortunately go through life with a limited recognition of the influence that music has on them. Eventhough most of us financially float a mega billion dollar music industry, Ithink that most people never consciously think about it. Think about it now. We dance, buy incredible stereo systems, new CDs, maker children take tuba lessons, watch MTV, wait in ticket lines, and hold atelier in the possibility that Morrison and Presley are still alive and site running, parked cars to listen to the end of a songs that we love just because of that magic moment when music causes chills to spread from somewhere deep within, giving us goose bumps. Music motivates us to action. Music directly affects almost everybody's actions at one time or another.
Itis a natural high that most of us have paid to get. I first listened to the Grateful Dead at college, and immediately slammed means closed on what I deemed country music. U 2, REM, the Psychedelic Furs, the Cars and other progressive, early ' 80 s rock and roll were the only stripes that I flew, and proudly. It wasnt until I was taken to a series of 3 shows at the Spectrum in Phila. in September, 1988, that my mind and heart were opened to Jerry's music what I would call enlightened, quality, mature music.
This series of shows planted a seed in my life that eventually grand intertwined with other aspects of my personal life, including interests, hobbies and relationships. What shocked me about the Dead was the two drummers, the oriental carpets, the zealotry of the fans, the strength and vitality of Bob Weirs stage presence and most of all, the absolute mastery of guitar that Jerry showed. Ihad no idea he was that good. If that show was a door opening, then the 2 nd night of the series was when I walked though it. On the second night, the show was so incredible that everyone seemed to run right into one another. I gained a new way of listening, loving and judging music.
The Dead seemed to have perfect timing every one Phils huge bass plunks was countered by one of Jerry's high-pitched leads. Brent Midland had an immense, gruff voice. The drums were steady, persistant and timeless, like the chug of a railroad engine. All of this entertainment was held aloft by the high flying antics of Garcia's guitar, which I saw as a multicolored circus of sound.
After the show, we hopped into a old AMC gremlin splattered with tie dye bumper stickers and slammed in The Golden Road one of the first Dead studio releases. This was more than testosterone-filled, teenage-angst rock. What Issued to think of the Dead (like old hippy country music) after that live performance had been transformed into a grooving, melodic rock and roll witha power and soul that I had never heard before. Each lick of Jerry's guitar was a magical gift, like a solitary sunset or glassy, empty ocean swells. Like learning to ski, or like learning to surf, I was incredibly drawn this new realm of excitement music and I had, (by the next night my 3 reshow), made the drop and landed on my two feet flat down square in the middle the golden road to being a deadhead.
The world of the Grateful Dead was opened to me. One of the largest lessons that night taught me about life was to keep aopen mind about different people, their ideas and their ways. The music and people that I had previously ridiculed I now miraculously understood. My god, I even wanted to hang out with them. The deal was, deadheads were super nice, diverse, smelly, poor, musical fanatics who had a super high set of environmental values, albeit for most of them, no practical connection for transforming their ideas into reality.
At the core was Jerry and the Dead, timeless, like an group of elders, the Dead were leaders of a disparate custom fans: outlaws, bandits, vendors, circus performers, gogo dancers, bikers, handicapped people, preachers, Capt. Jack rich college students, indians and freaks who shared a common love and passion for music, mind altering experiences, patriotism, and a passion for huge parties (as well as a distaste for cops and government and corporate irresponsibility). If the Dead was the glue to hold all of this shit together, then Jerry waste the herculean gods, who got behind the 100 thousand ton piece of shit to shove it down the road, time and time again. Jerry was a workaholic who wouldnt stand still. In 7 years, I have grown to love blues and jazz as well as rock and roll. Inbetween several jobs, graduating from 2 colleges, 4 relationships, moving from the east to the west to the south to the north again, and the fast pace life in the northeast, I have managed to enrich my life through many adventures in the U.
S... On top of the Dead, I have also seen Chick Corea in Allentown, PA, smoking jazz in NYC, a boat run aground at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, Phish in a bar in Phila. before they were big, Meryl Saunders with about 20 people in a college auditorium, Bruce Hornsby atan ice rink in Vail, Colorado and the Allman Bros. kick ass in many places. I attribute these experiences to Jerry and the Dead. I apply this spirit of adventure to other areas of my life as well.
You can sit on your ass, or yuan make your own adventure. I think that Jerry once said in a Rolling Stoneinterview that I read that the United States can still be an adventure. Have all who were willing that chance. He was the foundation of a band who enabled the living embodiment of Keroucs On the Road. In the short time that Jerry was alive while I was a fan, I went to about 40 Dead shows. I saw them play in Philadelphia, Albany, New Jersey, New York City, Hampton (Virginia) and Nassau County (New York), Salt Lake City, and onthe shores of the Mississippi at a huge glass Pyramid in Memphis.
One Autumn, I went to see Jerry in Phila. , NYC, Richmond, Hampton and a couple other places that I cant remember and I still think my liver hasnt recuperated. I must have visited all of my best friends on the east coast through the Dead. I picked up the guitar because I wanted to sing his songs. And Im just one person. In addition, for all of those magic shows, there were hundreds of thousands of people who dropped what they were doing to seethe Dead, and in particular, Jerry Garcia. Year after year, every single fans work, sweat and efforts led them to travel to a place where a lot of educated and liberal minded music fanatics could try to freely gather to share a single frame of mind, at the same time, on a single note of Jerry's, during the climaxes that culminated songs like Dark Star, Dear Jude, Casey Jones and Unbroken Chain.
All eyes present and work done were at those locations for one reason, to feast on the source of the music the four fingered hand of Jerry Garcia. Garcia made me cry about a hundred times. His music I held very personally, and in whether in love or distress, I could put on some Dead and relax and know that things are OK. Listening to a good Jerry song is like sharing something intimate with the players, and losing him is like losing a friend. Jerry Garcia's music wont die. He and the Dead are part of a good life that includes close friends and family, true mates, shared waves and dark beer.
Iwill miss him. So as the press tries to sell their papers and the news tries to sell their commercials by hyping the death of Garcia, please try to remember that the Jerry was one only person. Maybe the 60 s symbolically died in the small minds the hypocritical baby boomers today. But for us Dead fans, the Dead will keep on playing on.
There is something timeless about them, and we all knowit. We all knew this day would come at one time or another, and its important that we think about how deadheads want to proceed. We know we are just as big a part as the Dead as the band. We should use Jerry's actions over the past 30 + years as an example. I will work through this sad time, then keep on partying. If youre on the bus, and you get left behind, then youll find it again. -Ken Key
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Research essay sample on Rock And Roll Jerry Garcia
