Thursday music for your listening pleasure

Buddy Guy with David Myers (on bass) from the movie Chicago Blues (1970) --which I can not seem to locate, after much effort. Great 70s Chicago visuals!

Buddy Guy - First Time I Met The Blues



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I know I've shared this one before. Time for a reprise!

Cream - Born Under A Bad Sign



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Grateful Dead - Cassidy (Unplugged- Live) - 09/24/94 - Berkeley Benefit



One YouTube comment says this was actually a "Phil Lesh and friends" performance that included Bob, Jerry and Vince Welnick.

Wave that flag

US Blues - Grateful Dead (studio version)



Summertime
done come and gone
My oh my...

That's right, the women are smarter

Man Smart, Woman Smarter - Grateful Dead (Live 1985)



Music starts at about 1:25.

US Blues, update

What does one make of people who are poor and aging, yet apparently don't believe they will ever need health care that is currently priced way beyond their means? Is this garden-variety old-age denial or Tea Party-Republicanism run amok? Why would people be against their own interests? Is a party principle really more important than your life, or the lives of your loved ones?

As I see it, this is the crucial difference in the political debate right now. We are now arguing over our own lives, not some hypothetical situation that may or may not arise. And yet, here in the conservative south, poor people who consistently vote Republican continue making all manner of theoretical right-wing noise instead of fully comprehending that the wolf is at the door.

Example: I used to get out there and protest other people being unemployed, and now I am the one who is unemployed.

And maybe tomorrow, you will be.

This isn't academic. Not for me. It was, once, and now it is an immediate reality. What to do with people who refuse to see it that way? Who smugly believe they will stay employed, and receive the Social Security that they don't want other undeserving people to receive?

For instance, two people who made money off the GOVERNMENT, now say nobody else should: Michele Bachmann, ex-IRS stooge fattened off of farm subsidies (i.e. welfare) and our congressman, Trey Gowdy, who made his living as a prosecutor (with starring roles on FORENSIC FILES and DATELINE, for catching bad guys). How can Trey have a career in government while railing against the government that has fed and clothed him very well? Why does Michele want to cut off welfare for actual poor people, but she is allowed to rake in $251,973 of OUR hard-earned money? (screams)

I think this is called, talking out of both sides of your mouth. As Rand Paul treated patients funded through Medicaid, and made MONEY off of Medicaid, but now wants to limit/abolish it for others. (He's made his money, so now he's through with it. Nice work if you can get it!)

And Michele Bachmann wins the Iowa straw poll. (screams again for emphasis)

I'd love to hear some opinions about this rather twisted southern phenomenon, if you got any. For one thing, I'd like to know, is this sorry situation a purely southern one? Do any poor people besides southern whites consistently vote against themselves?

It's enough to make you tear your hair out.

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Great introductory animation on this one! Enjoy!

US Blues - Grateful Dead



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And just listen to this! I have no idea where or when it was recorded, but I would say from the looks of their hair (touch of gray, ha) that it was late 80s/early 90s.

Star Spangled Banner - Grateful Dead



Jokey comments about how they couldn't let Phil sing for this one, LOL.

Monday Music: Brokedown Palace

Not the best version; looks odd but historically fascinating. Weird pseudo-psychedelic visuals. European or Australian TV? (Does not look familiar as a USA-based show.) Personnel, older (and generally disheveled) musical arrangement, as well as Bobby's hair suggest this was the very early 70s.

"Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul."

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Brokedown Palace - Grateful Dead

Monday music: Let the Good Times Roll

Judging from appearances, I'd say this is from the late 80s, but no way to be certain. (I invite all deadhead-readers to jump in with chronological estimates.) Bobby is wearing some extremely dorky short-shorts. The late Brent Mydland is on keyboards, which means this performance was recorded before July 1990.

I don't know where this concert venue is, but the crowd is ENORMOUS!

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Grateful Dead - Let the Good Times Roll

Why can't we not be sober?

There is a scene in David Cronenberg's VIDEODROME, wherein Bianca O'Blivion removes the umm, mutated-videotape from James Woods' insides, where it has become embedded. (This is David Cronenberg, okay?) She jerks it out forcefully, saying something about how it's always hard to remove the video, then intones Death to Videodrome, long live the New Flesh! IMHO, The New Flesh is computers. (However, this is a pre-computer movie, so they don't get that far.)

