Day at the 'Dead

On Thursday night I saw the Dead (formerly known as the Grateful Dead but who dropped the 'grateful' when former and founding member Jerry Garcia died) at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View - the heart of Silicon Valley (just across the street from Google headquarters). The Dead have their origins in 1960s San Francisco, so this gig was like a homecoming. I went with my boss, a self-proclaimed 'Dead Head' who has been watching them perform since 1968. Of course, you will have heard of the Dead even if you haven't heard their music - famous for their incessant touring for 4 decades, their mammoth sets, their lack of studio albums, and their hippy fan base, amongst other things.



The crowd was a surprising mix of ages (having expected only 50+ year olds). All had leftist star-gazing tendencies and the vibe in the audience was really cool and chilled. There was a lot of pot-smoking but I couldn't detect any harder stuff being used, and there were very few really drunk people. The tickets were on the expensive side - well, they were after they add on all the hidden fees including parking which we didn't use but nonetheless had to pay for, and probably several charges which are designed to 'convenience' us in some way. Likewise, the beer was a shocking 12 dollars a pint! The amphitheatre consisted on seating and grass where we - and almost everyone else- sat. The sound was amazing for a live venue, and it was sheltered and clean and generally a very pleasant venue.



The Dead's music is quintessentially American - guitar heavy, folk-laden and ever-so slightly country-tinged. The songs are sprawling, winding, and long. Each drips with thumping drumming and fretwork. Lyrics are sparse, riffs are incessant. I cannot describe the sound - the closest I could come would be to say its almost atonally chaotic, but has just enough structure to keep it interesting. To be honest, it isn't my cup of tea. But then I didn't expect it to be, and I couldn't help but be impressed by the skill and stamina of the musicians. I was quietly impressed by how avant-garde it was. I would go as far as to say as it is the only avant garde thing I've seen since I got here. Self-indulgent, definitely, with guitar solos on guitar solos on guitar solos, but nontheless impressive.



The highlight for me was when the sun went down, in the second set out of three in a 4-hour concert. By this time, it was dark enough to not notice the 'hippies' (richest hippies I've ever seen) dance - let's face it, most white middle aged people have as much rhythm as an engaged telephone tone - and we could see the musicians on the big screen. Apparently, they've always kept the same format, which I liked. Set, break, set including 'drums' and 'space', then a huge encore (as long as the first set) with covers worked in. The drums and space sections were crazy. I think they must have evolved to give every audience member - no matter what drug they were on - fuel for their 'trip'. A cultural experience I'm glad I experienced.

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Road Trip. Part 3: Washington

(I'm determined to finish my travelog if it kills me! Sorry this is about 4 months late - the details are slowly fading now, but I will finish! Just 1 more installment to go after this)

Our experience of 'Washington' was limited to several hours on Interstate-5, a single night in Seattle, and a brief trip to Bainbridge Island. It wasn't enough. We arrived early in the evening, and again had the daunting task of trying to navigate from the freeway to the centre of a major US city, in the dark with empty bellies. We were old hats at this now, having done the same in San Francisco and, inadvertently, Portland. Again it wasn't bad - a few lucky guesses and a couple of educated turns saw us arrive at our hotel without going wrong once. I dumped the car, paid an extortionate fee to park it for 1 day, and checked in. We stayed at the Arctic Club Hotel in downtown Seattle - by far our most salubrious residence on our trip, it was our little treat for just over halfway through the journey. It was nicest hotel I've ever stayed in - oldy-worldy and smart, but with a young and hip clientèle. Perfect.



It was already late, mainly because of our unintended detour via Portland earlier on that day. We dumped our stuff and sat ourselves at the bar next to the hotel lobby. I started to unwind after my long drive, ordered a stiff gin, and sipped it happily whilst Maria made inquiries about somewhere nice to eat. The obliging young barman had created a list of the cool places to eat, drink and dance whilst in Seattle. Perfect - he recommended a restaurant called The Tamarind Tree - it was a fair walk in the cold, and hard to find, but cheap and worth it. He said it's a cool place only locals know about. In short, massive Kudos and there was no decision to make.

We drained our drinks and wandered happily through the streets of Seattle, oddly quiet but more European than anywhere I had been to in the states so far. The restaurant we happened across almost serendipitously (all I can tell you now is that it's in the international district near a supermarket, down an alley - sorry that'd all my memory will allow me to divulge). But my word it was worth it - highly recommended.

By the time we left we were the last in and they'd cleaned up and packed up around us. We were in no rush. We wandered back towards the railway station, and found a quiet looking bar to have a drink whilst we debated whether or not we'd go clubbing. It was small and empty except for a group of college-age students taking in turns to sing karaoke. We took a seat at the bar and started to sample the local beverages. It was hilarious to hear these guys and girls sing - they were a motley alternative bunch of rockers, punks and hippy-types, and were getting drunk and singing ridiculous songs to each other's - and are - amusement. I loved every second of it - I just love youthful piss-taking. Seriously, it's how the world moves on.






We stayed until closing time. From there we stumbled into an irish bar, mainly because it was the only place left open. The barmaid was Irish and very friendly. Even though she'd lived in Seattle for 25 or so years, her accent was one of the strongest I'd heard - amazing, really, and proof that if you don't want to lose your accent, you won't. We were a little tipsy by now, so started to make good and full use of nearby props.



The next day we awoke late, had a lazy breakfast, and decided to take the ferry over to nearby Bainbridge Island. We only had 1 day in Seattle since we had to be Vancouver that night, which was a shame because what we saw of it we liked. I made more than a mental note - more of a 'resolve' - to go back and check it out some more. One thing that I could say, and in no way a bad thing, it didnt surprise me in the slightest and in fact was everything I had imagined it to be. That's a rare thing in my world.



Bainbridge itself was a yuppy haven, so not our style at all. It was pleasant enough poking around the shops for a while, but it didnt really have anything to keep us there for long. It was well worth the trip, however, for the views from the boat. My word - first the downtown seattle skyline, then a sight of the space needle, then open water followed by, most spectacularly, the imposing majesty of Mount Rainier. Wow. The weather was cold but gloriously sunny and absolutely perfect



We reluctantly checked out and left for the open road once more. I could have stayed a week, but equally we had ground to cover, and I was excited about my first trip to Canada, only a couple of hours away! Well, a couple of hours, as it happens, turned into about 8 once we hit the traffic gridlock that is the seattle suburbs, and slow queues to cross the border, the monotonous details of which have happily faded. Onwards to Canada!

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Half Moon Bay

If you're ever visiting this part of the world, be sure to pay a visit to Half Moon Bay, equidistant from Santa Cruz and San Francisco on Route 1. In my opinion, if not as unique, it's just as good as its glamorous sister to the south, Big Sur. A big more rugged, a bit less well known and therefore less crowded. It also has a few great farms on the way where you can buy jam and eggs. Here are a few snaps I took on a recent visit.

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Out and About

The volleyballers of Front Beach


The boardwalk



Natural Bridges State Park


The 'Mystery Spot'


Downstairs in a bar, during a thrilling drunken tour of San Francisco

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