Notes on Dead and Co. at the Sphere

Peen Simmons

Peen Simmons

Let’s Get Obtuse!
The Sphere itself is an expensive gimmick. It’s very silly/campy. It’s also pretty fun.

Deadheads are a charmingly earnest bunch who love merch. Less toxic than the Star Wars fandom.

I never “got” the Dead via record. Seeing them live, it makes more sense. They’re a dance band who also makes space for improvisational soloing. So a bit like a big band with a jazzy bent.

John Mayer plays an awful lot of notes. He also makes many many many silly guitar faces. I liked his playing more than I expected in the moment.

Drum solos remain a drag.

Edit: The coworker I was traveling with is a Deadhead (yuppie Wrigley Field bleacher creature variant) and basically set up this whole thing and worked things out with our boss to go to the Sphere instead of doing indulgent dinner with expensive wine. Which was fine by me given that both experiences are neutral for me—and at the very least I’ve never seen any of the Dead adjacent projects before.
 
Spot on review...I was pretty blown away by the Sphere...for about two minutes

In my experience Deadheads aren't there to hear the music, they just come to talk about how stoned they were at the last show.
 
Never been to the Sphere... Not sure I am feeling any great need, but was lucky enough to start seeing the Dead in 1983... probably some would feel after the Peak, maybe, but I am glad I was able. Some really great years and some really great shows. I even appear in a New Years Eve show they put out called, "Ticket to New Years". For a few seconds...
 
Honkridge said:
Spot on review...I was pretty blown away by the Sphere...for about two minutes

In my experience Deadheads aren't there to hear the music, they just come to talk about how stoned they were at the last show.
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I am sure that is true of many, but there are a good number of Deadheads who love the music and the adventure that is a Dead show. No two shows are ever the same.

Their music doesn't appeal to everyone, but that can be said of any artist or group.
 
Gary Blanchard said:
I am sure that is true of many, but there are a good number of Deadheads who love the music and the adventure that is a Dead show. No two shows are ever the same.

Their music doesn't appeal to everyone, but that can be said of any artist or group.
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You're right of course. I was just making a sweeping generalization cause, ya know, its the internet
 
rhino said:
It’s really hot here today.

Amazon sucks.

Dog children are not the same as people children.

Rush is overrated.

here’s hoping one of the above conjures up Ddbob. He really needs to see that Peen is a deadhead now.
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Why I love this post so much, because of a situation involving a certain country that I won't go into because it's very political, I have been inspired. Waiting and hoping DdBob shows backup hasn't worked. We need to be proactive. While I'm genuinely happy for him, we need to break them up. We need to start thinking, what would a woman do to win back her man? I'm going to start searching mutant dog pictures right now. Also very political, recent vandalism of certain electric cars makes me think I should try to find the same thing but, with Land Rovers.
 
… I want you to know
That I'm happy for you
I wish nothing, but
The best for you both
… An older version of me
Is she perverted like me?
Would she post songs about your dog for you?...
 
At this point, there's more ringers up there, and the original members are doing so little, that I might have a better time seeing a really good cover band.
 
I’m glad your Dead & CO show was a success @Peen Simmons. I’ve only seen clips. I’d like to attend one of their summer shows in Boulder, CO this year, but ticket prices have me balking. Football stadiums are not known for great sound.

I first saw the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia in Phoenix, AZ, December 1990. Unfortunately, Brent Mydland, who played keyboards with them from 1979 to 1990, had passed away at the end of July that year. Bruce Hornsby was on keys. Even though it was December, it was a hot day at Compton Terrace, and I think the heat was getting to Jerry that day. They took a lot of breaks. The show had its moments, but was mediocre overall.

I still had a fun experience at my first GD show. A big group of NAU students took a road trip from Flagstaff to Phoenix, the day before the show, where we all had rooms reserved at the same hotel. The hotel party the night before the show was epic. I got there late. Two guys I had never met before, had a bunch of cocaine, yet nobody at the party wanted to partake. Perhaps, they were Nancy Reagan, “Just Say No.” devotees. Those two guys had been told I might be interested in cocaine. I had quit for a year, but when I saw all that white powder, I could not resist. Free cocaine all night. LSD the next day at the show, and a group of pretty young hippy girls giving out hugs and kisses at the show, all made for a great time. If only the band had been on their game.

When I was back at NAU, I talked with a few Dead Heads who had not made that December show. I expressed my disappointment about the performance. They explained that TGD plays some bad shows, but I should give them another try.

On a cool night in June 1991, I attended my 2nd live Grateful Dead show in Denver, with my friend, Ernie. He was into hard rock and metal, not jam bands. I had told him about my disappointment regarding the show from the previous year. Fortunately, TGD had a great night. Ernie and I were both impressed and highly entertained.

I’ve also seen the Other Ones, Rat Dog, Mickey Harts Mystery Box, and The Dead with Warren Haynes. Warren has a soulful voice which I think fit particularly well with The Dead.
 
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