Phil Lesh's Triumphant Return: A Musical Journey 25 Years Ago Today Larry Mishkin provides a retrospective analysis of a significant musical event from April 15th, 1999, focusing on Phil Lesh's return to the stage after surgery, marking the first Phil and Friends show. He discusses the lineup, including Trey Anastasio and Paige McConnell from Phish, and highlights their performance of various songs, notably "Viola Lee Blues" and "Hello Old Friend." The discussion also touches on recent music news, including the cancellation of the Skull and Roses festival and a tribute event for Jimmy Buffett featuring Paul McCartney and the Eagles. Additionally, it anticipates Fish's upcoming performances at the Las Vegas Sphere venue.
Phil Lesh's Triumphant Return: A Musical Journey 25 Years Ago Today
Larry Mishkin provides a retrospective analysis of a significant musical event from April 15th, 1999, focusing on Phil Lesh's return to the stage after surgery, marking the first Phil and Friends show. He discusses the lineup, including Trey Anastasio and Paige McConnell from Phish, and highlights their performance of various songs, notably "Viola Lee Blues" and "Hello Old Friend." The discussion also touches on recent music news, including the cancellation of the Skull and Roses festival and a tribute event for Jimmy Buffett featuring Paul McCartney and the Eagles. Additionally, it anticipates Fish's upcoming performances at the Las Vegas Sphere venue.
Phil Lesh & Friends
April 15, 1999 (25 years ago)
Warfield Theater, S.F.
Lineup:
Phil Lesh - Bass
Steve Kimock - Guitars
John Molo - Drums
Trey Anastasio - Guitar
Page McConnell – Keys
INTRO: Hello Old Friend
Track # 1
0:10 – 1:47
25 years ago, Phil Lesh & Friends featuring guitarist Trey Anastasio and keyboardist Page McConnell of Phish kicked off their landmark three-night run at The Warfield in San Francisco on this date in 1999. Guitarist Steve Kimock and drummer John Molo rounded out the lineup of one of the most memorable collaborations the jam world has seen.
This was the first ever performance of Phil & Friends and quite a memorable group of Friends to be playing with at a storied S.F. music venue.
The shows also marked Lesh’s return after undergoing liver transplant surgery at the age of 58 due to chronic hepatitis C infection. The April 15 concert kicked off with Phil and his sons Brian (??) And Grahame Lesh (12), backed by guitarist Steve Kimmock, in front of the curtain, performing Eric Clapton’s “Hello Old Friend” as a fitting first song back for Phil. Both boys are strong musicians and Grahame, who graduated from Stanford in 2010 with a music degree, is a regular touring member of Phil and Friends in addition to playing with his own band, Midnight North.
Phil Lesh’s surgery took place at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida on December 17, 1998, barely 4 months earlier. Lesh, who was 58 at the time, had been suffering from internal bleeding caused by hepatitis C, which he was diagnosed with in 1992. He received the liver of a young man named Cody and his since started encores of his concerts by preaching the importance of becoming an organ donor.
"Hello Old Friend" is a country rock song, written and recorded by the British rock musician Eric Clapton. The track was released in October 1976 as the first of two singles from Clapton's 1976 studio album entitled No Reason to Cry.
the AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann notes, "Hello Old Friend" is the best pop/rock song on the album. He goes on describe the title as a "identifiable" Clapton piece of music.[2]Rolling Stone journalist Dave Marsh called the song "a whimsical and silly slice of attempted innocence".[3]Billboard said that it has a reggae feel similar to that of "I Shot the Sheriff."[4]Record World called it "a midtempo number constructed around a network of acoustic and slide guitars.”
The Grateful Dead never played the song in concert.
The five-piece then showed off its firepower with a 34-minute “Viola Lee Blues.”
SHOW No. 1: Viola Lee Blues
Track # 2
31:30 – 33:01
In a 1999 interview with Jambands.com, Lesh revealed that it was Anastasio’s idea to do “Viola Lee” and talked about how he started listening to Phish and also how the collaboration came about. Read an excerpt below:
“[Phish’s music]…was absolutely entrancing, it was just gorgeous…but I couldn’t hear the piano well on the live tapes, so I went back to the CD’s and started listening to Page and what he was doing, and so I said “Well…” and my wife said “Come on, Come on, give them a call.” Somehow I got their phone numbers, and I gave them both a call. We talked about it, and they said we’d love to do it, and so we set a date, and we started calling back and forth, and like I said earlier they brought in a dozen Grateful Dead tunes I never would have thought of doing, but they wanted to [do] them. And we got together at rehearsal and the first thing we did together was “Viola Lee Blues,” and from there on out it was like now let’s do this one, and let’s do this one. It was real rehearsal in the sense that the Grateful Dead rarely was. Grateful Dead rehearsals were kind of comical. We believed in public rehearsals.”
A long time favorite of Phil’s, he picked it as one of the live tunes for the GD album, Fallout From The Phil Zone – a collection of some of Phil’s favorite live tracks of various Dead tunes released on June 17, 1997. In the liner notes he said this of the song: “The definitive early Grateful Dead jammin’ tune, the first one we ever really stretched out beyond all recognition, by using what we called then “shifting gears” – which is really nothing but a twenty minute accelerando, influenced by the North Indian music that we were listening to a lot at that time.”
Played only 44 times by the Band
First: March 19, 1966 at Carthay Studios, Los Angeles, CA,
Last: October 31, 1970 at Stony Brook Gymnasium in Stony Brook, NY
Also played June 27, 2015 at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA, USA 50th Anniversary shows
MUSIC NEWS:
After the exploratory, bar-setting, “Viola Lee,” the quintet would run through more material from the Dead canon with Trey and Page harmonizing on “Big Railroad Blues,” Phil singing “Jack-a-Roe” and Phil, Trey and Page harmonizing on “Cosmic Charley”
SHOW No. 2: Cosmic Charlie
Track #5
3:25 – 5:12
Old Time Music and Hope Barnett:
Grateful Dead was known for their unique and poetic songwriting style, and “Cosmic Charlie” is no exception. Released in 1969 on their album “Aoxomoxoa,” this song has captivated fans for decades with its enigmatic lyrics and psychedelic sound. Exploring themes of spirituality, love, and the human experience, “Cosmic Charlie” takes listeners on a sonic journey unlike any other.
The meaning behind “Cosmic Charlie” is open to interpretation, as with many of the band’s songs. Some believe it was inspired by the vision of a fictional character named Cosmic Charlie, who travels through different dimensions, spreading joy and love. Others see it as a metaphor for the human longing for connection and transcendence. The lyrics, although cryptic at times, convey a sense of wonder and mystery that invites listeners to delve deeper into their own consciousness.
The overall message of “Cosmic Charlie” seems to be one of embracing the cosmic and spiritual aspects of life. It encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions, explore the unknown, and seek connection with the universe. The song invites individuals to tap into their inner selves and discover the hidden realms of existence.
While “Cosmic Charlie” was never released as a single and did not enjoy mainstream success, it holds a special place in the Grateful Dead’s discography and the hearts of their fans. Its eclectic and unique style showcased the band’s experimental tendencies and cemented their reputation as pioneers of the psychedelic rock genre.
Love hearing Trey and Page singing along on this old timey Dead gem.
Played 45 times by the Dead (38 in 1969 and 1970, 1 in 1971 and, inexplicably, 6 in 1976.
First: January 17, 1969 at Robertson Gymnasium, University of California Santa Barbara Campus, CA, USA
Last: September 25, 1976 at Capital Centre, Landover, MD, USA
1984 Deadheads would pass around a petition asking the band to play the song again and also pass out cards before the show with the lyrics just in case they played it.
