March 26, 2024 • 39 mins
Join us on a sonic journey as Tommy Kennedy takes us from the electric buzz of a Bob Dylan fandom to the psychedelic swirl of becoming a Grateful Dead convert. The episode kicks off with Tommy's rich storytelling, painting the scene of his first Grateful Dead concert where the air was thick with excitement and faces were adorned with vibrant paints. His tales extend beyond the music, revealing the tapestry of experiences that hooked him into the Dead's unique culture, and how one album, "Wake of the Flood," served as the catalyst for this transformation. We navigate through Tommy's recollections of the contrast between East and West Coast Dead shows, the ingenuity of sneaking an ice chest into venues, and the community spirit that saw him through an incredible 187 concerts.
As the conversation unfurls, we find ourselves reflecting on the broader picture of music appreciation, evoking memories of a time when ticket prices were a fraction of today's costs and each venue had its own distinct atmosphere. We share laughs over a Bobby Vinton concert and wax nostalgic about the Grateful Dead's dual drummers and the shift in their performance sound.
The episode culminates with a heart-to-heart about I Hike for Mental Health www.hikeformentalhealth.org, a nonprofit co-founded by Tommy after a chance encounter that married his love for hiking with a cause close to his heart. We examine how hitting the trails can be a balm for the mind and the critical importance of mental health research and trail preservation, efforts that Tommy's organization champions. A touching tribute to Brent, the "new guy" who left an everlasting imprint on the Grateful Dead, rounds out our discussion. His legacy, like the music of the Dead, continues to resonate with fans old and new, a testament to the enduring power of community and song.
This episode is sponsored by ShakedownTshirts.com with unique lot-style T-shirts and gifts for Grateful Dead, Phish, Zappa, Panic, and more. All US orders over $35 Ship Free. Use code "Lot20" for 20% off any order.
Tales From The Lot
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Tales from the Lot, Episode 21.
You were all part of the band.
Tommy Kennedy's here to talkabout 9377 in Englishtown, New
Jersey, hiking for mental healthand East Coast versus West
Coast shows.
Let's do it.
Hi, welcome to Tales from theLot.
My name is Will, I'm your hostand my guest today is Tommy
Kennedy.
We're going to talk about 9377at Raceway Park and a bunch of
(00:24):
other stuff.
Tom's coming to us from Texas.
How are you doing, Tommy?
Good?
I'm doing good, Good, good,Fantastic.
Let's just start at thebeginning.
So like, are you from Texasoriginally?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
No, I'm originally from New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh, new Jersey, Okay, and you grew up there, there.
So what were you into growingup musically?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Bob Dylan.
Yeah, I was a Dylan head waybefore.
I was a Grateful Dead head.
And then after, when I went tocollege, I moved up to Boston,
lived in a house, an oldVictorian with 10 other guys and
(01:09):
one girl, and somebody put onI'm going to say Wake of the
Flood and I was like holy shit.
And that's when the bus came byand I got on and my first show
was up in Boston.
Holy shit.
And that's when the bus came byand I got on.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And my first show was up in Boston.
Gotcha, I didn't you mentionedDylan.
I didn't find Dylan reallyuntil after I found the dead,
but I know I was kind oflistening to Equal Bob Dylan and
Grateful Dead at the beginningwhen I first found it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I mean two amazing different types of words, you
know while you mention that, doyou know that Bob Dylan
requested to become a member ofthe Grateful Dead?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yes, he requested to be a member of the Grateful Dead
and you know the dead loveDylan and they got together and
talked about it and they votedon it and they decided it
probably wouldn't be the bestthing for the band, so they
declined them.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
When, when he toured with the Grateful Dead I can't
remember what it was back in 86or 87.
Yeah, and he really enjoyedplaying with the Dead.
He didn't think he was, but hereally did really After the
first show.
Then he got into it and heeventually requested to become a
(02:36):
member of the Grateful Dead andthey seriously considered it
and then voted on it, decided itprobably wouldn't be the best
thing for the band and althoughI'm absolutely certain they made
the right decision, I wonderwhat the dead would have been
like with Dylan in there.
You know, it would have beeninteresting, I think.
(02:58):
But I'm glad that he deniedthem.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, I agree that probably would have been the
greatest idea.
But just have him be apermanent opener, make yeah,
that's the idea, because it is agreat mix.
Your first show was in Boston,you said.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, about 1972,.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I think how did you adapt there?
Were there some friends going,or were you the one who
instigated and said listen, youguys have got to come see this.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No, we were living in a house up in Boston and, like
I said, somebody put on Wake ofthe Flood and we were like holy
crap.
And then the rest is history.
I heard that and you know itwas early 70s.
(03:54):
We were doing a lot ofexperimentation back then and
back then people used to somepeople used to paint their faces
to go to a dead show and so wedecided to paint our faces to go
to the show and we didn't havetickets right, so we had to take
(04:15):
the trolley and I had my faceall white, with red lips, blue
eyeshadow and black teardropscoming off my eyes.
And we get on the trolley andthis one woman just burst out
laughing and we're like what'sso funny?
They're like you guys.
We're like we're going to a deadshow, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Right, the circus is in town.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, we got tickets and we got in, so it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Nice, that's awesome.
So those folks once you sawthat did that same group just
keep on seeing shows after that.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
No, I was only up there for about a year, and so I
actually went back down tojersey and, um, my good friend
pete and I started going to theshows and we went to many, many,
many shows, you know, andthat's how I really, you know,
(05:19):
really got into them right.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, it's hard not to, it's they come that often.
I mean they just toured forever, which is kind of a blessing
and a curse, I guess, but it waseasy to see them because they
were just always coming aroundeven in the 90s People say 187
shows.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
What did you?
Follow them around the country?
I was like no, new York.
You had 10 shows at the Garden,the Nassau Coliseum, new Jersey
.
Then I wound up moving toCalifornia and so we had Irvine
shows, the Kaiser, the Coliseum,hell, they play all the time up
(06:01):
there.
And the next thing, you know, Iwound up with 187 dead tickets.
You know stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Wow, I'm like holy shit.
Yeah, I mean, and at that timetoo, in those locations, you're
seeing some of the all-timeclassic shows.
I mean, I talked about it atthe beginning.
Let's talk about this EnglishTown, New Jersey show, for
instance.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So the English Town was my brother, who was not a
deadhead, he didn't even smokepot or anything, he was totally
straight.
My friend Pete, and anotherfriend of mine JC was his name
and so we got there real earlyto get a good spot and we tried
(06:47):
to bring an ice chest in.
We had a big ice chest.
They wouldn't let us in becausewe had beer.
So we went back, rearranged theice chest to hide the beer,
went back into the same guy.
Right next to the guy there wasanother guy and he goes I need
to look in the ice chest.
I opened it up and I pulled theice to the side where I knew
(07:09):
there was no beer and I saidhere he got us.
And he looked over to the guy.
He goes they're good, I alreadychecked them.
So we got in with almost twocases of beer and about a fifth
of vodka and two half gallons oforange juice.