But yes, it was as difficult for me as it was for James Woods. Trying to detox from blogging was tough; it was hard to remove that pesky video from my insides...I felt like I was constantly in need of online succor; a veritable Baptism-by-immersion in pixels. I was in major withdrawal, and I found myself listening to Tool's SOBER, unable to answer their existential question, Why Can't We Not Be Sober? (Honestly, I have no idea.)

By the weekend, I had forgotten the blog. Mission accomplished. I think it is now safe to go back in the water.

My initial plan was to return on Earth Day (leave on a Christian holiday, return on a secular one)-- but I could not allow the death of my favorite writer to go unremarked upon. I decided to go ahead and jump in and update.

Which brings me to the changes I am making here at DEAD AIR: I'll be updating more often, and some of my posts will be very short. That seems to be the overarching trend in Blogdonia, particularly at some of my favorite blogs, Feministe, Tiny Cat Pants, Renegade Evolution, Alas, and many others. I initially got in the blogging-habit of always doing relatively long posts, and for some odd, idiosyncratic and utterly neurotic reason, I felt like they all should be a certain length. At times, I had almost a Disneyland approach--I would collect a bunch of stuff and write about it all at once, hoping at least one item interested someone. And now, my crowd-pleasin ways are on the wane. ;)

I will also be focusing more on my own radical history. I find there is a dearth of radical history on the net; political demonstrations I recall as enormous and eventful are not mentioned ANYWHERE, AT ALL. This is horrifying. History, as we know, is written by the victors, and the fact that large-scale, near-constant computer-interaction basically came of age during the Bush era, has been an unmitigated disaster for lefty history. I will take a few small steps in rectifying this, but I would encourage all baby-boomer lefties to get involved in history-recovery.

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On Easter Sunday, I heard from no less than THREE PEOPLE about how my blog has moved them, and how much they appreciated what I wrote. In all three cases, these were obituaries. WHY do I write so well about dead people? Obviously, this is a subject for another in-depth post. Short answer: From what we greatly fear, often comes good, and my abject fear of death focuses my mind wonderfully. When people die, I try to focus on their legacy and the memory they leave behind; the way they shape survivors. I am told I describe people perfectly, that I have captured their essence. This is the greatest compliment I could ever receive. My obituary for Kathy was read at her memorial service (that I was unable to attend); again, a great blessing and kindness from her children, who I think always regarded me as something of a pest... the sweetest compliments have come from them. I was so happy to be able to contribute something lasting, heartfelt and genuine to this turning point in their lives.

One of the folks who contacted me on Easter told me in no uncertain terms, that I should add a payment link to my site. And so, continuing my Deadhead theme, I have added the properly-named PANHANDLING ZONE: Got any spare change, Mister? I have always believed that was not a cool thing to do, but the person who contacted me was adamant (hint, hint!), so I did it. (And after writing an obscene check to the Infernal Revenue, I didn't need as much prodding as usual.) My weird, almost knee-jerk redneck pride about not doing such things or asking for contributions, appears to have been misplaced. So, contribute away, affluent (and other) readers!

And for others who have asked, I charge a measly five dollars for tarot readings; yes, I've done quite a lot by email. In person, I enjoy tips of various herbs and spices (giggle) as well as personally-constructed items; I have been compensated with beautiful handmade scarves, jewelry, cakes, vegan casseroles galore, and other lovely personalized gifts. Also accepted: t-shirts, books, CDs, DVDs, and so forth. (If you have something cool like that, contact me and perhaps we can arrange a trade.)

"Pin the tail on the Possum" sounds far better than "Pin the tail on the Opossum"--now don't you agree? But I guess they have to teach the kids the correct spelling, and all that. As my regular readers know, I would never sacrifice a good alliteration for the sake of propriety! (from the Wildlife-Rehab benefit, more photos below)

During my blog-break, our apartment was invaded by honeybees, like something from a (haha) B movie, reinforcing me and Mr Daisy's plans to move to a condo where there is no Walmart parking lot anywhere for miles.

Phil Spector, subject of much fulminating on this blog last year, was at last found GUILTY in his retrial! HAPPY DANCE! JUSTICE at last for Lana Clarkson.

Apparently, Phil Lesh tried to sing during the Dead's recent appearance on THE VIEW, and as usual, this was not a good idea. Several different folks asked me if I saw it, and when I said no, I was told DON'T WATCH. Okay, I'll take yall's word for it.

