GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST

Skull & Roses 50: Side D

Episode Summary

Date: May 27, 2021
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Featured Guests: David Lemieux, Alan Arkish, Sam Cutler, Robert Cooperman, Dave Harrington

Overview: Celebrating "Skull & Roses" Side D and the Fillmore East Era

In this episode, Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow wrap up their deep-dive into the Grateful Dead’s 1971 album Skull & Roses by focusing on Side D. They explore the stories behind some of the band’s most iconic live tracks (“Wharf Rat,” “Not Fade Away,” and “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad”), the unique vibe of the Fillmore East, the behind-the-scenes antics, and the end of an epic era in the Dead’s history. The conversation blends anecdotes from Dead insiders, live music aficionados, and contemporary reflections, celebrating the 50th anniversary of an album that captured a pivotal moment for both the band and its most storied venue.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fillmore East: A Legendary Venue

• Historical Context
  • Opened in 1926, the Fillmore East evolved through vaudeville, jazz, and rock, ultimately becoming a home base for the Grateful Dead from 1968 to 1971.
  • “The house was built by rock, but it was also built by rock fans.” [06:36]
• Memorable Atmosphere
  • Guests recall the marijuana-scented air, stoner-friendly snacks, and a welcoming, wild, and safe vibe.
  • “That was definitely the Mecca of shows. I get annoyed if I had to go anyplace else.” — Robert Cooperman [11:09]

2. Fillmore East Shows & Backstage: Stories from Alan Arkish

• Firsthand Narratives
  • Alan Arkish details working as an usher and seeing countless iconic shows, later measuring bands by their Fillmore performances.
  • “I saw every major classic rock band of the period four times in a weekend. So we became connoisseurs of the weekend, so to speak.” — Alan Arkish [09:08]
• Colorful Dead Encounters
  • Garcia’s personal connection with the audience, handing Arkish a beer during rehearsal.
    • “Garcia starts playing this solo...then at the end of the jam, he reaches in, grabs a beer and hands it to me like he read my mind.” — Alan Arkish [12:35]
• Backstage Rules & Quirks
  • “No dogs on stage. The other rule...before you go on stage, you have to put your baby down… No babies on stage.” — Alan Arkish [16:15]

3. Tour Life & Fillmore’s Final Days: Sam Cutler’s Perspective

• Tour Manager’s Realities
  • Road life was grueling, with fatigue, camaraderie, and a touch of madness:
    • “You're on the bus or you're off the bus. Where is the damn bus?” — Sam Cutler [18:04]
    • “Nobody wanted to room with Jerry because his feet stank… Basically, no one roomed with Jerry, really.” — Sam Cutler [19:35]
  • The Fillmore’s closure was driven by the need for bigger venues as the scene expanded.
    • “We outgrew that as a band and Bill outgrew it as a promoter.” — Sam Cutler [25:42]
• Bill Graham’s Dual Nature
  • Famed for both fierce business tactics and pioneering concert experiences:
    • “I mean, Bill Graham was an asshole on a business level... But when it comes to running shows, Bill was wonderful... he set the bar as to how to do a show right.” — Sam Cutler [22:58]

4. The Live Album as Laboratory: Skull & Roses at the Fillmore

• Recording Operations
  • The Alembic crew set up under the stage; Fillmore served as the Dead’s musical “lab,” with freedom and creative experimentation.
    • “This was like the lab for them because there was no time limit, they could play all they wanted.” — Alan Arkish [30:10]
• Set and Sound
  • The Dead felt at home, with multi-night runs inspiring risk-taking and improvisation.
    • “The east coast did tend to bring out the monster in them.” — Alan Arkish [30:53]
  • Technical innovations: Studio “sweetening” and overdubs, notably Merl Saunders’ Hammond B3 contributions and possible uncredited piano by Jerry Garcia.

5. “Wharf Rat”: Origins, Meaning, and Musical Significance

• Song Genesis
  • Garcia wanted a song that captured the real-time experience on stage.
    • “As a writer...I want to write a song that addresses the situation as it's really happening... Warfrat was one of them.” — Jerry Garcia [33:18]
  • Robert Hunter’s lyrical inspiration and evocation of San Francisco’s underbelly.
    • “It's real, man. It is fucking real, and everybody knows it, too.” — Garcia [36:17]
• Modal Journey & Storytelling
  • Dave Harrington frames “Wharf Rat” as a fusion of deep storytelling and modal improvisation, akin to Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew.”
    • “It's the meeting point between the storytelling and the modal journey... the well that I always, always return to.” — Dave Harrington [38:35]
• Evolving Performance
  • Premiered out of “Dark Star,” setting the stage for its role as a late-set centerpiece and emotional anchor.