So we were stacked.
We could have sold a can ofbeer for $10 in there.
(07:34):
It was like, of course wedidn't, but it was really,
really good.
It was nice to have that.
Yeah, you were.
It was nice to have that.
Yeah, you were and then we alsohad what was called at the time
Blue Barrel.
I don't know if you know whatthat was, but it was an LSD and
(07:56):
it was a tiny little blue barrel.
So all of us, except for mybrother, we did the Blue Barrel
and the show was actually goingto be Marshall Tucker, new
Riders and the Dead, and so wegot there real early.
So we were pretty close and Iremember them turning on a hose
(08:21):
because it was really hot thatday.
They turned a hose on forpeople to cool off because it
was really hot that day.
They turned a hose on forpeople to cool off.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well as the day progressed, that hose turned
into a huge, huge mud pit.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
People were playing in the mud.
It was crazy.
And so my brother was drinkingthe screwdrivers and of course
we were having some and somebeers also.
But with the LSD you can tendto drink a lot more because it's
hard to override the LSD.
(08:58):
Yeah, I do.
Next thing, I'm looking at mybrother and he is like, like,
looking like he's dying to me.
He's laying down, it's not so.
I looked at him.
I said kevin, you look really,really bad to me.
I said do I need you to takeyou to the infirmary?
And he looks at me.
(09:18):
He goes no, I'm just drunk outof my mind.
I'm like okay.
I said okay, you know, becausewhen you're that high you can't
tell you know.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And you never know what somebody put into his drink
, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, that's true too , you know.
But yeah, he was fine, nice,and it was an amazing show.
And in fact afterwards thealbum.
There was a bootleg box setalbum, vinyl, and I bought it
because the show was so good andI had that vinyl.
(09:59):
I always bought bootleg albumsbecause I was like they're not
going to play forever and I wantto listen to them for the rest
of my life.
Little did I know I didn't needto be singing shows.
Um, right, um, yeah, it was uman amazing, amazing show.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
um, yeah, I, I listened to it actually, but I,
I I realized it was what tix pix15, I think it is uh, really
crisp copy that you can streamanywhere.
So this afternoon I've beenlistening to that whole show and
it is I mean, it's like just,it's just so much energy and uh,
so I guess it's the first oneback, so Mickey Hart had been in
(10:40):
a car accident, yeah, and sothey'd taken a little time off.
This was the first one back andyou could tell I mean there
were some flubs here and there,but the energy that they were
going at everything was soamazing.
The estimated on there is sogood and really the whole thing
is yeah, so definitelyrecommended listening there.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Years ago I went to a festival in Pennsylvania and
the Marshall Tucker Band wasthere and I was right up front
and he's like.
You know, last time we were inthis part of the country was
1978 in Englishtown.
I looked up at him and I saidno, 77.
(11:20):
I said I was there and you werethere, it was 77.
He laughed, he goes.
Well, we were pretty high, Iwas like so, but we can remember
when it was yeah we know whatyear it was.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Let me get that close , that's great.
Did New Riders play first, andthen Marshall Tucker and then
the Dead that day?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
No, it was Marshall Tucker first, then New Riders
and, if my memory serves me well, I think Jerry may have played
Pedal Steel with the Nerps.
That was going to be my nextquestion.
Actually, I think I'm prettysure he did.
You know, when you go to thatmany shows it's hard to remember
(12:03):
, but I'm pretty sure he wasplaying pedal steer at that.
We'd have to look at Dick'spick to see if he was, but I
think he was yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Yeah, cool.
So you know you mentioned youlive in California for a while
and so what are some of thestandout works that you went?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
to.
Well, my favorite venue to seethem in and I saw the dead there
once, but I saw Jerry there afew times is the Kaiser
Auditorium, and on one ofJerry's albums there's a picture
of the.
Kaiser and the people in thecrowd.
It was a great, great venue.
(12:43):
It was small.
They had a bar downstairs.
They pumped the music into thebar so when you wanted to go get
a beer you could still hear theband.
That's great.
That was really great.
I've been to a New Year's show.
That was really great.
And I've been to a New Year'sshow.
That was really funny.
(13:04):
And I remember going into theshow and there were people
standing there with $100 billsfor a ticket and I was like, oh
my God, somebody would pay $100?
.
And now I wish I could pay $hundred dollars.
Yeah, I gladly pay a hundreddollars for that yeah and uh,
(13:25):
but at that time a hundreddollars for a concert was
unheard of.
You know um yeah, that was goodand also, uh, irvine was um
great place to see the dead andI lived really close to Irvine,
so that was I considered playingin my backyard when they played
(13:46):
Irvine.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Right, so that was like early mid-80s when you were
living there.
Then yes, Yep.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Yeah.
And I was in San Diego to about19,.
From 1980 to about 91, wentback to Jersey for a couple of
years, then went back to SanDiego, then went back to Jersey,
you know.
So I've seen the East Coastshows and the West Coast shows
(14:17):
and there's a huge differencebetween an East Coast show and
the West Coast shows, andthere's a huge difference
between an East Coast show and aWest Coast show.
You see the dead in MadisonSquare Garden Everybody is
singing, every word, you know,standing up.
The first show I saw inCalifornia, everybody was
sitting down and listening to it.
(14:38):
I'm like what the hell?
Um, it was really bizarre, youknow.
After like a while, um, you know, years later, people were
starting to really totally enjoythe shows better in the bay
area, they always, but down inSan Diego it was like it was
(15:01):
weird, you know.
And then there was anotherinteresting show at Giant
Stadium in New Jersey where,when I got home, my parents said
what did you do today?
I said I was at the Dead Showat the Meadowlands and like,
(15:22):
well, we were at a concert atthe Meadowlands.
I was like well, you weren't atthe Dead Show.
And my mom was like no, thosepeople are disgusting.
We were seeing Bobby Vinton, Iwas like, oh gee, I missed that
one.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, bobby Vinton yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
High up on the list?
Yeah, exactly, but it was.
Oh, that's hilarious, it wasfunny.
My dad was a drummer.
I always wished we could havetaken him to see the dead, you
know, because at that timehaving two drummers was and my
father's generation never, neverheard of, you know, and my dad
(16:03):
would not have liked the music,but he would have appreciated
his drums you know Right?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, I mean, you know people say that, but I mean
I get that sometimes it gets alittle extended, but for the
most part I mean it's Americana.
I mean there's country inana,there's country in there,
there's blues in there.
I feel like, unless you're likeI only listen to hard bop or
something, then otherwise I feellike you're going to find
(16:31):
something redeemable about it.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, I never went to the bathroom during space.
I didn't want to miss it at all.
I never went to the bathroomduring space.
I didn't want to miss it at allBecause if you really pay
attention to what they're doing,there's a method.
It's not just noise, there's amethod.
There's actually a beat to itand if you really pay attention,
(16:58):
it's very, very cool.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, as a drummer myself, I was always pretty
inspired by the drum segment,and I remember at my first show
I'd listen to some Random Dad.
