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.