FURTHUR~

WOW.
What a weekend! Alright so, I talked a bit about who Furthur was last post, but I'm going to say it again.
Furthur is made up of Bob Weir & Phil Lesh (from my favorite band of all time, The Grateful Dead) and some other dudes. :P
The lead guitarist is this guy named John, and he is very, very good at guitar. He used to be in the band Dark Star Orchestra, which is basically the ultimate Dead cover band. They play actually concerts the dead played. Not quite note for note (I think), but song for song.
So Grateful Dead.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grateful_Dead
AMAZING. They formed in the 60's, and disbanded in the 90's, after Jerry Garcia's (the lead guitarist) death.  This band is was a band of spectacular musicians. They used a lot of different styles of music, to create their personal style. The would jam on & on. Improvise, the tempo rising, then have the tempo drop. Or go from a concrete sounding song, and dive into a long epic solo, then suddenly go right back into the verse or chorus.  Please just look some of their stuff up. Try "Sugar Magnolia" or "Uncle John's Band". Or if you want to get jammy, perhaps "Dark Star"? "Here Comes Sunshine" is another great tune!

Sugar Magnolia
Here Comes Sunshine
Oh Boy! And I'm a Hog For You
So, Furthur is made up of the other guitarist (Bob Weir) & the bassist (Phil Lesh) from the Grateful Dead.
I found out quite a while ago that they were playin' in Boston (March 4, 5, & 6th). I planned to see them, and get tickets as soon as they were out! I figured the tickets would be expensive, but I'd work as much as I could to go to all three nights. Tickets were being released at 10 O'clock in the am (I have no clue what day this was. A couple months ago probably.) I woke up at 12, and immediately tried getting tickets form Live Nation. No luck what so ever. It kept telling me that "the seat I was looking for seemed to be out, but the show might not be sold out". It was wicked annoying.
Then I thought maybe I could go to the Orpheum's page (where the show was) and get tickets for cheaper! Live Nation was selling them for about $60 ($70 in total). I was completely wrong.
The Orpheum was sellin' them for $117 or more.
Well, I finally got one ticket for Sunday night!
YAY!
Very happy you Deadhead I was.
I figured that I could go to the show's and buy tickets from others there, hopefully for cheaper than face value. My good guitar buddy Zach also joined me! We tried getting another friend to go, but he couldn't.
Bummer man. Anyway, Zach & I got into Boston on Friday night around 5:30, to find tickets.
Hold you finger out & smile. "Cash for extra" was the phrase to tell people that you'd pay for an extra ticket to the show. We both said this multiple times. Multiple, multiple times.
I then, found a guy who had an extra!
I was so happy! He wasn't sure of what people were selling the tickets for, and I suggested givin' him $40 for it. He accepted. I was overjoyed! I also had just about $50, and some of that may have been needed to get home (train/subway). So, $40 is what I was willing to pay haha.
Zach still didn't have a ticket, and we were plannin' on both going in, or neither of us.
I was frantically searching for an extra ticket for him when he came & grabbed me shoulder.
HE GOT ONE.
He had to pay face value, but nonetheless we had tickets!


Can't Come Down (Really early stuff!!)




The Setlist:
SET 1
Come Together>Feel Like A Stranger>Alabama Getaway
Promised Land
Althea
Peggy-O
Cream Puff War
Good Lovin'>Come Together (Reprise)>Good Lovin'

SET 2
The Music Never Stops>The Wheel>Uncle John's Band>Playing In The Band>Crazy Fingers>The Other One>Morning Dew>Help On The Way>Slipknot>Franklin's Tower