I didn't really like it, but myfriend sort of forced me to go
and obviously I loved it fromthe first note of half set.
(17:20):
But uh, by the time drums ran,came around.
I didn't.
I wasn't expecting, I didn'tknow what it was, didn't know
what that was going to happen.
It was just like what?
A whole 20 minutes of justdrums, and I was blown away by
it.
That was one of the favoriteparts.
Now I will admit to going tothe restroom a couple of times
through Way to Go Home, thoughWell, my bathroom was one more.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Saturday night, because I think they played that
every single Saturday night andI was like you know, especially
if they did it for an encore, Iwas like, well, now I can beat
the traffic.
You know, I've heard that songso many times, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
If it's an encore, yeah, yeah if it's an encore,
yeah For sure.
If it's an encore, it's time togo.
Yeah, but if not, then you know, maybe you'll get something
good there.
So you saw a hundred, and howmany shows did you say?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
187,.
Give or take one or two, rightaround a hundred.
Yeah, close enough, yeah, andit's funny because people one or
two right around 100.
Yeah, close enough, yeah.
And it's funny because peoplethink I was like touring and
stuff.
I was like no 187, I was like anovice, you know, I've seen
(18:33):
them 500 times, you know andmore, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right, and you know you were seeing them when they
still had a while to go.
So there's, there's plenty ofyears of dead available to you
really, and so that's the bigdifference.
I mean.
I mean, like you said, theywere touring all the time and
over the years they just add up.
I mean, uh, I'm sort of thesame way with fish.
I don't, I don't follow themaround, but I steadily see my
(18:59):
number rising and rising andrising.
I live next to Dick's, I'm ashort flight from Vegas, and so
it just goes up and up becausethey play those places a lot.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I got to witness their progression from the early
70s and even tapes from the 60s, when they were really raw and
how they progressed into being,I hate to say, professional, but
more of a professional sound tothem.
More of a professional sound tothem.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And it was really interesting seeing their
progression all along you knowyeah, no doubt I mean I was
thinking of that today listeningto that English town show that
you know just how kind of clangychangy the guitars are.
It's just we're all reallyloose and and not you know where
you get to, like where they'rein the mid late 80s and 90s
(20:01):
where it's almost like a studiosound coming out of the speakers
because it's so clean.
Yeah, and just I mean reallyclean sound by the end, which
was good, and you know they wereahead of their from when Donna
and Keith were there up throughto when Brent came on.
(20:23):
I feel like there was kind oflike right after that it really
started getting a lot cleaner.
It did.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Sound-wise.
Yeah, he really, really trulyadded to the band big time.
Yeah, it was a really reallygood choice to bring him on.
Unfortunately, he succumbed tothe demons, but he was really,
(20:50):
really good for the band, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, so you're involved with a non nonprofit
also.
Is that right Correct?
And that's called Hike forMental Health Correct.
Tell me about that.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
We started this about 12 years ago.
I was at a Holiday Inn rightnear where I lived having dinner
.
A girl walked in.
She sat down, ordered ahamburger.
I never saw a woman eat ahamburger like that in my life.
I looked at her and said thatburger never had a chance.
(21:31):
She goes.
I've been fantasizing about itfor three months.
I've been in China eating riceand so she was there on business
.
I lived right next door.
Then she introduced me toanother guy, leo, who was also
staying at the Holiday Inn andwe would go out and do some
hikes and stuff.
(21:52):
Nancy moved back to Texas andLeo and I were still in Jersey
and we did some hiking and wewere having dinner.
And we were still in Jersey andwe did some hiking and we were
having dinner and we were likewouldn't it be good to do
something to give back?
And Leo said well, let's see.
I said something to do withhiking.
He goes let's see, why do wehike?
(22:12):
I immediately said we hike formental health.
We feel so much better afterhiking.
And originally he didn't likethe name he goes.
That's really a long name.
I said yeah, but it saysexactly what we do and so that's
when it was conceived.
It was born about six weekslater.
(22:33):
And we raise, we're allvolunteer, nobody gets a salary.
All the donations 100 donationsgo to the cause.
We even pay the processing feeout of our own pockets, um, for
credit cards, um, and, like Isaid, nobody gets a salary or
anything like that.
(22:54):
And 80 we give goes to theBrain and Behavior Research
Foundation in New York.
They give $50,000 grants toscientists that are on the
cutting edge of a breakthroughbut have not been funded yet.
Once they get funded, it's alot easier for them to get
(23:15):
funded again.
We give 10% to the AppalachianTrail and 10% to the Pacific
Crest Trail.
And we're on our 12th year.
Last year we gave a check for$15,000.
And our checks for the BrainyBehavior Research Foundation are
(23:36):
always over $50,000.
Sometimes it can be as high as$80,000.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
So what type of events and what kind of things
do you guys organize and howdoes it all?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
We have hikes going on all over the country.
Anybody can volunteer to lead ahike for us.
If they Google hike for mentalhealth, we come right up.
One of our premier events is wedo a hike up mount washington
in new hampshire every year.
We already have about over 100people signed up for that one.
(24:12):
Already this year.
That one we usually raise over2525,000.
That's a lot of fun and thisyear we're incorporating the COG
so people can sign up to takethe COG up if they don't feel
like hiking up the mountain.
So it's just a really good funevent.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's awesome.
I mean, I'm here in.
Colorado, so I take a hike hereand there around the state so I
feel like 200 better every time.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Yeah, I mean just get some air,getting taking something, I'm
seeing some wildlife and and andwhatever.
Uh, you know, by the time I'mdone, I'm, I'm just feeling
(24:57):
great.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, I did the 1100 mile florida trail in 2015 and,
uh, that took 10 weeks, wow yeah, that's impressive yeah half
that trail is underwater.
If your feet start to get dry,you know you're heading back
(25:22):
into water.
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Yeah, Sounds like there might be an element of
danger there too, in Florida andshallow waters.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I stopped counting alligators at 100, and that was
only two weeks into the trail.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And you know, snakes and goddamn the mosquitoes are
unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
You know yeah.
Yeah, you got some mosquitoesin goddamn, the mosquitoes are
unbelievable, you know?
Yeah, you've got somemosquitoes in Texas though too.
Yeah, we do.
That's a great thing, and doyou know of anything going on
here in Colorado?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Not at the moment, but if you go on our website you
can see all our hikes, wherethey are, you know, and things
like that.
You can sign up and do it.
All our events are non-stigmaevents, so we tell people.
If you want to talk, if youhave a mental illness one in
four people suffer from someform of mental illness If you
(26:19):
want to talk about it, you can.
If you don't want to, you don'thave to.
We look at it like you have acold.
We don't look at it like there'sno stigma involved you know,
and you know, when I was a kid,there was a stigma about breast
cancer.
Women didn't talk about it.
They died a painful death.
(26:40):
They were embarrassed about it.
Now we're save the ta-tas.
We can do the same thing formental illness.