Finally, for the Phish fans in the crowded Warfield, the first Phish tune of the run (and only one that night), “Wolfman’s Brother.”
SHOW No. 3: Wolfman’s Brother
Track # 6
1:30 – 2:58
On this one, writing credit goes to the entire band plus long time Phish lyricist, Tom Marshall.
Released on Hoist (stylized as (HOIST)) is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on March 29, 1994, by Elektra Records. At the time of its release, Hoist was Phish's best selling album to date, peaking at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on August 19, 1996, and remains the band's best-selling studio release, outsold in their discography only by the platinum-certified A Live One.
Old Time Music: Mike Wells
Music has a unique way of connecting with our emotions, memories, and experiences. It has the power to transport us to a different time and place, evoking feelings we may have long forgotten. One song that has always resonated deeply with me is “Wolfman’s Brother” by Phish. This track, featured in their 1994 album “Hoist,” holds a special meaning and significance for both the band and their dedicated fanbase.
the lyrics of “Wolfman’s Brother” have a universal appeal. They invite listeners to reflect upon their own encounters with enigmatic figures or forces that have left a lasting impact. It encourages us to confront the demons that haunt us and search for understanding and resolution.
Listening to “Wolfman’s Brother” live is an entirely different experience. The band’s extended jams and improvisations add a new layer of depth and intensity to the song. It becomes a collective experience, with the audience joining in as the lyrics are chanted by thousands of voices.
Phil spoke with Jambands.com about wadding into the Phish catalog:
I had thought maybe we would do this tune or that tune, and in the end, we only ended up doing one tune that I thought we would do, and that was “Prince Caspian,” and then they brought up those other three, “Wolfman’s Brother,” which I had never heard, and “Down With Disease” and “Chalkdust Torture,” which I hadn’t heard either until we played them at the rehearsal, and then I went and got the CD’s and checked them out. But then I started listening to their other stuff, their other stuff is real interesting, but you can tell by listening to that that they need their forty hour weeks, because they really need to get that shit down.
Never played by the Dead.
MJ NEWS – One Toke Over The Line!!!
STRAINS:
Strawberry Shortcake – a wonderful nighttime indica strain that that has a tart strawberry taste and leaves you with a good face melt and some couch lock. Wait until you get home before diving in. No great if you are with a group of people who are looking for your active participation in whatever they are doing! But wonderful to relax and get ready for a good night’s sleep.
Blue Dream – every now and then I swing back to one of the all time greats. Nice for daytime and early evening use. Just have to be sure that whatever they are calling Blue Dream is really Blue Dream. It does have a fairly distinctive taste and smell so if you are familiar with the strain, you should be able to tell if you have the real stuff.
Tang – a wonderful sativa that is energetic without providing the standard “sativa crash” as it wears off. Also nice because of it’s ability to “cut through” any buzz you may already have and provide a new uplifting effect.
After a first set-closing “Uncle John’s Band,” the second frame got underway with Lesh leading on “Alabama Getaway” and “Sugaree,” the latter of which featured the band taking things out again and stretching the song to over 20 minutes. Phil once again stepped to the mic for a cover of the Bob Dylan classic “Like A Rolling Stone” that saw Trey and Page joining him on the chorus – I love that tune, the first Phil & Friends show I ever saw, featuring the Quintet, at the Riviera Theater in Chicago with good buddy Jimmy they opened with a 15 minute version of this tune into a 30 minutes cover of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, just too many other good tunes from this show - and led into a spirited “I Know You Rider.” Anastasio then fronted the quintet on a sweet version of “Row Jimmy”
SHOW No. 4: Row Jimmy
Track #12
2:10 – 3:55
Garcia/Huner tune, Wake of the Flood is the sixth studio album (and tenth album overall) by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Released on October 15, 1973, it was the first album on the band's own Grateful Dead Recordslabel. Their first studio album in nearly three years, it was also the first without founding member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, who had recently died. His absence and keyboardist Keith Godchaux's penchants for bebop and modal jazz (rather than McKernan's tendencies toward the blues and rhythm and blues) contributed to the band's musical evolution. Godchaux's wife, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, also joined the group and appears on the album.[8]
The release fared better on the pop charts than their previous studio album (1970's American Beauty), reaching No. 18.
After three live albums in a row, the Grateful Dead wanted to record studio versions of songs written since Keith Godchaux had joined the band. At the time of recording, five of the songs on the album (and part of a 6th) had been in live rotation for up to a year and a half, as arrangements were road-tested and finalized. Referring to this period, bassist Phil Lesh explained, "We'd learned to break in the material at shows (under fire, as it were), rather than try to work it out at rehearsals, or in the studio at tremendous expense."
Describing Godchaux's influence, drummer Bill Kreutzmann characterized the album as "Keith's coming out party." Remarking on the evolution in style, he remembered:
Jerry brought "Row Jimmy" into us one day, and it was really difficult to get a grip on it at first. It has a slow tempo, which makes it seem like it would be easy, but it calls for a slight reggae groove layered over a ballad. Rhythmically, the lengths aren't traditional. They're not just twos and fours. It's deceiving. Basically, you have to play the song in half-time with a double-time bounce on top. It's trickier than it sounds. But once I locked into it, "Row Jimmy" became one of the best songs in our repertoire.
Played 274 times
First: February 9, 1973 at Maples Pavilion, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, a show we featured earlier this year.
Last: June 21, 1991 at Knickerbocker Arena in Albany
Cannot say enough about Trey’s strong vocals on this tune. This is 16 years before the 50th reunion shows where Trey would play lead guitar for all five shows (2 in Santa Clara and 3 at Soldier Field). And at this point, Phish had only covered one Dead tune in concert: Terraping Station on August 9, 1998 at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater on the third anniversary of Jerry’s death. Since that point, it is still the only time Phish has covered a Dead tune in concert. Why only that one? Who knows. Trey is certainly more than qualified to cover any Dead tune and the other guys have all played with various Dead members from time to time. One of the great mysteries of the Phish world (at least for me).
This was followed by a crowd-pleasing “Shakedown Street” which saw the band stretching their legs once again for a nearly 20-minute excursion. Next, “The Wheel” led into a 15 minute version of the classic closer “Not Fadeaway” to bring set two to a conclusion. After Phil’s donor rap and band intros, Phil & Phriends closed out Night One of the run with Phil singing lead Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which they did in the style of The Byrds.
OUTRO: Mr. Tambourine Man
Track #18
0:00 – 1:28
Leave you with one of my favorite Bob Dylan tunes.
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it has been included in multiple compilation albums. It has been translated into other languages and has been used or referenced in television shows, films, and books.
The song has been performed and recorded by many artists, including the Byrds, Judy Collins, Melanie, Odetta, and Stevie Wonder among others. The Byrds' version was released in April 1965 as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart, as well as being the title track of their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man. The Byrds' recording of the song was influential in popularizing the musical subgenres of folk rock and jangle pop, leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics in the wake of the single's success. Dylan himself was partly influenced to record with electric instrumentation after hearing the Byrds' reworking of his song.
The song has been in Dylan's live concert repertoire since it was written,[10] usually as a solo acoustic song, and live performances have appeared on various concert albums and DVDs. An early performance, perhaps the song's live debut, recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall on May 17, 1964.
Great version, again with Trey and Page joining in. I think Phil surprised them with pace of the tune right at the start, but everyone catches up and it’s a fun song to hear in concert. Great way to close out night 1 of this 3 night return to the stage run for Phil. Best part is that 25 years later he is still going strong at 84!
Phil and Friends have covered it 6 times
First: at this show!
