2000 Reviews
Thoughts on the Atmosphere

First off I have to say that I love all you guys and gals out there that "hear" the music. It was evident at Brendan Byrne Arena (that's what I know it as, sue me!) that there were many of us in attendence. You know what was even better...? The brothers and sisters I saw that WERE NOT basing the enjoyment of their night on how close this band sounded like that "old familiar sound." Let's face it boys and girls--those of us going to see The Other Ones, Phil & Friends, Ratdog, et al, perform exact replicas of GD songs are going for the wrong reason. I understand that people feel loss (some have been able to come to grips w/ personal loss; it is evident in the band (Billy) that it takes different people different times to adapt), but I don't understand people going to the show because they feel it's their right to be there and then listen to them blast the band for not playing the music the way they expect it to be played....You know what? If that band had played the Dead note for note I would have walked out pissed off. The bottom line is that we are all fans of this music.... It doesn't matter who is playing the music: the secret is THE MUSIC!!!! If we learned tomorrow that the Village Voice was advertising that the "Barry Manilow Big Band" was doing a 3 hour retrospective of classic GD music we would all go.  And you know what, we would bitch less about it. Unfortunately, we expect too much (or too little in my opinion) from the real deal.

Like many others that post here, I have seen many GD shows and alternatives of the sort; the reason I keep going and the reason I keep listening to my tapes is because I feel IT!!!!! "IT," like the Grateful Dead, is an open interpretation. If you take a step back and really think about it, there aren't many things that have been left open to so much interpretation that haven't come to a common conclusion: The Bible is one that comes to mind. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare the GD to god and religion and that stuff, but if you think about it, sitting around talking about the GD never gets tiring and the questions are never fully answered. I look at popular music today and I cringe; I am so happy that I was able to grow up with music that had substance. Unfortunately, kids today have a lot more money, they have the internet, and they have short attention spans. The new Blink 182 is more appealing than the new Willie Nelson CD w/ B.B. King and Dr. John on it, not because kids don't have the ability to appreciate it, but because the corporate culture they have grown up in has not "marketed" Willie Nelson to them. Unfortunately, kids today are more interested in the expose Mary Hart did on B.B. King's 75th birthday on Entertainment Tonight than on weather or not Eric Clapton played on the album.  Art, whether it is the music of the Grateful Dead or the provacative Elia Kazan/Marlon Brando films of the late 50's/early 60's, must have vocal supporters because, no matter how good the art is, someone has to turn you on to it and give you the chance to see the magic.

I'm a music fan: The Grateful Dead are a part of my soul, more than any organized religion ever has been, but I don't just listen to the GD. I listen to GOOD music... period.

The one question I ask all of you who are contemplating what The Other Ones is as a band, and whether or not you feel comfortable describing how this music makes you feel is this: "What all-star band is out there playing 30 arenas doing Beatles songs? Doing Who songs? Doing Rolling Stones songs?"

Here's another question: "What former member of a rock-n-roll hall of fame band can recruit some of the best musicians on the sceen to play 'other peoples music?'"

When Pete Townsend hires some studio guitar player to play lead on the upcoming Who tour, I'm not doubting the guitarist's love of the Who, but the bottom line is that it's a JOB.

Take a look at the musicians that have lined up to play with the various GD side projects!  It's unfathomable. Robben Ford took a lot of knocks for his style w/ Phil: Robben Ford was Miles Davis' guitar player!!! Steve Kimock isn't a 25 year old prodigy that just moved to San Fran and met the right people. He's one of those guys that you hear and he makes you stop what you are doing because you have to. Kimock is the Roy Buchanan of our time; thank god he doesn't lead the destructive life that RB did. Buchanan was a total unknown player on the "music scene" in the 70's, but he was the first choice of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to replace Brian Jones after he died. The point I'm making is that this is serious business and if you are going to put something together, do it right. At great as it was to see Bobby, Mickey and Billy together, I saw Bruce Hornsby, Steve Kimock, and Alphonso Johnson and I saw the nucleus of a new, jazz rock band. The type of band that could play like Legion of Mary: three months, small clubs, two shows per night. Some bands play together for 30 years and if you get them into an improvisational arena they can't perform. This band was built on taking chances. Sometime when we take chance we fall on our butts. Other times we accomplish feats that blow our minds.

We should be thankful that Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Billy Kruetzmann, Bruce Hornsby, Alphonso Johnson, Steve Kimock, and Mark Karan find a collective thrill in playing together. When I see a group of musicians as accomplished, rewarded and respected (in a multi-genre) as this group I know three things: 1) they all love taking chances, 2) they all love being challenged, 3) THEY ALL LOVE THE MUSIC!

Closing comments:
If I had one wish (other than world peace, no more hunger, and all that other crap), I would love to hang out at a record store owned and operated by Bob Weir and Steve Kimock and just sit back and listen to what they put on the turntable. They play so well off of each other.

LONG LIVE THE GRATEFUL DEAD!!! STEVE KIMOCK FOR PRESIDENT

--Michael Elsman