It is with a very heavy heart that I write this post.
Phil Lesh, bass player and founding member of the Grateful Dead, passed away peacefully yesterday on the morning of October 25th, 2024, surrounded by family. He was 84.
Phil Lesh and the Grateful Dead were pioneers of the counter culture movement, something those of us in the crypto space can certainly appreciate. The band, and Phil especially, took great joy in pushing limits and boundaries, those being social, musical, and mental/intellectual/emotional, exploring the limits of the human mind via psychedelics.
There is so much history we can dive into here, but I'm going to focus on the Phil I personally knew and loved for this post. And I'll sprinkle in some personal anecdotes, and lots of photos.
In a nutshell... the Grateful Dead ended their 30 year legacy and played their last show on 7/9/95 in Chicago. They had a rough tour, crowds were getting larger and unruly, disasters and accidents had plagued the tour, Garcia was having serious health issues from heroin addiction, and the band was feeling the need for a change or hiatus. When they played the (relatively depressing) encore and walked off stage, the band was not in high spirits. Phil was bummed out. Phil's wife Jill said "You CANNOT end the tour like this. Play Box of Rain!" (one of Phils few songs and a relatively rare tune in the repertoire). Phil thought this was a good idea... he sent word to see if the guys were up for it, and they agreed. A few minutes later, the band was back on stage for what would be the last song the Grateful Dead ever played together.
And 'Box of Rain' could not have been a better choice. Phil and Robert Hunter (one of the Dead's lyricists) had written this song for Phil's dying father. The lyrics may be the most prophetic and universally relevant of all of their songs. The band blasted into an inspired version of the song before a now ecstatic crowd. Phil absolutely belted out the last line of the song, and no lyric could have been more perfect for the situation (although it would not be known just HOW perfect for another month)...
"Such a long, long time to be gone. And a short time, TO BE THERE!!!"
Take a listen, and please pay attention to the lyrics, especially at the end. This song is about LIFE and LIVING. It is poetic and prophetic, and full of universal truths.
https://open.spotify.com/track/7x2xjJV3YAPeLQJ7u3Kjet?si=8042b01429c044f3
The reason I can relay this story accurately is because I asked Phil about it one night after playing a show with him at his venue Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael CA. I had always wanted to know what prompted the extremely rare double encore for their final show, as I had not seen or heard this story relayed in an interview as of yet!
It was incredibly symbolic that Phil belted out the last line of the last Dead song. He, more than anyone else in the band early on in the post Dead world, picked up the ball and RAN with it. He was carrying the torch long before Dead and Co started packing sports arenas. He started 'Phil Lesh and Friends' and spent close to 30 years on tour, AFTER the Grateful Dead, playing with some of the best musicians on the planet. He kept that project going for decades. I used to go to these shows as a fan, later had the honor to work as a guitar/amp tech for several of these shows, and even got the incredible honor of being Phil's personal tech for a PL&F show earlier this year!
Not to mention having the honor of making live music with him on many occasions, as well as getting the privilege of just sitting and talking with him in a relaxed environment.
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Phil, getting tired of always being on the road and wanting his own venue, close to home, where he could play literally anytime he wanted at short notice, opened Terrapin Crossroads (TXR) in 2011. This concept had been inspired by Phil's friend Levon Helm, legendary drummer and vocalist from 'The Band', who had opened a homestyle venue on his land in upstate NY. I had met Phil's son Grahame when I was touring as bass player for 'Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers'. Grahame called me one day shortly after TXR opened and asked if I could come play some bass. Before I knew it, I was a house musician, playing both guitar and bass there on a regular basis. I remember one month where I played 28 shows!!
On top of this, Tim Bluhm of The Mother Hips asked me to be his guitar/amp tech at the inaugural Grate Room show with Phil! Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes was also on that first gig...that's where I met Chris! I was in the right place at the right time.