More people will seek help andwe'll have less people taking
their lives.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
No doubt that's a great cause.
Thanks for that.
Amazing work.
At the end, I'd like to wrap upwith recommendations.
I know deadheads are smart,interesting people who like cool
stuff.
So is there a book or an albumor a movie or something that's
really struck you lately?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Well, this is an old book.
It's, I'm sure, out of print,but you can still find it.
It's the Rolling Stoneinterview of Jerry and it was
done probably very early 70s andit's a great book.
It's a paperback and Jerry isreally open and candid.
(27:39):
It's just a really really goodinterview.
I should have grabbed it justto show you what the cover looks
like, but this is also verycool because I can't tell you
how many times the words I heardwere not the words being sung,
and this corrects all that.
(27:59):
You can get all the words andthere's linear notes about when
the song was written and allkinds of good information on
that.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
The annotated Grateful Dead lyric book.
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yes, the complete annotated Grateful Dead lyrics.
It's a really, really good book.
And you know, after Jerrypassed, I went.
I saw the dead, I saw the otherones.
(28:35):
What was the other incantationI had Further?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Further, further.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And it was good music .
I mean, there's no doubt theywere all talented.
But I couldn't get over thelistening to them.
And they'd be playing a Jerrysong and I'd be like, yeah, but
Jerry was going like damn it,you know, and I just couldn't
get over it.
So I stopped seeing them, youknow.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah, I haven't seen a whole lot of stuff either.
I mean, I saw the first Furthertour and you know, one of the
offshoots that I was reallyimpressed with was the Mickey
Hart band that was touring a fewyears ago with David Schools
from Widespread Panic on bass.
That was a group that I wasreally impressed with because
they were doing somethingdifferent.
(29:27):
I felt like they were makingnew music essentially.
But if you look at what Bobby'sdoing with Dead Company, that's
cool and I'm glad that he'skeeping it alive.
I don't want to say anythingbad about that because it needs
to be kept alive.
But he had that album, uhcalled blue mountain, of like
folk songs and americana andstuff that I thought was
fantastic and that was a reallygood lane for him to maybe stick
(29:51):
with.
Uh, are you familiar with thatalbum, blue mountain?
Speaker 3 (29:54):
that I am not.
I will be now um yeah check itout.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
I mean it's.
It's just like it's all newmusic and it's very folky and
Americana and it felt a lot likewhat Johnny Cash was sort of
doing, sort of at the end of hislife with Rick Rubin or whoever
I think that's who wasproducing it.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Sort of gothic sounding Americana.
I don't know, but I thought itwas a good lane for him.
His voice really suited themusic, Wow.
But you know he makes a lot ofmoney with Dead Company, so
there's something to be said forthat.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, there's no doubt they're making amazing
money.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
From the makers of the Big Bong Theory and how I
Met your Dealer comes thehilarious new sitcom Two Hippies
and a Cop lighting up yourThursday nights this fall on
TFTL-TV.
Lenny and Woo are twofree-spirited hippies living the
high life with their love ofconcerts and herbal remedies.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Hey, lenny, wasn't that show so good last night?
Totally epic man.
I'm pretty sure I left my bodysomewhere in the middle of that
second set.
Oh, so that's where you went.
I thought you went to therestroom.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
But here's the twist their new roommate is none other
than Cletus Strait, an Indianastate cop.
All right, listen up, you two.
No more jam sessions pastmidnight and keep the incense
away from the smoke detector.
Cue the chaos, the mix-ups andthe side-splitting shenanigans
as these three unlikelyroommates navigate their way
(31:38):
through life, love and thepursuit of peace and
understanding.
Two hippies and a cop, becausesometimes the best friendships
are the ones you least expect.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Don't miss it Thursdays at 8 pm only on
TFTL-TV.
I met Phil one time and I saidto him what do I say to Phil
Lesh Except thank you, thank you, thank you.
I said you know, you reallymade us feel like we were part
of the band.
He got up, came around thetable and hugged me and he said
(32:22):
you guys were part of the band.
He got up, came around thetable and hugged me and he said
you guys were part of the band.
We played off you, just likeyou played off us.
He goes, you were, you guyswere absolutely part of the band
and uh, and that was kind ofcool, you know, because I had
dreams where I'm up on the stage, you know, off the side, while
they're performing stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yeah, yeah, and I felt that too.
I mean even the limited time Iwas able to see him.
There was a give and take ofenergy.
You could tell, I mean from alow-energy show to a high-energy
show and the difference in thecrowd you can see it, no doubt
(33:05):
yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
And the jerry shows.
I saw jerry in chula vista,california, just before he went
into that coma.
Um, it's like a day or twobefore he went into the coma and
I was there with a bunch of myfriends.
I said all right, all right, wegot to go.
And they're like can I say thathe's not going to come on for
about 45 minutes after the show.
(33:28):
I said no, jerry comes onimmediately.
It was an 8 o'clock show.
At 8 o'clock he's walking outon the stage.
They didn't believe me.
Oh yeah, jerry was never late,always right on time.
The show starts at 8.
He walks out on the stage at 8o'clock.
I did not know that, yeah, andhe did one of my favorite songs,
(33:51):
shining Star, and I rememberbeing in the crowd and as soon
as he hit the first note Iyelled out Shining Star.
And the guy about 12 rows downlooks up and he goes oh my God,
that's a good call, you know.
But what happened was Jerry,and I can't find a tape of it.
(34:12):
But Jerry got stuck in the songand it went on and on and on.
It was like this is my favoriteJerry song.
I was like Jerry, come on, Endit.
And so I think he was likemaybe getting a little spacey
(34:33):
from because he went right intoa coma.
I think it was the next day orthe day after, you know.
But, I remember going what thehell's wrong with him, why can't
he end this song, you know.
But I remember going what thehell's wrong with him, why, why
can't he end this song.
You know, it was weird, youknow, yeah, but he influenced my
life as much as my father did,to be honest with you, and I
(34:59):
wouldn't be the same person I amnow if it were not from,
obviously, my father, but alsothe Grateful Dead.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
You know what was sort of your favorite era.
Did you prefer the Keith?
Speaker 3 (35:21):
and Donna era versus the Brent era versus the Vince
era Brent by far.
Yeah, you know Keith, by thetime I really started seeing the
dead, keith was not veryvibrant.
And you know Donna.
We loved Donna in the band.
We loved seeing her.
We're like is she going to bedressed up or is she going to be
(35:44):
wearing jeans or what?
You know a voice, in allhonesty, most times was fine,
but every now and then her voicejust sucked.
You know Brent came in and didabsolutely wonderful, wonderful
job.
The unfortunate thing was hewas there for like 10 years and
(36:08):
everybody was calling him thenew guy.
You know you mentioned that hegoes.
Yeah, he's been with us for 10years and they all still call
him the new guy.
You know, he was really reallyum very talented, you know yeah,
indeed, yeah, I, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I didn't get a chance to see him live.
I came on a couple years or ayear later, uh, but uh,
definitely he was my favorite asfar.
