A Look Back, and Look Ahead.....

Last night, I went to the PNC Arts Center, in Holmdel NJ, to see Ratdog and the Allman Brothers.

Ratdog is Bob Weir's Band.  Bob Weir was a member of the Grateful Dead.   He has been touring with Ratdog since his musical brother, Jerry Garcia died in 1995.

Last night was special for many reasons.....one of which is my favorite guitar player, Steve Kimock has been playing with Ratdog during this tour...and he sounded great playin' leads, and filling in GD songs in a way, VERY FEW individuals know how to do.

More important than the music itself, was how TIME actually impacted me as I watched Bob Weir, sing the songs that I grew up with.   As he sang many songs from the catalogue of material that the Grateful Dead compiled over 35 years, (now nearly 45yrs) - I was struck at how a 60 year old man, has evolved, maintained -- and matured....in every way.

You see, Bobby "Rock Star" Weir, stayed relatively young looking throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's......maybe this was because he was standing next to Jerry Garcia (who was no picture of health) - but he really was a youthful looking guy.

Here is Bobby from 1979.

Here is Bob from 1969

These are many of the images "in my mind" as I listen to Bob Weir sing, play rhthym guitar- and I spritually connect with the Grateful Dead.

Sitting there, watching Bob Weir sing, the pictures to the left, is what I imagined in my mind, as he sang the songs he wrote......

Was that right?

Was it right of me to selfishly, NOT WANT ONE OF MY MUSICAL HERO'S TO AGE?

I felt a pang of guilt.....guilt from wanting Bob Weir to stay young, for wanting a HUGE PIECE of my youth to stay young.....

Suddenly, he started singing a song that Jerry wrote called, Scarlet Begonias (not his song) - and I released my desire, to STOP the hands of time.

I appreciated how he has evolved, progressed - and matured.

The concert got better, as I appreciated Bobby's lifetime accomplishments more than ever. 

"River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
all the way back back home
It's a far gone lullaby
sung many years ago
Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come
since I first left home"   

Broke-down Palace"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia

Here are some recent shots of the AGELESS WONDER, Bob Weir from August 2007.

(photo credits to the following: to Bob Minkin, Baron Wolman, Ric Findlay,)

Comments

[Desolate Angel]

Your musical horizons have grown tremendously since your UB days. Only thing I don't like on your music list on the side is Genesis. Not into the production stuff, or should I say overproduction? A far cry from Working Class Hero...one of my all time favorites.