Weir-The Handsome One
R.I.P. Bob Weir. The news came out yesterday. What a life.
Locally, I’m in a Dead cover band, and we’re actually playing a show today. So, wonderful day to have a celebration, as somebody like that seemingly would want.
I probably have a perspective that not a lot of people have. In the Dark came out in 1987. I was 16 years old. Heard of the Grateful Dead. They really weren’t played on radio, but I was kind of sitting there ready, willing, and able when “Touch of Grey” came out.
And a thing to remember about the mid-to-late 80s is everyone playing music was beautiful. So, it’s a very visual age with MTV, and somehow “Touch of Grey” got on MTV. My hope is that it was because it was just such a great song. It’s one we play in the band, and it’s just this kind of magical, and that late in their writing career, never having a hit, you know, all the way back to the 60s. I can’t imagine the joy and confusion that was upon them having that hit. Great feel. It took over the world for a little bit, which is, again, if you weren’t alive around then or paying attention, it’s hard to believe that a song really could do that and take over.
They had a video. It was in rotation, and honestly, it was like, what the hell? Who are these old dudes? And for me, the connection was Bob Weir looked like my dad and his friends. So, he was the one I was able to grab onto.
I didn’t know about the dynamic between he and Jerry, didn’t know what was up, kind of not paying attention to anything. That was the first time I’d really realized that there were two drummers, and there could be two drummers in a band. I just didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I did buy the record.
And out of everything that survived through attics and college and whatever, I’ve got this one box of records. Previously, when I went to school in 1990, all of my records got a pink dot on the spine, and I’m very proud and happy to say that my copy of In the Dark is a pink dot copy.
So, I always had a remaining preference and special fondness for Bob Weir, especially when I got into Europe ’72 later. His songs were my favorite, and when we used to drive around the country when the kids were little, that’s what we’d listen to.
R.I.P. Bobby. Long live the spirit of the handsome one in the Grateful Dead.