I mean, just I just love hisvoice, I mean the tone that he
added to the harmonies and andjust his voice was so good and
the passion.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
You know, he sung with passion you know he played
with passion, sang with passion.
He was passionate.
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
One of my favorite things was watching that
Downhill From here video wherejust him and Jerry grinning so
hard at each other, pushing eachother on and, uh, I love that.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
That is so cool I hope everybody picks up on that.
It's not like just you and I,um, because that was so cool,
you could just see them playingwith each other, you know.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
And uh yeah, that's absolutely fantastic, you know
you can see the love andeverything between them right
there.
It was amazing.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
It was great and anytime Bobby could remember the
word to truck, and that wasalways a positive.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, that's awesome.
All right, tommy kennedy, thankyou so much for for for joining
me here and telling yourstories, and it was sure great
to talk to you and to meet youtoday all right, thank you very
much also.
Tales from the Lot, Episode 21.
You were all part of the band.
Tommy Kennedy's here to talkabout 9377 in Englishtown, New
Jersey, hiking for mental healthand East Coast versus West
Coast shows.
Let's do it.
Hi, welcome to Tales from theLot.
My name is Will, I'm your hostand my guest today is Tommy
Kennedy.
We're going to talk about 9377at Raceway Park and a bunch of
(00:24):
other stuff.
Tom's coming to us from Texas.
How are you doing, Tommy?
Good?
I'm doing good, Good, good,Fantastic.
Let's just start at thebeginning.
So like, are you from Texasoriginally?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
No, I'm originally from New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh, new Jersey, Okay, and you grew up there, there.
So what were you into growingup musically?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Bob Dylan.
Yeah, I was a Dylan head waybefore.
I was a Grateful Dead head.
And then after, when I went tocollege, I moved up to Boston,
lived in a house, an oldVictorian with 10 other guys and
(01:09):
one girl, and somebody put onI'm going to say Wake of the
Flood and I was like holy shit.
And that's when the bus came byand I got on and my first show
was up in Boston.
Holy shit.
And that's when the bus came byand I got on.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And my first show was up in Boston.
Gotcha, I didn't you mentionedDylan.
I didn't find Dylan reallyuntil after I found the dead,
but I know I was kind oflistening to Equal Bob Dylan and
Grateful Dead at the beginningwhen I first found it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I mean two amazing different types of words, you
know while you mention that, doyou know that Bob Dylan
requested to become a member ofthe Grateful Dead?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yes, he requested to be a member of the Grateful Dead
and you know the dead loveDylan and they got together and
talked about it and they votedon it and they decided it
probably wouldn't be the bestthing for the band, so they
declined them.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
When, when he toured with the Grateful Dead I can't
remember what it was back in 86or 87.
Yeah, and he really enjoyedplaying with the Dead.
He didn't think he was, but hereally did really After the
first show.
Then he got into it and heeventually requested to become a
(02:36):
member of the Grateful Dead andthey seriously considered it
and then voted on it, decided itprobably wouldn't be the best
thing for the band and althoughI'm absolutely certain they made
the right decision, I wonderwhat the dead would have been
like with Dylan in there.
You know, it would have beeninteresting, I think.
(02:58):
But I'm glad that he deniedthem.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, I agree that probably would have been the
greatest idea.
But just have him be apermanent opener, make yeah,
that's the idea, because it is agreat mix.
Your first show was in Boston,you said.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, about 1972,.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I think how did you adapt there?
Were there some friends going,or were you the one who
instigated and said listen, youguys have got to come see this.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No, we were living in a house up in Boston and, like
I said, somebody put on Wake ofthe Flood and we were like holy
crap.
And then the rest is history.
I heard that and you know itwas early 70s.
(03:54):
We were doing a lot ofexperimentation back then and
back then people used to somepeople used to paint their faces
to go to a dead show and so wedecided to paint our faces to go
to the show and we didn't havetickets right, so we had to take
(04:15):
the trolley and I had my faceall white, with red lips, blue
eyeshadow and black teardropscoming off my eyes.
And we get on the trolley andthis one woman just burst out
laughing and we're like what'sso funny?
They're like you guys.
We're like we're going to a deadshow, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Right, the circus is in town.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, we got tickets and we got in, so it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Nice, that's awesome.
So those folks once you sawthat did that same group just
keep on seeing shows after that.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
No, I was only up there for about a year, and so I
actually went back down tojersey and, um, my good friend
pete and I started going to theshows and we went to many, many,
many shows, you know, andthat's how I really, you know,
(05:19):
really got into them right.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, it's hard not to, it's they come that often.
I mean they just toured forever, which is kind of a blessing
and a curse, I guess, but it waseasy to see them because they
were just always coming aroundeven in the 90s People say 187
shows.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
What did you?
Follow them around the country?
I was like no, new York.
You had 10 shows at the Garden,the Nassau Coliseum, new Jersey
.
Then I wound up moving toCalifornia and so we had Irvine
shows, the Kaiser, the Coliseum,hell, they play all the time up
(06:01):
there.
And the next thing, you know, Iwound up with 187 dead tickets.
You know stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Wow, I'm like holy shit.
Yeah, I mean, and at that timetoo, in those locations, you're
seeing some of the all-timeclassic shows.
I mean, I talked about it atthe beginning.
Let's talk about this EnglishTown, New Jersey show, for
instance.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So the English Town was my brother, who was not a
deadhead, he didn't even smokepot or anything, he was totally
straight.
My friend Pete, and anotherfriend of mine JC was his name
and so we got there real earlyto get a good spot and we tried
(06:47):
to bring an ice chest in.
We had a big ice chest.
They wouldn't let us in becausewe had beer.
So we went back, rearranged theice chest to hide the beer,
went back into the same guy.
Right next to the guy there wasanother guy and he goes I need
to look in the ice chest.
I opened it up and I pulled theice to the side where I knew
(07:09):
there was no beer and I saidhere he got us.
And he looked over to the guy.
He goes they're good, I alreadychecked them.
So we got in with almost twocases of beer and about a fifth
of vodka and two half gallons oforange juice.
So we were stacked.
We could have sold a can ofbeer for $10 in there.
(07:34):
It was like, of course wedidn't, but it was really,
really good.
It was nice to have that.
Yeah, you were.
It was nice to have that.
Yeah, you were and then we alsohad what was called at the time
Blue Barrel.
I don't know if you know whatthat was, but it was an LSD and
(07:56):
it was a tiny little blue barrel.
So all of us, except for mybrother, we did the Blue Barrel
and the show was actually goingto be Marshall Tucker, new
Riders and the Dead, and so wegot there real early.
So we were pretty close and Iremember them turning on a hose
(08:21):
because it was really hot thatday.
They turned a hose on forpeople to cool off because it
was really hot that day.
They turned a hose on forpeople to cool off.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well as the day progressed, that hose turned
into a huge, huge mud pit.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
People were playing in the mud.
It was crazy.
