Philosophy
It is officially Grateful Dead day! At least it is in Ithaca, New York. Of the more than 3,000 shows the band played, the widely acknowledged best of them, the night the X factor went exponential was May 8, 1977 in a show at Cornell's Barton Hall in Ithaca. In honor of that anniversary, the mayor of Ithaca issued an official proclamation"
If you want to give a listen to the show, it can be found here.
I've got to admit, I still feel guilty listening to archive.org. It's an utter embarrassment of riches. Time was, you had to trip across new bootlegs and hope the person with a copy was kind enough to share or that you had something he didn't have. Cornell 5/8/77 was the sort of thing that you were never sure really existed. It was something that someone you knew had an older brother who knew someone who supposedly had a copy. But now, they are all just out there. Makes you feel like a glutton sorting through and casually waving your hand at Shoreline, Alpine, or Greek Theater shows that would have been absolute treasures back then. But lest I get to high-minded here, I wouldn't trade for anything not needing to trade for anything.
Anyway, happy Grateful Dead day everyone. The time is right for dancin' in the streets.
- The Ontological Status Of Jake Blues
In the airport, I noticed the cover of the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine (not a regular read of mine) which features the Blues Brothers with Jim Belushi as Jake. Something felt odd about it and I've been trying to think through the case...
- Some Come To Laugh Their Past Away: Deadhead Jokes
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: Came across this story and just had to use it -- a combination of physics, Comedism, and the Grateful Dead. It turns out that the early universe was populated with stars that did not rely on nuclear...
- Favorite Blog Names
Short post today because I am on the road. I'll be speaking this weekend at Unbroken Chain: The Grateful Dead in Music, Culture, and Memory -- it's being billed as the largest conference on the legacy of the Grateful Dead, and the first to be...
- The Grateful Dead And Philosophy: It's A Wrap
I'm thrilled to say that the book is done and now in press. We have a new subtitle, so the book will appear as... The Grateful Dead and Philosophy: Getting High Minded About Love and Haight The book's official webpage is here. I could not be...
- Local Rock Stars
I?ve been spending the last couple of days at a wonderful conference ? the annual meeting of Texas/Southwest Popular and American Culture Association ? that for the last ten years has had a running session on academic interests around the Grateful Dead....
Philosophy
Happy Grateful Dead Day!
It is officially Grateful Dead day! At least it is in Ithaca, New York. Of the more than 3,000 shows the band played, the widely acknowledged best of them, the night the X factor went exponential was May 8, 1977 in a show at Cornell's Barton Hall in Ithaca. In honor of that anniversary, the mayor of Ithaca issued an official proclamation"
Whereas, the Grateful Dead have been recognized by many highly credible organizations, individuals and entities including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as significantly important and integral to the musical and social fabric of our contemporary culture, and
Whereas, on May 8th, 1977 the Grateful Dead performed in Barton Hall on the campus of Cornell University in the city of Ithaca New York, a concert that is widely acknowledged and regarded as a defining and transcendent occasion and example of the art of contemporary musical improvisation, collaboration, musicianship, and performance, and
Whereas, many tens of thousands of individuals who were not in attendance that night in Barton Hall, have become knowledgeable & familiar with the extraordinary nature of the performance on May 8th 1977 through the trading and sharing of recordings of the show, and
Whereas, the cultural identity and perceptions of Ithaca as a community, have been informed and bolstered by the widespread acknowledgement of the magic of May 8th, 1977, and
Whereas, it has been said many times by many people that, ?there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert?,
Now therefore, be it resolved that as Mayor of the City of Ithaca, and in heartfelt recognition of the thirtieth anniversary of the May 8th 1977 concert performance, I declare May 8th 2007 as Grateful Dead Day in the City of Ithaca.
If you want to give a listen to the show, it can be found here.
I've got to admit, I still feel guilty listening to archive.org. It's an utter embarrassment of riches. Time was, you had to trip across new bootlegs and hope the person with a copy was kind enough to share or that you had something he didn't have. Cornell 5/8/77 was the sort of thing that you were never sure really existed. It was something that someone you knew had an older brother who knew someone who supposedly had a copy. But now, they are all just out there. Makes you feel like a glutton sorting through and casually waving your hand at Shoreline, Alpine, or Greek Theater shows that would have been absolute treasures back then. But lest I get to high-minded here, I wouldn't trade for anything not needing to trade for anything.
Anyway, happy Grateful Dead day everyone. The time is right for dancin' in the streets.
- The Ontological Status Of Jake Blues
In the airport, I noticed the cover of the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine (not a regular read of mine) which features the Blues Brothers with Jim Belushi as Jake. Something felt odd about it and I've been trying to think through the case...
- Some Come To Laugh Their Past Away: Deadhead Jokes
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: Came across this story and just had to use it -- a combination of physics, Comedism, and the Grateful Dead. It turns out that the early universe was populated with stars that did not rely on nuclear...
- Favorite Blog Names
Short post today because I am on the road. I'll be speaking this weekend at Unbroken Chain: The Grateful Dead in Music, Culture, and Memory -- it's being billed as the largest conference on the legacy of the Grateful Dead, and the first to be...
- The Grateful Dead And Philosophy: It's A Wrap
I'm thrilled to say that the book is done and now in press. We have a new subtitle, so the book will appear as... The Grateful Dead and Philosophy: Getting High Minded About Love and Haight The book's official webpage is here. I could not be...
- Local Rock Stars
I?ve been spending the last couple of days at a wonderful conference ? the annual meeting of Texas/Southwest Popular and American Culture Association ? that for the last ten years has had a running session on academic interests around the Grateful Dead....