JERRY DAY 2026
Jerry Garcia Tribute
SPIRIT OF GARCIA
by Uncle John
There is a rapport between Jerry Garcia, and the musicians playing with him, and with their audience, that few other musicians share. A density of thought, richness of feeling, the eloquence of Robert Hunter’s lyrics and the power in the air created by the crispy sound of Garcia’s guitar – it literally crackles, snaps and pops at times. The way he paces the music & kicks! His delicate fingertips touches our hearts, minds and ears. Sometimes the pace is slow, other times the sound seems to float, luxuriously bathing us in ecstasy and excitement, transforming our consciousness like a pebble rolling down a hill, or bells ringing with the choir singing, and he smiles at us while playing his soft musical prayer, and rocks us with vibrations giving us a warm and unifying feeling. There’s magic there and we’re full of energy and all ears. We reach for the sky top as he mimics life, visualizing flourishing patterns, as his fingers fret like a skateboard up and down the guitar, bringing a harvest of music, like an artist taking abstract concepts to fill a canvas and create a picture. The crowd is always eager for new visions of ancient ideas & homespun wisdom, miniscule notes and giant sounds cresting and ebbing like the tides. Spontaneous motion fills the once cold barren space with warmth and direction. The band massages our senses and stimulates our imagination. The sea of faces listen in telepathic rapport and move in synchronicity. Distinguished and dignified, there is a blend and common bond of the simple & grand listening to the music of Jerry Garcia playin’ in the band.
THE DANCER
She paints a picture with her smile
At first sight
Watching her dance
L
ike a starI´d like to hold her like a guitar
In her dance dress her hips are strong
I see her reflection in the mirror´s song
Running barefoot
Her energy inspires me
Talking to her calms me
Watching her cheeks
Her presence in italics speaks
On tiptoe like a ballerina
In the center of the arena
We plan to meet another way
When she arrives paths cross right away
We come from a world of stress
Every song that´s sung
Has a deeper meaning in this place of love
She leads a line of dancing bears
Down the aisle to the edge of the crowd
And fills the dance circle
F
or every girl and boyEvery song we love to hear
Fills our hearts with joy
She holds a rose
Floats like a balloon among the crowd
Dances with the rose
And laughs out loud
Her love shines and is true
On the path to the wild woods
With an Ode to the Sun
To a place of fun
And the rivers that flow
She´s creative I know
Precise I find
She is wonderful and kind
She helps me notice everyone
We share a tribal culture of fun
The spirit in our hearts for all to hear
We are in a special place with love and care
She´s real cool
Beautiful as a dream
In the story
She´s in the scene
She captures my imagination
She is full of fascination
She could be the dreamcatcher
Or the matchmaker
Da
ncer with lightMuse of the night
Shining faces
Let ´m shine
Dancer in this world
Sharing spaces
Closer in time
The whole world trembles in the midst of a storm
We´ll dance in the night into the morn
Listen with love to sweet music that comforts all
SUMMER MAGIC
We come to hear the music of Papa Bear
And celebrate his birthday here
I climb the steep hill when I arrive
More rugged and difficult than gym stairs no jive
I pause at the top
Take in the surroundings
Enjoying the dank zaza in the air
Then I go down to the sound
And the dancer appears
Back to back with the dancer
The sun shines through her
There is light in her eyes like stars above
Face sprinkled with glittery sparkles of love
Playful interaction smiling poses
One ankle adorned with roses
She wears no underwear
No one can see
Laughing and dancing
She´s independent and free
Summer magic
Fun all around
Dancing bears
Hearts united by sound
The band musicians are having a blast
Everyone listening wants it to last
Laughing with the dancing bears
Barefoot in the sand
Summer magic and special fun
In motion with artistics hands
We´re daydreaming together
Summer sun perfect weather
Love in the spirit excitement in the air
Music massage and healing
Senses hear
Butterfly over a girl
Beautiful as a pearl
Summer hair on her face
Good vibes in this place
Dancing with bare toes
Feeling the wind blow
The magic of summer flows
In the stream and at the shows
Listening to old songs
Making new friends
Summer is here
As the magic extends
Summer fun
For everyone
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Drawings by Jerry Garcia
© JerryGarciaEstate
The music all day long is in the spirit of Garcia
and we can feel his presence in the crowd.
