The effects of 9\11 still
reverberate today. Each of us, as
Americans were affected in some way, shape, or form. This story is about a fundraising effort for
the Widows and Children of the Police & Firefighters, by members of the
Grateful Dead. Kind of ironic,
considering the Police would always look to arrest Deadhead’s whenever the band
came to town. But this spirit of
humanity that was present after the cowardly attack on innocent civilians
changed the world in many different, subtle ways. This is one such story.
It was a Monday night, December 3rd, 2001,
when I first had a reason to go to NYC.
Phil Lesh & Friends were performing in an Unbroken Chain benefit for
9/11 victims. Phil Lesh, for those of
you who don’t know, was the bass player for the Grateful Dead. On this night, he is joined by Bob Weir,
guitarist, of the Grateful Dead. It will
be the first time these two musicians will appear on the stage since the
passing of Jerry Garcia. The rest of the
band is Rob Barraco - keyboards & vocals, Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers,
Government Mule, and The Dead) - guitar & vocals, Jimmy Herring – guitar,
and John Molo – drums.
The venue, the
Beacon Theatre, was built for sound. It
opened in 1929 as a forum for vaudeville acts, musical
productions, drama, opera, and movies.
According to its official history on the Beacon Theater web site, it was
designed by Chicago architect Walter Ahlschlager in the Art Deco style popular
at this time. It is a building of grace
and class, of timeless elegance and excellent acoustics.
I was taking the bus to Port Authority to meet up with my cousin Mitch
and a dear old friend David. The night
would start with an amazing meal, surrounded by businessmen in their suits,
romance in the air, and me, in my tye-dye du- joir. After dinner, we would walk down Broadway, a
leisurely stroll, to the theatre. Our
seats were in the balcony, chosen specifically because of the way the sound
resonates and travels in this grand old theatre.
I got off the bus and followed a line of fellow deadheads through the
labyrinth that is Port Authority. Across
the concourse for one escalator, a quick turn for the next, the steps to the
next venue, and down two more escalators to buy my return ticket. The people, in general, seemed quieted than
other times I’ve come to the city.
Everybody still moved with a sense of purpose, but, it’s hard to put
into words.
Ok, concert tickets in my pocket, return home, safe and sound, I walk
outside and head for the corner of 42nd Street & 8th
Avenue. Since I was meeting everyone, I
needed to call to find out where we’re meeting.
As I walked through the second set of doors and turn right, I stop, dead
in my tracks. I see a sight that I never
thought that I would see in the 21st Century, in America. And that’s when I knew the country had
changed. I saw four US Soldiers, in full
combat gear, with weapons, walking the perimeter of the building, on the
lookout for anything suspicious. And I
now understood the feelings that could not be put into words.
