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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 309 Today's Peep is a "Deadhead" Celebrating 60 Years of the Grateful Dead at Golden Gate Park, Old Days: Nostalgia, Lemonade Stands, Vinyl Records and 8- Track Tapes
Nostalgia wraps around us like a warm blanket in this heartfelt exploration of music, memory, and the connections that shape our lives. We begin with a sweet encounter at a children's lemonade stand, a reminder of the simple joys that never fade despite our complicated world. From there, we dive into classic Reagan humor that still lands decades later – proof that some things truly stand the test of time.
The heart of our journey centers on the Grateful Dead's remarkable 60-year legacy as they prepare for their anniversary celebration at Golden Gate Park. I share my personal evolution as a Dead fan, starting with my teenage fascination with their mesmerizing album artwork. Blues for Allah's skeleton with white hair and wraparound red shades playing violin still captivates me as perhaps the greatest album cover ever created. These visual gateways led me to discover music that would become a lifelong companion.
What makes certain bands click with some people but not others? The Dead possess that rare quality – a distinctive sound that creates its own universe of devoted followers while remaining impenetrable to others. I've witnessed countless moments when someone hears a Dead track for the first time and exclaims, "I didn't realize I liked the Dead!" Their unique blend of rock, jam, and experimental sounds creates something entirely their own.
We wrap with a deep dive into the physical artifacts that preserve our musical memories. Pulling a pristine Chicago record from my collection – untouched since April 1975 – becomes a meditation on the tangible connections to our past. As "Old Days" plays, we're transported to a world of Schwinn bicycles, baseball cards, and Saturday morning cartoons that defined childhood for so many.
Whether you're a dedicated Deadhead preparing for the anniversary shows or someone who treasures the power of music to transport us across time, this episode celebrates how art becomes intertwined with our personal stories. What bands have shaped your life? Which songs instantly transport you to specific moments? Share your musical memories with us and join the conversation about the soundtrack of our lives.
welcome my friends. How are you? Happy thursday to you. The pats peeps podcasts on a thursday hey, now last day of july 2025. Looking out the studio windows, it's later in the day today. By the way, it's another hot one out there Not exceedingly hot, by the way, it's been a very mild July. Thank you for being there, man. I appreciate you.
Speaker 1:Stopped by a lemonade stand today. You know we support the small businesses here on Pat's Peeps. Like I tell you every single time, I'll continue to do so. It was so nice to stop by the lemonade stand and see the little kids out there were selling the cookies and the lemonade on a not so hot day, and I was so glad to, you know, take a couple of photos. I put those up on my social media, but I'll put them on the Pat's Peeps page on Facebook as well. Now that I'm thinking about it, hope you're having a pleasant day in wherever you are listening.
Speaker 1:You know what I love is again I'm the host of the Pat Wall Show at KFPK in Sacramento. Kfpk Radio 93.1 FM 1530 AM streaming live everywhere on the free iHeart app. But my gosh, when you call my show, when you say yeah, say yeah, man, I'm listening to your Pat's Peeps, like here we are on 309, and someone called my show last night and they were listening to the first one and I thought, you know, boy, that is great because it's, like I say, wonderful to get new listeners, but I hope I didn't suck on the first one. I don't know, I won't go back and listen. Maybe I still suck, I don't know. I'm trying to refine the thing, but I won't go back and listen, but it is so great to hear that. And then Ray, during my show the other night, ray calling me from St Louis, ray, thank you, man, thank you. He says you know, pat, I'm in the hospital and Ray's a good guy, good family guy. Ray and his family, they've been listening to my show for years. A friend of mine and he's in the hospital, for goodness sakes, in St Louis. He's like Pat. I listened to your, he's like pat.
