Frisco Service

Re: What remains, the wind and rain.......

From: Mr. Lightbulbs <[m--c--y] at [ix.netcom.com]>
Date: 14 Aug 1995 04:59:56 GMT

I just got back from the park in SF, where a memorial was held for Jerry, where the band, Jerry's family and friends addressed us. First we were invited to a New Orleans style procession around the track surrounding the polo field. We followed a chinese dragon, a brass and banjo jazz band and even a dead dragon (a dragon skeleton). Many from the wonderful drum circle joined in, and we all sang and clapped "you know our love will not fade away". Many cried, some danced, and some smiled. After this Mrs. Garcia addressed us. She said many wonderful things, but amoung them, she wanted us to know that Jerry loved us very much. She also wanted to tell us that "Jerry died in his sleep with a smile on his face." This drew a cheer from the crowd.

Jerry's daughter spoke, (sorry I don't remember which) and also said Jerry loved us very much. She also said that she and her other sisters loved us as well, and that "you all put us through college", which drew a roar from the crowd. The strength of this family is truly impressive.

When Bobby spoke, he seemed to struggle when he told us how much he loved Jerry, and thought of him as his brother. He learned alot from Jerry,and will truly miss him.

The common theme to all of the speakers was that of Jerry's message, a message of love. He would want us to be kind and to love each other. Not just the other heads, but all people. I will be happpy to talk to any one who couldn't make it (or if you were there) but right now I've got to go.

Well I'm back now. Saw a nice end to the day at the Cliff House beach, where a few heads retreated to. I missed alot above, but I wanted to get a few things in for those that missed the memorial service.

On the truck for the brass/banjo there was a Mardi Gras style, giant King and Queen seated with the band in between. There were flags, and banners and such in the procession. There was a stage with flowers, and a large rainbow of balloons arched over the scene. Many balloons were set free, as were about a hundred white doves. They were released in four sets of about 25, and circled around a bit and got cheers from all of us. This was right after space, in the tape they were playing. There was a great sound system (if in close enough) and they played good tapes all day. There were tapers, and alot of video cameras were floating.

Between the procession and the speakers, Mickey and Bill played their drums for more "you know our love will not fade away." It seemed that several people on stage had drums with them.

The vibe in this place changed gradually from the tearfelt words, as the healing powers of the music dried our eyes. The vibe grew and grew, to a sort of bliss I feared was lost, but found again. The family and the band has actually acknowledged what I and probably others have suspected, and that is that we have inherited Jerry's message, and his mission. We have truly learned some things from all the shows, and that is love between strangers, just because they're people.

What a beautiful day. We were together one more time. Completely mellow scene, I'm so glad Imade the pilgrimage. Again, if anyone would like to talk about this, or how you might possibly find a place for this experience, e-mail me. [m--c--y] at [ix.netcom.com]

peace

lite

Memorial Transcription (long)

From: Jolie B. Goodman <[6500 jo] at [ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu]>
Date: 15 Aug 1995 08:52:30 -0700

I think there were about 50,000 people there, in comparing the size of the crowd to the one at the Cal State, Dominguez Hills shows in 1990, which was supposedly 40,000.

I love you all,

Jolie

8/13/95 Memorial Transcription

(Everything was interpreted in sign language for hearing impaired Deadheads)

Babatunde Olatunji:

(Incantation: call and response with crowd.) "This world is without end. And so was the life of our friend and our brother, Jerry Garcia. (More call and response with crowd, in Olatunji's native language: Ah-ye, ah-ye Jerry Garcia long (?). In this world without end, ah-ye, ah-ye.) The celebration of the spirit of a-jah-jah, say a-jah-jah (crowd responds). Eh- mi-lu (crowd responds). The I am that I am, he has become one of the great spirits, the only spirit that you and I shall become. The one spirit that rules the whole universe. More call and response with crowd: Ah-ye, ah-ye , Jerry Garcia long. Oh, long. Ah-ye, ah-ye. Ah-ye, ah-ye. (More in his native language -- I couldn't even attempt to spell it!) Oh ya.

"Thank you all, thank you all for being here. We are celebrating ourselves. We are celebrating the great spirit of our brother and our friend. Yes, please remember that he has played his role, his part. The rest is left to you and I. Remember his contribution to make our lives much richer, happier and beautiful. Please, I am very honored to introduce to you a very wonderful lady. His wife, Deborah."

