On The Golden Road

The Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival

2010-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Dig that cat Wavy!
On a whim, DB and I decided to partake in the 3-day, 15th Annual Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival in Laytonville, California. With more than 40 hours of great music (primarily bluegrass and folk) on numerous stages, some of which sat in front of grassy lawns shaded by giant oak trees, a clothing optional, crystal-clear swimming hole, fantastic vegetarian and vegan food, great on-site camping, several art exhibits, free jamming and drum circle lessons, free-form jamming everywhere (!), and even a cool host who was none other than the most legendary hippie of all time, Wavy Gravy, it was a scene that I'll be sure to revisit year after year. Truly the sweetest festival I've ever been a part of.
An artist and his art. We saw this guy's stuff at Furthur Fest too - it was very, very good
A great, great scene.
Wavy's man Gino (a genuinely cool dude) put me in touch with Wavy - What an awful photo! But it's me and Wavy Gravy!

July 4 with the Merry Pranksters!

2010-07-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

My cousin (once-removed) Marty and her partner Bruce were kind enough to invite DB and I to join them for the July 4 festivities in Dexter, Oregon, hosted by the Merriest of Merry Pranksters Ken Babbs and his friends and family. Many of the original Pranksters were in attendance, including George Walker, Chuck Kesey (Ken Kesey's brother), Mountain Girl, and Sunshine Kesey. Neal Cassady's son John was also there. Babbs' son Eli's band played well, covering several Grateful Dead songs, and there was even a surprise appearance by Bruce Hornsby, former member of the Dead! The food was great, the music and scene was fun, and the conversation with Marty and Bruce was second-to-none. Great stuff all 'round. We look forward to doing it again.
The Revolution Test
It's time to start the party! (...that's Bruce with the trumpet)
Ken Babbs and George Walker
DB talking peanuts with Mountain Girl and George Walker (as Marty looks on in the background!)
Pranksters Chuck Kesey and George Walker prep the cannon
Ken Babbs (left) and Bruce Hornsby (center) rapping and jamming on the 4th!

FURTHUR!

2010-06-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

What: Furthur Festival
When: May 28-30, 2010
Where: Angels Camp, CA
Aoxomoxoa
Aah, the Grateful Dead's latest incarnation, Furthur, had put together a beginning-of-summer festival in exactly the right place ~ northern California. DB and I cruised up for the multi-day event in the green, rolling foothills above Angels Camp.

We'd originally intended to spend our days hiking in the mountains and our afternoons and evenings digging the many bands grooving their sounds amidst the trees. But alas, there were few mountains, they seemed to all have 'Private Property' signs at their borders, and so we decided to head directly for the fest. We camped amongst the ever-growing crowds.

Soon, we started to get hungry. So DB got in line for some grilled cheese...

Just inside the gate we stumbled upon...FURTHER! Not the original bus, no, but Ken Kesey's newer bus. Although Ken no longer walks the earth, his son Zane was there meeting and greeting, selling stuff, posing for pictures, etc.

Zane Kesey, getting on the bus
The weekend hosted many highlights, among them the acoustic stage, some tasty green drinks, vegetarian (and vegan) foods, and of course, the main stage bands! It was a pleasure seeing Jackie Greene again, my first exposure to live Hot Tuna was a pleasant one, and of course, seeing the Dead again was what it was all about. DB's now been to FOUR Dead shows!
Hot Tuna
Furthur!
The band played well. With the first night scheduled to be just an open aire soundcheck, rumors soon swirled that the band would play an entire set. And they did! Next night, they played three entire albums ~ American Beauty (the band's most classic studio album), Workingman's Dead (Cumberland Blues was the highlight of the set) and Anthem of the Sun. The last night, the band played an outrageous Blues for Allah (excellent), followed by Aoxomoxoa, and closed with Terrapin Station. The days begged for forgiveness...
Hiking above the festival grounds

Another head, laying around
But aside from the obvious joy the music itself generated, Furthur offered another, unpublished treat to those who were paying attention ~ on both Saturday and Sunday, a privileged few sat in on talks given by the band. DB and I sat front row both afternoons while they took a few questions and talked about the days of old!
Phil Lesh
A modified splattski with Phil
Rock Scully (the Dead's longtime manager), Phil, and Herb Greene (Dead photographer)
Word had spread by Sunday, so a bigger crowd had gathered...

Namaste, Bob
Bobby Weir, fielding a question

DB and 7'00" Deadhead Bill Walton
Another modified splattski, this time with Weir
It was a fantastic weekend. And it ended far too soon...
Phil Lesh's classic bass
I hope we get another ten years out of these guys.

Crawdaddy! creator Paul S. Williams

2010-03-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Paul at home (photo by Cindy Lee Berryhill)
Paul S. Williams, the amazingly brilliant creator of Crawdaddy! (the very first American rock music magazine, which he founded at the age of 17!), friend of John Lennon, Jim Morrison and Timothy Leary, Bob Dylan biographer, and the legendary author of the underground hippy classic, Das Energi, is suffering from early onset of dementia after a traumatic brain injury sustained during an accident while riding his bicycle in 1995. He currently requires full-time care.

