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September 24 - Jerry Garcia Tribute Concert Hello good peeps, It is I, The Green Lantern:-) The past eleven years with Bruce have given me some very special memories. Every once in a while, a magical event will come along and I have been lucky enough to get an invitation to be a part of many on these. Last night was one of those events. Near the end of our summer tour, Bruce asked if I would like to join him in playing in an all-star band for a Jerry Garcia tribute concert in Berkeley, CA. I said yes without a second thought. How could you not want to be a part of something like this? I am a JG fan as well as a fan of the Dead, and I like those guys. The show was Saturday night and we were supposed to rehearse a couple of songs, but that rehearsal never happened. The rehearsal time was spent meeting other musicians on the bill and getting re-acquainted with old friends. The scene as we arrived at the venue was amazing. Our driver tried to warn me that I would be seeing a lot of tie-dye (I guess she was worried that this smooth, hip, urban sophisticate would freak at the site of Dead-heads) I had to assure that all was cool:-) After all, I have my tie-dye at home. After saying our hellos, Bruce asked if I wanted to check out the scene on stage. How could I say no. Watching that audience from the stage was amazing to me. I've seen concerts before and I've played on major stages. But this was different. This audience does not just love the music, they live it. You can feel it all around. Bruce and I would see or hear something and turn to each other smiling and laughing. It was great. I only played on two songs, but that was enough. The rest of the time was spent taking in the whole night. I had the chance to play with three of the original Dead guys, plus Trey from Fish, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, a monster guitarist, and many more. It was a very exciting night for me. I felt like a little boy on Christmas morning. It was a night of great music, and camaraderie. If this was close to what the old Dead shows were about, I now understand why people followed them for so many years. How could you not want to be a part of something that feels this good. I came away from this show jones-ing more than ever for another BH tour. :-( I miss the music and my peeps. Oh! I have to say that Billy C. one of the O.G. (original gangsters) drummers from the Dead can play. This man had a great groove and we had a ball playing together. Only wish it was more than one song. Peace, JV
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