I had uncared for to inform my pal Ed slightly darkish secret of mine. I figured it wouldn’t matter. I used to be completely satisfied that, miracle of miracles, we’d discover a strategy to get in to the New Yr’s Eve Grateful Lifeless present on the Oakland Coliseum—regardless of arriving with out ducats.
However we failed, and so there we have been sitting in our rental automotive within the car parking zone, listening to the present on the radio. There was just one phrase for our collective state: bummed. I made a decision to admit.
“I in all probability ought to have instructed you that I usually don’t have excellent luck on New Yr’s. Actually, I’ve a historical past of unhealthy New Yr’s Eves—ever because the events we had. These have been one of the best New Yr’s Eves.” (Ed and I grew up collectively in New York. We threw a collection of deranged New Yr’s events after we have been in faculty.)
“You’ve had unhealthy New Yr’s Eves since?” Ed requested.
“Ever since,” I stated. Ed couldn’t maintain again an enormous snigger. “Can’t bear in mind a great one.” And he laughed once more.
“Because you have been 17?”
“Proper. Forgot to let you know that.”
“Now you inform me.”
We didn’t know whether or not to snigger or cry. I got here up with the plan to hop the airbus and be a part of our Deadhead household in Mecca for the New Yr’s reveals. Ed instantly fired out a cash order for tickets. I referred to as one other pal who lives within the Bay Space and requested him to make ticket inquiries on our behalf. Then I went to HIGH TIMES editor Steve Hager and recommended the journal ship me out to California to cowl the reveals. “Obtained tickets?” Hager puzzled. “Not but,” I stated. “We’re caring for that. Don’t fear.”
Ed’s ticket request got here again empty, however my pal was in a position to rating a pair for the Friday evening present. (New Yr’s Eve was Monday.) We have been in. We have been booked.
Friday morning, December 28, Ed and I took off for Cali. It had snowed fairly closely the evening earlier than, however the runway was clear. We landed in Oaktown three hours earlier than showtime. It didn’t take lengthy for us to run into the hemp of us on the merchandising lot—Jack Herer in a single nook, Hashish Motion Community within the different, each doing their very own factor.
The spotlight of a slightly laid-back present was “China Cat Sunflower,” which opened the second set (amazingly, Maria and Rick of CAN each predicted this may occur). We frolicked within the hallways with the house dancers and spinners, with kids and their of us at a makeshift Rainbow-style Child Village. The mellowness—fairly a change from East Coast harshness—was contagious.
The information that Branford Marsalis—the good jazz saxophonist who guested with the Lifeless in April ’90-would be opening the New Yr’s present topped off our heady day. I’ll maintain this story brief. Just a few years again, I interviewed Branford for an article about his more-famous brother, Wynton.
Since then we’ve change into mates, chatting at Knicks video games, even throwing a soccer round one Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn. After I heard Branford was on the town, I figured I used to be in. Miracles do occur.
The following day, I tracked Branford down at a close-by jazz membership the place his quartet was jamming nightly. After gazing me quizzically (like, “What the hell are you doing right here?”), he requested, “What’s mistaken with the Knicks, man?” In between units, Branford defined that “Darkish Star” is his favourite Lifeless track and the primary factor he likes concerning the Lifeless is “their vibe.”
In regards to the upcoming New Yr’s gig, Branford instructed me, “We go on someday round eight. Apart from that, I don’t know jack. I feel I’m taking part in with [the Dead]; It’s as much as the cats.” Would Branford be my miracle passage into the Coliseum?
“It’s gonna be tight,” he cautioned. “I’ll aid you if I can. If I can’t….”
On New Yr’s Eve day, Ed and I visited HIGH TIMES’ Guru of Ganja, Ed Rosenthal, who lives in Oakland.
He gave us a tour of his magical cactus backyard and a few phrases of recommendation about attending New Yr’s reveals with out tickets. “I gained’t do it,” he stated. “It’s too miserable for those who don’t get in.” What bothered me as we looked for the freeway was if the Guru of Ganja couldn’t cop a New Yr’s ticket, what made us assume we may?
We had two plans: The Branford plan, and one other that concerned hooking up with Brett, a pal’s brother who had promised me his spare ticket. Each fell by means of. Apparently, I didn’t make Branford’s ticket lower. Including insult to damage, Denis McNally, the Lifeless’s publicist, scolded me for counting on a musician for tickets. “There isn’t a spare ticket in the home,” he stated, strolling away. So far as the opposite plan was involved, we by no means did discover Brett.
Despair rapidly overcame us. Slowly, we walked again to the lot, the place hundreds of ’heads have been celebrating the start of the present. Abruptly, it dawned on me that we weren’t precisely going to overlook the live performance. Each colourful automotive, van and bus within the lot was tuned to KPFA, the native station broadcasting stay New Yr’s Lifeless to the complete nation and possibly a couple of others. The squeak of Branford’s soprano sax tweaked my mind. We walked on.
There was just one strategy to salvage the scenario: acid and burritos. We surveyed the lot, checking for the acquainted sight of Lee’s double-decker, veggie-chow wagon. It didn’t take lengthy to identify it. Lee, Keith and others inside have been partying laborious. They invited us in (we stayed for a lot of the evening). Because the seven-hour present progressed, we drew solace from the ’heads round us. They too had been shut out, however “bummed” and “melancholy” didn’t appear a part of their vocabulary—not less than, not on this particular evening. We banded collectively—as these inside undoubtedly have been doing—elevating our spirits to uncommon heights.
The music actually helped. After a stunning electrical set that featured guitarist Robin Eubanks, Branford joined Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Bruce, Vince, Mickey, Invoice and visitor drummer Olatunji for 2 spectacular units. “Eyes of the World,” “Darkish Star,”
“Drums,” “Area,” “The Different One,” “Not Fade Away” (nice tribal dance/chant, closed the present), “The Weight,” “Johnny B. Goode” (encores). Jerry, Phil, Branford and Bruce acquired misplaced within the stars, improvising a lot of the evening. An unwieldy, sophisticated fusion of kinds, New Yr’s Lifeless reveled previously, current and future. It left me hopeful that this form of musical summit can occur greater than annually.
However I nonetheless wished we’d gotten in. The CAN crew didn’t even hassle attempting; they went to the Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers present in San Francisco as a substitute. Now I do know that buying New Yr’s Lifeless tickets takes nearly fanatical advance planning. There’s one thing painfully democratic about having to compete for tickets like everybody else. If solely I’d listened to ticket maven David, who suggested me to begin scouting for tix the second we touched down in Oakland….
Effectively, that’s all bongwater underneath the wharf now. Want me higher luck subsequent 12 months. Even whether it is New Yr’s Eve.
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