One of the people telling me DON'T WATCH, is below, Mr Deke (at the mike) and his band, Unbroken Chain. Enjoy photos from the Wildlife-Rehab benefit over the weekend! The attentive little squirrel (in the first photo) was nearly as tame as a kitten; Molly the flying squirrel (second photo) liked to burrow and hide in the wildlife-lady's shirt. Both were simply too adorable!!!!

(And hey yall, I'm baaaaaack!)



More photos here.

Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

The graphic at left, in whatever form, is called a STEALIE. It was designed by none other than Stanley Owsley himself. [EDIT, in comments, Doc Anchovy has helpfully pointed out that I reversed the famous acid-chemist's name, which is Owsley Stanley. His acid was named simply "Owsley"--so I tend to forget that was not his surname. --Daisy]

The word "stealie" comes from the line "steal your face right off your head"--a trick only Deadheads know how to do. :)

The line is at 1:10 and 5:30 in the following song, if you don't want to listen to the whole thing.

Recorded in 1972 in Denmark. Once again, Bobby looks about 14. Phil, about 16. (Jerry was born looking 40... sigh.)

He's Gone - Grateful Dead



I hope the last thing I ever hear on this planet is the reedy, tweedly-tweedly introductory-riff of this song. I have probably heard it 50,000 times, and yet, the riff embeds itself DEEP into my cerebral cortex and makes me SMILE SMILE SMILE just like a Stealie. :D

I have always loved the fact that the song makes no rational sense. Life isn't always sensible, you know!

The second line is the name of my archives (sidebar at right) also. I thought naming it simply "archives" was boring.

For you old Ms. message-board denizens, my name on Ms. was...

China Cat Sunflower - Grateful Dead



It is considered musical blasphemy that the previous clip does not automatically segue into I Know You Rider--they were always performed together and therefore known as "China/Rider" by fans. (YouTube is too TIME-LIMITED to contain the magical force that was the Grateful Dead!)

Someone helpfully continued the second half (the full China/Rider, containing finale, here):

I Know you Rider - Grateful Dead



Listen to the signature loop-de-loop riff that signals the song's end, no matter how long they jam. It's at about 4 minutes. Rumbly, doodle-doodle bass by Phil, with the transcendent riff sliding right over it. It's traced on my cerebellum forever!

And yeah, you're right, we do miss you, Grandpa Jerry. At least we can still listen.

Enjoy!

Rightwing Deadheads pt 2--update

Thanks to my fancy-shmancy new IP address blocker (see bottom of page, right)--whenever my rightwing Deadhead troll (who likes to call Barack Obama a prick) shows up, he automatically gets redirected to here:

Barack Obama for President!

Is that funny or what?!?

And along these lines, I've noticed that whenever you look up old Grateful Dead stuff on YouTube, you get this very timely and necessary political announcement:




UP YOUR ASSES, RIGHTWING DEADHEADS!!!! :)

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Listening to: Grateful Dead - Row Jimmy
via FoxyTunes

Sold Out Already!

Left: Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, photo by Herb Greene.


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I got home from work late this evening, and found hits on my blog for "Deadheads for Obama"... and I thought, oh how cool. That would be me!

Wait, all these hits?

Curious, I went over to trusty Dead.net and yeah! All right! (Sometimes, you are just so damned proud to be one.)

Here is the press release in its entirety. I guess they sold out in like five minutes or something?

I'll be listening; yall have a good time and be excellent to each other.


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DEADHEADS FOR OBAMA AT THE WARFIELD JUST ANNOUNCED!

DEADHEADS FOR OBAMA

featuring
BOB WEIR, MICKEY HART, PHIL LESH & FRIENDS

The Warfield Theatre
San Francisco, CA
Monday, February 4, Doors 6:00 PM/ Show 7:30PM
Tickets are $35.00 general admission (main floor) and $35.00 (balcony) plus applicable service charges...all ages
Two-ticket limit per person.
Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.com ONLY.
Will Call only event.
::Map The Theater



Grateful Dead Members to Reunite for Barack Obama

(San Francisco) Members of the Grateful Dead will host a get out the vote concert in support of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday, February 4th at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.

Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir, joined by Jackie Greene, John Molo, and Steve Molitz, will play the show together in support of Barack Obama.

The video website Iclips will be producing a live simulcast streamed via the Internet on www.iclips.net at approximately 7:30pm PST.

This will mark the first time that the members of the legendary band have performed together since 2004. They have agreed to reunite for this one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the crucial “Super-Tuesday” series of primaries held on Tuesday, February 5th.

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Listening to: Grateful Dead - China Cat Sunflower
via FoxyTunes