Speaker 1:I listened to your show and then I listened to your podcast in the midst of it. If you go, you know, if you're, you know. As soon as you cut away, I'm listening to the peeps and before I'm listening to it. You guys are wonderful, thank you, and it would mean again just to keep telling you I'm not, you know, not trying to be a commercial, but heck, pat's peeps is what it's all about for our local businesses. Please check them out again. It was so nice just visiting the lemonade stand, uh, so, anyhow on. Uh, you know, I just want to. What are we going to do? I I have a couple things. I just want to start with. Why not? Why not, let's just do. Because I'm in a good mood, I want to start with a Reagan joke. Can we do that just out of nowhere? I love it.
Speaker 2:It was about a fellow that was driving down a country road and all of a sudden looked out and there beside him was a chicken. He was doing about 45 and the chicken was running alongside. So he stepped on the gas, he got it up to about 60, and the chicken caught up with him and was right beside him again. And then he thought, as he was looking at him, that the chicken had three legs. But before he could really make up his mind for sure, the chicken took off out in front of him at 60 miles an hour and turned down a lane into a barnyard. Well, he made a quick turn and went down into the barnyard too, and there was there and he asked him. He said did the chicken come past you? He said yeah. Well, he said am I crazy, or did the chicken have three legs? He says yep, it's mine, says I breed three-legged chickens.
Speaker 2:And the fellas it, for heaven's sake, why. Well, he says I like the drumstick. Mall likes the drumstick and not a kid likes the drumstick. And we just got tired of fighting for him. And the driver said well, how does it taste? He says I don't know. I've never been able to catch one you know all these.
Speaker 1:I love reagan. What a good american, oh my gosh. He loved his country and all these years later he still makes me laugh with his sense of humor. I gotta hear one more. Hope you don't mind.
Speaker 2:Let's hear another Reagan joke here. It's a story about a woman who walked into a bridal shop one day and told the sales clerk that she was looking for a wedding gown for her fourth wedding. Well, the saleswoman asked just exactly what type of dress are you looking for? A long, flowing white dress with a veil. She responded with assurance. Not totally convinced, but afraid to offend the woman. The saleslady said you know, dresses of that nature are usually more appropriate for brides who are being married for the first time, for those a bit more innocent if you know what I mean" the lady retorted and put her hand on her hip. I do know what you mean and I can assure you I'm as innocent as the rest of them.
Speaker 2:Despite all my marriages, I remain as innocent as any first-time bride. I remain as innocent as any first-time bride. You see, my first husband was a dear, sweet man. It was a terrible tragedy actually. All the excitement of the wedding was simply too much for him and he died as we checked into the hotel on our wedding night. I'm sorry to hear that, said the clerk. But what about the others? Well, my second husband and I got into a terrible fight in the limousine on the way to our wedding reception. We haven't spoken since and got the marriage quickly annulled. What about your third husband, asked the store clerk. Well, the woman replied to he was a Democrat and every night for four years he just sat on the edge of the bed and told me how good it was going to be sorry, sorry, I just couldn't resist telling that meanwhile, in San Francisco, beginning tomorrow, the Grateful Dead will be celebrating their 60 year love affair with San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Speaker 1:I'll be there tomorrow night. Be doing my podcast from there, number 310 from the dead.
Speaker 3:I miss Jerry.
Speaker 1:You know some people don't get the Dead. I get that. It's interesting. You know there are certain bands you get them or you don't get them. The Dead are, I guess, one of those, but I love them. I know I don't own the music, I just love this sound. I reckon I've listened to the dead more in the last year than any other band. 60th anniversary Golden Gate Park. It starts tomorrow night. Robin the Interrupter so nice, she bought tickets and invited me. Now, how sweet is that Iconic band. You know Bob Weir still leading the way. We lost Phil Lesch, Jerry, of course, in 95. And God, I don't even want to turn this off. I love it so much.