Melvin Seals & Jerry Garcia Band with John Kadlecik
and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel
keep us dancing all day, the best exercise I have had this year.
Melvin Seals &The JGB with Jazz Mafia open with
In The Midnight Hour
Melvin Seals and John K.
play through the Garcia & Grateful Dead
dedicated versions of
Eyes Of The World
Sugaree
Spirit of Jerry hovers over the band as they play
The Maker
Midnight Moonlight
My Sisters and Brothers
Stu Allen & MARS HOTEL
open with Go To Heaven
They play one of the best versions of BIG RIVER
blending Johnny Cash Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead
to celebrate Jerry Day
SO MANY ROADS
Desolation Row
Great choices
Most fun dancing through
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Truckin´
We part ways with
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Black Peter
and
The Music Never Stopped
Backstage with the Jerry Garcia Band, at The Keystone Berkeley, I’m sitting at the main round table listening to Jerry Garcia carry on lively conversations with different people the same time. He is astutely following each one and contributes brilliant observations, upbeat, with a good deal of laughter. I finally capture his attention with my eyes and interject a question, "Have you seen the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind?" I ask him, not realizing he had a cameo in the film. He immediately replies, "Im not answering anymore questions until we find out who you are." There is suddenly silence in the room. And I introduce myself
"Uncle John"
"That improves things considerably,"
Jerry Garcia responds, lifting his eyebrows with a twinkle, and smiles, and the banter in the room resumes.
MEMORIES, DREAMS & REFLECTIONS
by Uncle John
excerpt
It is Valentine´s Day, time for pizza, chocolate, wine and roses. I have dinner with Treya, then we go to Berkeley to see The Jerry Garcia Band. The Keystone is packed. The show is incredible. Jerry Garcia opens with I Second That Emotion and They Love Each Other. They close out the first set with an amazing version of After Midnight. This band shows what a tight ensemble they are, with Jerry leading soft vocals and guitar, accompanied by John Kahn, the deadpan brilliant bass player, and Keith Godchaux amazing on keyboards. Donna Jean is doing backup vocals, in harmony, and Ron Tutt on drums, reminiscent of when they both played in a band with Elvis Presley.
The second set opens with Sitting Here in Limbo and then Donna Jean belts out emotional vocals for Strange Man. They close the show with How Sweet It Is. Amazing love.
I'm fortunate to go backstage and there are about three dozen people all talking and laughing, and enjoying the rich presence of Jerry Garcia sitting at a round table next to John Kahn, and their conversations are erudite, playful and full of laughter.
I am watching Garcia, who is conducting a half dozen conversations, with different people, one after the other, and is following each one and interacting with each person. Garcia is smart, cheerful, fun and everyone is having a good time.
John Kahn turns to me and asks if I have read Carl Jung. I tell him that I am familiar with his work through Joseph Campbell. John Kahn talks about memories dreams and reflections, themes of the Jerry Garcia Band.
Memories are made of this. Dreams form in our unconscious as we learn to become aware in our dreams while we sleep. Our stories mirror the mind.
Jung looks at life after death as a psychological necessity.
I have been drinking beer and
smoking weed all night, but there is no beer here, just these two bottles of
hard liquor sitting here on the table. I drink some of the tequila, my first
time. OMG I never experienced anything like that. I try the other bottle of
whiskey. That burns. It has been years since I had any hard liquor or mixed
drinks. I sometimes do things to the extreme and find it better to avoid it.
I continued drinking tequila.
I don't know when I passed out, or who layed me down, but I remember
dreaming about death.
When I regained consciousness from the alcoholic coma I kept my eyes closed.
I wondered if I was in Heaven. All I could hear is Jerry Garcia singing old
gospel songs and playing softly on an acoustic guitar or harp. I keep my
eyes shut as I lay motionless, enjoying every moment. These are not Grateful
Dead songs. Where am I?
I am in a state of bliss, without hangover that night or the next day.
