Slept until 1:30 and have to get to work but guess I'll take a minute to respond to this.
John and I flew to Oakland for a Bris and naming ceremony yesterday. Got off the plane and made it to Cubensis by about 6th song.
This is my opinion only about the reporter.
Yes, it was pretty awful. He came on stage with a grey wig and beard and wearing a sort of mottled brown tie-dye. First song was Fire on the Mtn -actually his rhythm didn't suck. Second song was, I believe Little Red Rooster - um, I don't think I made it through the third as someone wanted to introduce me to someone...
Anyway, this guy tried to take a lead and it was so bad. Yes, I mean awful. However before he came on the stage the band was rockin' hard and so I don't think any newcomers would not return based on this guy's few tunes.
He clearly didn't do his research.
Anyway, I see the reporter during the break and he's stuffing potato chips into his mouth in big handfuls leaving a trail behind him. First I told him "Jerry ONLY wore black t-shirts (yes, we know occasionally a red one)." He said, yeah, everyone's telling me that.
He pressed for comments so those few standing there threw some out. He turned on his recorder and asked us to tell him everything wrong about his performance.
I didn't want to be entirely negative (You sucked!) because he is writing an article after all. I said, "You might want to consider doing an article about Bob Weir instead as your rhythm is a lot better than your lead". (Later I actually told him he couldn't play a lick and he responded that his lead playing sucks) His cameraman was standing there and He and I both added at the same time (funny) at least when you're playing two-chord songs!
Told him the potato chips were really stupid - jerry didn't eat chips. Someone threw in that Jerry was more a chili dog guy. Reporter said, "If Jerry got stoned then he ate potato chips!"
Later this guy asked me for a pen as I was walking to my car for something and so he accompanied me. He was out of costume by then. He told me he deliberately goes over the top, that he wants to get reaction so he was okay with the guys in the band being mad.
Most of you would probably admit it's an interesting concept to step out of one's comfort zone and try something like this - he's done some other interesting things - gave me a card and if I find it online later I'll forward the website. Cameraman, who was actually a very nice guy, said this guy doesn't HAVE a comfort zone. Pretty funny comment.
Anyway, he wanted reaction and he got it. I wanted to smooth things so he'd write a nice article and I think I gave him some decent quotables about the Dead and about Cubensis. He had to admit they play really well.
This guy has been to four shows and he doesn't think the Dead are great but that their fans are "voracious". I told him I thought the two sets of composers will be remembered in 200 years (if there's an America in 200 years) and when he asked about the Beatles I said I think compositionally they are in a league with Lennon and McCartney (or McCartney and Lennon as it sometimes goes these days) :-)
Suggested he read the lyrics and take another look at the body of work. Anyway, really though an odd bird he's not a bad guy. He did say about the band being mad that "Jerry wouldn't have been mad. Well, he might have been mad because it wasn't funny enough, but he wouldn't be mad about the mocking". I had to laugh with him. I think he's right. Jerry was human and I don't think he'd spend a lot of time distraught about it.
Btw, Corey, the reporter, gave Craig all the "credit in the world" for letting him do his schtick. It's all just a big play afterall, this life I mean, just one long strange trip, and nothing to get bent about.
~Gail
From:
Bill
McCoy <dedhed972@y...>
Date: Mon Apr 28, 2003 12:16 pm
Subject: The reporter
Well, at least the reporter and Jerry have one thing in common...neither of them know the words.
From: "Gail Roth" <gailroth@i...>
Date: Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:00 pm
Subject: RE: [cubensis] The reporter
Okay, at this point I say that if the band is upset they should take it up with Craig (love ya craig) or on themselves, 'cause anyone could have looked at this guy's website and seen he was gonna be wacky. It was too silly to take seriously really. I mean this guy wasn't at all up to the standards of the band - which btw, is what John said when he asked him for comment. He just said, "You're not up to their standards".
I don't have the reporters business card - anyone have it? I'd like to check his website, he's an oddball but perhaps he can really write.
gail
From: Tracy Papachristodoulou
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 11:16 AM
Subject: RE: [cubensis] The reporter
I am a big-mouth Aries and it is best that I did not attend. It takes all my strength to use the modicum of tact in my body during working hours. I probably would have said something offensive, run BEHIND John Franklin to hide...Then John would have raised his arm to prevent the crushing blow from Mr. Jerry Journalism, suffered nerve damage to his hand...hence never being able to write another missive for our entertainment.