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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 18, 2010 - 10:28pm PT
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400 shows.. thats about $12,000 in admissions. that's one hell of a climbing trip.......
The thing that disturbs me about tour is so many people putting so much time and energy into partying without much return on their investment in the way of bettering themselfs or society.. In 10 shows or less you can learn how to live on the street which is a good perspective to have but not something you want to make a real habbit of..
A climbing bum can also learn to be homeless while getting in superb physical condition and experienceing an amazeing ammout of natural beauty. Meanwhile the deadhead just gets fcked up and listens to the same 150 songs endlessly...
My advice to any young kid with the urge to go on tour is go to a few shows every now and then but save your money, buy an instrument and learn how to make music instead of just listening to it.... YMMV
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yosguns
climber
Durham, NC
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Apr 18, 2010 - 11:53pm PT
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tradman, I appreciate this sentiment a lot more than passing Dead Heads off as hypocrites.
I've often felt this divide with my parents. They understand the appeal of a community of climbers because they relate it to their experience with the Dead. But, I always felt discomfort at accepting the two experiences as one in the same. As a climber, I always felt so much more productive even though the time commitment, bumming, and unemployment could be similar in both communities.
I think climbing gives me a lot more for my investment. Dead shows are an easy and quick fix comparatively. From there, I can't help but think young people would benefit more from climbing outdoors, choosing their routes...than spending all that time spinning around at Dead shows.
But...as you say, shows also also serve a purpose. :-) I'm not sure if the Dead Heads who didn't have the opportunity to climb are better or worse off for the time they spent at shows. I personally would much rather have more Dead Heads wandering around than not Dead Heads...and climber Dead Heads trump all.
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 19, 2010 - 12:19am PT
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tradman~ you make some valid points but many of your opinions seem to be those of a more casual observer.
Indeed, when climbing took over my life, travelling to shows seemed pointless. I had had enough of cities and crowds... but what a kid can learn about themselves, our country, self reliance, car repair(!)...is priceless. The memories and friends I have from traveling with the Dead will be cherished forever, just like my climbing experiences.
Tour was just a microdot, I mean, microcosm of society in general. Good and bad.
The sweeping generalizations you make about the scene and Heads are kinda lame, but common. Whatever...
At least you dig the music, which was and is what it's all about, for me at least.
Your comment about buying an instrument and playing is right on! My life became much richer when i learned how to play the guitar and comleted my first song, "Loser".
Last fair deal in the country!
Oh, and tickets didn't cost 30 bucks a pop.. not even New Years!!!
and you think Pate ACTULLY PAID for all those tickets???!!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahahaaha
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 08:43am PT
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Early nintys tickets were 26- 28 but there was always tax and some other fee tacked on by the seller. I budgeted it at $30 when i was being honest with myself.. Unless Pate is a hot chick or a dealer there is no effin way he is getting miricaled.. that sh#t does not happen to guys unless they are the candy man... don't forget the quarters you wasted dialing 1-900 RUN DEAD to find out the date the tickets go on sale so you could do your mail in.. Or the days you wasted sitting on a sidewalk waiting in line to buy tickets..
Seriously unless you are a hot chick or a dealer, tour costs a shitload more money than you think...........
INMOP the tour is a neat semi usefull experience if you get out in time.. There are a lot of pitfalls allong the way that can seriously mess up your life in the long term....
These days I play a bunch of other stuff but my set list still includes..
Loser
Jack a roe
Dark Hollow
All arround this world
China Doll
Cassidy
I know you rider
Girl from the crossroad Bar
Bird song
Jack straw
Warf rat
Dire Wolf
Stella Blue
etc...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 09:30am PT
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It is 17 years since I took this photo.. I wonder what these chicks are doing now. In their mid 30's? Are they productive members of society? did they fall between the cracks? It would bee very neat to find out....
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 09:39am PT
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Both these guys are drinking the same beer. In one shot the drunk is pushing a cop car.. in the other he has just climbed a wicked cool boulder.. the photographer is buzzed in both photos..
The desert experience was hands down cooler and more of an influence on my life....
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Apr 19, 2010 - 11:06am PT
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someone say grilled cheese?
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Apr 19, 2010 - 11:46am PT
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Tradman, everyone comes into the game at whatever level (s)he can find to play it, and runs it out as best (s)he can.
The dude pushing on the cop car suffers from testosterone poisoning, pretty common in young guys. Some of them also happen to be Deadheads. He may have been constrained by so urban a horizon that he never found boulders to climb and wild country to soothe his yearning.
Lucky, lucky second guy. No fault to the limitations of first guy. But certainly an opportunity for first guy if he ever stumbled into a climbing gym or The Gulch.
Met an older chick yesterday whose life was totally changed by a single acid trip in her 20s. Can't speak for the two women in your photo, but this one is in later life a massage therapist so respected and in demand she sometimes works 12 hours in a day.
I never went to that many shows, but the Dead are on my iPod every time I duck into the woods or the mountains. Changed my life as much as the drugs did, as much as the holy stone did.
I grieve the t-shirt I once left on the ground at a show when I ecstatically ripped it from my body in the sunshine. But they -- the combination of the Dead, the Alpine, and the Drugs -- also inspired me to put up the Dark Star.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 01:52pm PT
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Pate, what part makes me the moron? the part where i stopped going to shows when jerry died? the part where I questioned the validity of feeling special just because you hang out with a bunch of really cool people and get wasted a bunch, the part where i worried about the future of some of the young folks caught up in it? The part where I figured out that climbing was way cooler than doing drugs at shows? Yes it was a super cool experience if you got off the buss at the right stop. The right stop is deferent for eveyone but I do know a few who missed that stop..
One of the guys I worked with this winter got busted Again for distribution at further in Feb.. dude is way old enough to know better but still riding the same buss......
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 01:59pm PT
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BTW, Fish sucks! Way to busy..
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 19, 2010 - 02:30pm PT
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You know this space is getting hot.
or is it
you know it's gonna get stranger.
hey...
Let's get on with the show!
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Apr 19, 2010 - 03:00pm PT
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
All Over.
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Apr 19, 2010 - 06:03pm PT
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OK, I have an addiction to electronic music, and it's due to the Dead and Phish.
I'll admit it, I like to fry my brains out and roll my head off ( the latter may not be your guys styles, but whatever.)
The source of my addiction was the Dead in the late 70's, when estimated came out and Donna screamed like the she-banshee that she was. That was growing up. Once I hit adulthood, the Dead were done and I looked for the next-best-thing.
I found it in Phish. In the late 90's, they were HOT! Deep jams, great lights.
I loved it when I was frying and the blue lights came up...magic!!!!
I continued my love of the Dead and Phish for years, until I hit my first rave.
It was DJ Lorin (bassnectar) of Burning Man fame.
I was sober at the show, and it changed my life.
The bass, the...everything.
I'm sure i'm not the first hippie turned raver out there.
It's not about drugs, but at certain times, they are worthy.
I could write for days about this, but I won't.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 06:25pm PT
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Fish is just too nervous for me. It does not have the steady groove that the Dead has...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 19, 2010 - 06:51pm PT
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Yes Doug, that was a stellar post.. We all are just trying to get by the best we can......
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 19, 2010 - 07:03pm PT
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Fish products™ is too busy.
Phish, sucks.
so to speak. YMMV
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
All Over.
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Apr 19, 2010 - 07:15pm PT
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Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
Blazin strong right now, brothers.
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