I am fortunate to have spent quality time with Paul, his wonderful wife Cindy Lee Berryhill, and their son Alexander. The experience only reenforced my belief that those who have the means should show them some love...please. The financial cost of caring for Paul has been tremendous.

Cindy Lee's touching blog:
Beloved Stranger
Paul's donation site:
Paul Williams Dot Com

Peace Corps - Senegal

2010-03-11T06:38:00.001-08:00

My mom arrived in Senegal, West Africa on March 9, 2010 to begin 27 months of service as a Peace Corps volunteer. I'm infinitely proud of her.

We anticipate that regular correspondence will prove challenging and unlikely. But so far, so good. Let's follow along...

March 10, 2010
"Hi all..arrived today,,the flight was excellent..in village now...will write later...it is absolutely beautiful..we had a great welcome,,lots of amazing birds that are very choral..Love, L'y"
Ma's first picture from Senegal
March 12, 2010
"...things are well,,,extremely busy and it is a full plate everyday but loving it....tonight we went into town to unwind from a very stressful day,,,downtown makes the Bronx look very nice,,no joke,,,all the people are so loving and giving though poor,,,thanks so much for the letter,,it was a wonderful surprise.....I love you too Courtney,,,,,mother"
March 13, 2010
"Hi ,,,I found out today I will learn Pular Fuutu and will live the region S. Central E in Senegal...not the exact village right now except that I will train in the region starting Monday....it is mountainous, green, has herds, near the river, and the people are "hillbillies" of sorts,,they say it is the most beautiful in Senegal..."

...and then it ended.

The Audubon Buddha

2010-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve in Miami with Phish!

2010-01-05T06:50:00.001-08:00

Four nights of joy, as Phish pumped out 9 sets of killer music in an inspiring and memorable fashion.
The ball(oons) drop!
As much a distraction as he was, I hope Spaceboy's on the mend...!

Littler DB

2010-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

Before
After

Who knew?

PHISH Festival 8

2009-11-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Initial impressions of Festival 8 in Indio, California (Oct 30-Nov 1, 2009):

-set 1 (Oct 30) was amazing - Stash was my favorite tune of the set;
-set 2 (Oct 30) was excellent as well;
-set 1 (Oct 31) was pretty good but I wasn't blown away;
-set 2 (Oct 31 - Halloween set) was good, except that I've never really appreciated the Stones. I was really hoping for a Michael Jackson or Radiohead or Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin set;
-set 3 (Oct 31) was most excellent;
-set 1 (Nov 1) was a wonderful acoustic set with so many great tunes. Of course, I loved the acoustic Bouncin' Round the Room most;
-set 2 & 3 (Nov 1) were missed, 'cause we had to drive home (although we caught set 2 on Sirius!);
-the people were peaceful and fun;
-the Halloween costumes were outrageously witty and cool;
-the people were younger and less burnt out than one finds at a Dead show;
-the remote-control thing with the on-fire demolition ball was weird;
-the fiery ceiling was super-trippy;
-the food was surprisingly good (for festival food);
-by the morning of the 3rd day, the Empire Polo Club felt like home;
-the lawn grass was soft and green;
-it was an awesome time!

The Dalai Lama

2009-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

Outside the Long Beach Area, where the Dalai Lama spoke
Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a teaching given by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama. With a great deal of chanting, including the Heart Sutra recited in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Vietnamese and Chinese, as well as a teaching of the Four Noble Truths, it was truly a pleasure to hear the exiled leader of Tibet speak.

Globalize Peace

2009-09-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Bryan and his friend Steve run a wonderful website dedicated to spreading the elusive concept of peace across the globe. Support the cause by buying one of their groovy "Globalize This" t-shirts. And be sure to email them a photo of you and yours wearing the shirts in your next exotic destination!

Globalize This

The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics

2009-09-04T08:44:00.001-07:00

Check it out here.

Bob Weir & Ratdog

2009-09-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ratdog performing in Las Vegas
It was a real pleasure to catch Bob Weir & Ratdog at the House of Blues. The setlist is below:

I: Viola Lee Blues>Maggie's Farm>It's All Over Now, Baby Blue>She Says>Liberty>Viola Lee Blues

II: Stealin', Mexicali Blues, Friend of the Devil, Two Djinn>Stuff>Stella Blue>Viola Lee Blues>Throwing Stones

E: Gloria

The show was opened by Jackie Greene. My first time seeing Greene, I was impressed by the simple and unoriginal arrangements that somehow still pleased.

The Dead in L.A. (5/9/09)

2009-05-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of the Grateful Dead since the mid-80s. But it wasn't until 1994 that I first found myself heading to a Dead show. With great enthusiasm, we packed the car for a long weekend and headed off to Orlando. We knew we were getting close to the venue when we suddenly noticed the heads dripping like lice from motel balconies, vending trippy tye-dyes from the backs of vans and trunks of cars, and prowl cars roaming every block.

