Several questions for shakin:
1. What instrument do you play in PFUNK? & as far as the A & E show above how can you be a "member" of a band and not be at the show cause you gotta drive? Sounds more like you are a roadie they let get on stage once in awhile (which I am not knockin still very cool).....that said as far as Furthur as a "musician" you give a band 60 minutes to impress you and then go to sleep? Sorry that is super lame. Been "on the bus" since 81 and saw many a Grateful Dead show where the 1st set sucked and the second set blew the roof off. I wasn't at Nateva, but I can tell you they were VASTLY improved on this spring tour..best thing I've heard GD related consistently since OO 98. You may wanna go over to archive & check out Hampton or Atlanta. Shi* damn near any show on this tour I caught 5 and they ranged from good to very good--to Hampton which dare I say was vintage auditory deliciousness. Not a clunker in the bunch. I think you may need to open your mind of all preconceived notions and really listen to what was going down this spring or catch a couple shows ( and for the record I have ALMOST always found even back in the day that spring and especially fall tours were always the best of the year---summer shows you're just gettin outside & groovin under the moonlught--nothin to heavy..the ONE big exception being Summer 1985 my alltime favorite tour I got to attend). Rock on

>>>I just dun get how anyone into 'Dead music' cannot enjoy Furthur, especially live....

for me, it's the lack of jerry and the pre-planned setlists and general lack of spontanaety(sp?), but i don't begrudge those that do. i was blessed to have 26 years on the bus with jerry and just prefer to stay there. for you younger folks, i can see where having this is a blessing in itself...

Hey shakin' I just listened to "Blues From the Rainforest", "Funky Jam", and am listening to "Light of the Spirit" now... good stuff!!! Me likes it a lot.

Also noticed that JK friended you on my space.... did he know you were sleeping in the dressing room? LOL!

>>What instrument do you play in PFUNK? & as far as the A & E show above how can you be a "member" of a band and not be at the show cause you gotta drive? Sounds more like you are a roadie they let get on stage once in awhile (which I am not knockin still very cool)

I play shakers and other small hand percussion instruments with P-Funk. I have my own band, Who Knows?, a free jazz - rock -folk trio with me on guitar, Perry Robinson on clarinet and Mark Whitecage on alto sax. That band had a gig in Baltimore the day after the P-Funk Pittsburgh show and, as that is MY band, it takes priority. I also have to do the driving. There are so many people in P-Funk that mugs'll miss shows and whole tours to do their own musical things. When I was arrested in PA two summers ago I could have been in Europe with P-Funk (Amsterdam that day) but chose to stay here to play a couple of shows with the 420 Funk Mob, Clip Payne's (also in P-Funk) band. These days I play in many different bands and often have to choose whether to go out with G or stay in NY to play with the other bands. I usually choose the NY bands as the travel on P-Funk tour wears one out and there is no place like home. A few years ago I was a member of U.S. Pipe and the Balls Johnson Dance Machine based in Denver and flew back and froth 3 out of 4 weekends to Denver for 3 years. Hard work. Spent more time in airports than on stage.

>>that said as far as Furthur as a "musician" you give a band 60 minutes to impress you and then go to sleep?

Man, I stayed up for half the second set. I was tired as all hell. I had driven up from Foxboro that morning and then played an hour and a half set with G. I agree, I have not given it enough of a chance and hope to have the opportunity to see them again. I am basing my opinion on the truth as I see it from my experience.

Sorry that is super lame. Been "on the bus" since 81 and saw many a Grateful Dead show where the 1st set sucked and the second set blew the roof off.

Saw my first GD show in 1971 and saw them about 400 times in all. I just didn't feel the magic from them. Maybe it was the circumstances of the day (see above). Again, hopefully I will get to see them again and I hope they change my mind. Phil & Friends with Warren, Jimmy, Molo and Rob had that magic. Followed them around fro a few years. In fact, there is a direct path between seeing them at the Warfield in March of 2002 and my becoming a percussionists and playing with P-Funk.

>>Also noticed that JK friended you on my space.... did he know you were sleeping in the dressing room? LOL!

I had a conversation with John, just catching up with each other, after the P-Funk set. John is an awesome guitarist and I am honored to have played with him and DSO at GOTV a few years back.

Yeah that must have been fun. Anyway, nice work!

Steve wrote:


Well, technically the bus was named Further...

that's not the original bus; i think it was furthur on that one.

Yes, the original bus said FURTHUR.

FaceOnMars wrote:


Oh I agree completely! I totally think Jerry would ahve been ratherign doing JGB stuff and bluegrass than playign with the GD in the late 80s/90s. I jsut think he felt he had all these people depending on GD, so he couldnt jsut stop.

mandala wrote:


Is this one the original bus?

hey Nagan, would you join Furthur if they asked and would they be a better band if you were in it ?