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Poster: | cream-puff-war | Date: | Nov 10, 2006 2:31pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
This post was modified by cream-puff-war on 2006-11-10 22:31:26
Attachment: krishna_meets_Grateful_Dead
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Poster: | cream-puff-war | Date: | Nov 10, 2006 2:27pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
The evening of the Mantra Rock Dance, January 29, I walked into the empty ballroom and yelled, "Hare Krishna!" The transcendental sound echoed off the walls. The rest of the devotees came over to the hall early to take tickets, cut oranges, and decorate the stage with flowers, cloth hangings, and paintings and posters of Lord Krishna. I saw the empty concert hall gradually fill up with life -- soon it was bustling with sounds, smells, lights, and joy. Of course, Lord Chaitanya was there too, as were all the demigods, who relish attending functions such as this. It felt as if they were throwing rose-petal benedictions upon the place. We had brought all our instruments: karatalas, flutes, trumpets, and a huge timpani drum. We checked the sound and greeted early arrivals. The Swami was to arrive later.
First Moby Grape played, as strobes and colored lights danced. Then the house lights were turned on and various celebrities began to fill the stage. Allen Ginsberg, wearing a long, white robe, climbed up the madras-covered steps and settled onto the stage. Peter Orlovsky sat down too. Tim Leary came in, smiled, and sat cross-legged. Swami Kriyananda, a disciple of Paramahamsa Yogananda, came in with a vina. He seemed comfortable and happy to be there. Then a short man in a silk top hat and sash which read SAN FRANCISCO, who claimed to be the Mayor, came onto the stage. Some Hell's Angels stood in the back of the stage near a large painting of Radha and Krishna. They were our security guards, and no one was going to mess with them.
Yamuna and I were cutting up oranges for prasadam distribution. My friend Easy drifted by, greeted us, and danced away. Allen Ginsberg took the microphone and introduced chanting of the maha-mantra to the congregation. "This mantra can deliver us all," he said. "Just sink into the sound vibration and think of peace." Accompanied by a small harmonium, he then began chanting: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."
I jumped up and started chanting and dancing, and gradually, as everyone joined in, the whole hall felt like it was traveling on an intergalactic journey. In our transcendental spaceship, the Avalon Ballroom, we were separate but safe in the universe. The sound swayed around us, sheltering us in its transcendence.
Then Swami Bhaktivedanta entered. He looked like a Vedic sage, exalted and otherworldly. As he advanced towards the stage, the crowd parted and made way for him, like the surfer riding a wave. He glided onto the stage, sat down, and began playing the karatalas. Again the sound vibration entered my heart, and I felt warmed. Others listened, then started softly singing in unison and weaving in dance. The hall filled with the Holy Names. Swamiji beamed down on the crowd. Everyone was cheering, bowing, clapping, swooning, jumping, chanting, and in a general state of bliss. Finally the chanting ended in a wild crescendo. The Swami then rose slowly, and with hands and palms folded in pranams, he walked down from the stage. Again the throng parted and -- respectfully, ecstatically -- let him through, some bowing and some even taking the dust from his feet.
Jefferson Airplane came on stage next, and Grace Slick sang "Do You Want Somebody to Love?" The large faceted glass ball sprayed blips of light to every part of this separate world. It seemed like stars were cascading around in our miniature planetarium. Big Brother and the Holding Company took the stage. Janis Joplin, with her mouth on the microphone, belted out "Ball and Chain." It looked like she was eating the microphone. Sam Andrews played his classic riff to begin "Summertime." Janis whooped and yelled, and the bands all yelled out Hare Krishna at one time or another. Between sets by the famous bands, people were holding onto each other and chanting in a large circle. Everyone was in harmony. We danced into the night, and this amalgamation of mantra and rock worked extraordinarily well."
- Gurudas
http://prabhupadaconnect.com/Remembering66.html
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Poster: | midnight sun | Date: | Nov 11, 2006 7:35pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
This post was modified by midnight sun on 2006-11-12 03:35:27
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Poster: | cream-puff-war | Date: | Nov 12, 2006 6:19pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
This post was modified by cream-puff-war on 2006-11-13 02:19:14
Attachment: 01-29-1967.jpg
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Poster: | midnight sun | Date: | Nov 13, 2006 11:09pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
tapes could also be back in India (?)
i'll let you know if i get a hit
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Poster: | high flow | Date: | Nov 14, 2006 12:10am |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
For those who have not, follow this thread back to it's beginning. Some very descriptive reviews of an event that sounds so unusual and unique.
Just reading the accounts of that night is a trip in itself. I've truly enjoyed the progress and will follow in the coming days....good luck. Nice Job.
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Poster: | midnight sun | Date: | Nov 14, 2006 10:34pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
"that all the Grateful Dead music sounded the same. He also said all the Hare Krishna’s looked alike!"
http://www.archive.org/iathreads/post-view.php?id=77347
you were there high flow!
Eventually led to the gut splitting "Swami and the Chipmunks" revelations...
this research is definitely stemming from cream-puff-war's inspiration...hell, this isn't even my era per se...i just can't help but be extremely curious (and that is a total understatement) of the effect the Avalon Ballroom full of chanters might of had on the Dead, esp this era
thanks for the interest high flow, you and others feel free to join us on the hunt
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Poster: | cream-puff-war | Date: | Nov 15, 2006 6:19pm |
Forum: | GratefulDead | Subject: | Re: Review of January 29, 1967 GD Benefit |
Attachment: 01-29-1967.jpg