And so my brother was drinkingthe screwdrivers and of course
we were having some and somebeers also.
But with the LSD you can tendto drink a lot more because it's
hard to override the LSD.
(08:58):
Yeah, I do.
Next thing, I'm looking at mybrother and he is like, like,
looking like he's dying to me.
He's laying down, it's not so.
I looked at him.
I said kevin, you look really,really bad to me.
I said do I need you to takeyou to the infirmary?
And he looks at me.
(09:18):
He goes no, I'm just drunk outof my mind.
I'm like okay.
I said okay, you know, becausewhen you're that high you can't
tell you know.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And you never know what somebody put into his drink
, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, that's true too , you know.
But yeah, he was fine, nice,and it was an amazing show.
And in fact afterwards thealbum.
There was a bootleg box setalbum, vinyl, and I bought it
because the show was so good andI had that vinyl.
(09:59):
I always bought bootleg albumsbecause I was like they're not
going to play forever and I wantto listen to them for the rest
of my life.
Little did I know I didn't needto be singing shows.
Um, right, um, yeah, it was uman amazing, amazing show.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
um, yeah, I, I listened to it actually, but I,
I I realized it was what tix pix15, I think it is uh, really
crisp copy that you can streamanywhere.
So this afternoon I've beenlistening to that whole show and
it is I mean, it's like just,it's just so much energy and uh,
so I guess it's the first oneback, so Mickey Hart had been in
(10:40):
a car accident, yeah, and sothey'd taken a little time off.
This was the first one back andyou could tell I mean there
were some flubs here and there,but the energy that they were
going at everything was soamazing.
The estimated on there is sogood and really the whole thing
is yeah, so definitelyrecommended listening there.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Years ago I went to a festival in Pennsylvania and
the Marshall Tucker Band wasthere and I was right up front
and he's like.
You know, last time we were inthis part of the country was
1978 in Englishtown.
I looked up at him and I saidno, 77.
(11:20):
I said I was there and you werethere, it was 77.
He laughed, he goes.
Well, we were pretty high, Iwas like so, but we can remember
when it was yeah we know whatyear it was.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Let me get that close , that's great.
Did New Riders play first, andthen Marshall Tucker and then
the Dead that day?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
No, it was Marshall Tucker first, then New Riders
and, if my memory serves me well, I think Jerry may have played
Pedal Steel with the Nerps.
That was going to be my nextquestion.
Actually, I think I'm prettysure he did.
You know, when you go to thatmany shows it's hard to remember
(12:03):
, but I'm pretty sure he wasplaying pedal steer at that.
We'd have to look at Dick'spick to see if he was, but I
think he was yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Yeah, cool.
So you know you mentioned youlive in California for a while
and so what are some of thestandout works that you went?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
to.
Well, my favorite venue to seethem in and I saw the dead there
once, but I saw Jerry there afew times is the Kaiser
Auditorium, and on one ofJerry's albums there's a picture
of the.
Kaiser and the people in thecrowd.
It was a great, great venue.
(12:43):
It was small.
They had a bar downstairs.
They pumped the music into thebar so when you wanted to go get
a beer you could still hear theband.
That's great.
That was really great.
I've been to a New Year's show.
That was really great.
And I've been to a New Year'sshow.
That was really funny.
(13:04):
And I remember going into theshow and there were people
standing there with $100 billsfor a ticket and I was like, oh
my God, somebody would pay $100?
.
And now I wish I could pay $hundred dollars.
Yeah, I gladly pay a hundreddollars for that yeah and uh,
(13:25):
but at that time a hundreddollars for a concert was
unheard of.
You know um yeah, that was goodand also, uh, irvine was um
great place to see the dead andI lived really close to Irvine,
so that was I considered playingin my backyard when they played
(13:46):
Irvine.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Right, so that was like early mid-80s when you were
living there.
Then yes, Yep.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Yeah.
And I was in San Diego to about19,.
From 1980 to about 91, wentback to Jersey for a couple of
years, then went back to SanDiego, then went back to Jersey,
you know.
So I've seen the East Coastshows and the West Coast shows
(14:17):
and there's a huge differencebetween an East Coast show and
the West Coast shows, andthere's a huge difference
between an East Coast show and aWest Coast show.
You see the dead in MadisonSquare Garden Everybody is
singing, every word, you know,standing up.
The first show I saw inCalifornia, everybody was
sitting down and listening to it.
(14:38):
I'm like what the hell?
Um, it was really bizarre, youknow.
After like a while, um, you know, years later, people were
starting to really totally enjoythe shows better in the bay
area, they always, but down inSan Diego it was like it was
(15:01):
weird, you know.
And then there was anotherinteresting show at Giant
Stadium in New Jersey where,when I got home, my parents said
what did you do today?
I said I was at the Dead Showat the Meadowlands and like,
(15:22):
well, we were at a concert atthe Meadowlands.
I was like well, you weren't atthe Dead Show.
And my mom was like no, thosepeople are disgusting.
We were seeing Bobby Vinton, Iwas like, oh gee, I missed that
one.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, bobby Vinton yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
High up on the list?
Yeah, exactly, but it was.
Oh, that's hilarious, it wasfunny.
My dad was a drummer.
I always wished we could havetaken him to see the dead, you
know, because at that timehaving two drummers was and my
father's generation never, neverheard of, you know, and my dad
(16:03):
would not have liked the music,but he would have appreciated
his drums you know Right?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Yeah, I mean, you know people say that, but I mean
I get that sometimes it gets alittle extended, but for the
most part I mean it's Americana.
I mean there's country inana,there's country in there,
there's blues in there.
I feel like, unless you're likeI only listen to hard bop or
something, then otherwise I feellike you're going to find
(16:31):
something redeemable about it.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Well, I never went to the bathroom during space.
I didn't want to miss it at all.
I never went to the bathroomduring space.
I didn't want to miss it at allBecause if you really pay
attention to what they're doing,there's a method.
It's not just noise, there's amethod.
There's actually a beat to itand if you really pay attention,
(16:58):
it's very, very cool.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, as a drummer myself, I was always pretty
inspired by the drum segment,and I remember at my first show
I'd listen to some Random Dad.
I didn't really like it, but myfriend sort of forced me to go
and obviously I loved it fromthe first note of half set.
(17:20):
But uh, by the time drums ran,came around.
I didn't.
I wasn't expecting, I didn'tknow what it was, didn't know
what that was going to happen.
It was just like what?
A whole 20 minutes of justdrums, and I was blown away by
it.
That was one of the favoriteparts.
Now I will admit to going tothe restroom a couple of times
through Way to Go Home, thoughWell, my bathroom was one more.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Saturday night, because I think they played that
every single Saturday night andI was like you know, especially
if they did it for an encore, Iwas like, well, now I can beat
the traffic.
You know, I've heard that songso many times, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
If it's an encore, yeah, yeah if it's an encore,
yeah For sure.
If it's an encore, it's time togo.
Yeah, but if not, then you know, maybe you'll get something
good there.
