I just found out by reading this post about enclosures in RSS feeds that the father of RSS and co-father of SOAP is a Deadhead. Yep. For the uninformed, a Deadhead is a word for a diehard fan of the now reformed quintessential hippie rock band, Grateful Dead.

Now, this says a lot about how much I've been paying attention, because the article is from 2001!  Anyway, I wouldn't call myself a Deadhead but I love them and their music. I just never got into the take millions of hits of acid, listen to the music, sway around with your hands in the air, and urinate on yourself kind of activity that many of their fans have enjoyed. I love Bluegrass, and Jerry Garcia's Old and In the Way is a favorite as is Reckoning, both acoustic albums. I have been to Dead shows and have enjoyed thier music immensely since just after I was introduced by a friend in my teens.

I guess you could say that I had to warm up to their live music. It's very laid back. At first I didn't like the fact that they were so "relaxed" and even a bit sloppy during their live shows. I was brought up on music where a big goal was to be technically impressive. These guys seemed to throw all that away and that took some getting used to. They are all accomplished musicians who value experimentation and improvisation over technical accuracy. To that end, they tended to meander a bit during live shows. You either let go and follow along or you hate it. Once you realize that none of the musicians are trying to out-do the others, and that they are truly playing off one another with an ear for the big picture, you get it and it's wonderful. Like nothing else.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. You may hear a little Jerry Garcia (now passed) influence in my playing, but my music is certainly not like live Dead. It's polished, and in some ways a bit sterile, as is all music when compared to live Dead music. heh.

So, Dave, I feel like I know you better now. Let me do the cliche' thing and quote some Robert Hunter when I say "You wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world"