Speaker 1:You know, when I first I was fascinated with the Grateful Dead because as a teenager I was really, and still am, open to all kinds of music, particularly rock. I want to hear various types of rock and I was very attracted because the 70s had just great album covers. You could look at an album cover and you would think, wow, that's got to be a cool record because of the album cover. There are albums that I learned that I know based on the fact I purchased them for the album cover more than the fact I knew anything on the record. Camel Moon Madness would be one of them and the Grateful Dead. For my money, they had the most intriguing album covers of all time, my favorite being and perhaps, no, not even perhaps still my favorite album cover of all time is blues for Allah. I love that album cover with the skeleton with the white hair sitting in that stone, kind of a I don't know if it's a mausoleum or I don't know what it is with the wraparound, red shades playing the violin awesome. You pull that record out, the vinyl out of the cover, and it's got like the. There's a skeleton like a gesture sitting on a stone wall. It's got a. I'm seeing this in my head. I swear I'm not even looking at the record, I can see it in my mind. He's got like one of those gesture hats on and someone tell me if I'm wrong, but I can see it it's a black and white checkered floor. Maybe he has some kind of a medieval instrument or something like that. But the album covers were intriguing. Oxomoxoa, wake of the Flood was the cover and the back cover, the front and the back cover, really intriguing to me? I would say one of my other favorite album covers of all time, europe 72, with the snow cone in the forehead, the cover, and then on the back it's got the you know the shoe going through the rainbow and the pot of gold.
Speaker 1:And so, my friend, keith Welch, we went to the record factory on 65th Street there in South Sacramento. We would buy records I mentioned that before $333 a piece, and back then we could get eight tracks too. We'd get eight tracks and, to Keith's credit, he got Steal your Face and You're Up 72. Again, because he was intrigued with the album covers. And so when we brought them home, we listened to these eight tracks and it was so different and we were tripping on this like man. I don't know about you, keith, but I like this. Yeah, me too. So we would listen, we'd totally get into it. And since then, and so then I then there was this lady who? She was my mother's neighbor in this apartment complex in Rancho Cordova. I was also at the time intrigued by the tubes. They were brand new. This was way before they had commercial success and so I was intrigued by them, as I'm learning new bands as a 16 and 17, 18 year old Doing Werewolves of London.
Speaker 3:That's funny.
Speaker 1:Doing Warren Zevon Anyhow. And so I go to this lady's house I wouldn't even tell you the other story because she had it out for me, man, her and her friend. And, geez, I thought, oh my gosh, they're older women. I was 16. They were like in their, probably in their 30sez. I thought, oh my gosh, they're older women. I was 16. They were like in their, probably in their 30s. And I thought, oh, they're older. And uh, they had it. They. I'll just say that they uh, hmm, what word should I use?
Speaker 1:Were intrigued by the 16 year old. Can you imagine as I'm thinking about? But I was too smart, I'm too smart for that beep. I said, oh, no, no, no, no, hey, no, good morning. But before that I wrapped other records and I got the dead um blues for all and I put that on the record player and I, man, I'm into that. What a great record. Then I'm listening to the first album and that's kind of how I got into this music.
Speaker 1:So to be going after all of these years as a fan to go see the dead. Their 60th anniversary. My brother, steve, and I went to Golden Gate Park and this is when Jerry died. They had a big memorial for him at Golden Gate Park and to my recollection there was an airplane dropping roses onto the crowd. It was unbelievable. So many people out there, the dead music playing everywhere. I may have seen a couple of people smoking a joint, but yeah, so we were there for that.
Speaker 1:There's just something about this band. I put them in there as one of the greatest rock bands from America. That's my opinion. They're very different than most other music. They have their own sound. I think Phish is kind of filling that role a little bit. They've been trying to fill that role that the Deadheads. They want to hear, that kind of jam, spacey kind of rock. So they've been doing that.