Most recent: October 5, 2000 at Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, USA (doesn’t seem correct to me because I’m fairly certain I’ve seen Phil perform this live since 2000, but so far cannot seem to come up with the place, date or folks he was playing with. Happens sometimes!
Finally, this show marks the first instance of Phil’s famed “Donor Rap” that precedes the encores of all of his shows
Larry (00:37.87)
Hey, everybody. Larry Mishkin here, welcoming you to another episode of the Deadhead Cannabis Show. Today is April 15.
and we are going to be featuring a show from 1999, April 15th, 1999, 25 years ago today. And although it's not a dead show per se, it is Phil Lesh's return to the stage for the first time since his surgery and the first Phil and Friends show. We got some boys from Fish joining up with him from the Warfield Theater, a tremendous show. That's what we're going to talk about today musically. We've got some great marijuana stuff to go over.
and some other interesting music news. But let's kick this show off exactly the way it started 25 years ago today with the curtain down and filling friends in front.
Larry (03:04.526)
Hello old friends, a Eric Clapton tune, but 25 years ago, fill in friends. This time featuring quite a lineup of Trey Anastasio, keyboardist, Paige McConnell, both of Fish.
And also guitar Steve Kimmock and drummer John molo kicking off a landmark three -night run at the war field on this state in 1999 one of the more memorable collections of the jam world and fill in friends I'm still a fan of the quintet, but this one has to give it a strong run for its money So it was the first ever formal performance of fill in friends There had been one in 1998 where he kind of called it fill in friends, but it was a one -off And this came after the surgery and so it's um,
Quite a group for him to be playing with at a storied San Francisco music venue. The show marked Phil's return to life performing after undergoing a liver transplant surgery at the age of 58 due to chronic hepatitis C, a chronic hepatitis C infection. The April 15th concert kicked off with Phil and his sons Brian and Graham. I think Graham was 12 at the time, not sure how old Brian was. They were backed by a long time dead collaborating guitarist, Steve Kimock, in front of the curtain without the rest of the
friends performing Eric Clapton's Hello Old Friend as a fitting first song back for Phil. Both boys are strong musicians on their own right. And Graham, who graduated from Stanford in 2010 with a music degree, is a regular touring member of Phil and Friends in addition to playing with his own band Midnight North. Quite a long ways to have gone from backing dad in front of a very strong and rabid, grateful dead fan group of grateful dead fans. Very happy and excited to see
to see one of their favorites, Phil back performing live. Phil's surgery had taken place at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, barely four months earlier in December of 1998. He was 58 at the time and had been suffering from internal bleeding caused by hepatitis C, which was diagnosed in 1992. He received the liver of a young man named Cody and has since started encores of his concerts by preaching the importance of becoming an organ donor. Hello, old friend, is a country rock song written and recorded by the British Rock
Larry (05:17.184)
musician Eric Clapton. The track was released in October 1976 as the first of two singles from Clapton's 1976 studio album entitled No Reason to Cry. The all -music critic William Ruhlman notes, Hello, old friend, is the best pop rock song on the album. He goes on to describe the title as an identifiable Clapton piece of music. Rolling Stones journalist Dave Marsh called the song a whimsical and silly slice of attempted innocence. Billboard said it has a reggae feel similar to that of I Shot the
the sheriff and record world called it a mid -tempo number constructed around a network of acoustic and slide guitars. The Grateful Dead never played it in concert. This was the only time that Phil and friends ever played it and this time the friends just being his two boys. Very memorable, good friends of the show, Alex and Andy were both at it and have relayed the heart tugging response to see Phil back up there after this surgery when folks weren't quite sure what was going to happen to him.
with his two young boys and really belting out the tune and welcoming back all of his friends in the crowd and on the stage and everywhere else and then launching off into a wonderful show to begin his own 25 -year venture through the musical world that is still going strong. So right after this, Phil goes back and the boys leave. Phil and Steve go back behind the curtain. The curtain comes off and right out of the box, the five -piece band shows off its five -piece
firepower with a 34 minute version of one of my all time favorite Grateful Dead numbers, Viola Lee Blues.
Larry (08:23.086)
For this clip I went with the end of the tune.
well i'll give the bandit fans chance to finish up here for this clip i went with the end of the tune
It was a 34 minute version of this song which sometimes the dead would play as long as 40 or maybe even 45 minutes back in the early days and a great number for everybody to stretch out on of course for Trane Page even at that time that was nothing new. Phil, Steve Kimock was a regular playing with the dead, various people in the dead, Post Jerry and had long connecting ties to the band and John Molo who was set to become the permanent drummer for, well not the permanent drummer but maybe the
the most favorite of all of the various drummers that Phil has put on the drum kit back behind him when he goes out to play. And they just kill it. I just love how the jam goes on and on and on. And then finally after, definitely a type two jam from the deadhead perspective, meaning you forget what song they were playing in the midst of all of it. They circle back around, dive right back into that familiar beat with a lot of good energy, finish off this number, which is awesome.
always a great one to hear and most of us were never lucky enough to hear the Grateful Dead play it unfortunately because they only played it 44 times. The first time they played it was on March 19th 1966 at Carthay Studios in Los Angeles and the last time they played it was on October 31st 1970 at Stony Brook Gymnasium in Stony Brook New York.
Larry (09:58.51)
The surviving members, the Core Four, also played it on June 27th, 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, one of the 50th anniversary shows with, coincidentally, Trey Anastasio on lead guitar. However, Phil and friends who really love it played it 225 times, the most recent being March 15th, 2024 at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. Back in 2006 at the Vegas Festival in Las Vegas, a whole group of us were there.
We went to the late night show at one of the casino auditoriums. I forget which one it was, somewhere behind the Palms where we were staying. And.
It was just a long, long show, but we hung out, we hung out, we hung out, and then the third set finally paid off and they came out and opened with a killer viola lead blues. So Phil loves it, Trey loves it. He came out and played with them that night and it was just a wonderful thing to see. But here's the interesting part. In a 1999 interview with Jam Bands, Phil revealed that it was Trey's idea to do viola lead blues and talked about how he started listening to Phish, he being Phil, and also how the collaboration came about.
According to Phil, Fish's music was absolutely entrancing. It was just gorgeous, but I couldn't hear the piano well on the live tapes. So I went back to the CDs and started listening to Page and what he was doing. And so I said, well, and my wife said, come on, come on, give him a call. Somehow I got their phone numbers and I gave them both a call. We talked about it and they said, we'd love to do it. And so we set a date and we started calling back and forth. And like I said earlier, they brought in a dozen grateful dead tunes I never would have thought of doing, but they wanted to do them. And we got together at rehearsal.
first thing we did together was Viola Lee Blues. And from there on out, it was like, now let's do this one and let's do this one. It was a real rehearsal in the sense that the Grateful Dead rarely was. Grateful Dead rehearsals were kind of comical. We believed more in public rehearsals. This has always been a long time favorite of Phil's, as you can now see by how many times Phil and friends has played it. He picked it as one of the live tunes for the Grateful Dead release Fallout from the Phil Zone, a collection of some of Phil's favorite live tracks.
