[tgilbo]

I am so lost on this trip. What happened... well OK... I know what the media said... but wasn't the whole idea of counterculture and the Grateful Dead against the mainstream media.
I choose to NOT believe and have gone into deep denial. How DARE you not believe the TV and Radio, there ought to be a law...
Basically what I am saying is: I used to have this huge group of friends and family who swore that we would be togther till the end: loving the music, loving each other and loving our freedom. The funny thing is I can't find any of you anymore. It was easier when you'all wore tie dyes and had long hair and smelled like petuli.
So I moved to Vermont to find you'all. But alas no Deadheads, No Phishheads, No Rainbows and NO Hippies. So after getting in trouble with the law and being homeless I moved to the Bay Area: again no friends and no family and once again homeless again. I keep hearing about the scene being as strong or stronger than ever, but where are the people? There is more to life than sitting behind a computer monitor everyday and wishing. We have to go out and make it happen again.
WE ARE PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO and HIDE AND SEEK and I am loosing so badly. Were are you..........

[phreaker]

I'm on Tgilbo's side on this one.

[jck_strw]

No like minded people to be found in Vermont?! In San Fran? Who are you looking for exactly? I can understand phreaker's situation (no offense Kansas), but VT and Northern Cali couldn't be any more hippie/liberal/whatever.

But then again, I could be wrong.

[Crazy 9.5 Fingers]

I think the idea of counter culture is a concept that is always fluid and is relevant to issues of the time. History plays the important role here. I am 33 years old, not even close for the summer of love in 1967, didn't dig the Dead until 1988, didn't see them until '91. We are 39 years away from 1967 and the unofficial dawning of that movement the GD were a part of. Go back to 1927, 39 years away from that movement and you have Al Capone, Mickey Mouse's Steamboat Willie (the first animated cartoon with sound), and Herbert Hoover about to lead us into the Great Depression. The counterculture movement of the late 60's is what the 39 years from The Depression led to. Where we are now, a media frenzied, globally frightening, but all in all pretty free to do whatever the hell you want at least in this country, global community a internet connection away, is what the 39 years since the Counterculture Movement led to. And I think it is pretty sweet. Listen to Jerry, he was the first person to say technology is great and should be embraced. He drove a BMW, he liked nice things, he was into things the "counterculture" was not and I love him for it. The Dead represented America, and like America they changed with time. They made their own culture, and we all feel a part of it. Democrats, Republicans, old people, young kids, Bill Walton (who I met on the floor at Giants 92 and was super cool), white people, occasional black people, rednecks, Samoans, Latinos, oh prairie shit, everybody! And that is what I define as CULTURE, not at all counterculture, and that is a great part of the appeal of the GD. They were a band that couldn't be a part of a counterculture movement. They moved their own culture, period. No one thinks sitting at a computer all day is the way to go, but the fact that I can pop on this website whenever I feel like it, and communicate with some like-minded individuals who have great taste in music is also pretty sweet. With the internet, I can listen to audio clips of any band I can think of, and learn about other bands I never would have heard of. You seem to imply some scorn for being an active part of mainstream society and not being a part of some cultural revolution. Or maybe my vaporizer got the best of me tonight. The point I am trying to make is that the idea of "counterculture" has no relevance today. There are too many sub-cultures. I guess the most counter-culture thing someone could do is be a serial killer. But obviously serial killers are a culture unto themselves. Sick as it is, it is true. The movment of the late'60's was a point in history that was created and influenced by the history of the time. I understand a lot of great things happened then for civil rights, and the development of the self, etc., but we are talking 40 years ago. I hate to drop all of this stuff now on this forum with an exhaustive post but sometimes I get pissed when I see hippies from 1960's talking about shit like this. And like someone before me here said, if you can't find hippies in No Cal and VT, come on! You just gotta poke around. Side note, amps, guitars and guitar effects from 39 years ago do sound pretty damn sweet!! SO kudos to all of those people who made those things back then. Have a good weekend y'all.

[phreaker]

Nice post Crazy Fingers. Props galore.

Jack Straw, no offense taken. Here in Lawrence, there's a shop called Third Planet (I know they make trips to Langerado, Bonnaroo, Wak., etc...) and they sell bumper stickers saying stuff like "Kansas, As biggoted as you think."

If you knew what Kansas' new official Motto thing was, you would get the humor in that.

[LazyLightnin]

society has really changed too much for that scene to ever be the same again, we live in such a policed state. everyone has their own ideas of what the scene is or what it stands for, its different for everyone. for me the lyrics in TMNS always painted a picture of what i perceived to be an ideal setting, but sometimes when you get to your destination its not always a bed of roses.specially when your on the road somewhere between saratoga and hartford and your steering wheel melts through your hands while the guy riding shotgun is eating a can of alpo. There isnt anywhere you can be that isnt where your meant to be, its all what you make of it in your own mind, its all perception.

[wisedyes]

Well, I can say that I have been going through pretty much the same thing. I do chalk some of it up to where I currently live ( very rural very Republican - in the bad sense - northwestern Pennsyltucky ), the fact that I am getting older ( I'm 40 ), and just the general increasing isolation in American society as a whole. Isn't it odd that as we become more and more "connected", we seem to have less and less actual personal interaction with each other?