Speaker 1:But you know I have so many memories of the Dead One of them that. But you know I have so many memories of the dead. One of them my buddy Wano and I going to see the Grateful Dead in. I think it was Mary's, it was Marysville and we had this little table. I couldn't believe the dead do things different. We had this little table and it was a sunny day in the spring and the dead are out there playing and we got an umbrella over our heads and a sunny day in the spring and the dead are out there playing and we got an umbrella over our heads and a waitress and the best seats in the house and they're bringing us cocktails. I'm looking at Wayne. I'm like what is happening here? Are you kidding me? The other thing about the Grateful Dead there have been times where I've been listening to them and maybe riding in a car with someone or playing it at my home and they'll say who is this? I'll say the Grateful Dead. Really, I can't stay much longer, melinda.
Speaker 3:The sun is getting higher, so yeah, it's the.
Speaker 1:Grateful Dead, really. So yeah, it's the Grateful Dead, what? And there have been several times I'll hear them go. I didn't really know their songs. I like this. Okay, I said no, it's different. Yeah, man, I like it. I didn't realize I liked the dead. This is from. I believe this is from Europe 72, but I believe it's originally. Someone tell me if I'm wrong. It's okay, can't track everything. Wasn't this from Working Man's Dead? Then they get into like all mellow and I love it Anyhow. So we'll be down at the Dead tomorrow. I'll do Pat's Peeps 310. I like Golden Gate Park. Honestly, I'm not big into going to San Francisco usually, so this is kind of unusual for me to be going to do this Right in the drain.
Speaker 1:Ditch, god ought to live. You know better, but I know you. 60 years as a band I mean that is remarkable. 60 years. The Grateful Dead Steal your face right off your head. Three days of concerts and festivities marking the anniversary. They're a jam band, but they're a rock band. Make love, not war. Phil Lesh, one of my favorite bassists, ever Rest in peace. Ever Rest in peace. Dead Company featuring original Dead members Bob Weir, mickey Hart. They'll be playing the polo field tomorrow night Estimated 60,000 of us every day. He's gone, he's gone. He's gonna bring him back of us every day. The last time the band played that part of the park was 91, a free show following the passing of the concert promoter, long time deadhead, bill Graham On a 10-mile ride.
Speaker 3:Hot as a pistol but cool inside.
Speaker 1:Love that bass and Jerry's guitar and singing is. I always thought he was very underrated as a singer. Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. I always thought he was very underrated as a singer. 635 bucks is going to cost you if you go for all three days. They were formed in 1965, the Grateful Dead Synonymous with San Francisco, just like the Giants Respect Giants fans Synonymous with the counterculture living in dirt.
Speaker 1:Cheap Victorians hate Ashbury. Of course I love I used to my brother and I would visit there quite often. Go buy cool rock t-shirts back before you could buy them on the internet, I could go down there and buy Zappa shirts and really awesome dead shirts George, george Clinton, p Funk shirts, stuff like that. Really they have some really unique things clothing stores and all that, of course. Also significant 1967, the summer of love. All of that stuff. Grateful dead summer love stuff. Grateful dead summer love stuff. Police raids, acid trips. Thank god I was never part of that. To be honest, I was not part of the. You know, I wasn't a dead head that just followed them. I was the kind of guy that loved the dead, love their music on record, whether it was studio some. Some people are just really into the live stuff, but I love studio and I love the live and when they would come to town or they would be in the area, I would go see them, whether it's at the Fillmore or Marysville which is still cool that they played there, you know wherever it might be Sacramento, of course, out at the Cal Expo when they used to have the outdoor amphitheater. Of course, out at the Cal Expo when they used to have the outdoor amphitheater. They've had a long stint there at the Sphere in Las Vegas. So here's an opportunity for deadheads or fans of the dead, who always have these trippy great live shows, and this is a chance for so many people to see those. So that's pretty remarkable 60,000 people a day.