There is something about the presence of Jerry Garcia playing music that has a tremendous healing effect. When I open my eyes, I realize that I am lying on the floor and Jer Bear is sitting there in a chair with his electric guitar that is not plugged in, and as soon as I open my eyes, he starts laughing, the loudest laugh that I ever heard, a roaring joyful laugh. I am shocked to see everyone else has left except for our girlfriends, waiting patiently, and the four of us are the last to leave that night. Jerry pitches something to me and I catch it. It´s a bag of purple mushrooms!
Thank you!
“From South America” Garcia says with a smile.
WAKING THE DEAD
by Uncle John
excerpt
It is about noon on a sunny Saturday
when I call Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead at his home in Mill Valley.
¨Hi¨, I hear a voice through a fog.
¨Oh, I´m sorry, did I wake you up?¨ as I introduce myself.
¨That´s OK,¨ answers Bob Weir. ¨Where are you?¨
¨I´m in downtown San Francisco.¨
¨Where can I come and pick you up in about an hour and a half?¨ Bob asks
¨Howard and Tenth Street, Grace Alley, I´ll be outside.¨
He arrives on time.
He tells me he´s usually late
and the last band member to arrive for the shows.
Even catching planes at the very last moment,
he never misses the start of the show.
Watching Bob Weir with his hands on the wheel as we ride through San Francisco, we are stirred up and amazed by what we see as he brings God into our conversation. Bob Weir is driving and I'm riding, and Bob asks if we can stop for tea and points out a bakery on Jackson Street. Bob uses his fingers as he talks with his hands. Inside the bakery, we sit at the counter, and he tells me a desert story. Whenever Bob Weir paints an oral picture of the desert I am mesmerized. He tells me about driving in the desert flats where there’s no speed limit. Like the speedway on an open road. Then he says “you should consider the flip side of Paradise”. The waitress brings our drinks and I offer Bob a packet of sugar for his tea. He takes the packet and, rising out of his seat, like a baseball pitcher, ready to throw down his poker hand, he slams the sugar on the counter. “I hate sugar!”, he says loudly. Bob, we’re in a bakery! He continues his story and I’m transported in my mind back to the desert. “The faster I go, the rounder it gets,” Weir says to me. "Faster than motion in love.
"ROUND HALL WAY
by Uncle John
You born from the dust an orphan adopted in good health
Grew up with a proud look into wealth
Who knows you like the river sees your humble side
Far from the night behind time and the tide
You answer to the noonday sun
Barefoot on stage your thoughts are like one
Who cares about your soul
While so many idol eyes your role
You could be going to hell but No!
God is drawing you and this generation too
People are praying you into the kingdom of truth
By the grace of God in an alley play
Round hall way
You make your heart like a candlewick
Stay in your disguise really thick
Come on up when you´re down
To the weird side of town
To the light above their frowns
Like travelling clowns
You know what I believe in
When I say I believe you
No matter what you´re age you´re no angel
You´re still in your youth
When the night meets the day
Like a hole in the sky play
Round hall way
You´re not going to hell for nobody
Fair morning and grateful ahead
Different from what was read
Among the bewildered and surprised not the stereotype
So amazing and ripe
The children of God shall be restored at peace
The story rewritten the song remastered and released
Come on up & over & around
Find the eternal transport sound
Amazing grace or whatever it takes
To get to heaven and remain awake
Who cares about your soul
While so many idol eyes your role
You could be going to hell but No!
God is drawing you and this generation too
People are praying you into the kingdom of truth
By the grace of God in an alley play
Round hall way
John Kahn & Jerry Garcia
CRAZY FINGERS
by Uncle John
"Where do I stand spiritually?
Oh God!!! (with laughter)
Somewhere between Jesus and the Devil."
--JERRY GARCIA
“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons. Jesus said to them: Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”
I’m sitting at a round table backstage between sets with members and crew from the Jerry Garcia Band. I’m having a lively conversation with John Kahn who’s sitting next to me with Garcia on his other side. He educates me discussing the work of Carl Jung, and how memories, dreams and reflections, work in our life to define our conscious and unconscious reality, and how the circle is complete, and whole, and the gold ring inside symbolizes perfection of the self.