So you saw a hundred, and howmany shows did you say?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
187,.
Give or take one or two, rightaround a hundred.
Yeah, close enough, yeah, andit's funny because people one or
two right around 100.
Yeah, close enough, yeah.
And it's funny because peoplethink I was like touring and
stuff.
I was like no 187, I was like anovice, you know, I've seen
(18:33):
them 500 times, you know andmore, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Right, and you know you were seeing them when they
still had a while to go.
So there's, there's plenty ofyears of dead available to you
really, and so that's the bigdifference.
I mean.
I mean, like you said, theywere touring all the time and
over the years they just add up.
I mean, uh, I'm sort of thesame way with fish.
I don't, I don't follow themaround, but I steadily see my
(18:59):
number rising and rising andrising.
I live next to Dick's, I'm ashort flight from Vegas, and so
it just goes up and up becausethey play those places a lot.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I got to witness their progression from the early
70s and even tapes from the 60s, when they were really raw and
how they progressed into being,I hate to say, professional, but
more of a professional sound tothem.
More of a professional sound tothem.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And it was really interesting seeing their
progression all along you knowyeah, no doubt I mean I was
thinking of that today listeningto that English town show that
you know just how kind of clangychangy the guitars are.
It's just we're all reallyloose and and not you know where
you get to, like where they'rein the mid late 80s and 90s
(20:01):
where it's almost like a studiosound coming out of the speakers
because it's so clean.
Yeah, and just I mean reallyclean sound by the end, which
was good, and you know they wereahead of their from when Donna
and Keith were there up throughto when Brent came on.
(20:23):
I feel like there was kind oflike right after that it really
started getting a lot cleaner.
It did.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Sound-wise.
Yeah, he really, really trulyadded to the band big time.
Yeah, it was a really reallygood choice to bring him on.
Unfortunately, he succumbed tothe demons, but he was really,
(20:50):
really good for the band, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, so you're involved with a non nonprofit
also.
Is that right Correct?
And that's called Hike forMental Health Correct.
Tell me about that.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
We started this about 12 years ago.
I was at a Holiday Inn rightnear where I lived having dinner
.
A girl walked in.
She sat down, ordered ahamburger.
I never saw a woman eat ahamburger like that in my life.
I looked at her and said thatburger never had a chance.
(21:31):
She goes.
I've been fantasizing about itfor three months.
I've been in China eating riceand so she was there on business
.
I lived right next door.
Then she introduced me toanother guy, leo, who was also
staying at the Holiday Inn andwe would go out and do some
hikes and stuff.
(21:52):
Nancy moved back to Texas andLeo and I were still in Jersey
and we did some hiking and wewere having dinner.
And we were still in Jersey andwe did some hiking and we were
having dinner and we were likewouldn't it be good to do
something to give back?
And Leo said well, let's see.
I said something to do withhiking.
He goes let's see, why do wehike?
(22:12):
I immediately said we hike formental health.
We feel so much better afterhiking.
And originally he didn't likethe name he goes.
That's really a long name.
I said yeah, but it saysexactly what we do and so that's
when it was conceived.
It was born about six weekslater.
(22:33):
And we raise, we're allvolunteer, nobody gets a salary.
All the donations 100 donationsgo to the cause.
We even pay the processing feeout of our own pockets, um, for
credit cards, um, and, like Isaid, nobody gets a salary or
anything like that.
(22:54):
And 80 we give goes to theBrain and Behavior Research
Foundation in New York.
They give $50,000 grants toscientists that are on the
cutting edge of a breakthroughbut have not been funded yet.
Once they get funded, it's alot easier for them to get
(23:15):
funded again.
We give 10% to the AppalachianTrail and 10% to the Pacific
Crest Trail.
And we're on our 12th year.
Last year we gave a check for$15,000.
And our checks for the BrainyBehavior Research Foundation are
(23:36):
always over $50,000.
Sometimes it can be as high as$80,000.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
So what type of events and what kind of things
do you guys organize and howdoes it all?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
We have hikes going on all over the country.
Anybody can volunteer to lead ahike for us.
If they Google hike for mentalhealth, we come right up.
One of our premier events is wedo a hike up mount washington
in new hampshire every year.
We already have about over 100people signed up for that one.
(24:12):
Already this year.
That one we usually raise over2525,000.
That's a lot of fun and thisyear we're incorporating the COG
so people can sign up to takethe COG up if they don't feel
like hiking up the mountain.
So it's just a really good funevent.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's awesome.
I mean, I'm here in.
Colorado, so I take a hike hereand there around the state so I
feel like 200 better every time.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Yeah, I mean just get some air,getting taking something, I'm
seeing some wildlife and and andwhatever.
Uh, you know, by the time I'mdone, I'm, I'm just feeling
(24:57):
great.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, I did the 1100 mile florida trail in 2015 and,
uh, that took 10 weeks, wow yeah, that's impressive yeah half
that trail is underwater.
If your feet start to get dry,you know you're heading back
(25:22):
into water.
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Yeah, Sounds like there might be an element of
danger there too, in Florida andshallow waters.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I stopped counting alligators at 100, and that was
only two weeks into the trail.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
And you know, snakes and goddamn the mosquitoes are
unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
You know yeah.
Yeah, you got some mosquitoesin goddamn, the mosquitoes are
unbelievable, you know?
Yeah, you've got somemosquitoes in Texas though too.
Yeah, we do.
That's a great thing, and doyou know of anything going on
here in Colorado?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Not at the moment, but if you go on our website you
can see all our hikes, wherethey are, you know, and things
like that.
You can sign up and do it.
All our events are non-stigmaevents, so we tell people.
If you want to talk, if youhave a mental illness one in
four people suffer from someform of mental illness If you
(26:19):
want to talk about it, you can.
If you don't want to, you don'thave to.
We look at it like you have acold.
We don't look at it like there'sno stigma involved you know,
and you know, when I was a kid,there was a stigma about breast
cancer.
Women didn't talk about it.
They died a painful death.
(26:40):
They were embarrassed about it.
Now we're save the ta-tas.
We can do the same thing formental illness.
More people will seek help andwe'll have less people taking
their lives.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
No doubt that's a great cause.
Thanks for that.
Amazing work.
At the end, I'd like to wrap upwith recommendations.
I know deadheads are smart,interesting people who like cool
stuff.
So is there a book or an albumor a movie or something that's
really struck you lately?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Well, this is an old book.
It's, I'm sure, out of print,but you can still find it.
It's the Rolling Stoneinterview of Jerry and it was
done probably very early 70s andit's a great book.
It's a paperback and Jerry isreally open and candid.
(27:39):
It's just a really really goodinterview.
I should have grabbed it justto show you what the cover looks
like, but this is also verycool because I can't tell you
how many times the words I heardwere not the words being sung,
and this corrects all that.
(27:59):
You can get all the words andthere's linear notes about when
the song was written and allkinds of good information on
that.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
The annotated Grateful Dead lyric book.
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yes, the complete annotated Grateful Dead lyrics.
