Features

Grateful Dead at the Rock Hall: A Report

Kramer credits the assistance and the vast amount of knowledge from Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux and Grateful Dead archivist at UCSC Nick Meriwether for helping him over a nearly two-year period to obtain the right mix of items.

“This would not be the way it is. Those guys are essential.”

Both were in attendance at the exhibit’s opening night party.

Commenting on the final result, Lemieux said, “What makes the exhibit must-see to me is that they are exhibiting the primary artifacts, the actual items that were there with the band at the point of musical creation — Jerry’s Mac amp through which he literally played over 1,500 shows, lyrics that were created in the moment, mix notes from “Anthem of the Sun” with notations by Jerry and Phil demonstrating how orchestrated that album actually was, drums that Mickey played in concert, basses and guitars that Bob, Jerry and Phil played in concert including some very famous guitars (Bob’s pink guitar, the white Travis Bean from 1976-1977, etc.).”

Fortunate routing allowed the Mickey Hart Band to perform during the opening night celebration on the Rock Hall’s Main Stage. Due to recording the album, “Mysterium Tremendum,” the eight-member group showed a distinct tightness while still allowing the arrangements of several numbers the space to search for areas of sonic magic. The nearly two-hour set seamlessly fused album tracks such as “Supersonic Vision” and “Starlight Starbright” with Dead classics (“Bertha,” “The Other One” and “Franklin’s Tower”).

The concert experience with Mickey Hart Band relates to the intentions Kramer had for “Long, Strange Trip.” “With the Dead I wanted to tell the story in a way that people could understand; that these elements are all a part of the whole. It wasn’t, ‘Oh, the Grateful Dead played Woodstock. And they played Altamont. And they took acid back in ’65 with the Acid Tests.’ That’s not the important part. The important part is they created this music where spontaneity and creativity was the core of it.

“And it fed off American music — gospel, rhythm & blues, rock ‘n’ roll, country, bluegrass, folk — and moved to an audience that had this amazing spiritual connection and gave back to the band. All this information, all these activities culminated into the movement of the Grateful Dead as a touring act. That’s one of the things I want to get out there.”

After all the time spent, miles traveled and searches made to put it together, he admitted that everything acquired impressed him. “First of all, I have to qualify myself as a stupid music geek. So, I pay attention to a lot of stuff whether I like it or not because that knowledge attracts my attention. It’s that same shiny object. Whether it’s Lady Gaga or Beatles bootlegs, I’m paying attention.”