Larry (12:12.752)
of various dead tunes that was released back on June 17th, 1977. In the liner notes he said of the song, the definitive early grateful dead jamming tune, the first one we ever really stretched out beyond all recognition by using what we called then shifting gears, which was really nothing but a 20 minute accelerando influenced by the North Indian music that we were listening to a lot of the time. Well, certainly worth going to see, certainly worth hearing them.
time they want to do it. And just a wonderful tune. And what better way was there to just, I'm back folks. Hello old friends. And then 34 minutes of just wonderful nonstop jamming. Again, as always, folks, pull the show down off of Archive .org and listen to all of it. I just can't give it it to do with the short clips that we feature here on the show, but it's absolutely great. We're going to switch over now for a couple of minutes to music news. And then we'll be back to
and friends from 25 years ago today. And here's a story that came out about the extended dead community that unfortunately is not a very happy one and not something that any of us are used to hearing about for events that at least bill themselves as being dead related.
skull and roses the annual grateful dead infused musical gathering in Ventura California has been canceled the main event was intended to take place this coming week but it was ultimately called off
by event founder Chris Mitrovich, who penned a message that was shared yesterday, well this is from a couple of days ago, was shared on April 10th and offered, the financial devastation of the 2023 Skull and Roses event made it impossible to sustain the weight of the new production. And by the way, thank you to Relics for their content on music that we always look to for being able to share with our fans on this show. Addressing the deadhead community, Mitrovich's statement began, with deep sorrow, I must
Larry (14:17.568)
informing the skull and roses six has been canceled and all transparency the final devastation the financial devastation of the twenty twenty three show made it impossible to sustain the weight of the new production he continued we have maintained hope and exhausted every imaginable possibility right up to this very moment it has now become clear however that we have reached the end of the line all the cards are down and there's nothing left to see.
This is not a choice. The decision has been made for us. Had we known or stopped fighting sooner, we would have let you know then. Please know that this is the truth. We feel exactly the same way that you do in every regard. Words cannot tell how much we appreciate your undying dedication and extreme connection with this show. We don't know what the future holds. Please accept my most sincere apologies for the troubles this message will cause. Prior the decision to call off Skull and Rose of Six, this event was slated to feature a packed lineup, including
the Golden Gate Wingmen, Sages and Spirits, Dark Star Orchestra, Melvin Seals and JGB, Jerry's Middlefinger, Stu Allen and Mars Hotel, Joe Manchinick's Dead Funk Summit, and other acts that intended to lean into the Grateful Dead's archive and revive their beloved canon of songs. Note, Skull and Roses will not be providing refunds for tickets and or hotel packages purchased through the site. At the end of Mitrovich's statement, he said,
While tickets and hotels were sold on a non -refundable basis, we sincerely wish that funds were available to refund all purchases. Unfortunately, this is not the case at this time. Additional information will be provided just as soon as it becomes available and will be posted through our socials and at skullandroses .com.
Well, that's damn disappointing. Now, it's disappointing that the show was called off. And any time a festival gets called off, it's disappointing because people have plans that they make well in advance. And we saw this when Fish had a call off its curveball festival a few years back. Certainly, some festivals were called off for COVID. But there's something about this one that's really just very disappointing about it. And it's not just the fact that they're not giving you your money back.
Larry (16:33.358)
And they're not just giving you your money back either on shows or on VIP ticket purchases or on the hotel packages that they provided. So these start to get pretty expensive. People laid out money. First thing to note, no connection between the Skull and Roses Festival and Grateful Dead Productions. This is an independent group that Mitrovich founded and has been putting on. This would have been the sixth year.
So he knows better, first of all. Second of all,
To say that the financial devastation of the 2023 show made it impossible to sustain the weight of the new production is troubling for a couple of reasons. What happened in 2023 that was so financially devastating were beyond COVID at that point. There was nothing COVID related that year, last year. I have to confess, I'm not entirely up on everything that went down with the 2023 show. But here's the thing. If the 2023 show was such a financial devastation for the organization,
How were they even able to come out in the first place and even suggest, let alone offer tickets and hotel packages and VIP packages for the 2024 show? It couldn't have been that they woke up a month ago and said, oh my God, we're in such a terrible place financially, we can't do this.
and he said we've maintained hope exhausted every imaginable possibility right up to this very moment is now become clear we've reached the end of the line and that his little clever all the cards are down and nothing left to see you know hey i'm a dead head to just like you guys but that's not right
Larry (18:13.614)
Why would you sit there and say, what are you trying to justify no refunds by saying we're calling it off at the last second? Because believe us, folks, we were doing everything we could do. But again, for how long? You don't wake up.
six weeks before the show even and say, oops, we're not going to make it. You owe a duty to fans, especially if your policy is going to be no refunds and you're doing it under the banner of grateful debt, even though not formally through the grateful debt. That's a pretty shitty way to treat your fans. That's just not OK. You can't do that. He goes, this is not a choice. Had the decision been made for us, had we known or stopped fighting sooner, we would have let you know then. And yeah, maybe then might have even been before you took all this money.
from people, or at a point where maybe you hadn't incurred any more additional expenses trying to get to the end, and you could refund even some of the money. So when you say, we feel exactly the same way you do in every regard, that's just not true. Whether you guys walk off with money or not,
uh... mister mitrovich is irrelevant to any of us and none of us really care quite frankly one way or the other what your financial uh... result is here what we do know is that you took money from people a lot of money from a lot of people tickets and and vip lounges and uh... and hotel packages and now based on the timing of a decision that you've made
uh... without really providing any underlying information that would back up any of this in just a lot of general statements you walk away leaving a lot of grateful dead fans in the lurch
Larry (19:45.934)
And I would venture to say that people who would go off to an event called Skull and Roses are probably not your average concert goers, but are certainly more fans who are very much part of the Grateful Dead family and have been following the dead forever. And maybe they're bringing along some first timers with them just to give them a little taste of what things might have been like back at the day at a very, very famous venue, the site of my first show back in 1982. But this just isn't the right way to do business. And what's worse about this now,
is that not unlike the fry festival way back of a few years ago that left actually people stranded on a desert island. So maybe not quite as bad as that, but certainly financially in terms of how it was planned and when the decision to cancel was made and the impact it has on everyone. Because even if everybody did get their money back, again, you're talking about people who take time off from work and probably have to plan it out months in advance depending on where they work. They have to make travel arrangements. If they have young children or pets who can't come with them, they have to
They make plans. They have all of those taken. So it's just really, really a disappointing outcome on every possible level. And I don't know what's going to happen in the future when people offer packages like this and say, yeah, yeah, come on, pay in. Pay all your hotel money. Pay all of your ticket money. Pay all of your VIP money. Your fans going to push back and say, we need a refund.
clause in there and if you're going to have a refund clause then anybody who's going to put on a show means they can't touch that money. They're going to have to have financial backing independent of ticket sales to be able to get something like this done. Or maybe the law is going to have to step in and say that there has to be a deadline far enough in advance that it minimizes the financial damage caused to people. The Ventura County Fairgrounds now it's far too late in the game for them to reschedule and take advantage of this open date to put somebody else back.
back in there. So at any rate, very, very sorry about this. Just don't think that it's the right way for something like this to go down. And again, as grateful dead fans, none of us like it. And it's just a very, very.
Larry (22:00.014)
sad thing but let's move on to some happy music news and uh... just very recently on thursday april eleventh so just about a week ago uh... the hollywood bullet up for night of music that celebrated the late great jimmy buffett the star -studded event consisted of many memorable performances from a diverse lineup of players including palm cartney and the eagles uh...
There's also Jean Bon Jovi was there, Zach Brown, Jackson Brown, Brandi Carlisle, and many, many others. Amongst the standout musical moments was a collaboration between the Beatles bassist and the Eagles, who performed Let It Be.