Fun Fact: when Phil was looking for the property to open the venue in, he came across this artwork/graffiti in the parking lot of the future TXR and said "Yep. This is it":
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TXR had a large open room restaurant, and featured live music 7 days a week, sometimes hosting three shows a day in the bar alone! (Brunch, happy hour, and dinner). Then there was the 'Grate Room', an approx 350 person intimate venue where Phil and other bigger bands would play (Chris Robinson was a regular here, along with countless other recognizable names like John Scofield). And the BAR!! We had a ton of famous people just drop in to play in the bar, often on the fly with no notice. Bob Weir, Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes, Trey Anastasio, John Mayer, Peter Rowan, Chris Robinson, Neal Casal, Bill Kirchen... all played for free in the TXR bar... to name a few lol! It was also not uncommon for Phil to play unannounced in the bar. He would often show up for Sunday Brunch... sitting at his personal reserved table in the bar right next to the soundboard, and watching us play in the brunch band, (which was always different musicians with no set lists). Sometimes he'd join in. I have to say, it was tough at first, and a bit unnerving to have a legend and one of my personal music heroes just sitting there watching me play. But you get used to it lol. Sort of.
(Typical packed bar shows at TXR playing with Phil):
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Phil really, really liked to Keep it Weird. He was the main driving force behind the Dead's musical oddities. In fact, since the very beginning, there was a sign on the Terrapin bar stage saying just that. Keep it Weird. It became the mantra of Terrapin Crossroads.
(VERY early brunch show in the bar with the 'Keep it Weird' sign on full display):
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Phil loved MUSIC. He loved playing, and he LOVED listening. He spent the majority of his 84 years playing incredible music in front of large crowds, pushing limits. He had a classical background, first playing trumpet in school orchestras in Berkeley. He was a lover of Stravinsky and other avant-garde classical composers. One time, a touring project called "100 guitars" came to town. It is what it sounds like... 100 electric guitars on stage (with a conductor thank God)! Phil bought a bunch of tickets and invited several of us TXR musicians to the show. I was his 'buddy' that day, riding shotgun in his car as he drove to the show, and sitting next to him during the performance. I will never forget his face during the most chaotic part of the show, when all 100 guitars were unleashed, the players making crazy sounds in an absolutely insane cacophony... Phil's eyes were closed and he was smiling from ear to ear.
Phil was full of gratitue and always made that known. He had survived a liver transplant in 1998, and at every single show he thanked the boy who saved his life with his organ donation, and asked those in attendance to please tell loved ones you would also be an organ donor. He wore a wristband at every show with Cody's name on it, the boy who saved his life. He was thankful for every single day on this earth and there was no question why.
He was incredibly generous with is time, and enjoyed sharing it. There was a thing called 'Stories and Songs', where Phil would first read stories to kids (and, let's be real, to their parents too!), and then we'd play a free set of music outside.
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(singing Christmas Carols to a room full of kids... and parents!):
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Phil was a genuine PHILanthropist, (pun intended), Reviving the live music scene in Marin County California with a serious jump start! Giving countless local musicians a regular paying gig. With food. And drinks. (Both big perks for the working musician, and not always included)!!
After a few years of operation, they opened the 'beach park' stage out back. Including the TXR decks and patios, approx 1700 people could enjoy a show at the beach park. Often shows were free, and last minute. I might get a text at 11am on any random day of the week, saying "It's a beautiful day today... would you like to come play some music outside?" Of course, I would drop everything, load up my car, and head down!
(Packed lawn at the TXR Beach Park):
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Sets with Phil were often loose and spontaneous. You never knew what songs you would be playing. One of the highlights of my time playing with Phil was when he asked, on stage, if I could play 'Unbroken Chain'. This might be my all time favorite Grateful Dead song, and a tough one at that! As with most Phil songs, no two verses were the same! Odd tempos, time changes, key changes, long, weird jams... OF COURSE I could play it!! I smiled at him and plucked the first few notes of the intro as an answer. He laughed, looked around at everyone on stage, and just counted it off. Ironically, the Dead recorded this song in 1974, but NEVER played it live until 1995! I found it incredibly funny to be the one to later tell him it was always rumored that IF the Dead ever played this song live, it would mark the end. This turned out to be prophecy.
