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Waka/Joewaka

So, I want to throw out a question to you who saw both JGB and the Dead (I only saw the latter). How was the experience? Did a lot of folks travel long distances? What made it distinctive from the Dead for you?

@JoeAce967 I lived in the bay area in the 70s so we used to see JGB all the time. He'd play all 3 of the keystones around once a month unless Dead tour got in the way. Crazy late shows: start at 11, finish at 2. Much more local crowd then -- it was a big deal to travel from Berkeley to Palo Alto, especially after Jerry had played till 2am in Berkeley the night before. Not many people coming from further afield.

Very different experience: all Jerry, different material, not trying for the full gdead experience but instead showcasing his take on americana, gospel, etc.

It was fun!

@colo_lee That sounds wonderful and so laid back. Thank you for sharing that!!

@JoeAce967 I started seeing Jerry band as the GD were getting bigger. They didn't play the east coast very much post coma until 89. At first I just mixed those shows in as I could. I quickly came to prefer the vibe. The pivot point for the music came in summer and fall 91. I fell out of love with Dead tour and got much more into Jerry shows. Those last few years I saw more of those, tho still not a huge number. He seemed happier there and the crowd lacked the dark edged intensity of 90s Dead.

@mrcompletely I understand the preference. (I loved the Dead but it became a chaotic monster at the end. I saw my last couple of shows in the Fall of '91.)

I am happy that you got to experience those Jerry shows!!

@JoeAce967 MSG 91 was my last big run of Dead shows. After that I saw a few here and there where it was easy and traveled for other things, Jerry side projects among them. Mostly I diversified my musical interests into jazz, bluegrass and weird modern music. Bottom line he seemed more engaged, like you were getting more of his attention and energy

@mrcompletely @JoeAce967 Randomly selected 11.9.91 from Hampton to listen to this afternoon. I loved JGB and had the luxury of living about an hour south of SF during all those 3 night Warfield runs (happened multiple times during any calendar year). Unbeknownst to me, many years after Jerry’s passing, I discovered that I was in attendance for the last JGB show (4.23.95). 😢 :jerry_hand:

@TheJohnMaher @JoeAce967 Warfield was so sweet...I never lived in the Bay Area but I snagged a Warfield ticket for one of the shows between Cal Expo and Shoreline Dead in 90. After that I made some dedicated trips for shows there.

That Hampton show is justly famous and really was quite special, Hampton was my Warfield so to speak lol, the venue I went to all the time. Couple great moments there in 93 as well but he wasn't as lucid/focused

@JoeAce967 I was your typical Midwest Touch Head. Saw about 35 GD shows with Jerry, two JGB shows; 11/22 & 23/1991. There were definitely many people on tour, but not nearly the scale of a GD show. It was distinctive from the dead to me mainly in that the songs seemed mellower, you had powerful female backing vocals, Melvin's organ was all-enveloping, and of course Garcia's soloing was far lengthier. I wish I had made the effort to see more JGB!

@BroadRipple @JoeAce967 I had seen probably 40-45 Dead shows before my first JGB show (MPP '89). Five songs in, I felt a tad traitorous. I thought the JGB was sooooo good, it felt like I was dissing the Dead a bit.
Everyone in the band was so talented and it was a showcase for Jerry. Song selection and cover choices were off the charts.
I saw five JGB shows on that Fall East Coast run in '89 and, to this day, they were simply some of the best concerts I've ever attended.

@Conville @BroadRipple That's funny that you felt that it was a bit traitorous. 😄

@JoeAce967 @BroadRipple I liken it to Phish fans who really dig TAB. You kinda feel like you are not supposed to like it more but maybe it just scratches an itch that the original doesn't and you super dig it.

@JoeAce967 by 1993 and with a bunch of JGB shows at The Warfield, JGB was my preferred option. Less hullabaloo, more convenient, smaller venues, and the shows felt more cohesive and Jerry more focused. Loved the soulful songs and backup singers

@JoeAce967 I saw 6 JGB shows (2 in 89, 3 in 91, 1 in 94) & loved them. 2 of the shows I was at have been released & they are both smokers! (9.16.89 Poplar Creek & 11.23.91 Milwaukee). The crowds were mellower - definitely there for the music & not just the party - and between the song choices, Melvin on the organ & the church ladies singing, the concerts felt way more spiritual. It was Jerry Church 🥹

@lizlovesmusic I was thinking about you when I wrote the original post, because I remember you saying that you went to some JGB shows.

Also - Jerry Church ❤️

@JoeAce967 Saw the last one in 94 only because my car broke down during my move to CA, which pushed things back by a week & I happened to be driving through Reno at 6pm on the day he was playing. After a summer of stadium shows, seeing JGB in a Reno Hilton parking lot was pretty special. Jerry did some rare tunes that night, too, inc. Johnny Too Bad by the Slickers.