My heart dropped, though, when we pulled into the stadium parking lot and were handed a flyer -- SHOW CANCELLED! One of the band member's family members was ill and he had to fly home. So we drooped on back to Sarasota.

Jerry was dead a year later.

Although the other band members eventually moved on, touring as The Other Ones, Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends, and even as The Dead, I never found the inspiration to check 'em out. Without Jerry, I figured, the magic was lost.

But in 2009, the newly formed Dead announced another tour, their first in 5 years. And they were coming to Los Angeles. Without a second thought, I bought a pair of tickets for Saturday, May 9 at the funky, old Inglewood Forum (the same classic venue where Jim Morrison gave one of his epic performances in December 1968).

The day finally arrived, and so did we. The parking lot was already filling quickly when we showed up 3 hours before doors opened. Folks spilling out of trunks, Dead shirts by the hundreds, 'Truckin'' blending with 'Terrapin Station' blending with 'Cosmic Charlie' across the vast parking lot. A fun and beautiful scene.

...fast forward to the show!...

(Set 1)

The band started into a 45-minute Viola Lee Blues>Bertha>Viola Lee Blues>Caution>Viola Lee Blues that was pure majesty. Next came Black Peter (never one of my fav's), before closing the hour-long set with good ole Cosmic Charlie. I was transfixed.

(Set 2)

Aaah, Shakedown Street got the groove going for the sweet second set. New Speedway Boogie came next, followed by, followed by...Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain. After a mind-blowing, extended Scarlet>Fire, Drums (I loved it!) and Space (a poor, self-indulgent version) gave folks a chance to sit down and recuperate.

Next came Dark Star>Wharf Rat>Dark Star. This was the first time for Wharf Rat on the tour, and I was stunned to hear it sandwiched between masterful sections of the Dead mega-classic Dark Star. Not quite the same without Jerry (of course) but Warren Haynes did a great job on both guitar and vocals. And it was great to hear Phil Lesh lend his vocal cords for a couple lines of Dark Star.

After Dark Star, the band kicked into a very nice version of the Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction'. I'm not much of a Stones fan, but this version was terrific (and very lively).

Then the lights went down...for a few minutes.

(Encore)

One More Saturday Night! They closed the show with One More Saturday Night!

The guys put on a great show. I was stoked!

All-too-soon, I dragged myself out of the venue and into the car, then headed up to the mountains to sleep. Come morning, it was into the mountains I went yet again to play.

Ever the Fitness Nut...

2009-04-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

My ma, a lifelong runner, cyclist and all-around outdoor/fitness enthusiast, has been on a tear, cycling 50-milers with her buddies in the palmetto swamps of southern Florida. Go ma!

Marty Noble

2009-03-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd plug the splendid art of my mother's super-talented cousin, Marty Noble...

Marty's new website can be found here.

Some Historical Figures of Note

2009-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Public domain image of 'Che' Guevara
-Abbie Hoffman - 60's civil rights/environmental activist

-Gary Snyder - Zen Buddhist nature poet

-Aldous Huxley - writer

-Jack Kerouac - father of the Beat movement

-Gautama Buddha - enlightened man

-Allen Ginsberg - poet & social activist

-Ernesto Guevara - revolutionary

-Arthur Rimbaud - French boy-genius poet

Public domain image of Arthur Rimbaud

Zeitgeist & Religulous

2009-03-05T08:26:00.001-08:00

An interesting couple of films worth checking out. And the third installment's coming in fall 2010. Free downloads:

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Another good one, though not available for free download is Bill Maher's 'Religulous':

http://www.billmaher.com/

Free Live Music!

2009-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

If you're into jam bands, archive.org can't be beat, except for perhaps this link: http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=f0896409183dc5c40a4661144148b7c13f099d5d2e9c3cfd (Dead stuff) or this one: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p8WKkpP-TKpO1VnQgcff6EQ&gid=8 (Phish stuff), or this one: http://tela.sugarmegs.org/ (both!). Whether it's Dead shows, BTS shows or SCI shows or Phish shows, this is terrific shopping for a lifetime of great (free) live music!

-String Cheese Incident (Bonnaroo - 6-15-07):

-String Cheese Incident (their final show at Red Rocks - 8-12-07):

-Keller Williams (Red Rocks - 8-2-08):

-Keller Williams and the WMDs (The Fillmore Auditorium - 2-2-08):

-The Grateful Dead (Chicago - 6-28-76):

-The Grateful Dead (Madison, WI - 2-25-73):

-The Grateful Dead (their last show at the Fillmore West - 7-2-71):

Since archive.org doesn't have Phish shows, you can go here for those:

http://stash.nugs.net/stash.asp?cmd=shows&artist=2

And how 'bout this for 24/7 streaming Dead videos!

http://gdvodcast.ning.com/