Going Up The Country a reflection on a touring of Southern California
Post Hiking Tahquitz Canyon Trail in Palm Springs
One of the first big dates that Emily & I went on was to see Bob Weir and Wolf Bros at the North Charleston Performing Arts. We took it to the next level on the fourth, seeing Dead & Co. at the Sphere in Las Vegas! Living in Charleston, South Carolina, I haven't always felt at home. At 14, my level of disillusionment with the state of the South politically, legally, and socially led me often to keep to myself and take solace in music (luckily this state also birthed my wife).
Thanks to my dad, I have found my home, seeing live music and studying artists who are in touch with the ethos of freedom & love cultivated in the 1960s. My passion for the culture of California began in middle school, learning about bands like The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Byrds, Crosby Stills, and Nash, and all the other countercultural legends that placed California at the epicenter of "cool" in my mind. Emily & I didn't end up in San Francisco with flowers in our hair on our honeymoon, but we did explore Venice, Santa Monica, Topanga Canyon, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, and Las Vegas.
We started the tour off with a stop in Venice where we sat on the beach admiring the differences in local flavor comparing Venice Beach with our Folly Beach. We had the best meal of our lives together at The Butcher’s Daughter on Abbot Kinney in downtown Venice. After dinner we explored the Venice Canals and got in touch with the rich architectural history of the space. The canals were built in 1905 by Abbot Kinney apart of his famed “Venice of America” aiming to recreate the feel of Venice in early 20th century America.
Canned Heat circa 1968
The rock & roll roots we touched base with in Topanga were a major highlight of the trip. We were just a minute away from the famed Canned Heat suicide house where "Blind Owl" Alan Wilson, the singer of the hit song "Going up to Country," died in 1970, forever joining the 27 Club. You could feel the inspiration for the music in the air & in the water “I’m going where the water tastes like wine”. This is where members of Buffalo Springfield were raided by the police while they were smoking marijuana with Eric Clapton at Linda Ronstadt’s house in Topanga Canyon. Our air b n b host told us that she visited the home of Linda Ronstadt, where a local historical group was highlighting the story as an important moment in canyon history. Neil Young met his first wife and owned a now multi million dollar property around the corner. Marvin Gaye retreated from city live in 1973 and wrote “Let’s Get it On” in the canyon. We visited the cabin where Woody Guthrie stayed in the 1940’s and raised his son Arlo. Fusing the connection between folk & rock music in Topanga Canyon the lesser known hippie haven of southern California.
The Eagles at Joshua Tree circa 1972 debut album release
In Joshua Tree a spiritual mecca of sorts for musicians like The Doors, The Eagles, and U2 we got to sleep in the desert with a billion stars all around finding that peaceful easy feeling we were looking for. Joshua Tree is not only a mecca for music lovers but also lovers of high strangeness which Emily & I both are. We didn’t have any UFO encounters in the High Desert but we will return..
The Grateful Dead circa early 1980’s
The final moment of the trip was seeing Dead & Co at the Sphere. My first Bob Weir & Ratdog show was on my 15th birthday at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. I can remember the smell of rebel spirit alive and well in the building and feeling that I was home. I was with my best friend at the time who was on PTI for getting caught smoking marijuana on high school property. He was willing to take a chance and we lit our bowl up in the crowd and felt transported back to 1969. (Somehow he still passed his next drug test, thank the rock gods.) Weir covered Blackbird by the Beatles and closed with Ripple. I've never been able to take time off my life and follow Bobby and the gang, but I'm very lucky to say that I've seen him five times. Gratefully, my dad and I saw Further in 2011; therefore, I've seen every member except Jerry Garcia. I am so blessed to have inducted Emily into the Grateful Dead Family. Micky Hart was on fire & the sound-healing vibes were in full effect. The sound of those drums can enrapture your spirit and prepare you for transformation. Long Live the culture of the Grateful Dead!!
RIP Pigpen Ron McKernan, RIP Keith Godchaux, RIP Brent Mydland, RIP Jerry Garcia. So thankful to be seven years sober from cocaine & painkillers and living life all-natural with a California sober smile with my beautiful wife Emily.
Peace and love,
Will
