bbrecken Review of Long Strange Trip

Long Strange Trip (2017)

Starts as an overview of the Dead, through history, then goes into Gerry

[10/10 · 1 June 2017]

I saw this at the Realto Elmwood Cinema in Berkeley. From the beginning, it was like going to a show. I couldn't even find the movie, listed on the website for the theater. Finally, I found it, buried, after a few clicks, but not displayed with the other movie showtimes. Then a glitch happened in the website and I was out before I could finish paying for tickets. Then I found it, listed with the other movies and was able to get tickets. When I arrived, over an hour early, there was already a line, waiting to get in (as expected). The take-home I had was that Gerry was always very careful about not becoming the leader. Probably that's not a spoiler to true Deadheads. It was sad to see the progression of Gerry, toward the end, particularly as told from his wife, who seemed to have a selective memory of the final turning point in their relationship. But the movie really captures the essence of what it was like, in the band and even with the roadies and followers, who felt it was imperative to attend every show they could. They discussed the origins of the Dead, the progression of the Wall of Sound that they carried around with them and much of the psychedelic, idiosyncratic and iconoclastic culture, enshrouded in mystery, which some might consider occult. But really, it was just a guy having fun with his friends of a similar mindset. And still is, as I see continued shows at various venues around the San Francisco Bay Area, with former members of the band, which are often not officially announced, with bands that have obfuscated or obscure names, so as to attract the curious wayward wanderers but not the average pop culture seekers.