Really enjoyed the Parish detail on the scene, the bands and Garcia. Terribly sad portrayal of Garcia’s physical, spiritual and musical descent into junkie hell and death.

A funny, easy read. Jerry's right-hand man spills the beans.

Brief: I really liked this rock'n'roll book. This was the story about Steve Parish,a stage technition working with the Grateful Dead and his life leading up to that point. Steve Parish made many mistakes in life, but in his own mind it was all worth it. He even lived on Rouca Rouca ranch, which was where all the Grateful Dead, their wifes, their groopies, fans, tech.'s, and followers lived in their idea of peace.

Samantha Kernc
English Analyses
“Home Before Daylight”

In my collage I used many pictures that represented the book in which Steve Parish really lived and went through. Steve Parish took a lot of drugs, went to jail many times, visited a lot of county’s, escaped punishments, and live the 1960’s and 1870’s life of sex, drugs and Rock n’ Roll. At the end though in turn he wonders what strange trip its been and how people can enter and exit his life.

Random parts of my Poster.

Riker’s county jail is where he went to jail for selling acid, when it was still legal, but it was laced with speed which he found out after being questioned for fourteen hours. Another time he was arrested was when he in the 70’s. He was reported to have had stolen equipment, but it was the Dead’s, and he was caught with pot, tyesticks and cocaine. During his years in the sixties he mostly did nitrous oxide, drank, took LSD and smoked more pot then imaginable. The first time he was caught for anything by the police he was thirteen. Steve and his two friends Michael, and Arthur crack open a bunch a allergy and cold pill, and they all drank a third of a glass of the goop in the pills. His two friend wound up in the hospital and they all just received a slap on the wrist. At the Navarro hotel in New York Jerry Garcia almost was shot in the head by an angry pimp, but restored his trust in the Hell Angels who saved his life. In Steve Parish’s life he made a lot of mistakes but talking to the pimp while waiting for Sandy who walked in a took the gun away before hang the pimp out of the window of a nineteen story building to find out who the kid was. Altamont gave the Grateful Dead a terrible reputation. The Rolling Stones hired the Hell’s Angel’s to be security there and they didn’t take no for an answer from anyone. They ended up killing a guy and hurting many others. The majority of Steve’s friend’s all did of drugs everyone was apart of the crew of the Grateful dead.
Steve spent a lot of his time at Ruca Ruca Ranch which was where everyone in the Dead and Crew lived. Steve lived in the bay area which was his dream to be in California. His first real job was for the Garcia Band in 1984. Heard the guy who brought him to the Grateful Dead died from gunpoint for drugs in 1979. That same year Keith and Jerry were both junkies Keith didn’t survive it. Steve eventually acquired a women and a child. Jerry was eventually changed by hard drug it wasn’t about saving the world one song at a time like in the 1960’s it was about keeping up his drug life. Steve went to Paris with Phil Lesh. Pigpen died of liver failure when they were gone. Janis Joplin came to Pigpen’s wake. At the end of it all he lost all of his friends from drugs. I don’t think it was really worth it, but he would never change a thing.

Several stories from Jerry Garcias longtime guitar tech. Easy, but telling, read for any grateful dead fan.

A must read if you are a Deadhead.

I started the year off with "Home Before Daylight" which is a book written by Steve Parish who was Jerry Garcia's main guitar tech and roadie for 20 years. Ever since I was a kid, I loved reading liner notes on albums and learning the details behind the music. I've read a lot of music biographies and most of them follow the same pattern; I practiced, we got a break, we got rich, we got drug problems, such and such died, I lived and got sober (or not) and here I am. This one is slightly different in that it is written from the roadie perspective, which is basically the ultimate fan perspective. I found the book rather sad because Jerry was basically a junky who traded his life for heroin and the 1 thing he cared about, being the music, suffered. In this case, the story is; we came, we saw, we partied....for a long time, Jerry died, it ended. One could argue that Jerry lived exactly how he wanted and the ending was predictable. I'm not actually here to judge that (or Jerry).
The bottom line on the book....it's "ok". If you are a fan of the Dead or Jerry, it's interesting enough. Nothing new but "ok".

Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead by Steve Parish is a must-read for any Deadhead or music enthusiast interested in the behind-the-scenes world of one of rock’s most legendary bands. Parish, a longtime roadie and close confidant of Jerry Garcia, offers a deeply personal and candid account of his years with the Grateful Dead, capturing the magic, chaos, and camaraderie that defined their journey.

What sets this book apart is its raw authenticity—Parish doesn’t just recount tour stories; he immerses readers in the culture of the band, from the highs of performing for thousands of devoted fans to the struggles of life on the road. His deep love for Garcia and the Dead shines through, making this more than just a memoir—it’s a heartfelt tribute to a musical era like no other.

For those fascinated by rock history, counterculture, or simply great storytelling, Home Before Daylight delivers an unforgettable ride through the golden age of the Grateful Dead.

My #1 favorite book! Written with a great amount of HUMOR and LOVE. I hated the ending though...Jerry still died. :(

Awesome book. A lot of stories that match other books like Bear and This is all a Dream we Dreamed. Great book.

Amazing incite on one of the best bands and the magic they made.....

Great to hear Big Steve's version of the tale of the Dead!

One of the better Grateful Dead memoirs (top 3 for sure). This one skews toward the "tell all" style but is still heartfelt and personal at its core. The writing style is simple but honest. There's not a lot of deep thinking, but that's not what I was expecting. It's an enjoyable, funny page-turner.....could have probably finished it in one sitting. Recommended without reservation for all Deadheads and many/most music fans. My Rating: 4.2