Right before the encore (after the band had left though), Phil Lesh came on stage to give his Donor Rap.
Talking about how if it wasn't for an organ donor, he'd be dead.
The encore was The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion).
AMAZING SHOW.
So, the ">" symbols mean the band changed songs without stopping. So basically until they left the stage, the band didn't stop playing. Zach & I entered a bit through "Feel Like A Stranger". Which I found suiting. Though I do call myself a Deadhead, I was new to the crowd of Deadheads outside the venue (or inside). I of course felt very much at home :)
"Feel Like A Stranger" has a groovy riff and I immediately started boogying to my seat. The version of "Althea" was quite beautiful. One of my favorites from the Dead's "Go To Heaven" album. I was very happy when I heard "Cream Puff War"start. A tune from the Grateful Dead's early days (which are my favorite). The "Good Lovin'" into "Come Together" & back to "Good Lovin'" was great, kept me jumpin' & grooving. "The Music Never Stops" was GRROO-VVYY. They threw some great funky stuff into it, totally great! The Wheel almost brought me to tears, chanting along with everybody!
That's thing about the  shows, everybody sang along (Most of 'em at least).  That wasn't annoying though. Not like the drunk guy behind me when I saw Eric Clapton, who "serenaded" his girl with the lyrics (To be fair, this annoyed my dad waaay more than it annoyed me). Everybody signing along made it better. So much better. You could hear the "actual singer's" voice just fine. Everybody signing powerful, and also seemed to unite everybody there. There was plenty of "different types" of people there. The guy who sold me a ticket looked about mid thirties, Dad, had a nice wife and seemed ordinary. But he was happy. Quite happy to be there I'm sure of-it! Later in the night he actually took a toke (after denying a few times earlier). There was young people, there was older people, middle aged people. Everyone lookin' different too. Of course, there was a lot tie-dye :D
The "Uncle John's Band", "Playing in The Band" combo was beautiful! They really jammed out :)
"Crazy Fingers" was beautiful (A favorite from Blues From Allah).
"The Other One into "Morning Dew was FANTASTIC. Then, the trio of "Help On The Way", "Slipknot","Franklin's Tower" may have been my favorites. There may have been "something else" makin' Morning Dew to the end "The Best".
Golden Road was pretty great too.
And to top the start of an amazin' weekend off, there was two things.
1. Two more shows, one of which I had a ticket too.
2. We bought Cherry Garcia ice cream (my favorite, named after Jerry Garcia).

Zach stayed the night as we ate soup & ice cream, ravin' about the show.
I must hit the hay for now, even though I just want to write, write, write!
More will come!
SPOLIER: IT WAS ALL SO FAR-OUT
I'll also talk about all the people I met!

Characters:
Shirt Guy-This guy was really nice, but I keep forgetting his name. He was selling Furthur tour shirts for $10, a good deal (I got mine inside the theater for $30)
Drew-Hip dude with a cool dready beard selling buttons. Really groovy buttons. I got to buttons for 5 dollars, and on Sunday night I bought some for Zach. The button I have on my jean jacket (I have the other on my jeans) has three pyramids on it.
Kevin & Ed-Two close buds that Zach & I kept seeing Friday night. We found each other inside the show too. They were sitting right behind me! I saw them again Saturday night, and Ed on Sunday (Kevin couldn't make it)
Rich-A young guy Zach & I hung with for a spell, trying to find a small parking lot (to score tickets in). He hailed from California. I didn't seem him Saturday night, but I did Sunday, still looking for tickets. He hadn't gotten in yet.
SHAGGY-This old groovy Deadhead.  He makes tie-dye socks for a living :) I got a pair. wish I got another one. I met him the first night, but talked to him more on Saturday. He was sitting down with some things to sell (Stickers & buttons) and I was talking with him, when this girl came over. She was "well dressed" and with a bunch of other well dressed young people. College aged late night party people. I think she asked what we were all doing, but I can't really remember. There was a lot of people hanging around the park near the venue. Selling things, chatting, hangin' out :)
She asks where we could find some pot. We both said "no", but I remember Shaggy gave some witty comebacks, to which I joined in, screwing with the Boston girl. Other than having fun with her, I seriously tried telling her who might have pot. No idea if they actually bought some though. Anyway, Shaggy had this leather jacket filled with buttons and pins. Plus some patches! He also had leather chaps, covering, oh yeah, TIE-DYE PANTS. Unlike my dyed pants, his were actually tied (Mine are just dyed a bunch of colors). He had purple rings all along them :)
So yeah, Shaggy was pretty hip.
Abe- Abe was this really cool dude I met the first night. He made these rad posters for Furthur playing in Boston. It was quite simple, but I liked it! He sold it to me for 2 bucks, and it now hangs on my wall :) He seemed pretty surprised that I wanted it, but it was groovy! So was he! He had these pigtails, and really nice red hair. Saw him again Saturday night briefly, and again on Sunday! Sunday I chilled with him during the break. Of course, what I had no idea of was that he in fact an unschooler AND knows my good friend Henry! Pretty crazy. Note I sadly forget to mention Abe when I wrote this whole thing up. Addin' you now buddy!
Jerry- This old hippie guy behind me Saturday night. He also had a friend who came & sat next to me during the second set (I totally forget his name, could also be Jerry though!)
Dan-also a guy sitting behind me on Saturday, saw him again Sunday night
Father & Mother-Sunday night I had a ticket, but I found an older Deadhead friend and his buds. Instead of staying where my seat was, I stayed with my friend Jeff & his mates. but to start the night, I went over to where I was actually supposed to stay. There, was my mother & father. Not my actual parents though. But as I said hello to my neighbors the husband said "My boy!"I laughed and then left to go with Jeff. When I returned to that seat during the break, my "father" excalmied, "My Son! My son! You're back!"
I quickly replied with "Father, father! I am, but not for long." He then told me to tell my sister that he loves her & to visit <3
Wish I saw them after the show.
Jeff-Jeff is a neighbor of a good friend. During a party my father called my upstairs to meet Jeff. As soon as I saw Jeff he said "We have the same god". Now this utterly confused me. He then said "Jerry" and everything clicked. He was a Deadhead!

