Wednesday, August 10, 2005

A Conservative Deadhead? You Bet I Am...And I'm Not Alone

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of a loss that hit me hard on a personal level; it was the day Jerry Garcia finally paid the price for his stupid lifelong love affair with heroin. The music of the Grateful Dead is an acquired taste; some can't stand the lengthy breathing room and sometimes aimless noodling that were the price of the occasional flashes of sheer brilliance.

That's fine; to each his own. Once the taste is acquired, though, it's incredibly consuming. One is reminded of the famous Bill Graham tribute: 'They're not the best at what they do; they're the only ones who do what they do.' So it is with great pleasure that I give you this piece from the NY Sun, about famous conservative Deadheads Ann Coulter, Tucker Carlson, and Deroy Murdock, and how it is that we conservatives could have such a great time in the midst of 40,000 hippies.

I can pretty much endorse the sentiment of the article. Besides the genuinely great music Garcia and gang put out on the best nights, there was a genuine love of the fans, and love between the fans, that was thrilling, comforting, and is greatly, greatly missed. RIP, you big ol' lug, and thanks for the memories...