Prior to the group's arrival on stage, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl delivered introductions. Jimmy was a self -proclaimed dreamer. Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, when speaking about his childhood in Mississippi, he would say, I let my mind go where my feet couldn't carry me yet, but Jimmy's feet carried him far, Grohl continued, hitting on the mass appeal of Buffett's repertoire before unveiling the deceased artist's dream of sharing the stage with an idol like Paul McCartney. Once he arrived on stage, McCartney addressed the crowd, saying,
He had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy and like everyone else on the bill, said he was one great man. He continued, he was generous, he was funny, he had done just about everything in his life. I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar so he had his own guitar strung left -handed for me and then the next time I saw him, he had one custom left -handed made for me.
After showing love for Buffett's wife Jane, McCarthy started on a grand piano, nose diving into performing the absolute fan favorite. With added help from the Eagles, including an early member of the ensemble, Joe Walsh, who laid a particularly fiery guitar solo over the song's bridge. The interplays of keys and guitar struck an emotive chord, given the reason for the assembly and the celebration of one of music's favorites. This is widely available on the internet.
Larry (23:57.104)
it on YouTube or other places I would again strongly suggest you go out and track this clip down.
whether you loved them or you hated them, and I know with the Eagles, a lot of people felt both ways. They are a iconic music group, certainly with Joe Walsh rejoining. The other members that were performing that day makes it especially memorable. And then to team up with one of the true gods of rock and roll, a guy like McCartney, who's now well into his 60th year, 60 plus years, right, with the Beatles really beginning back in the early 1960s.
and he doesn't go anywhere and doesn't perform anywhere without crowds following him and love and adoration from the crowd and you know all for a band that only toured for about five years maybe only two North American tours and stopped touring in 1966 so we're fast approaching the 60th anniversary of the final Beatles concert and this guy and Ringo started his credit when he comes out to play which he does every now and then these days too the crowds just can't get enough of it and the guys like that
the band and the Eagles and other bands and Dave Grohl and all of them and Jimmy Buffett. It's the moment of a lifetime to be able to take the stage with a guy like Sir Paul and wonderful that they can do it and just a really, really exciting time and congrats to the folks who were lucky enough to be there. That's a memorable moment. And speaking of memorable moments, folks, in three short days, we will see what it looks like.
when Fish and Chris Cordoba, their light guy, make their way into the already infamous Las Vegas sphere, taking over after U2's.
Larry (25:53.07)
groundbreaking uh... residency that open the sphere and uh... anyone who saw you to their just can't say enough good things about it and given the band and the uh... venue who can blame them and now we get fish uh... even before dead and cold even before of other lot of bands speaking to not just the popularly that fish has overall but the special connection it has with las vegas which it kind of adopted as its hometown fritz halloween shows or what maybe fifteen twenty years ago
And a town where they've also come and played on other occasions. And they're only going to be there for four nights. So it's not really a residency. Heck, for fish four nights is just a regular run in any town practically.
Dick's Sporting Goods and Denver for Labor Day weekend and the shows they do in New York over New Year's and any other time when they do summer shows there. And the four shows for them is barely nothing, but it's going to be absolutely wonderful at the Sphere. Tickets are very, very hard to come by, unlike Deninco tickets, which we may talk about in a little while, which apparently there's a whole bunch of them all over the place, I'm hearing. But not for fish. And I have high hopes that very quickly,
good friends, Susie and Sky will make it in and that others who we know and love in the fish community might make it. I think a good friend of my son Matthew, his buddy Kevin is going to be there with some folks, his brother -in -law and a few others. So we will be able to get reports back from people telling us about what went down when they came out and play there. But certainly a big moment, not just in Las Vegas music history, but in the sphere history and for fish fans everywhere, good for them. You know, their band is all in one.
in peace, performing and playing as strong as they've ever performed, notwithstanding they're going on just about 40 plus years on the road. And how wonderful that they will be there to kick it off. And of course, we all have no doubt that they will really just kill the place with the performances they're going to bring. And with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and with the performance that they're going to bring, and
Larry (28:04.974)
Cordoba's music, lighting. We talked about him last week, Trey calling him the fifth member of Phish. And it'll be great to see what they do. And quite frankly, they're going to set the bar very high, I think, certainly for Dedanko, which will be rolling into town mid -May to launch their six or seven week residency at the Sphere. But Phish is going to go in there, and they're going to jam hard and hope everybody who goes has a great time and gets to see something
something really, really special. So maybe we'll have a little bit of stuff to talk about next week on that. Diving back into our show from 25 years ago today.
pick up with after that exploratory bar setting version of viola lead blues. Phil and his friends would run through more material from the Dead Cannon with Tray and Page harmonizing on big railroad blues. Phil singing Jack O 'Roe and Phil Tray and Page harmonizing on our next tune we're going to feature here, Cosmic Charlie.
Larry (30:51.566)
Cosmic Charlie. So here's an insight from old time music and Hope Barnett.
Grateful Dead was known for their unique and poetic songwriting style, and Cosmic Charlie is no exception. Released in 1969 on their album Oxxamoxxa, the song has captivated fans for decades with its enigmatic lyrics and psychedelic sound. Exploring themes of spirituality, love, and the human experience, Cosmic Charlie takes listeners on a sonic journey unlike any other. The meaning behind Cosmic Charlie is open to interpretation, as with many of the band's songs. Some believe it was inspired by the vision of a fictional
The lyrics, although cryptic at time, convey a sense of wonder and mystery that invites listeners to delve deeper into their own consciousness. The overall message of Cosmic Charlie seems to be one of embracing the cosmic and spiritual aspects of life. It encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions, explore the unknown, and seek connection with the universe. The song invites individuals to
to tap into their inner selves and discover the hidden realms of existence. While Cosmic Charlie was never released as a single and did not enjoy mainstream success, it holds a special place in the Grateful Dead's discography and the hearts of their fans. Its eclectic and unique style showcased the band's experimental tendencies and cemented their reputation as pioneers of the psychedelic rock genre. Now, this clip is great and I love hearing Trey and Paige come in and tackle this tune as well. It was only played 45 times.
five times by the Grateful Dead, 38 times in 1968 and 1970, one time in 1971, and then explicably six times in 1976. The first was on January 17th, 1969 at Robertson Gymnasium at the University of California in Santa Barbara. The last time was on September 25th, 1976 at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland. It's been played 79 times by Phil and friends most recently just a month ago.
Larry (32:55.904)
on March 15, 2024 at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. In 1984, Deadheads would pass around a petition asking the band to play the song again. And they would also pass out cards before the show with the lyrics just in case the band decided to play it. Finally, for the Fish Family, oh, well here, let me just focus on that one more second before we dive off of it.
and what I was saying before, that one of the reasons why I think, and people talk that they stopped playing it was because Jerry didn't really like rehearsing and we heard jokes before about the band not being, the Grateful Dead not being so great when it comes to rehearsals as compared to a band like Fish. And I think it's a tune that probably requires, does require some degree of rehearsal and preparation before you're gonna take it out on stage. And so after 1970,
It just completely fell off the shelf for the Grateful Dead. And maybe it was due to laziness on Jerry's part. Maybe the other guys didn't want to do it. Who knows? But it's a fun, fun tune. And it's absolutely great that, like I say, the train page were up to it. Steve Kimmich, of course, who has his experience playing with various members of the Dead and part of the Dead's family and inner circle of musicians. And John Moller, who I say again, with all due respect,
respect to Joe Russo, I believe is the best post -dead drummer out there and just love listening to him playing with Phil and all the various friends that he puts out there at the front of the stage. So this is just a great song all the way around and just how wonderful to hear Cosmic Charlie being played. The crowd loves it, obviously. This is when people who say, boy, guys like me who started seeing him in the early 1980s and feel like we missed out on everything in the 70s and 60s,
and boom here it is a chance to hear uh... phil lash pulling out you know really one of the great uh... all -time uh... psychedelic classics by the band and uh... giving it it's a do
Larry (35:03.086)
However, Phil, being the generous man that he is, at that point, and as a nod to the Fish fans in the crowd there at the Warfield, pulled out the first Fish tune of the three -night run of the only one that they would play that night, Wolf Man's Brothers. Let's listen to that.
