The Band

1995-08-08 Ratdog / The Band

in , ,

Central Park Summerstage

1995-2-4.jpg

Rob Wasserman's Trios album showed how artists as diverse as Jerry Garcia, Edie Brickel, Brian and Carney Wilson and Yo-Yo Ma could play on a single album and make it work. On this night it was a treat to see not only the original iteration of Ratdog but also The Band. The Grateful Dead had been on tour earlier that summer and I had seen them at Giants Stadium. When I considered whether I wanted tickets for this Rat Dog show, it seemed like a no-brainer as I was then working in midtown manhattan and living on the upper east side - so going to Summerstage was literally on my way home from work and felt like my own backyard. As I recall it was a nice night and a great show.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to most fans, in the days before this show, Jerry Garcia had been admitted to Serenity Knowles treatment center and had some severe health health problems in addition to his opiate addiction. Jerry passed away on this night. The next day the news reported it, and thus began the mourning of Jerry's passing. Bob Weir decided to go ahead and play the show that Ratdog was scheduled to perform the following night (Aug 9) in New Hampshire, and he briefly addressed Jerry's passing in an interview before the show. By the end of that show Weir's emotions got the better of him, and he threw his guitar down in frustration as Ratdog completed their performance. Overnight, I went from having a pleasant feeling seeing two of my favorite bands outdoors on a lovely summer night to mourning the death of one of my favorite musicians. What a difference a single day had made.