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Double clutchin for home.
Tonight was really great. We executed a couple of Grateful Dead specific moves that surprised even us. One moment occurred during the "7"section of Uncle John's Band. Half of the band was playing Uncle John's Band, while the other half was playing Playing in the Band. Now both songs are in the same key, but this was an extraordinary occurrence, even for us. We were literally playing two different songs that were in what we call "odd times", at the same time. Very interesting to be sure! Bob was the catalyst for this strange hybrid. I couldn't believe it when I heard it, but it made me laugh out loud. I don't recall this ever happening to us in this fashion. This was not planned or anticipated in the remotest of scenarios. I just love this kind of stuff. This is the best of what we can do on a good night. I suspect that this kind of thing is unimaginable for some bands, nor even desired, but this is our treasure. It is also mindless in a good kind of way. This is where group-mind is courted and achieved. I live for these moments. These events are so out of control, so in the moment, so real. We never could make this music perfect, so why try? Real is so much better than cookie cutter music.
When everybody is breathing like one, words do not describe this feeling. It is group-mind at its best, and truly beyond words, taking us all to dream translation space. Music is an energy that seems to emanate from some other place and time, yet it is earth bound as well and works in this magnificent clockwork kind of fashion. A bit out of reach, a little bit out of control, yet it is of our making.
This kind of music certainly is not a formula driven experience. I love the wild side to all of this. I know the songs are wonderful and melodic, and have order, but it is the chaos that appeals to me. Tonight we also double clutched into Uncle John's Band in amazing fashion. We collectively brought the tempo and feeling down to the desired speed in two distinct stages. We were in Maggie's Farm which was fast and funky. Then Phil, Bill and myself brought the tempo back down for reentry into Uncle John's Band. Not quite right yet, we executed perfectly the second tempo shift and we were there. We all landed together at the right speed and feeling. What a relief. This was another magic moment in this unusual series of events. Unspoken, unrehearsed and totally spontaneous.
Tonight was Susan's last night with us on our tour so we had a goodbye cake and celebration backstage. We all wish her well with her new record and will miss her. Maybe our paths will cross again down the road.
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