John Mayer was born to rise in the Terrapin Nation, and though they don´t look alike,

when I close my eyes and Mayer and Weir are looking at each other,

it is like a mirror playing music, and the two sounds are one.

They bring The Grateful Dead and Company to us, with music, in a way like no other.
They are playing three unique shows in Golden Gate Park August 1, 2 & 3, and have constructed a model “city” within the park, with hundreds of pop-up restaurants, and bars, all with the same storefront design. There is a wall of PortaPotties, with little or no waiting, There´s a huge refillable water drinking station, and on the first day of the shows, I walk to the back of the crowd, and there are so many people here that I could not see the stage. The sound is loud and clear, and the environment of trees and nature surrounding us, and the fresh air, is inspirational.  What  a clean venue!

The longest line stretching across the park is for Loving Cup Expresso! The long line continues to linger all day, and I join the queue. A girl walks up to our line and asks, "Is this the LSD line?" Actually, the crowd atmosphere here is different from how things used to be. Folks are content with their Modelo or Special Spirits. I´m surprised so few people are smoking. Marijuana Herb is legal now.

DEAD AND COMPANY Larger than Life

BAND:

Bobby Weir, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals

Mickey Hart, Percussion, Beam, Vocals

John Mayer, Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals

Jeff Chimenti, Keys

Oteil Burbridge, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Vocals

Jay Lane, Drums

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Grahame Lesh, Guitar, Vocals

Billy Strings, Guitar, Vocals

TIME:

August 1 has always been a very special day for me.

It´s the day I met Grateful Dead Road manager Rock Scully in an elevator

at the Navarro Hotel overlooking Central Park in New York City.

I didn´t know it is Rock´s birthday. It´s also Jerry Garcia´s birthday,

and I ask Rock about arranging an interview for me with Jerry

and he sets it up in Philadelphia a few days later.

PLACE:

 Golden Gate Park, Polo Field, San Francisco, California

Dead & Company are playing in the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park this weekend.

This is where the buffalo roam in the park built by horticulturist Uncle John McLaren

In the neighborhood of the place the Grateful Dead call home.

One Fourth of July, I hear music playing, the sweet sound of a fiddle.

It´s the mayor of Page Street, Rodney Albin. He ´s playing with Robert Hunter,

 who´s  singing and playing guitar with a band called Roadhog.

Robert Hunter is the lyricist for the Grateful Dead

 and they are playing in the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park.

I lived in the Sunset neighborhood of Golden Gate Park

and took my stepdaughter Mikaela for a walk  one day to the Polo Field.

 I suggest to Kaela that we run in the open space here.

When we stop, we sit in the grass and I notice a four leaf clover.

It´s the only one, and I tell Mikaela I don´t want to pick it.

I wish there was a way to get it out of the ground and bring home to repot it.

Mikaela runs into the bushes and she comes out wih a digging tool,

and I carefully cut it out of the ground, bring it home and put it in a flower pot.

Mikaela says, "We should give this to Donna".

She is five years old and saw her first Grateful Dead concert

in the Spring on the road with us at The Fox Theater in Atlanta earlier that year.

We were in the front row and when  I look up at the start of the show, I see

Mikaela is sitting on stage on the side of the band in front of the Wall Of Sound.

She stays there for the entire set.

She says when she looked up all she could see were these giant sky soundscrapers.

At a show on the West Coast in the Summer, she disappears in her independent way,

 and returns with stories about being in the ladies´dressing room with Donna and Maria.

A few days after we found the four leaf clover, on the dawn of Christmas eve,

I  go backstage after a show, with the flowerpot in hand looking for Donna Jean.

It´s a special show with Robert Hunter and his band opening for Jerry Garcia Band.