Leader of the ‘Last Great Adventure in America’ ends long, strange trip THE MUSIC has finally stopped. By Andrew McCredic Community Editor The death of cultural icon Jerry Garena at 53° Wednesday morning signalled not only a painful silenee for the Grateful Dead tribe, but also the end of what the guitarist referred to as the “last grea: adventure in America.” Fd been chasing that adventure -- Grateful Dead shows — for the past decade. and his death has hit me the way Lennon’s hit some, Cobain's others. Anempty feeling, A longing. And regret that | didn’t pay more atten. tion to the three shows f recently saw in Las Vegus Lik those two aferementioned artists, Garcia's death will be met by most with the usual references to excessive living and that ‘rock-n- roll/hippie lifestyle” that always. pre- Khode Island Ronnie in New Jersey. The dandelion twins of Oregon. Was y Gravy in Toronto [thought of all the friends that had trav- eed the thousiinds of Kilometres with me, eragined inta) Valkswivet vans held together with duct-tape. sweiling-out cus: toms as dogs sniffed our belongings, catch- ing some sleep on the last plane out af town, The Last Great Adventure, Von saddened that none of us will ever experience these things again, but heartened in that we did get — and we did take — the chance, Tthought of my first-ever act of corpo- rate anarchism. adding my Exson card toa burning plastic pyre ata University at Michigi in show ditys after die Eero Viuldes sviled the Alaskan coastline. T thought of the places travelled (much lo patient family's and triends® dismay) to see the Grateful Dead: Buffalo, Syracuse, * Hanilton, fas Vega Eugene, Seatthe, cede the death = 88 V'd often wondered what pituspurgh: of'a musician, would happen when the Dead» New Jers But those misplaced sen- Stopped touring .. timents — ure typical of the . : New York. WA lemming-like — city. detroit. in taday’s plunge of thousands of rather chilly unknowing. Deadheads into the Pacific off the seciew\ cli- the ones who mate — Liaw never experi- high coastline of Big Sur? 99 and Order P enced. the joy and peace of a Grateful Dead concert (I sometimes question i! such peo- ple are capable of experiencing anything.) Deadheads (the band’s fans) ‘are used to such comments from people who would (to quote a Dead song) “bust me for smiling on a cloudy day.” I'd often wondered what would happen when the Dead stopped touring — stopped preaching to the converted. A lemining-like plunge of thousands of Deadheads into the Pacific off the high coast-line of Big Sur? Certainly a candle-lit vigil. ¢ da The Dakota, at his Marin County home. Hopefully not talk of replacing the irreplaceable, When news of his death found nic at work Wednesday morning. my first _thoughts*turned to the hundreds of people I'd met at the 30-odd shows I've seen. L.A. Larry and the Bearman in Vegas. BACK 10 SCHOOL 9 Complete Prescription Glasses “Including frames by Kids Mode ond plastic lenses with UY & Scrotch ” Resistant. Coating. No other coupans ot discounts apply. Sze store Jot details. Otfer ends September 2, 1995 KODAK PROGRESSIVE LENSES 149... Kodok Progressive Lenses give you sinooth uninterrupted vision with clear, sharp focus ot every distance. Frame purchase requited. No other coupons oF discuunts apoly See stare for deta Offer ends September 2, 1995 making its eyehical return to the middle class’ conscience -— the mujority’s sense of hippredom is that of a great failed experi, ment. Too much freedom —- of both mind and body — is a bad thing. But not the Deadheads. Dead shows were their chance to shine and to dance. To erase the bounduries, the conlines, of modem existence. To see how far the music could take then, For many of us, it was the closest we'd ever get to a religious experience. And now the leader of the band that filled our cathe~ dral with sound is gone. I just can’t believe MH never dance with the Deadheads again. What a long, strange trip it's been. ‘Thanks. for .the ride Jerry, Say hi to Cowboy Neal for us all. JERRY GARCIA: passed! away, two days 2go, leaving behind a legacy of music and an. emptiness inside any follower.of the Grateful. Dead::His- musical career’ spanned tive decades, beginning with a a bluegrass Playing jug: “band i in Californie, in the 1950s.: : mse : 1820/20. FORESIGHT IS-EVEN BETTER”