Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

Tag: oops show

Go Tele On The Mountain

“Hey, Jer?”

“What, Weir?”

“I’m kinda digging this Telecaster. Thinking about maybe becoming a Tele guy.”

“A what?”

“Telecaster guy. Get myself a shirt styled in the cowboy fashion. Maybe one of those haircuts that requires unguent to maintain its integrity.”

“Haven’t I told you to stay away from unguents, man?”

“At least once a day since 1968.”

“It’s good advice I’m giving you.”

“I think the Deadheads would appreciate the change. Perhaps they could learn to line-dance.”

“They can barely stand in lines, man.”

“Jer, I’ve heard the sound of my soul, and that sound is ‘twang.'”

“Just play the damn song, Weir.”

“Aw.”

Oopsy-Daisy

jerry-billy-oops-concert

Here’s another shot from the Oops concert, which had its anniversary yesterday.

I’ve been thinking about this since last night: someone needs to explain the thought process behind the borrowed guitars. Phil brought his! Did Garcia and Bobby stop at a music shop and pick out some axes? Did Jim Carroll (writer of The Basketball Diaries and the initial reason the Dead had heard of the Melk Weg) vouch for the instruments?

Did they just not want to carry their guitars? Was that the deal with the roadies, that they wouldn’t even pick up a guitar case? Because PHIL HAD HIS and if Phil could carry his guitar, then the other two could. Were they afraid their expensive, irreplaceable instruments would be stolen? Because that also makes no sense: how could something be safer in another country (West Germany, where they left all their equipment) than strapped to your shoulder?

The Grateful Dead makes no goddamned sense at all.