The Grateful Dead Farewell Concert - Santa Clara 6-27 and 6-28 2015 - Photos and MyStory - A Rainbow Appeared over the Concert... Many Felt It Was Jerry Garcia Visiting from BEYOND...

Music so good it changes the weather. On 6/27 there was a Rainbow over Levi Stadium and then it Rained. Just a very light sprinkle, but we all felt it. 

photo of Rainbow at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

sunset at the same time...
photo of Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Portrait taken by a helpful fan...
quite a good picture... Thanks!

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Short Video: a tiny part of Dark Star 
and a Lady with a Pink Blinking Headdress dancing. 

******** (~);-} ********

We should do a scientific study to see if loud music directed skyward can cause rain... It was a cloudy day in Santa Clara but when the music was playing... Magic Happened... California is experiencing a drought and maybe THIS is the answer... could be... AmerIndians do a Rain Dance... 

******** (~);-} ********

The highlight of the concert was Mickey Hart playing The Beam... insane industrial noise... That's what I wanted... Too Much! I could feel the sound in my stomach... 


photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
"On the Bus" Traveling South thru Humboldt County Redwoods

photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Laytonville, CA... 
The Kate Wolf Music Festival at Black Oak Ranch.

photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco Bay as viewed 
from the bus on the Richmond Bridge 6/26/2015

photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Amtrak train in Martinez, CA Station

photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Under the Bridge at the Carquinez Straits.
Where the Sacramento River enters the San Francisco Bay.

photo on the road to the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Sunset over the San Francisco Bay 

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
The train stops right next to the Stadium. As soon as I got off... I heard the band doing a soundcheck. They were practicing St Stephen. It has lyrics that state:

"Lady finger, dipped in moonlight....
Writing `what for?' across the morning sky.
Sunlight splatters dawn with answers... 
Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye."

I can easily visualize the picture of a lady's finger writing in the sky at dawn...
in a script typeface... 



photo at the motel - Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
swimming pool at night at the motel
photo at the motel - Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

the next day... 6/27/2015
Many Deadheads in the Pool
photo at the motel - Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Pool at the motel... 
we smoked grass IN the hot tub while 
waiting to the concert to start...

and then the next night, I slept in a field behind a 7/11 store... no motel ticket for my unexpected second show... so, from the lifestyles of the rich and famous to hanging out with the "house-free campers"... good to see many sides to this experience... after the 2nd show there were helicopters telling everyone to go home and I took the free light rail train to Winchester Blvd in Campbell. A lady from Los Gatos said that we could find a 24 Hour Safeway there and we could buy food, cigarettes and booze... It's true! 
We had a group sing along on the train as someone had a phone that played music... We sang "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult... 

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Silicon Valley Transit: 
Light Rail and a Giant Fan's Bicycle

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Short Video of the Beach Ball Bouncing.
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Many people helped to blow up the beach ball.
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA


(~);-} ~~~~~~~~~ Our Oasis ~~~~~~~~ {-;(~)

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
I spent all day 6/28 relaxing under the palm trees on the grassy knoll... Bought Chocolate bar Imported from Costa Rica from these people... for extra energy to dance...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Our Oasis... Palm Trees, Shade and free music... The guitar player shown had the courtesy to NOT play while the band was doing their soundcheck...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
at the same spot... we overlooked a parking lot...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
There were many group sing along songs played at the concerts... Everyone knows the words... for example: "Lately it occurs to me... What a Long Strange Trip It's Been!" and some songs have a Chorus that everyone can remember the lyrics too... "I Need a Miracle. Every Day!"

and so many of the songs moved me personally... "Cumberland Blues" makes sense to me as I am a Workingman...

and "Brown Eyed Woman" tells the story of a Moonshiner that lived on the Trinity River [Big Foot County]. Jerry Garcia's father drowned in the Trinity on a family camping trip... My Father, Grandma and Uncle lived on the Trinity during the Great Depression because it was a place to camp for free and good fishing. Dad said it was essential to survival to have good hunting and fishing... Grandpa was working as a Minister and during the Great Depression there was no money in the collection plate so he sent his wife and children to go be homeless people in Humboldt County.

"Well, it's T for Texas, and it's T for Timbuktu...
it's T for Texas, and it's T for Timbuktu...
and it's T for right here in California where the little girls know what to do!"

Bob has to remember what city he's in when they play the "New Minglewood Blues".


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
While we were relaxing on the grassy knoll waiting for the 6/27 show... A skywriter attempted to draw a peace sign... but failed to get the last line in the right spot... oops... the Deadheads around me had a good laugh about the error... and great cheering! because... we are a tolerant people...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
inside... at last!
psychedelic animated gif



photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Mr Button Man


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Phil Lesh Bows to the Audience before the concert...
and the Audience Bows Back!

******** (~);-} ********

Bob Weir asks... WHAT'S NEXT?

