Lester's Woodstock Story (oh, and DSO's first set)

Dark Star Orchestra began their first of two sets at 9 pm for an enthusiastic crowd. As I sit behind a fence barricad in my comfortable yellow chair the opening bars of Mississippi Half Step, bring me back to listening to "Wake of the Flood" on vinyl in my apartment.
Joining me by my side during "Tenesse Jed" is a man by the name Lester, whose introduction was in the form of a suggestion. Lester told me to move my chair up closer to the fence so that no one may obstruct my and now his, view any further. I agree, a conversation pursues. I am transported back to Yasgur's farm 1969, where my new acquaintance arrived a week before (and stayed a week after as well) the historical Woodstock festival was to take place. Lester tells me he was hired amidst 10 other men as a garbage man for the going wage of 35 dollars a day. As the hype insued over Woodstock's appeal so did the overall expected crowd number.. Half a million people to 10 garbage men. In order to keep the men interested in the job after hearing this incredible number, the wage was raised to 80 dollars a day.

Lester talks of the beauty that captivated him as he gazed upon the farmland pre-festival. He speaks of the mud that accrued from persistent rains and he also speaks of the Dead's set. I share my limited knowledge of the time in bits and pieces. The Grateful Dead did not sign release forms for their performance, as they did not feel it was not up to par. I ask Lester how he felt about the Dead at Woodstock, he said he sat upon the top of a truck and watched as the rain and wind almost blew over the stage, nevertheless impressed . He tells me the stage crew had to cut the tarp in order to allow the wind passage. He remarks that he doesn't have a bad word to say about any Dead performance. Lester later adds that he is an experienced concert goer very impressed with the magnitude to which Gathering of Vibes is produced by Ken Hayes.

Here I am sitting listening to stories of an era that I could only employ imagination to and yet I have a man, a perfect stranger that is recounting his experience of it for me, a welcomed surprise. The coming together of Deadheads remains an integral parts of the Grateful Dead's legacy, one in which I have been included tonight with the company of my new Deadhead friend Lester. To the sounds of DSO, I am the recipient of factual recounts pertaining to the Dead.

As the setlist moves to include "Me and My Uncle', and "Mexicali Blues" "New MingleWood Blues "Bob Weir's 'compositional subsets' as Lester calls them, I become enthralled with the uncanny resemblance between Eaton's and Weir's voices. I need not look up at the stage or screen, there is a fusion that is credible to not only my ears but my eyes.

As I view the stretch of people in front and around me I realize how much I am enjoying this moment. The weather has cooled alot, the night is filled with the sounds of DSO. and those who love them - I don't know what else I could ask for right now.

My personal favorite within DSO's first set is "Music Never Stopped". Lisa Mackey's striking rendition to Donna Jean's thick middle ranged voice is stellar as is and Rob Eaton's to Bob Weir's. As the last minutes of the first set are filled with guitarist's John Kadlecik inspired solo I am truly blown away. Thank you DSO... and Lester the chiropractor!