Deborah Koons Garcia:

"What a great guy Jerry was! He would have loved this, he is loving it. He was a big-hearted, generous, wonderful, hard working man. I want everyone to know that he died in his sleep with a smile on his face. He was working hard to purify himself and we thought it was gonna be for a good long life, but it was for another journey. But he loved his life, he loved ALL of you. And what I learned from Jerry was to open my heart and live fully in the moment. And for that, and for everything else, and for all the beauty in his life, I want to say thank you, Jerry, I love you."

Annabelle Garcia:

"I know that he's watchin' us all. And my Dad always told me that if it weren't for you guys there was no way it could've lasted the way that it did. And I want each and everybody here to know that even though he's gone, every single one of us has to keep it going. And if that means by being kind to someone we don't particularly care for, and if that means being kind to a cop who's givin' us a hard time, and if that means making sure that you're kind to your children and to your children's children, and to their children. You gotta make sure above all that you're kind to our Earth that we belong to and that gave him life and gave me life and gave each one of us life. And there's no way that this could happen in any other country in the world than America. And I want you all to remember that we are Americans and my father was one of the greatest Americans that was ever born. And I also want you to know, on behalf of my other sisters, we love each and every one of you guys -- y'all put us through college! And made it so we didn't have to work in Dairy Queen. And we're gonna keep the faith for as long as we can. And I want you guys to respect each other and love each other. And think to yourself when something's wrong: what would Jerry do? And keep it up, you know? You gotta keep together. And be grateful."

Wavy Gravy:

"Two words I got from Charles Schulz and "Peanuts": Good Grief! We are havin' some good grief today. John Luis Borge (sp.?) says every time you say a line of William Shakespeare you become William Shakespeare at that moment. Well I've been asked to speak for Robert Hunter, so Bob, like the Dalai Lama says, all I can do is my best. This is an elegy for Jerry.

• • "Jerry, my friend,
  • you've done it again,
  • even in your silence
  • the familiar pressure
  • comes to bear, demanding
  • I pull words from the air
  • with only this morning
  • and part of the afternoon
  • to compose an ode worthy
  • of one so particular
  • about every turn of phrase,
  • demanding it hit home
  • in a thousand ways
  • before making it his own,
  • and this I can't do alone.
  • Now that the singer is gone,
  • where shall I go for the song?
• • "Without your melody and taste
  • to lend an attitude of grace
  • a lyric is an orphan thing,
  • a hive with neither honey's taste
  • nor power to truly sting.
• • "What choice have I but to dare and
  • call your muse who thought to rest
  • out of the thin blue air
  • that out of the field of shared time,
  • a line or two might chance to shine --
• • "As ever when we called,
  • in hope if not in words,
  • the muse descends.
• • "How should she desert us now?
  • Scars of battle on her brow,
  • bedraggled feathers on her wings,
  • and yet she sings, she sings!
• • "May she bear thee to thy rest,
  • the ancient bower of flowers
  • beyond the solitude of days,
  • the tyranny of hours--
  • the wreath of shining laurel lie
  • upon your shaggy head
  • bestowing power to play the lyre
  • to legions of the dead
• • "If some part of that music
  • is heard in deepest dream,
  • or on some breeze of Summer
  • a snatch of golden theme,
  • we'll know you live inside us
  • with love that never parts
  • our good old Jack O'Diamonds
  • become the King of Hearts.
• • "I feel your silent laughter
  • at sentiments so bold
  • that dare to step across the line
  • to tell what must be told,
  • so I'll just say I love you,
  • which I never said before
  • and let it go at that old friend
  • the rest you may ignore.

"And then this short one is from me, the old psychedelic relic, Jer. We're a double dip. This is a haiku for Jerry on the day of his demise:

• "The fat man rocks out
• Hinges fall off Heaven's door
• "Come on in," says Bill"

Bob Weir:

"I don't know where to start, but here I go. Um, you know, I think I owe Jerry an immense debt of gratitude for, you know, showing me how to, how to live with joy, with mischief. And so, what I think I want to do is give some of that back to him now, make him complete, make him whole. And so, I want to ask you all to join me, not just now, but daily. Take your heart, take your faith, and reflect back some of the joy that he gave you. He filled this world full of clouds of joy. Just take a little bit of that and reflect it back up to him, or wherever he is, just shine it back to him. Thanks."

Steve Parrish:

"You've seen us up here scurryin' around, runnin' around all these years. I wanna just tell you we did it because we loved you, too, all of you, you were great. You're the best people there are. Thank you. Thank you VERY much."