I'm going to post the setlists for the other shows, but "that's about it".
So Saturday night:
Born Crossed Eyed>Something
Cassidy
Dire Wolf
Loose Lucy
Row Jimmy
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
One More Saturday Night>Cassidy
SET 2
Truckin'>New Speedway Boogie>Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider
King Solomon's Marbles
Standing On The Moon
Shakedon Street>Not Fade Away> Audiecne NFA Chant
Donor Rap
Encore: Ripple
Pretty great setlist I thought, the "I know You Rider" was fantastic! So was  "Shakedown / Not Fade Away". After the Donor Rap by Phil Lesh, the crowd (I was one of the few to start it) began to sing "Not Fade Away", until the band played Ripple. It was great :)

Sunday Night. Probably my favorite out of the three, that and the first one.
SET 1
Here Comes Sunshine
Alligator
Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Mason's Children
Passenger
Viola Lee Blues>King Bee>Viola Lee Blues
Next Time You See Me>Viola Lee Blues
AMAZING (more on that later)
SET 2
Mountain Song>St. Stephan>Time>Breathe (reprise)>The Eleven>Dark Star>Nobody Girl>China Doll>Dark Star>Sugree>Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad and then they ended with "We bid You Goodnight". I'm pretty sure they left the stage, but according to a website where I'm getting the setlists from, they went right from GDTRFB into "We Bid You Goodnight."

So good, everything was so groovy about that night. "Here Comes Sunshine"-Amazing (15 minutes of great boogieing! Yes, real word :). A great tune that I only recently discovered. An absolute great opener! And then "Alligator". A FAVORITE. Made me SO happy dude. Then with "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"? Great tune :)
Even if Marin's sister thought the song was disturbing. Come on, serial killers only kill cereal.
Ha Ha, corny joke. Quite punny.


My next "supa fave" was "Viola Lee Blues". Wait..."Supa fave"....probably cause I'm watching the Roast of Donald Trump, and I had to watch Mike "The Situation" talk...which was funny. Cause no one laughed.
But yeah, "Viola Lee Blues" is a great early tune. So yeah, really rad. And they kept comin' back to it, oh yeah. Wicked groovy (Boston Hippie :P)
The whole second set was just crazy. From to longs jams of the "Mountain Song" & "St. Stephan", they started playin' some Pink Floyd. Far-out. "The Elven" into "Dark Star", yeah, a kinda a dream true. Oh wait, the whole weekend was. So yeah "Dark Star" the jammy jam jam tune of the Grateful Dead. Soon after, "China Doll" (Which I keep spelling "dool" by accident.) A great slow song that I find oh-so beautiful. It was. Back to a little "Dark Star", I'm diggin' it.  In to a 15 minute "Sugree", fabulous.  "Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad", nope, not at all. Great song though!
Then "We Bid You Goodnight". Which I guessed would be the encore. A great little ditty :)


The Cherry On Top, was hangin' with Marin on Monday. Great fun, lot's of laugh!
So yeah, wonderful weekend! One of the cool things I bought, was this big patch, of a skeleton in a fancy suit, with a top-hat. On the top was a lightning bolt & a Skull. His hair is multi-colored and sticks straight out of his head. Pretty groovy man.