Larry (36:55.694)
Delving into the world of fish, way back in 1999, Phil always was a visionary.
Not unlike what Trey does now with Goose and some of the other new bands coming up the ladder and just how it goes from one generation to the next and passing the torch and how wonderful. This Fish tune, the writing credit, although Trey wrote, writes and wrote the majority of the tunes that the band plays, the full band gets credit for this one along with longtime Fish lyricist Tom Marshall released on the band's album Hoist, their fifth studio album.
released on March 29th, 1994 by Electra Records. At the time of its release, Hoist was Phish's best -selling album to date, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on August 19th, 1996 and remains the band's best -selling studio release, outsold in their discography only by the Platinum -certified A Live One, their first release of live material from...
probably right around the time that this one was released. Again, looking to old time music, this time from Mike Wells commenting, music has a unique way of connecting with our emotions, memories, and experiences. It has the power to transport us to a different time and place, evoking feelings we may have long forgotten. One song that has always resonated deeply in that regard is Wolf Man's Brother by Fish. The track featured in the 1994 album Hoist holds a special meaning and significance for both the band and their dedicated fan base.
The lyrics have a universal appeal. They invite listeners to reflect upon their own encounters with enigmatic figures or forces that have left a lasting impact. It encourages us to confront the demons that haunt us and search for understanding and resolution. Listening to Wolfman's Brother live is an entirely different experience. The band's extended jams and improvisations add a new layer of depth and intensity to the song. It becomes a collective experience with the audience joining in as the lyrics are chanted by thousands of voices.
Larry (38:58.574)
You know, if you think about it, that description is not all that different than what Hope had to say about Cosmic Charlie in terms of enigmatic figures and touching bass with your own psyche and everything when you listen to it. Now, here's something, because Phil spoke with Jam Band about wading into the Fish catalog at his show. He said, I had thought maybe we would do this tune or that tune. And in the end, we only ended up doing one tune that I thought we would do of the Fish songs. And that was Prince Caspian.
Then they brought up these other three Wolfman's brother, which I had never heard down with disease and shock dust torture Which I hadn't heard either until we played them at rehearsal And then I went and got the CDs and checked them out But then I started listening to their other stuff their other stuff is real interesting But you can tell by listening to that that they need their 40 -hour weeks because they really need to get that shit down again Phil you know pointing to the the technical nature of all this stuff
that they're doing and you know the appreciating the amount of work that fish does you know to really get it all down pat and you know again maybe privately lamenting the fact that the dead and Jerry and Pig and a few others weren't always that interested in taking additional time to fine -tune and hone their craft quite to that degree but you know love the fact that Phil is talking about it here and that you know Trey and Paige get a an awesome introduction you know.
to to dead fans you know just
really really interesting i think in terms of uh... you know this still a long time uh... before tray would play with uh... uh... with the dead and uh... uh... in twenty fifteen and all that kind of stuff uh... and of course the grateful dead never played uh... wolfman's brother however and this is fascinating phil and friends played have played it twelve times obviously this was the first one but the most recent was october thirty one twenty twelve so not that recent at the terrapin crossroads in san rafael california meaning phil of this song that he was willing to go out
Larry (41:04.544)
and play it when Trey wasn't playing with him. And I think that that's great. And just a sign that here's some songs being written by the next generation, by Fish, and Phil, as deeply entrenched as the prior generation as anybody could be, loves it enough that he wants to bring it over and start playing it himself and giving it new life through his fans and his energies. And another really good thing.
and great to see. Well, it is that time, as always, in our show where we find ourselves moving over into the cannabis side of things. We have some interesting stories today. But as always, let's let our producer, Dan Humiston, musically lead us into this interlude.
Larry (42:21.358)
One Toke Over the Line, every stoner in the world knows it. It's a song written and performed by American folk rock duo Brewer and Shipley. It is a track from their 1970 LP, Tarkio, and was released as their debut single in early 1971. Mike Brewer gives the account of the origin of the song, saying, one day we were pretty much stoned and all. And Tom says, man, I am one toke over the line tonight. I like the way that sounded, and so I wrote a song about it. The song gained popular acclaim while the band was touring as an opening.
Act for Melanie, I got a brand new roller skate, you got a brand new key, after they received an encore but had run out of other songs to play. They said the president of the record company we were with at the time came backstage and said, oh man, you've got to record that and add it to the LP. And we were like, really? Oh well, OK. We didn't even take the song seriously. Needless to say, it came as a big surprise to us that they released it. And not only that, it was a big hit. And it received a lot of controversy. The government came down on us. In 1971, the Federal Communications
Commission issued a guidance to radio stations saying, whether a particular record depicts the dangers of drug abuse or to the contrary promotes such illegal drug usage is a question for the judgment of the licensee. Such a pattern of the operation is clearly a violation of the basic principle of the licensee's responsibility for and duty to exercise adequate control over the broadcast material presented over the station. It raises serious questions as to whether continued operation of the station is in the public interest.
Well, this clearly had a chilling effect, and some radio stations stopped playing the popular song as a result. Other stations played the song even more frequently in protest, and good for them. That's the way that it should be, I say. Right, if you're going to do it, then yeah, let's let them get out there and really do it like that. And that's always fun. But we are going to move our way over into the music news, excuse me, the cannabis news for a moment. And first, we start off by the Kansas lawmaker.
makers who were considering a proposal to jail farmers in their state who grow hemp that winds up with too much THC in it. Thank you to Marijuana Moment and Tim Carpenter. State law enforcement, local prosecutors, and a lobbyist convinced legalization of medical marijuana posed the greatest threat to the quality of life in Kansas, tried to quietly squeeze into a bill lowering fees.
Larry (44:46.19)
on industrial hemp producers an amendment that could send wayward farmers to prison for years.
The threshold between freedom and incarceration under the amendment advocated by the executive director of Stand Up for Kansas, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association would be a laboratory test measuring whether a hemp product had a THC content greater than 1%. The U .S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Kansas allow harvesting, processing, and marketing of hemp was less than 0 .3 % THC, which quite obviously is the federal standard. So you would expect
most states to be in line with that. I just need help understanding where are we going, who are we going after, and I hope it's not our industrial hemp producers said Carolyn McGinn, a Republican and a farmer. Is there some place we can look to find out how much this is being abused? I'm trying to understand where all the abuse is at such that we need a new law. Well stand up for Kansas leader Katie Wissman said she couldn't document the thread posed by crooked hemp farmers. The former Kansas Bureau of Investigations Administrator,
did say the establishment of industrial hemp as a row crop in Kansas created a lot of confusion for law enforcement personnel. She said one source of frustration was the challenge of differentiating between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. They look the same. They smell the same as that hemp, as that marijuana. How do we enforce that? Well, hello. Then why the hell are you going to give hemp farmers a serious penalty? What you're saying, the challenge here isn't to determine how much hemp or how much THC is in the hemp.
The determination is how to know the standard and to properly test. 0 .3. There are tests right now that can tell you if it tests up to 0 .3, the farmers know that it tests up to 0 .3 and no more, because if it does, they lose their entire crop. They have a vested interest in keeping it at 0 .3 and lower. And now you're talking about bringing it all the way up to 1 % as a state law. So I don't really think you're in an area that.
