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Perhaps most interestingly, the band has continued in a path
unique in American entertainment history.At halloween in 1983
the band produced and promoted its own series os shows at the
Marin Civic Center.
In general, the 80's saw the band's structure mature;it is the
only band in America which largely controls its own tickets,
negotiating directly with the business infrastructure.It is
not merely that this bandviolates normal American commercial
artistic doctrine by relying on playing ratherthan
selling
records,by playing improuvisationlly rather than regurgitating
"hits."The band,its crew,stuff and friends make up a
family,a family that looks forward to a long haul of creativity
rather than some ephemeral success.The President of
the band's legal structure is a crew member of 25 years stnding.
American performers normally hire thier crew for the duration of
a tour;the relationship between the Grateful Dead and its support
staffis absolutely unique.
Bob Weir&Vince Welnick in JAPAN!!
Consider this itinerary:at the end of summer tour,Bob
Weir returned to the Bay Area for a few days,then
turned right around and flew back to the East Coast to
play a brief set at that return to the primordial ooze
known as Woodstock'94. Then he flew back home for
a few more days.Then he took off for Fukuoka,Japan
for a one-night gig!
This last trip was arranged by that globetrottin' guitar guy,Henry
Kaiser(who when last spotted,was running into Bill Kreutzmann underwater,several hundred
miles off the Baja coast).
Henry was invited to put together an all-star band to play at
a kick off event heralding an international collegiate athletic
competition to take place next year.
In addition to Weir,Henry recruited Vince Welnick,Vince's former
Tubes-mate Prairie Prince on drums and Bobby Vega on bass.
As Japanese Deadhead have long been clamoring for a visit from
their favorite band,this show was a most welcome next-best-thing,
and 35.000 ecstatic fans packed the Fukuoka Dome to hear a set of
songs drawn from the Grateful Dead repertoire,highlighted by
Greatest Story,Ever World,Little Red rooster,Playing In The Band,
Baba O'Reilly/Tommorrow Never Knows,Turn On Your Lovelight.
An ancore of One More Starday Night featured an unique backup
vocalist Bill Murray,who was in town for a golf tournament.
More exciting images in Japanese page!!
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96.11.16