No One's Noticed but the Band's All Packed and Gone....

A few of you asked about this.  I actually wanted this for myself and some friends and family. So I'm trying out some Songbook Inspired designs, starting with these T-Shirts...and if people like it, maybe add hoodies, mugs, and tote bags.  I really hope you like them!  Not sure why I didn't think of this sooner to tell the truth.

More than anything, it's this 40+ year Deadhead trying to navigate another New Reality when it comes to our favorite band and that incredible catalog of wisdom and joy we grew up to, spent endless hours and years learning from, and now have passed on to three or four new generations (SO FAR!).   

We're looking at another transition into a strange new world where The Boys writ large are not available to put on that amazing magical circus we enjoyed for 60 years. 

I mean, maybe some brilliant promoter decides that the stellar chemistry John, Jeff, and Oteil developed over 10 years (!) of Dead and Co. merits further exploration and we get a handful of shows now and then with a different center stage guitarist/vocalist like say, Billy, Trey, or Rick from Goose.  Perhaps Graham Lesh manages to pull it together and build something that grows and lasts. It sure looked like one of Bobby's last wishes!  I put my vote in for an annual giant party in Golden Gate Park like Dead 60!

But the years of counting down the days until the next long summer tour at all our favorite places have come to an end.  There will be something new.  Personally, I've been spending a lot of time with new friends and family checking out Goose and if you haven't yet...just remember what it was like when you discovered JGB!  Seriously.  Good stuff!  Billy seems to be making quite the splash with a lot of us.  And Phish seems to have some miles left yet.

The Songs themself will live beyond even Bobby's 300 years.  Heck, I'm headed for Dark Star Jubilee for the 10th straight year this weekend!  It's hard to get my head around it, but Dark Star has been playing longer than the OG Boys played together and they are AMAZING if you haven't seen them lately.  And (somewhat) thanks to The Books, there's no shortage of really excellent bands playing our favorite songs to yet another generation alongside those of us making it just one more day.

But as The Man Hisself (Bill Graham) once said....There is Nothing Like a Grateful Dead Concert.  And never will be.  Grateful they left behind all of these beautiful songs and this weird community.  It's up to us now to keep it together.

NFA!

Arjay