Mickey Hart:

"Well, if the Grateful Dead had been anything, it was about, it gave you the power. You have it now. You have the groove, you have the feeling. We've been working on it for almost thirty years now. So what are you going to do with it? That's the question, okay? Now you take it to your, take your Dead heads, and you take 'em home, and you do something with all this. We didn't do this for nothing, you know. I mean, so it's not over, you see. That's the thing about music, it's what is the commodity, you know, what do you get at the end, you know, beside just the ya-yas and a new car and all that. You get the power and you get the wisdom and the insight to deal with the everyday life. And that's what music is all about. And it'll help you. It'll help you in these times, it'll help you forever. So. That's what we were all about. We shared thousands of great grooves, magic moments. All of us. You were as much a part of the Grateful Dead as anyone. You made us go on, you know, in the Midwest when we were playin' and no one was there and then you started comin' and then these more people, and then more. So this means a lot to all of us, and you kept us goin', y'know, and you were the fuel. You were part of it, a big part of it. You should know that, take that with you. We all love you for that. Thank you."

Phil Lesh:

"Jerry was a friend of mine. He was my brother. He was a wounded warrior. And now he's done with becoming. Now he is being. Jerry, God bless you. Go with God. I love you. And he loved you, too. And WE love you. Keep it comin'."

Bill Kreutzmann:

"Hello. For me it is about the highest moment of my life was when the band was playin' and cookin', and playin' with Jerry and these guys behind me. That's the best. There's nothin' higher for me. I've not found it any other way. So keep it alive, and I love you very much, and thanks for your support. It's amazing."

Paul Kantner:

"Dudes. Jerry in his weaker moments used to call me Pauly. Nobody else does that and I'm sorta gonna miss it. (Crowd shouts "Pauly" at him.) Okay, that's it. I brought a poem along that I read for Bill a while back. Some of the words that fit here today, I hope. It's called "For the Good of All". (I didn't transcribe this poem because it's very long.)

Vince Welnick:

"Hi there. The first time I ever lay eyes on Jerry I believed in Santa Claus. And he could be ornery at times, but that was just his body talkin', not his soul, because I never ever met a kinder man in the whole world. Everybody's askin' the big question, and love is the answer. And I'll always believe in Santa Claus."

John Barlow:

"They asked me to come up here and speak a word, and rarely in my life have I had so few of them. And so I'll just speak one: love."

== Drummers lead crowd in "Not Fade Away" chant and procession files off stage. ==

SF Tribute Impressions

From: David P. Potorti <[David P Potorti] at [vine.org]>
Date: 14 Aug 1995 08:24:15 GMT

Thoughts on SF Polo Fields tribute Sunday 8/13:

It was the proverbial picture perfect day in Golden Gate Park... started with New Orleans funeral procession, with dragons and other larger-than-life entities... Dixieland band played on flatbed truck...we marched around the track with them, clapping the drumbeats of "Not Fade Away"... Then eulogies began... Jerry's widow, and daughter Anabelle... Wavy Gravy, with a poem from Robert Hunter, and one of his own...Paul Kantner with a really moving poem... and others. The Dead were there, and they all spoke...Bobby seemed the most visibly torn up... asked us to try and reflect back some of the joy we've experienced thanks to Jerry... they left the stage area and formed a small parade and drum circle with Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, etc., picking up "Not Fade Away" again... chanting, drumming, then the boys took off and the festivities continued till mid-afternoon. The stage was covered with flowers and mementos at the foot of a huge painted portrait of Jerry on tie-dye... a drum group continued in the audience, growing larger and larger... there was a large altar by their side, a mountain of messages, photos, album covers, incense, candles... later, a plane flew overhead trailing a banner reading, "Jerry Loves You." Later, at Haight-Ashbury, saw another altar of mementos and messages growing in front of Ben and Jerry's, as they measured out scoops of Cherry Garcia...

My mini-magic moment: after the eulogies, as the Dead drummed and chanted, Weir, who was grieving so visibly it seemed as if he needed help to remain standing, arched his neck backwards and turned his face to the sky. At that precise moment, the biggest dragonfly I've ever seen swooped out of nowhere and hovered directly over Bobby's face for a few seconds, then shot off into nowhere. Visit from an old friend???

"Jerry is done becoming. Now he is being." --eulogy, 8/13

Thanks for the memories, guys.........