Speaker 1:I remember reading a story one time Of course it's not verified, but I do remember a story where someone, when Mount St Helens blew up what May of 1980? May, what was it? May 18th? Is it May 18th? May 15th? Somewhere right in there that there was a group of deadheads. The dead were supposed to play somewhere in the Northwest and these dedicated deadheads literally were driving towards it with ash coming down, using their hands and paper to try to clear the soot and the ashes from their windshield because they were so determined that they were going to see the dead. They were going to plow through those ashes to go see the dead. I don't know if they ever made it. Hope they did what I'm going to talk about on my show tonight.
Speaker 1:You know, I picked this record out from my collection today and it reminded me that this might be a good topic. I'm very nostalgic. I'm always talking about nostalgic things on my radio show, the Pat Walsh show. When I plucked this record out, I already know, without pulling it out of the sleeve, it is going to be in perfect condition. I could just tell by the way it looks. I'm pulling out of the sleeve real quick. Oh my gosh, it is. It's beautiful. I always say that, but it's just so true.
Speaker 1:I'm amazed every time because this thing has been sitting on the record shelves since april. It's got a little sticker on it from. It's not a sticker, but a stamp that the radio station put on there. Uh, it's a Columbia label, white stereo. Both sides same song, three minutes 30 seconds, but it says April 75. So this record has been sitting up there for 50 years and, my friends, when I tell you it is immaculate. It's never until today been put on a turntable, never, never until today been put on a turntable, never. Put it back in the sleeve for a second here. Wow, it's weird, I'm so guilty taking it out of that sleeve for the first time. It's probably the first time that's ever been pulled out of a sleeve the record sleeve. So I remember this song being played all the time. 75, I remember every song that was played on the radio 1975, 74, 73, you name it, 70s, written by and as soon as I say this name, if you are a fan of this band, you're going to know exactly who the band is. And to me this is a band that always makes me feel good, and I feel good today. On a Thursday, the weekend's, here I'll be seeing the dead, and this one makes me feel good.
Speaker 1:This song, the group, written by James Pankow. Yes, you know who it is. I won't even disrespect the man by not even telling you who the group is. I usually kind of keep that a mystery, but it's Chicago. James Pankow, great member of Chicago, recorded for their album Chicago 8. It was the second single released from that particular album, lead vocals by Peter Cetera.
Speaker 1:Pankow said that the song is, like I say, nostalgic. It's a piece about his childhood. I love talking about my childhood. You know the good old days riding the Schwinn bicycle, grabbing your mitt, going down to the park, playing with your buddies, your brothers, watching Saturday morning cartoons like we just talked about the other day, playing outside till your dad whistled, watching black and white TV. You were the remote Rabbit ears right. A little bit later on you had the VHS tapes. That was big, that was new. Remember the laser disc players? No one had those Anyhow.
Speaker 1:The old days making a ramp out in front of your house, jumping your ramp on your bicycle, biffing it in the street, wearing helmets Are you joking? No one's wearing helmets. We're going to ride those little pup mini bikes. Remember those? No helmet. I hit rebar when they were building Consumers River College. I was like 10. I got on that pup mini bike. That's all I ever wanted to do. I wanted a mini enduro Yamaha but I got on that pup mini bike at like 10. I forgot how to stop. But I'm going on. There's a big crater out there. They're building Consumers River College and I, freaking hit the rebar pile. No helmet, please. Businesses were closed on Sunday, remember? You get your film, have to get your film developed. Oh my god, go to Lucky Store thrifties, get ice cream.
Speaker 1:It's about that this song is and this is this was, like I say it was on the radio all the time very popular song. They say. Danny Cashbox praising the great horn work. Danny Serafin's fine drum parts, terry Cass, incredible guitar licks. Wall-to-wall sound. Pat Williams' strings. Old Days by Chicago still a great record. Still love it to this day. Pat's Peeps 309.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Fun days Filled with simple pleasures Driving movies, comic books and movies. How did you do that? Baseball cards and movies Take me back To a world gone away. Memories Seem like yesterday Memories.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to Pat's Peeps number 309. Much appreciation, my friends. We'll see you on the radio. Please check out patspeepscom please.
