I had one question as I was pulling into Bean Blossom, Indiana for this year’s John Hartford Memorial Festival. “Can they keep the spirit of this thing alive with continued success?” There is something different and special happening in this event, and we all know what happens when beautiful special things really take off and become tremendously successful. I didn’t doubt that I was about to take part in something truly good, but I was – let’s say worried. I don’t want to see this festival lose its way.

The strangest thing happened; Grateful Dead music became its own genre, a language spoken by musicians across the country (and danced to by Dead Heads, same).  Each band plays it its own way, but Live Dead ’69 has certain advantages.

It was a spectacular early summer day in Southern California as day 2 of the Arroyo Seco Weekend unfolded on June 24th. Temperatures in the low 80’s and soft breezes created a perfect environment for the giant picnic attended by 25,000 concertgoers. Many music fans arrived early to lounge about the sprawling meadow encompassing the three musical stages.