******** (~);-} ********


He was rather insistent at the concert... putting the responsibility for going Furthur on the shoulders of US... Take this energy and DO something!


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
before the Concert... while waiting for the Bus to come by... In Eureka.

Lyrics to "The Other One" and The Bus...

"Escapin' through the lily fields
I came across an empty space
It trembled and exploded
Left a bus stop in its place
The bus came by and I got on
That's when it all began
There was cowboy Neal
At the wheel
Of a bus to never-ever land...

[Chorus]
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' around, comin' around in a circle
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' around, in a circle,
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' around, in a circle.

Spanish lady come to me, she lays on me this rose.
It rainbow spirals round and round,
It trembles and explodes
It left a smoking crater of my mind,
I like to blow away.
But the heat came round and busted me
For smilin on a cloudy day... "
http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/other1.html

********* (~);-} *********


wave that flag, wave it wide and high!

and some of the songs had intense personal meaning to me...

I played "Black Peter" on my parent's piano when I was 20 years old and confused about where my life was going... It's an old sad blues song and It gave me strength to go on... Mom liked me playing it.

We played "Uncle John's Band" for [what seemed like] hours at the Idaho Rainbow Gathering at the Relaxation Station [take a break! you made it!]. It's the first place a person visited upon arriving at the Gathering.  I taught a kid how to play it using my hand written sheet music... After he learned the chords he said he didn't want to learn any more songs so we just played it again and again... and again... Perfectly valid show business concept as the audience was constantly changing... with new people arriving... they didn't know we were a band that only knew one song.

********* (~);-} ********* {-;(~) *********

and "Wharf Rat" looks deep into my soul... Some Fans formed an AA/NA type group for Deadheads in recovery... I'm Greg and I'm an Alcoholic... and it could have been ME that was the old wino... down by the docks of the city... but Patti Post took me to an AA meeting that allowed me to survive until this day... Thanks Patti... may you Rest in Peace.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wharf_Rats

Old man down...way down, down,
down by the docks of the city,
Blind and dirty
asked me for a dime--
dime for a cup of coffee
I got no dime but
I got time to hear his story:

My name is August West
and I love my Pearly Baker best
more than my wine
...more than My wine
more than my maker
though he's no friend of mine

Everyone said
I'd come to no good
I knew I would
Pearly believed them

Half of my life
I spent doin' time for
some other fucker's crime
Other half found me stumbling around
drunk on burgundy wine

But I'll get back
on my feet someday
The good Lord willing
if He says I may
'cause I know the life I'm
livin's no good
I'll get a new start
live the life I should

I'll get up and fly away
I'll get up and
fly away...
...fly away

Pearly's been true
true to me, true to my dying day he said
I said to him:
I'm sure she's been
I said to him:
I'm sure she's been true to you

I got up and wandered
Wandered downtown
nowhere to go
just to hang around
I got a girl
named Bonny Lee
I know that girl's been true to me
I know she's been
I'm sure she's been
true to me

Words by Robert Hunter; Music by Jerry Garcia
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing.
http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/wrat.html


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
The stage Day and Night.
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
The Moon and Planet Mars were very close...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Sometimes the light's all shining on me... Other times I can barely see...
Lately it occurs to me... What a Long Strange Trip It's Been!
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA
Grateful Dead Fans Admiring the Rainbow
(they are at the bottom of the picture)


********* (~);-} ********* {-;(~) *********

https://www.mickeyhart.net/news/all-about-beam-baby-5211

An unusual percussion instrument built for the sessions, variants of which have been built and later used in Grateful Dead concerts and Mickey Hart's solo touring bands, was "The Beam". This is a large (8 foot in length) aluminum I-beam (actually a "C" shaped beam facing down with the strings across the flat outside-top surface) strung with 13 bass piano strings all tuned to the note of D (a Pythagorean mono-chord at various octaves).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_Beam

The Beam was designed by John Lazelle in the early 1970s, and was first widely used by Francisco Lupica who built several out of iron. American child actor turned musician, Craig Huxley, created his own refined version of the Beam out of aluminum which was brought to fame in the soundtrack for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) in which composer Jerry Goldsmith used the instrument to create the signature V'ger sound. The instrument was also used by composer James Horner for several of his early soundtracks, including Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Michael Stearns for his score to the IMAX film Chronos, and in David Shire's soundtrack to 2010 (1984), which was co-written by Huxley. Huxley also played the instrument on the Quincy Jones song, "Ai No Corrida." Huxley successfully patented his design of the Beam in 1984.


photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA

and we are very grateful to be able to hear the Chicago Shows on the internet at home...
photo at the Grateful Dead Concert in Santa Clara, CA


YOU MAY READ MORE BLOG POSTS ON SIMILAR 
SUBJECTS BY USING THE LABELS BELOW... 

Click and Enjoy the Bliss!




Popular Posts