there are some messages from phil.  
there are some pretty stupid and rude people out there and phil has addressed some comments made in the discussion area

Pretty neat; thanks Jeff.  And thanks Phil!

Good for Phil!  
 
And you thought you had it rough here, Dave! LOL!
 
FWIW, Is it just me, or are Deadheads getting weirder/ruder/etc.? I must be getting old, but I vaguely remember when, for the most part, Deadheads of all shapes/sizes pretty much got along. Was I that high, or am I in the ballpark on this one? Phil's Phans wanna know! LOL!

Kevin - I remember the scene changing over the years, especially after In the Dark was released. There was a time you could always fit one more person on the lawn at the Alpine Valley shows, then one day it sold out - I saw fights in the parking lot ... blah blah blah.  
 
I saw the Dead all over the country, from the laid back shows with the older heads in Oakland and San Fran to the intense and exciting shows in the East where the crowd seemed wound a little tighter and rolled a little faster.
 
It seems that from around the mid-eighties on, the crowds kept growing, the vending and scalping got bigger and weirder, law enforcement seemed to be more high profile and the scene just became more uncomfortable. Of course, I got older and changed also, and maybe my perception of what's comfortable just changed. I'm sure that those who frequented Dead shows from the sixties and early seventies sensed even more profound changes in the experience.
 
I'm pretty sure that the bad crazies could be found around the Grateful Dead scene (or any band for that matter) at just about any time, but as their fan base grew so did the number of folks on a weird or rude trip. =)  
 
On a positive note - I was expecting a trying time at the Vegoose music festival a couple months back, but the vibe was decidedly friendly and kind. Considering that the music ranged from Phil & Friends to Dave Matthews to Beck to Primus, etc. and the crowd ranged in age from very young to rather senior, I was more than a little surprised. It really took me back to my early Dead-concert-going days.
 
Tom

I started going to shows in the ealry to mid 80's, prior to the release of In the Dark, and I can say for sure that in the space of those few short years between my first show and the post in the dark years, there was a major change in the atmosphere/scene.

as phil said in his book
they didnt really start making money until in the dark- so with fame comes the retardos
thank god their studio albums were not cared for my mainstream american youth looking for an excuse to get f'''d up

Can't we all just get along? LOL!
 
I'm happy just to have these guys still making music. Threats? Name calling/flaming? Ridiculous caustic criticism? As Phil stated (paraphrasing here), if you want perfection, go elesewhere for your music. Just listen th the d*mn music an enjoy it for what it is...the Dead was seldom perfect in their prime, and they're not gonna be in their old age and various incarnations. Enjoy it while you can...the performers have an expiration date, LOL!
   
Along a similar vein:  
 
Amazing now that they're all older (the Dead's members), they're worried about where all the money (they've grown accustomed to) is gonna keep coming from? LOL! Even the most bohemian hippie counter-culturalists grow old and have an epiphany about means of support that wasn't so important during the heady 60's, LOL!
 
I was impressed that Phil came to Weir's defense as Bobby was portrayed by the press as a greedy b*st*rd only interested in his retirement cash cow.  
 
Personally, I think that while they can, they should concentrate on making what music they have left in them and stop with the bickering over the dough. They can't help but make money...trying to be greedy after all these years won't increase the coffers IMHO.  
 
Just my $0.02
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

Thats amazing Jeff~ I never thought that Phil would cross that line and even aknowledge the drama on that site!!!! There was a time (01-02) where I was addicted to that board, but things started getting sour the past couple of years....  Does anyone else here post over there?!?

i am not.... and thankfully not a post reader..
i did send a q to the ask phil site....
phil...some personal stuff i am going through and... heres a link to my direwolf bass- he would love to meet you when youre in ny
now if i get an answer.....
oye vey....

Mike:
 
Unfortunately, I didn't know of that site's existence until recently, so I've never posted there.  
 
As a matter of fact, I don't post virtually anywhere else but here for the same reasons why Phil stopped the madness at that site: utter disrespect for one another at most other sites. The Alembic site is one of the few places where decorum is the order of the day!
 
Flax:
 
Did Phil answer you? If I remember correctly, the Moderator stated that only philzone.com members could ask questions, and that Phil couldn't answer everyone's questions anyway.
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

not as yet kev- not expecting one but what the heck
its a reach... there were some personal notes in the email that i was hoping would generate a response even though i am not a member

phil will be releasing 12/10 as a free download
as noted in his site

is now available for download
this is a big brown aka godfadda show

Speaking of Big Brown and letters to Phil, I noticed a link on the philzone to these responses to email questions. Among other things Phil discusses his rig, Big Brown, Phil and Friends and Jerry's guitars.
 
Tom

Thanks Tom!  That was great!!!