However, some things you may want to try are look for hippies where the hippies are likely to be. There HAS to be Rainbows up where you are, in northern Cali. There are numerous Rainbow family web pages, etc. See if there are any Unitarian Universalist churches near you, they attract like minded folks. See if any local bars have Grateful Dead nights nearby you, things like that.

[LazyLightnin]

you should check out jam nights at local bars, i meet tons of new musicians( course im in cleveland EVERYONE owns a guitar)and engage in some pretty mind expanding conversation. id tend to stray from the coffeehouse scene - that just gets uglier. as for rainbow...i wont knock it, theres a lot of good deadheads, but i did find it to be the grimiest, backstabbing, contadiction ive witnessed. i think of it like the NORML situation, why be a part of something that has every federal eyeball fixed on it 24/7? as with any human grouping, the nature of our own being will always prevail, i.e. Animal Farm. but whatever you do NEVER take others or yourself too seriously

[strumminsix]

There are no more hippies. They are all long gone.

Besides,the GD really loved the rebels equally to the hippies.

Any surprise that the Hells Angels were staples for all the years?

Take a look at the history of hippies as cousins of the beatnicks. From there they took it a step further not wanting the man to be in their business, mistrust of all politicians, to be kind and make kindness contagious, to take care of one another, and to make communities self-reliant.

What happened you ask? Here are my opinions...

1. Hippies got involved in politics and therefore they were not hippies. They shed their tye-dyes for plates at fundraisers. Instead of fighting the man, they begain supporting the man.

2. They got lazy. Instead of helping their fellow man they decided the gov't should take care of everyone.

3. The second generation of hippies came around who didn't understand that they were entering a community who loved music, life and one another but instead the majority of them came only for the party and all they could beg from or steal from the other members

4. Above all, too many hippies were fake. It was kindness, love, peace and that on the streets but behind closed doors it was another story.

[Crazy 9.5 Fingers]

but whatever you do NEVER take others or yourself too seriously

Well put. I am a huge fan of Tom Robbins' novels. HE always has that character who stresses this foremost. I think one line from Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates is somthing like "We are just pimples on the ass end of creation. Therefore, how can you take your life so seriously. Have a sense of humor about yourself and die with a little dignity. That is all you can ask for." Something like that. Great book if anyone is interested.

[tgilbo]

Well, thank you for the responses. They were pretty positive. Remember I am the hippie dude in San Francisco having a hard time finding coolies. Well, I am actually from all over the place. I spun out in Cincinnati - Where Debbie lives by the way! They have a really tight metal-head, goth, punk, death and doom scene for the morbidly insane. On the opposite end of the spectrum they also have a fairly cool "gay" scene. I know this is schizophrenic but I always put the heads somewhere in between these two extremes on the alternative spectrum.These days though the heads are all so political or so it seems and I refrain from the scene.
Although I have seen a lot of pictures from Bonarroo, 10,000 lakes and Gathering of the Vibes.
WOOOWWWOOOA buddy, someone is cashing in on some big names. Just mention Trey, Bob or Phil and people will glady shell out $200, - $300 or more in hard earned money.
I almost wanted to return back to work in realizing that there is still a scene. I have also heard that it ain't the same. Mostly crunchies and weekend warriors. GREAT FOR VENDORS !!!!
The Spirit really is ALL gone and all those phreaky spiritual dudes and duddettes from the cults and communes are seemingly non-existent. I have looked up a lot of them on Intentional Communities.com and they seem happy where they are without convening ritually at the cultural spirtual mecca (THE SHOW - IT used to be about the party the people were celebrating)
If you want to know where I am coming from I am telling you that this was a lot more fun on 1,000 mics of Owsley's best and when people actually danced and expressed themselves. These days I feel like such a retard standing there and staring at the bands and once in a while yelling YEEEHAAA - when I truly ain't liking it at all.
Sorry if this ain't positive (politically) but these events are really bummers compared to the Summer of Love 67 originals when gatherings actually had meaning and not just fundraising for some struggling bands that actually suck!

[phreaker]

hipsters tripsters and real cool chicksters are still out there.

just gotta poke around.

[pharewellphish]

yea man im pretty surprised.. even here in kansas therees enough deadheads... just moved here and i already met like a dozen... man before i mooved here i didnt even know there was that many people here at all

[nedcat]

Beg Mister Vermont to reconsider. I own 280 acres in Mad River Glen Vermont (Township of Warren )
Population 27,000 all are Deadheads and/or PhishFanz.
Most people know this area because Surgarbush Ski Area and Resort are there. There are reasonable rates on cabins and Motel....lots of babes wearin' plain pattern dresses, etc. My band "Hill-o-Beans" played at "Suicide Six" Ski Bar since 1988.
Gotta look harder Brah....ya cant be the least bit shy if you are on a quest....as you say you are.

[phreaker]

hey pharewell phish, how long have you been in Kansas?

I agree, I'm suprised at how many heads there are over in Johnson County. You should come down and pay Lawrence a visit, if you havent already.