Well much love to all <3 <3 <3


P.S. I tried getting some photo's up, but it didn't work. Visit my facebook page if ye want to see 'em.
Au Revoir. BY THE BY It was Phil Lesh's birthday "yesterday". So his birthday is the 15th....for "legally", in Boston Mass, it's the 16th.  He is now older than he was. Some where in his 70's.
Box of Rain-Studio Version
Box of Rain-Live

Wowzer, Hey Now!

Hey all you die-hard fans. I'm back!
It's been a tiring week...or two weeks.  Been mainly very tired from some early mornings..... (I worked a lot & made money! Yay!) It was a fun two weeks or whatever. And now, I'm finally updating! YAY!
Since I got up pretty early today,  I'm watching Flight of The Conchords & writing on my blog!

Later today I'm going to be part of an unschooler's panel at MIT (A college in Boston just in case you didn't know). I might tell ya how it goes! I also got a 10 speed bike (thanks Pop's!). It's quite old & retro, and very awesome! I could feel the power of it toodlin' around the parking lot. Fun, fun. My other bike is a single gear bike (meaning I cannot shift) which is much harder to ride. and by harder, I mean uses a lot more work. Love it though!
In other news, I've picked up Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows. For the first time, so no spoilers please!

Now, the best news of all!
FURTHUR IS PLAYING IN BOSTON! THREE WHOLE NIGHTS!
Now, who is Furthur? Well, come closer little boy (said in a raspy Italian voice) Mafia man aside, Furthur is a band made up of Bob Weir & Phil Lesh (From.... 
THE GRATEFUL DEAD). Wait...Grateful Dead? Isn't that like some old jam band? They played on & on? YEAH. IT IS. My favorite band hands DOWN. ALL THE WAY DOWN. All the down. To me, they are so very fantastic. Futhur's lead guitarist is this guy named John, he was the lead guitarist for Dark Star Orchestra....basically the ultimate Dead cover band. Pretty sweet.
So yeah, I'm very excited to be going. I have a ticket to the Sunday show, but I'm gonna go to the other shows & buy tickets there :)
I'm slowly roundin' some friends to go. Man, I'm so pumped.
By the way, that Mafia guy? I just started watching the Godfather :)
Never seen the whole thing so I got it from the library the other day. It's really good. Very, very good.

Alright, this post is quite short....I might update it again tonight, and or tomorrow.
Au Revoir!

Nope! Guess again! If you guessed the first time. guessed at what, I don't know.  HARRY POTTER IS SO GOOD. I want to talk about Harry Potter. It's Fabulous. Just fantastic. MAYBE SPOILERS.
Just warnin' ya.

I really like how J.K. Rowling goes back & forth between comedy and seriousness in the Deathly Hollows. Light & Dark. Bouncing back & forth. When I saw the latest movie, I was very confused about a lot of things. I'd seen all the movies....but forget most of the things...small or large. I knew the plot (general stuff) but didn't get a lot of stuff. My father read the first 4 books to me as a child, but we then stopped. I hadn't picked up the books on my own either. Until this fall. Kimi more or less told me to read them, or she'd beat me with 'em.  No...not really, but it sounds better that way. Anway, I started reading them. Good stuff. Picked up on the 5th :)
I can see so many differences between the books & movies too! It's really fun to have them dawn upon you. There is a lot too! It makes sense, though I'm a bit surprised. Hmmm, wish I could read now.
Alas, I'm spending the night at Marin's! My wonderful girlfriend who is sitting right next to me ;) We might watch a movie. In-case you were wondering.....Heh, I really feel like a sex joke should be put it. I can't think of one though.......Ya know (No, I don't think you do, unless I told you.) when I was visiting my buddy Milan in California (About 3 years ago I think) we cracked "That's What she Jokes" every 30 seconds. Literally. It was crazy & mad fun. Even at the diner table, we'd silently cumunicate
with chuckles & looks. Well, found my sex joke...;)

Take care,
Liam <3
 Oh! Oh! Oh! The panel!
There is a alternative education course that's going on at MIT, and the guy running it asked a lot of Boston Unschoolers to come in for a Q & A. So I did! My father came in as well, and that  was really cool to have an unschoolin' parent as well as teens. It was really groovy.
Well, Marin is buggin' me to finish up, so SEE-YA!