doodledee

Today was the 10th anniversary of Jerry's death. In those 10 years I've seen a couple of Ratdog shows, the first year 'Other Ones' reunion, and the monster full band reunion festival, both at Alpine. The one Ratdog show at First Avenue was without a doubt one of the best shows I've seen ever, ever, ever, but it wasn't anything like a Dead show. Even near the end, when the music was bigtime hit or miss and the scene was being ruined by fence jumping jackasses, a Dead show was still absolutely worth getting to. You'd sit through bullshit song after bullshit song and then they'd turn a corner and blow you away. Witness: the total pandemonium during the 'Unbroken Chain' breakout in Charlotte in March, arguably a sad attempt to recapture lost magic, but forever positioned in my top 10 concert moments. Witness: Jerry's 'Visions Of Johanna' in Chicago later that July - he was crutching along with a teleprompter and I'm pretty sure he didn't so much as shuffle his feet for the entire second set, but good lord he could still turn it on when he wanted to. Almost spooky.

I'm hardly one to sit around and pout that he's gone. But it's the 10th anniversary and that feels like a good enough reason to crank up the tunes and remember for a minute.

To the haters: save it; I've heard it all before. Seriously, all of it. My dad still sings "Truuuuckin" almost every time he sees me. Genius.