Larry (46:49.134)
admittedly by one of the leaders of this movement, there has been no prior problems. And as the state representative, a farmer herself, says, why are we doing this? Point out to me where there's a problem, where we need this type of law. And of course, nobody can do that. So.
Existing state statute says first time violators of the 0 .3 % could be charged with a misdemeanor. A second offense would be a low grade felony resulting in probation. Wiseman's amendment would retain those sentencing standards for hemp, but at a third layer of penalties. So law enforcement officers could raise the stakes for hemp industry participants trafficking higher level THC products. Depending on the quantity of hemp testing higher than 1 % THC, the proposed revision of state law could lead to sentences.
As long as 154 months, put your calculators away, that's over 12 years. OK, come on. Really? You're going to give 12 years to hemp farmers. Now, OK, fine. I get it that it's a third time, and three strikes and you're out kind of thing. But seriously, you have hemp farmers out there. Some of them may have never grown industrial hemp before or are just learning how to do it. Meaning they don't have an evil intent in mind. They may grow hemp, and it may spike.
And once it spikes, it could just as easily get up to the new 1 % standard they're talking about. And so you're going to go in, you're going to find farmers who are doing that.
How about waiting somewhere down the road when you arrest people who are trying to sell hemp that's marketed as hemp but has increased levels of THC? How about going after those people, the ones actually trying to profit on it? Sure, if you can go and you can find farmers in Kansas or in any other state who are growing industrial hemp and growing it pursuant to the federal statute of 0 .3%, and they are knowingly growing it in excess of that statute and selling it as marijuana, but you already have laws that address that.
Larry (48:46.926)
States that have adult use and that have hemp laws all say that once you cross the standards that we've set, you fall under our regular laws for marijuana and hemp and for abuse of those laws. So is this all really necessary in terms of what they're doing here? And they say the plan is to crack down on potential hemp farm renegades interested.
That interested Senator Virgil Peck, State Senator, the Republican Chairman of the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee. He welcomed Wisman's unconventional presentation on law enforcement requests to the Sixth House and Senate negotiators working last week on a compromise agricultural legislation. The reason I'm bringing this forward is to make certain hemp is hemp and hemp growers do not get out of their lane, Peck said. It's the real reason just to cut to the chase why I'm presenting this. Well, thanks, Peck. Your name serves you really well there.
Hemp is hemp. They don't go out of their lanes because we just got done saying it. They lose their entire crop if they go out of their lanes. And unless they got a really strong buyer who's going to come in and buy marijuana that has THC levels, we're not talking about these people growing THC levels of 20 % or more, which is what most of the commercial marijuana sells for today. So really, this is just a state that's always been a little bit backwards with these kind of things, demonstrating once again why it's just a little bit backwards on these kind of things.
and interestingly bragging about it, which is something that I personally wouldn't do if I were them. But I'm not them and they're not me, so that's just the way it is. Now we're going to move on to our second story today. And this comes to us, thank you, from.
marijuana business daily. There is no reason for the US Drug Enforcement Administration to delay its long -awaited decision on moving marijuana from schedule one to schedule three of the Controlled Substances Act, the head of the Food and Drug Administration told the House Committee. However, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf seemed to hint Thursday that the DEA could treat adult use marijuana, now illegal in 25 states, differently than cannabis used for medical purposes. Such a bifurcation, if applied to resteduling,
Larry (50:54.51)
rescheduling could have a profound impact on the US marijuana industry, analysts observed last week. It could mean medical marijuana businesses would enjoy tax relief that adult.
use operators wouldn't. In other words, 280E would apply to adult use operators, retailers, dispensary owners, but it would not apply to medical marijuana retail dispensary owners. And I assume for those dispensaries that sell both, 280E would not apply to medical marijuana sales, but it would apply to adult use sales.
Calif's comments came as part of a much lengthier and broader hearing called by U .S. Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican and the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Among other grievances, Comer took the FDA to task for failing to regulate next generation tobacco products used to vaporize nicotine as well as the agency's refusal to regulate hemp -derived products such as CBD. In response, Calif put the onus on Congress, arguing that existing regulatory pathways are inappropriate for CBD and a new regulatory
regime is needed. So.
This is, you know, from this, they kind of find their way over into this marijuana stuff. And, you know, again, nobody can take James Comer seriously because he tells anyone who wants to listen that he's got more than enough evidence to impeach President Biden when every single witness that he's put on the stand has either been arrested, charged with perjury, or shown to be a complete liar or dud. But yet this man and his good buddy, Jim, J .Y .M. Jordan persist. And there's nothing we can do about that other than say.
Larry (52:32.864)
They say, stay the hell out of the cannabis lanes, would you please? We don't need you over here. This is all very interesting. What do we think about bifurcation? I don't know. Sure, it's nice for the medical marijuana people, but it really sucks for the adult use people. And the fact of the matter is that none of it should be subject to 280E, because none of it should be on any schedule, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
So let's really move past all of this, and let's not keep playing this game. Well, we're going to put it on schedule three, at least the medical, and give those people relief, but not adult use, even though we know that adult use occupies the largest percentage of legal marijuana sales in this country. So the government's not really doing everyone that big of a favor percentage -wise, and they're going to still keep their thumb very heavily on the adult use people.
I don't agree with that. I think that all marijuana should be descheduled. Let's stop the nonsense. That takes it off of 280E for everybody. That allows banks to get involved. That allows everybody to run this industry as a real business the way it's meant to be run. And that's really what the government should be focusing on and not these little cutesy in between, well, let's see what we can do stuff. Because in my opinion, that just doesn't cut it. We have one final news story today that we're going to share, both before and after the break.
because it is a very, very interesting news story in my opinion. And also because we're giving a little shout out here to the daughter of our producer, Mr. Humiston. Vankst, a major cannabis industry staffing platform, acquired Cannabis Temp in what is believed to be the first such move in the marijuana human resources sector. Cannabis Temp is the temporary staffing division of Cannabis Team, an executive search firm headquartered in San Diego.
The price tag for the acquisition was not disclosed, but the deal was 50 % cash and 50 % stock, according to a Friday news release. Cannabis temp was hands down our largest competitor, Carson Humiston, Vance's founder and CEO and daughter of Dan Humiston, said in a statement. The acquisition likely will strengthen Vance's temporary staffing division, known as Vance Gives.
Larry (54:41.614)
Giggs. Since launching in 2018, Vank's Giggs has filled more than 200 ,000 gig jobs in 19 states, according to the release. With the acquisition of Cannabis Temp, Vank's brings its total count of business customers to 1 ,700 plus and now services 90 % of all marijuana multi -state operators, the release noted. That's just unbelievable. And you know.
Great shout out to Carson Humiston on this. I've had the pleasure of knowing Carson all the way back to when Dan and Don Hirsch were first launching their International Cannabis Association seminars and conventions. And Carson was there with the whole Humiston family, helping everybody get set up and selling tickets and man the booths and doing all of that kind of stuff that had to be done. And you could tell back then she was a very, very bright child, father notwithstanding, with a lot of good business sense and everything.
else and I have to tell you that it is absolutely zero surprise for me to see Carson where she's at and congratulations to her very happy shout out to her on this because she's done such a great job I know Dan is proud of her and likes to help her out from time to time whenever she's willing to listen to her old man which may not be very much given her success certainly but that's just great to see and what it really speaks to I think more than anything else.
is the strength and the success of the cannabis industry. The fact that there are so many businesses out there with whom Carson can do business and with whom her company can send these people to find jobs. And for all these people who desperately want to be part of the cannabis industry, Venxt is a great way to get there. So strong shout out to her and congratulations on that big accomplishment. Something for everybody in the Humiston family, certainly to be very proud of.
very proud of. One last thing on the marijuana side that I just want to talk about here for a minute and I've been doing this a little bit more and I think it's kind of fun.