Please listen and enjoy... 'Unbroken Chain' embodies the true spirit of the Grateful Dead, and is considered by their fans to be one of their most iconic songs:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3TnYmwSB4qiKSFAmw4KcjB?si=e0fb59ac62ee455a
Another top gig highlight... when I surprised Phil with the ride cymbal 'part' in the Dead song Easy Wind and made him crack up on stage... Easy Wind is on the classic album 'Workingman's Dead'. It has a cool jam with very 'tribal' drums, coming to a climax with a very subtle yet very pronounced cymbal part. When we would do these shows, we would just go in a circle, and everyone had to take turns; you call, sing and lead a song. I chose Easy Wind that day specifically to play that part as sort of a joke. You can hear it on the the original recording at 3:33, but I'd recommend listening to the whole song:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4n9pxaY7bTDMnw9biuCkhu?si=34374c110cfa4f12
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And... here's a video of that moment:
Audio quality is not great (audience phone recording) but you can see it all go down! I went through great lengths to get the cymbal on stage for this one part. And none of the musicians noticed lol.
Watch Phil's reaction, at 5:30 in the video. Priceless! He keeps that grin for the rest of the song! Then watch him reference it at 7:09. Everyone obviously got the joke. Moments like these... I cannot express the love and gratitude!
Phil was accessible to the public in all of these situations, happy to meet fans, take photos, and just chat.
There was an incredible sense of community at Terrapin Crossroads. It was literally like Cheers...where everybody knows your name! There was an extended family of both fans and musicians. It was also a global destination for Deadheads! You could just show up, and chances were very high you'd be seeing some great music!
This whole Terrapin scene was a big part of how Fat Jimmy Amplifiers got started, and got in the hands of real professionals. I had access to some amazing, top shelf players.
And then, years later when TXR had closed after covid... when Phil might put a band together to play locally at the Fillmore or Warfield... I would often be hired to bring amps and be the guitar tech on stage.
Then, once, when Phil's regular tech was out of town, I had the incredible honor of being asked to be Phil's personal tech at the Warfield! This felt like an even bigger honor than playing with him, as there was a lot more responsibility. Setting up his rig, tuning his bass, helping him in and out of his bass on stage, clipping his in-ear monitor pack onto his belt, tweaking things as needed. And one of the best parts? Phil does not show up for soundcheck. So... I had to 'be Phil' for soundcheck and play his rig for 90 min with world class musicians in a world class venue!
(My view from the tech chair at the Warfield in San Francisco):
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('Being Phil' for soundcheck at the Warfield):
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For those of you who are willing to get a little weird...here's just a few EXCELLENT and very WEIRD select Grateful Dead jams...
https://open.spotify.com/track/3zych9e6K1BfnwJN7KhFp1?si=9fb80148b07d467e
https://open.spotify.com/track/4J600IjlMsYebVs0EvszX4?si=2050b2bf93b54cdd
https://open.spotify.com/track/1x7FvHES9XSND7fB3XpQUh?si=f94bd5d387ad425c
https://open.spotify.com/track/035BdOetzlpIvlqHhxG0Nq?si=95cb14a4bcd84b36
https://open.spotify.com/track/1m6rWZAK4vVLPbEGq59eT2?si=e93cf8bfbcc042a9
I cannot express the gratitude and honor I feel for being a part of this scene. Getting to know Phil, work with him, make music with him, ask questions every Deadhead wanted the answer to (ie why DID you guys stop playing St. Stephen??)... meet and hang with lots of other great musicians... get my Fat Jimmy Amplifiers in the hands of real pro musicians... and all the while Keeping it Weird. Thank you Phil for your lifetime of giving, making, and sharing some of the best, weirdest and most unique music on the planet. I am eternally Grateful for having known you. Enjoy your new freedom my friend, unburdened by limitations of the physical world. You've earned it!!
"Such a long, long time to be gone... and a short time, to be there..."