It's a really, really good book.
And you know, after Jerrypassed, I went.
I saw the dead, I saw the otherones.
(28:35):
What was the other incantationI had Further?
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Further, further.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And it was good music .
I mean, there's no doubt theywere all talented.
But I couldn't get over thelistening to them.
And they'd be playing a Jerrysong and I'd be like, yeah, but
Jerry was going like damn it,you know, and I just couldn't
get over it.
So I stopped seeing them, youknow.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah, I haven't seen a whole lot of stuff either.
I mean, I saw the first Furthertour and you know, one of the
offshoots that I was reallyimpressed with was the Mickey
Hart band that was touring a fewyears ago with David Schools
from Widespread Panic on bass.
That was a group that I wasreally impressed with because
they were doing somethingdifferent.
(29:27):
I felt like they were makingnew music essentially.
But if you look at what Bobby'sdoing with Dead Company, that's
cool and I'm glad that he'skeeping it alive.
I don't want to say anythingbad about that because it needs
to be kept alive.
But he had that album, uhcalled blue mountain, of like
folk songs and americana andstuff that I thought was
fantastic and that was a reallygood lane for him to maybe stick
(29:51):
with.
Uh, are you familiar with thatalbum, blue mountain?
Speaker 3 (29:54):
that I am not.
I will be now um yeah check itout.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
I mean it's.
It's just like it's all newmusic and it's very folky and
Americana and it felt a lot likewhat Johnny Cash was sort of
doing, sort of at the end of hislife with Rick Rubin or whoever
I think that's who wasproducing it.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Sort of gothic sounding Americana.
I don't know, but I thought itwas a good lane for him.
His voice really suited themusic, Wow.
But you know he makes a lot ofmoney with Dead Company, so
there's something to be said forthat.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Yeah, there's no doubt they're making amazing
money.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
From the makers of the Big Bong Theory and how I
Met your Dealer comes thehilarious new sitcom Two Hippies
and a Cop lighting up yourThursday nights this fall on
TFTL-TV.
Lenny and Woo are twofree-spirited hippies living the
high life with their love ofconcerts and herbal remedies.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Hey, lenny, wasn't that show so good last night?
Totally epic man.
I'm pretty sure I left my bodysomewhere in the middle of that
second set.
Oh, so that's where you went.
I thought you went to therestroom.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
But here's the twist their new roommate is none other
than Cletus Strait, an Indianastate cop.
All right, listen up, you two.
No more jam sessions pastmidnight and keep the incense
away from the smoke detector.
Cue the chaos, the mix-ups andthe side-splitting shenanigans
as these three unlikelyroommates navigate their way
(31:38):
through life, love and thepursuit of peace and
understanding.
Two hippies and a cop, becausesometimes the best friendships
are the ones you least expect.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Don't miss it Thursdays at 8 pm only on
TFTL-TV.
I met Phil one time and I saidto him what do I say to Phil
Lesh Except thank you, thank you, thank you.
I said you know, you reallymade us feel like we were part
of the band.
He got up, came around thetable and hugged me and he said
(32:22):
you guys were part of the band.
He got up, came around thetable and hugged me and he said
you guys were part of the band.
We played off you, just likeyou played off us.
He goes, you were, you guyswere absolutely part of the band
and uh, and that was kind ofcool, you know, because I had
dreams where I'm up on the stage, you know, off the side, while
they're performing stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yeah, yeah, and I felt that too.
I mean even the limited time Iwas able to see him.
There was a give and take ofenergy.
You could tell, I mean from alow-energy show to a high-energy
show and the difference in thecrowd you can see it, no doubt
(33:05):
yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
And the jerry shows.
I saw jerry in chula vista,california, just before he went
into that coma.
Um, it's like a day or twobefore he went into the coma and
I was there with a bunch of myfriends.
I said all right, all right, wegot to go.
And they're like can I say thathe's not going to come on for
about 45 minutes after the show.
(33:28):
I said no, jerry comes onimmediately.
It was an 8 o'clock show.
At 8 o'clock he's walking outon the stage.
They didn't believe me.
Oh yeah, jerry was never late,always right on time.
The show starts at 8.
He walks out on the stage at 8o'clock.
I did not know that, yeah, andhe did one of my favorite songs,
(33:51):
shining Star, and I rememberbeing in the crowd and as soon
as he hit the first note Iyelled out Shining Star.
And the guy about 12 rows downlooks up and he goes oh my God,
that's a good call, you know.
But what happened was Jerry,and I can't find a tape of it.
(34:12):
But Jerry got stuck in the songand it went on and on and on.
It was like this is my favoriteJerry song.
I was like Jerry, come on, Endit.
And so I think he was likemaybe getting a little spacey
(34:33):
from because he went right intoa coma.
I think it was the next day orthe day after, you know.
But, I remember going what thehell's wrong with him, why can't
he end this song, you know.
But I remember going what thehell's wrong with him, why, why
can't he end this song.
You know, it was weird, youknow, yeah, but he influenced my
life as much as my father did,to be honest with you, and I
(34:59):
wouldn't be the same person I amnow if it were not from,
obviously, my father, but alsothe Grateful Dead.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
You know what was sort of your favorite era.
Did you prefer the Keith?
Speaker 3 (35:21):
and Donna era versus the Brent era versus the Vince
era Brent by far.
Yeah, you know Keith, by thetime I really started seeing the
dead, keith was not veryvibrant.
And you know Donna.
We loved Donna in the band.
We loved seeing her.
We're like is she going to bedressed up or is she going to be
(35:44):
wearing jeans or what?
You know a voice, in allhonesty, most times was fine,
but every now and then her voicejust sucked.
You know Brent came in and didabsolutely wonderful, wonderful
job.
The unfortunate thing was hewas there for like 10 years and
(36:08):
everybody was calling him thenew guy.
You know you mentioned that hegoes.
Yeah, he's been with us for 10years and they all still call
him the new guy.
You know, he was really reallyum very talented, you know yeah,
indeed, yeah, I, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I didn't get a chance to see him live.
I came on a couple years or ayear later, uh, but uh,
definitely he was my favorite asfar.
I mean, just I just love hisvoice, I mean the tone that he
added to the harmonies and andjust his voice was so good and
the passion.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
You know, he sung with passion you know he played
with passion, sang with passion.
He was passionate.
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
One of my favorite things was watching that
Downhill From here video wherejust him and Jerry grinning so
hard at each other, pushing eachother on and, uh, I love that.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
That is so cool I hope everybody picks up on that.
It's not like just you and I,um, because that was so cool,
you could just see them playingwith each other, you know.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
And uh yeah, that's absolutely fantastic, you know
you can see the love andeverything between them right
there.
It was amazing.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
It was great and anytime Bobby could remember the
word to truck, and that wasalways a positive.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, that's awesome.
All right, tommy kennedy, thankyou so much for for for joining
me here and telling yourstories, and it was sure great
to talk to you and to meet youtoday all right, thank you very
much also.
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