Larry (56:47.918)
Here are the strains out there that I have been enjoying recently, and that if you have an opportunity to grab some, you might want to try strawberry shortcake, a wonderful nighttime indica strain that has a tart strawberry taste and leaves you with a good face melt and some couch lock. Wait until you get home before diving in. It's not great if you were with a group of people who are looking for your active participation in whatever they are doing, but it's wonderful to relax and get ready for a good night's sleep.
There's Blue Dream. Every now and then, I swing back to one of the all -time greats. Nice for daytime and early evening use. Just have to be sure that whatever they are calling Blue Dream is really Blue Dream, as it's probably one of the largest forfeited strains, given the fact that so many people recognize the name. People like to slap the label on just about anything. But it does have a fairly distinctive taste and smell. So if you have some familiarity with the strain, you should be able to tell.
relatively close whether or not you have the real stuff. If not, ask to see testing results. And then finally, Tang, which is a wonderful sativa. It's energetic without providing the standard sativa crash, as it wears off. It's also nice because of its ability to cut through any buzz you may already have and provide its own new uplifting effect. So three strains out there I'm looking at, Strawberry Shortcake, Blue Dream, and Tang. Look for them at your local neighborhood dispensaries. If you don't have any dispensaries where you live,
to some and find them there. I will not tell you to find them on the black market, but if you find them on the black market, just be careful. You know what you're getting, and you know who you're getting it from, if you can. So.
Now we're going to focus back to our show from April 15, 1999 at the Warfield Theater 25 years ago tonight, Phil Lesh and friends, including Trey and Paige and Steve Kimmick and John Mollo. After I first set closing Uncle John's band, the second set gets underway with Lesh leading on Alabama Getaway and Sugary, the latter of which featured the band taking things out and stretching the song out over 20 minutes. Phil once again stepped in for
Larry (58:57.936)
A mic for a cover of the Bob Dylan classic Like a Rolling Stone that saw Trey and Paige joining him on the chorus. I love that tune. The first Phil and Friends show that I ever saw, the Quintet at the Riviera Theater in Chicago with good buddy Jimmy. They opened with a 15 minute version of this tune into a 30 minute cover of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.
There's just too many other good tunes from this show that I couldn't quite feature it, including another 20 minute shakedown that I think is the number one dead show, number one dead song that is most primed for a fish cover if they were to do so. Trey knows it. Trey loves it. It's just a great, great tune that they could just go to town on forever. And I'm hoping that over the course of the shows I'm going to see this summer, maybe that'll be the time I'll
Although I know fish heads have been saying it forever, kind of like the dead heads waiting for Cosmic Charlie to come back. But either way, it'll all be good. And then finally, we get to where we are now, which is just a wonderful, spirited version of I Know You Right, or excuse me, a spiritual version of Roe Jimmy with Trey going front and center on it.
Larry (01:01:56.526)
love that harmonizing how beautiful is that
Garcia Hunter tune Wake of the Flood is the sixth studio album and the tenth album overall by the rock band the Grateful Dead released on October 15th 1973 first on their own label Grateful Dead Records and it featured Ro Jimmy. It was their first studio album in nearly three years. It was also the first without finding member Pig Pen who had recently died. His absence in keyboard is Keith Gauchow's penchant for bebop and modal jazz rather than McKernan's tendencies towards the blues and rhythm.
them in blues contributed to the band's musical evolution. Gao Chao's wife vocalist Nanajin Gao Chao also joined the group and appears on the album. The release fared better on the pop charts than their previous studio album American Beauty reaching number 18.
After three live albums in a row, the Dead wanted to record a studio version of songs written by the band since Keith had joined the band. At the time of the recording, five of the songs on the album and part of the six had been in live rotation for up to a year and a half as arrangements and were road tested and finalized. Referring to this period, bassist Phil Lesh explained, we learned to break in the material it shows under fire, as it were, rather than trying to work it out at rehearsals or in the studio at tremendous expense. Yes, yes, the theme of the day is the Dead do not like to rehearse.
Describing Gao Chao's influence, drummer Bill Kreutzman characterized the album as Keith's coming out party. Remarking on the evolution in style, he remembered,
Larry (01:03:43.104)
bounce on top it's trickier than it sounds
But once I locked into it, Road Jimmy became one of the best songs in our repertoire. Played 274 times by the Dead First on February 9th, 1973 at the Maples Pavilion at Stanford University, a show we featured earlier this year. Last time played on June 21st, 1991 at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York. Phil and Friends covered the tune 16 times, most recently on October 23rd, 2020 at the Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael. I just can't.
say enough about Trey's strong vocals on this tune. This is 16 years before the 50th reunion shows where Trey would play lead guitar with the core four for all five shows, two in Santa Clara and three at Soldier Field in Chicago. And at this point, Fish had only covered one dead tune in concert, Terrapin Station, on August 9th, 1998 at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater on the third anniversary of Jerry's death. Since that point, it was still the only time Fish had covered, has covered the dead in concert. Why only that one? Who knows?
Trey is certainly more than qualified to cover any dead tune, and the other guys have all played with various dead members from time to time. One of the great mysteries of the fish world, at least for me. This was followed by, going back to our show now.
following the road Jimmy. It was followed by a cloud -pleasing shakedown street I mentioned, which came after the song Not Before, My Bad, another 20 -minute excursion after the sugary. Then they played the wheel into a 15 -minute version of the classic closer, not fade away. Debring set two to a conclusion after Phil's donor ramp, the original one, by the way, and band intros. Phil and friends closed out the night. The first night of the run was Phil singing lead on Dylan's Mr.
Larry (01:05:32.992)
Tambourine Man, which they didn't, uh, the Style of the Birds. Now we're gonna leave you with this tune, which we're gonna play in one minute, but Mr. Tambourine Man is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album, bringing it all back home. The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it has been included in multiple compilation albums. It has been translated into other languages, and has been used or referenced in television shows, films, and books. The song has been performed and recorded by many artists,
including the Byrdes, Judy Collins, Melanie Odetta, and Stevie Wonder, among others. The Byrdes version was released in April 1965 as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK singles chart, as well as being the title track of their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man. The song has been in Dylan's live concert repertoire since it was written, usually as a solo acoustic song, and live performances have appeared at various concert albums, and
DVDs. On early performance, perhaps the song's live debut recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall on May 17th, 1964. This is a great version, again, with Trey and Paige joining in with Phil singing. I think Phil surprises them with the pace of the tune right out of the start, but everyone catches up and it's a fun song to hear in concert. It's a great way to close out night one of this three -night run and return to the stage, and a great return to the stage run for Phil.
best part is that 25 years later, he's still going strong at 84. Phil and friends have covered it six times. This is the first time, of course. And then the notes I found said, most recently, October 5, 2000, of the Orpheum Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. But I got to tell you, that doesn't seem correct to me.
because I seem fairly certain. I've seen Phil perform this song live since 2000, but so far cannot seem to come up with a place, date, or folks he was playing with, so it happens sometimes. If I finally remember, I'll let you know. Finally, and I mentioned this a minute ago, this show marks the first instance of Phil's famed donor rap that precedes the encores of all of his shows, where Phil gives a shout out to Cody, Phil's organ donor, and encourages everyone to sign up to be organ donors. Kind of a cool thing.
Larry (01:07:49.102)
That is everything. Enjoy, Mr. Tambourine Man. Thanks for listening. Have a great week, and as always, enjoy your cannabis responsibly. See you next week.