Happy Birthday to Jerry Garcia, who would’ve been 66 years old Friday.
My son, James, wore a baby one-sie with Jerry’s picture and we took a photo of him outside in Jerry’s honor.
Before taking off on a much needed vacation to the Jersey Shore, my wife Jen and I saw the Deja Vu documentary, which features Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 
2006 Freedom of Speech Tour. If you’re any kind of a Neil Young fan, or if you’re interested in seeing the real cost of the Iraq war through the lives of soldiers and their families, we highly recommend it.
Sure, they’re a bunch of aging, early-60s hippies, but Neil is one of the most influential artists of the last century and this film shows his genius, force of personality and ability to capture historic moments through song. It also shows that, unlike many 60s and 70s bands, Young can constantly re-invent himself to surprise his audience and make them think and feel and debate.
The boys met with some boos, walkouts and middle fingers when they played “Let’s Impeach the President” in front of an Atlanta crowd — yet both sides of the war are presented in animated fashion.
Speaking of the prolific Mr. Young, he will release the first part of his Archives this fall in a 10-disc Blu-Ray set covering the period 1963-72.
“It’s only coming out on Blu-ray and DVD. There won’t be CDs,” he said at the Sundance Film Festival. “Technology has caught up to what the concept was in the first place [and] how we’re able to actually present it. But there’s no doubt it will come out this year.”
In other Rock news, Springsteen played his final Giants Stadium show in front of 55,000 thousand Thursday. We were there Monday and I’m sure the finale was equally brilliant. Here’s the setlist:
Summertime Blues
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
Two Hearts
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Light of Day
Brilliant Disguise
Pretty Flamingo
Blinded by the Light
Cadillac Ranch
Candy’s Room
Night
Because the Night
She’s the One
Livin’ in the Future
Mary’s Place
Incident on 57th Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Jungleland
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Jersey Girl
Rosalita
The Police are playing their final four shows — EVER — Sunday at PNC in Jersey, Monday and Tuesday at Jones Beach and Thursday at the Garden. I’m tempted to drive up from the beach for PNC just to hear “Roxanne” one more time.
Bobby Weir and Rat Dog are playing a double bill with The Allman Brothers Band Aug. 15 at PNC. The Allmans missed their spring tilt at the BEacon Theater because Gregg was battling hepatitis (aren’t all rock stars?), so this will be a chance to see Derek Trucks — one of the two or three greatest guitarists walking the planet — and Company in the New York area.
Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World….