In the Grateful Dead song
Crazy Fingers - Jerry sings:
Midnight on a carousel ride
Reaching for the gold ring
Down inside
Never could reach it
Just slips away
When I try
John Kahn turns the conversation and asks me “Where is Hell?” And I answer “Beyond the smell of lions, the king of beasts.” I ask John Kahn if he knows who the Devil is, but before he can answer, Jerry Garcia jumps into our conversation, “The Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub,” “an insult!” he adds with emphasis. Garcia asks if we know who Bubba Free John is, a spiritual cult leader known for his “Crazy Wisdom”. Jerry Garcia and John Kahn are amusing and amused carrying on a spirited banter talking about cults and the demons that possess them. Then Jerry says "Free John!". Garcia spells it out with his finger writing in the air,"F-R-E-E J-O-H-N” and repeats “Free John!" and immediately they both break into hysterical laughter.
I experience a spiritual transformation, healing, and awakening that night.
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An Intimate Connection with
THE GRATEFUL DEAD
by Uncle John
"What I want to know
Where does the time go?"
(Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia)
"Lord, the band kept us so busy, we forgot about the time."
(John Perry Barlow/ Bob Weir)
This work is a contemporary narrative with a musical motif, narrated by the author with personal testimony, and dialogue with artists, authors, musicians, dancers, singers, poets, songwriters, and stars. This journalistic odyssey observes the world's most interesting band, whose brilliant creative performances, and individual intellectual insight, provide us with this historical literary account. On the road & at home with The Grateful Dead and their family of bands and musical company, this book records a distinctive recital of spiritual events, revealing a new orchestrated portrait, a sculptured arrangement of golden memories. There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert! It is a unique and unconventional experience,
BOX OF RAIN
"...And it's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare
And it's just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there"
It is a Monday night in September 2019 and I am at the library in San Rafael to meet and listen to three poet laureates in California. Kim Shuck is the San Francisco Poet Laureate and she reads poems about distress and social justice. Caroline Goodwin, past poet laureate of San Mateo County shared this "Something happens, something spiritual and profound, when people sit in a room together for the purposes of listening to poetry." Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, poet laureate of Berkeley, talks about "the sounds of poetry, that poems are meant for more than the pages they are written on.They belong in songs, uttered, spoken, tasting the words, and sharing in a way we can all understand." He shares about taking an instrumental song and putting words to it. I shared that the Grateful Dead´s songwriter poet Robert Hunter can. One night I was at the Shady Grove, a small cafe on Haight Street in San Francisco, to see Robert Hunter perform with his band. Robert Hunter approaches me on the floor and shares with me this story about the song he wrote with Phil Lesh, "Box Of Rain": "When Phil Lesh' dad was dying, Phil wanted to sing a song to him, and he wrote the music and put it on a cassette and gave it to me. As I listened to the music, the words fell from my mind to the page in one uninterrupted flow, in one take. If ever a song wrote itself, this was it."
Box Of Rain was the last song played by the Grateful Dead before Jerry Garcia passed away. The same night I was at the library talking to Rafael Jesus Gonzalez about the sounds of poetry we hear listening to the Grateful Dead is the same night Robert Hunter passes away in his San Rafael home.
Bob Dylan performs STELLA BLUE first time live
in Barcelona, Spain
June 23, 2023
STELLA BLUE Lyrics/Music by Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia
- Bob Dylan
TRIBUTE TO BOB WEIR
by Uncle John
can be viewed at
https:SpecialPermission.com
Uncle John is not a musician.
He is a writer, poet, dancer and storyteller.
To listen to genuine GRATEFUL DEAD songs
follow Bobby Weir´s Homecoming
and the mindblowing performance of
“RIPPLE” by John Mayer
CITY
OF GOLD > Tangled Up in Blue
City of Gold
Sweetwater, Mill Valley, California
October 16, 2001
Recorded by Uncle John
Songs by BOB DYLAN
Tangled Up in Blue
Saratoga Springs, New York, July, 1989
with Lena Spencer in the audience
Caffè Lena is the longest continuously run folk music venue in the country,
the Best of America's Roots Music Here In Saratoga Springs.
Art Work by JERRY GARCIA
© 2026 SPECIAL PERMISSION
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