6. Sequencing and Album Construction

• Listener Experience
  • The album’s A/D and B/C sequencing made for seamless transitions, echoing live set structures.
    • “They chose themselves in an order.” — Jerry Garcia [47:17]
  • Themes of journey, psychedelic exploration, and redemption run through the album’s structure.

7. Other Skull & Roses Standouts: Covers and Traditions

• Not Fade Away
  • Origins from Buddy Holly, filtered through Rolling Stones influences, and reinvented by the Dead as a live ritual, complete with audience “Bo Diddley beat” clapping.
    • “Not Fade Away is a fabulous song...doing it now almost always gives me a thrill.” — Garcia [64:10]
• Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
  • A folk standard (earliest recording in 1923) learned via Delaney & Bonnie; became a musical celebration and connection with the audience.
• We Bid You Goodnight
  • A cappella gospel song, closing out shows and sending fans into the dawn—tradition, community, and love summed up.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Fillmore vibe:
  • “It was a very, very funny experience...Signs everywhere saying marijuana use of illegal drugs is illegal... but the aroma was just unbelievable.” — Robert Cooperman [11:09]
• On Garcia’s generosity:
  • “He locks into...and then at the end of the jam, he reaches in, grabs a beer and hands it to me like he read my mind.” — Alan Arkish [12:35]
• On life on the road:
  • “All the crew ever did was go back to a hotel room and sleep...kind of a nightmare.” — Sam Cutler [19:35]
• On songwriting intent:
  • “I mean, I don't know what I would want to say, apart from, isn't it great to be here? And isn't it swell that we're all here?” — Jerry Garcia [33:47]
• On "Wharf Rat":
  • “It’s real, man. It is fucking real, and everybody knows it, too.” — Jerry Garcia [36:17]
• On the album’s flow:
  • “They chose themselves in an order.” — Garcia [47:17]
• On Not Fade Away’s enduring appeal:
  • “Doing it now almost always gives me a thrill. It stands my hair on end. It’s just a great song.” — Jerry Garcia [64:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:36] — Fillmore East History
• [09:08] — Alan Arkish’s first-hand Fillmore experiences
• [12:35] — Alan Arkish’s story: Garcia and the beer
• [18:04] — Sam Cutler on touring and bus culture
• [25:42] — Bill Graham and the Fillmore’s closure
• [30:10] — Fillmore East as the Dead’s musical lab
• [33:18] — Jerry Garcia on the genesis of “Wharf Rat”
• [36:17] — Garcia & Hunter’s experience of gritty San Francisco
• [38:35] — Dave Harrington: “Wharf Rat” as apex of Dead’s sound
• [47:17] — Album sequencing and song order
• [64:10] — Garcia on the importance and transformation of “Not Fade Away”
• [69:58] — “We Bid You Goodnight” and the legacy of closing shows
• [72:32] — Robert Cooperman’s Fillmore East poem: Bidding goodnight to an era

The Episode’s Tone

Warm, nostalgic, candid, and community-driven—with the hosts and guests mixing reverence, humor, and deep-dive musical analysis. The episode celebrates the Dead’s mystical, improvisational approach to both music and life, always centered on the communal spirit of the live concert experience.

Useful Links & Further Exploration

• Expanded 50th Anniversary Skull & Roses (June 25 release): more unreleased music and live gems.
• Ladies and Gentlemen, the Grateful Dead box set: additional Fillmore East performances.
• Robert Cooperman’s Book: Saved by the Dead (poetry inspired by the Dead experience)
• dead.net/deadcast: links to lyrics, set lists, and primary episode source material.

Conclusion

This episode offers an immersive trek into not only the making of Side D of Skull & Roses, but also the lore of the Fillmore East era—crowning achievements, raw backstage reality, and the communal energy that made the Dead’s music (and myth) so enduring. By weaving together archival interview clips, personal stories, and musical analyses, the hosts capture the spirit of a band, a city, and a slice of rock history that truly lives on—not fading away, but bidding us “good night, good night.”