A perfect way to finish out the Days Between. Thank you Steve for this insightful look.

main “roadie” for Jerry and Mgr. of the Jerry Garcia Band after 1970 or so gives us 9 hrs of Dead tales - Jerry & the boys sure saved his life- some more good stories
3½***

He has an interesting world view, but he should have dished more.

Amazing

I read and re-read this tome like Mormons do the Book and The Doctrine. Steve does not give an F who you think you are. He knows the secret, We all the exact same. Carried hisself as such too, like a soldier, like a lady, like every gentleman ort. Not cocky, but self-assured. He knew he was just as important to the magic as Jerry Garcia. Hell we all were. Jerry didn't set out to create a rock star, but magic, art, using light, sound and us, dance. Steve just told the truth about it all. First story I read with no punches, all truth, eidetic memory, for all the good stuff. Hard Same.

Raw and real and from an insider point of view. It is worth saying that the outsider view (the effect this music and culture has on its fans or you as an individual) may ultimately be more important.
This book has an emphasis on the struggles of Jerry by the man who unquestionably knew him best. The stories are insightful and most of them new to me (I thought I knew just about everything about the GD - nope). Really was intrigued by this and probably the book I finished fastest this past year because I really wanted to know what was next.

Another great book about the history of the Grateful Dead as told by roadie, Steve Parish! I love how each one I’ve read picks up or fills in on stories or anecdotes from the others. Steve’s book really talks a lot about his view of Jerry, as he was one of the closest people to observe Jerry and his evolution throughout the years of TGD. Although truly tragic at times, it leads an outsiders view to the world of drug additions and the toll it takes on friends and family.

Good read

Interesting read, I have read it twice. Some stuff is not new, you may all ready know. Bear, Mountain Girl, etc

Not exactly the most well-written book, but I knew upon starting it that I wasn't being sold a Rembrandt. I was searching for yet another glimpse into the world of Jerry Garcia and company, and I surely found it through Steve Parish's goggles. It reassured me that his smile and energy are still beaming, all the while his 9-fingered grip on our aural senses remains pleasantly tight. That alone is worth the read. This book contributed a great deal of humanesque-bricks to the supernatural wall of Jerry Garcia that is continuously being constructed in my consciousness.

I struggle between a 3 and 4 star rating for this book (like iTunes, I really wish Goodreads would use a 10-star system as I often find 5 stars doesn't allow enough nuance). The first half that got through the mid 1970s is 4-star material because it was fun to read about how Parish got himself involved in the Dead scene. It was also refreshing to read how much he focused on how hard he, the crew and the band worked to become such a successful band and industry. It goes against the silly idea that hippies and their culture are lazy and considering how many shows these guys put together, how many songs, heck how many bands (Garcia especially) they played with, lazy is definitely not a word to describe them. I also found Parish to be very honest in this book---he was upfront about his, for lack of a better word, womanizing and about Garcia's demise and how hard it was to be around that. The book is rather sad because a lot of people in and around the scene were lost to tragic accidents, but Parish focuses on how life must go on in such situations. Ultimately, this was a good read with some fun anecdotes (which is mostly why I read rock n roll biographies---to get a front row seat for some debauchery!), though it didn't answer the question I am seeking to answer---why were the Dead so damn good in May 1977? (In fact, I think he skipped over 1977 altogether). Last, one of my favorite scenes is a meeting between Parish, Garcia and Frank Sinatra. I can't imagine two more different artists, but it was beautiful to see how they respected each other and surprising to learn Sinatra knew about Garcia and the Dead's influence on the culture. Worth a read if you like the Dead or if you like rock n roll debauchery.

It seems like Parish could catch shit for being a Jer Bear enabler. A Bearnabler. I don’t give a fuck; Garcia is not within my purview of judgment on life choices. In fact, I can only judge myself, having no idea what anyone else’s reality is to them. So read this not as Scully or Rankow or…anyone but you. We all have long nights, sometimes. They can last for decades. Hey, shit, might as well tour it.

Parish is effectively the state of New York shaped like a road crew member speaking in a pidgin of Bayonne and Buddha. He’s honest, doesn’t sugarcoat some disgusting behavior, and largely seems like a guy who, in another life, I hope to enjoy a beer, joint, and tunes with behind some bar in the desert. Oh, and he loved Garcia fiercely. Guy would’ve taken a banana clip for him. Jerry preferred his company to most anyone; I let that speak for itself.

Oh: worth it for all the ‘Micky is a fucking asshole’ stories. Parish isn’t hitting below the belt, but sometimes people just butt heads. Besides, Micky is an asshole. Dead Logic assigned Parish as percussion tech for 3 years…Makes for some funny.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us this insight into a institution that we hold so dear and allowing yourself to be vulnerable and give us the highs Ha and lows