Remembering 9/11 – Let’s Roll

One of the stories from 9/11 that sticks out in my mind the most was the story of Todd Beamer.  He and a few other brave passengers aboard Flight 93 decided they were going to take matters into their own hands and by doing so, went after their hijackers and forced the plane down into a field instead of allowing it to reach it’s destination, which was likely going to be the White House.  The story goes on to say that shortly before Todd and a few other men decided to confront the hijackers he called his wife to tell her he loved her and then told the rest of the guys “Let’s Roll” and we all know what happened next.

It surprises me that a lot of people never heard this story, I guess I can understand it because there was a lot of news to digest that day, but when Neil Young heard this story he sat down and wrote this song.  I have seen a lot of 9/11 tribute videos today and a lot of patriotic songs, etc., but this is the one that I decided to go with because it tells a different story.  Yes, as American’s we can sometimes be vulnerable or fall victim to sneak attacks from our enemies, but there is one thing you have to remember, we won’t take it sitting down, we are going to do our best to kick your a$$!

If you want to read more about Todd Beamer and Flight 93, there’s some good info on Wikipedia and also on United Heroes. His family went on to setup the Todd Beamer foundation, you can learn more about that here…

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No sooner than I had posted this, someone sent me a link to this YouTube video which show’s a re-enactment of what happened on Flight 93.  This is kind of tough to watch, but I think that it’s important to honor heroes like this so they or their sacrifices are not forgotten.
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The Dead to Tour Again…

Those of you that are close to me know that I have been a Grateful Dead fan since Junior High and my passion for their music has done nothing but grow over the years.  Even though they only charted one time in my memory with a song, “Touch of Grey”, their music has remained in the hearts of their loyal fans for years.  There is even a 24/7 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio that plays nothing but Grateful Dead music. 

I could not have been more ecstatic this morning when I found out that the rumors were true and the Dead (now known as the dead, out of remembrance for Jerry Garcia) are going to be embarking on a tour again.  I think that it’s about time too, so much of the music today is just not good, these guys are originals and should be able to pick up right where they left off, even if guys like Phil Lesh are 68 years old now, ha. 

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Phil Lesh is on the phone.

"I wish I could say I once quit my job to follow the Grateful Dead in my VW bus," I tell him. "But honestly, I’m just not that cool."

The bass player chuckles. "It’s mostly trust-fund kids," he confides. "They’re the only ones who are able to do that."

I guess you could say I’m a wannabe Deadhead. Like many Americans, I’m fascinated by tales of the Grateful Dead’s improvisational live shows and colorful sense of community.

Some 40-odd years after the group rose out of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury scene of the mid-1960s, there’s even a popular Sirius Satellite Radio channel devoted solely to the legendary jam band.

A few days ago, the four surviving members of the Grateful Dead dropped a sweet New Year’s gift on fans — they’ll reunite for their first concert tour in five years. Just as they did on their last outing, Lesh, guitarist Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will perform under the shortened moniker The Dead. It’s a reverent nod to their iconic lead guitarist, Jerry Garcia, who died from a heart attack in 1995 after a long struggle with drug addiction.

Under the banner, "An Evening With," the trek will encompass 19 shows in 16 cities, kicking off April 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and wrapping up May 10 in Mountain View, California. The quartet will be joined by guitarist Warren Haynes and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. iReport: Are you grateful for a Dead tour?

The reunion is something that’s been rumored since Lesh, Weir and Hart headlined a "Deadheads for Obama" concert in San Francisco last February. Kreutzmann was in Hawaii that night, but he was there in spirit.

"We’ve never, ever endorsed a candidate — ever," Lesh states emphatically. "Not even Robert Kennedy. It was a big deal for all of us. But this was the time, and this was the man."

Accompanied by his wife, Jill, and their youngest son, Brian, Lesh even traveled to Reno to knock on doors, in an effort to get out the vote in Nevada — a battleground state that ultimately went to Barack Obama. Did anyone recognize him when they answered the door? "Not really. Reno is not really a stronghold of Dead-dom," he deadpans.

Lesh downplays the band’s legacy as founding fathers of a jam band scene that now includes such free-form artists as Phish, the String Cheese Incident and Blues Traveler. "All we did was steal what jazz musicians did and apply it to rock ‘n’ roll. If we didn’t do it, someone else would have," he says.

For the tour, look for The Dead to continue their trademark three-and-a-half to four-hour shows (because of their marathon set, there’s no time for an opening act). "We’ve been accused of being under-arranged. We’ve also been accused of noodling," says Lesh. "We make it different, make it new every night. We never play the same licks or the same fills twice. There is a set list — more or less — but Bobby, in particular, likes to stick things in."

The upcoming tour will feature mostly "Grateful Dead classics — the things people like to hear," he says, so expect performances of "Truckin’," "Casey Jones," perhaps the band’s sole Top 10 hit, "Touch of Grey," and maybe even the Holy Grail of Dead jams, "Dark Star."

Presale tickets go on sale January 13 — and even though sold-out shows have been a way of life for The Dead, Lesh isn’t taking their fan base for granted. "It’s rough times. Of course it’s an object of concern," he says. "All you can do is play the best music you can, and hope people can get out to hear it."

All The Dead’s members are in their 60s, with Lesh the elder statesman at 68. Two years ago, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer. "I’m pretty much recovered from that now. I eat right, exercise and work out with weights three days a week," he says.

He listens to jazz and classical music in his free time, and continues working on his side project, Phil Lesh and Friends. Two of his musical "friends" are his sons, Brian, a student at Princeton, and Grahame, who will be graduating from Stanford this year. Lesh hopes they’ll make a guest appearance when The Dead hits their town — if it doesn’t interfere with their finals.

When The Dead announced this tour, Bob Weir released a statement. "We’ve got some unfinished business," he said. Lesh goes a step further.

"We’ve got some unfinished music," Lesh clarifies. "We’re all still evolving in our own ways. You can always improve your playing. Let’s see what kind of a goulash we can make out of it. Besides," he adds, "I just got two new electric basses."

Dead’s Lesh: ‘We’ve got some unfinished music’ – CNN.com