RIP Philip Chapman Lesh

FUCK.

This hits hard. As hard as it gets.

What a life. He had the power.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBjvWcHPbQB/?igsh=djYzNW83YTJneDB4

Well this sucks. 

 Damn. We knew it was coming but it still sucks.

much love and respect phil lesh 

My condolences to Phil's immediate family and friends, as well as all of us who have shared in the love Phil spread to all.

I'm at a loss for words.

The Clubhouse jams were a great coda to an amazing life.  Thank you for giving us so much. 

Love to Jill, Graham and Brian, and all of the Lesh's extended friends and family.

.

Love you Phil !!!

Shocked and saddened.......

Yes it was coming but.......

Hard stuff.

Condolences to Phil's family, And Everyone here.

bum fucking er 

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home

Anniversary of Bill Graham's death, which I woke up thinking about.

Thinking of Jill and how heartbroken she must be. 

So sorry 

The day the bombs died. ❤️

Thank You Phil. I Love You!

Thank you Phil. Rest in Peace. (((((((Safe travels)))))))

damn it.  Love you Phil 

RIP to a true believer

Thanks Phil

Sleep in the stars, dear Phil

Fare you well, fare you well

I love you more than words can tell

We'll Miss YA

(Last Darkstar?)

We were so lucky to have Phil as part of the GD, and for keeping things weird the last 25 years. I'm saddened by the news today, but more much grateful than that in the long run.

Thank you, Phil. More than words can tell. My condolences to Jill, Grahame, and Brian.

Fuck not the obituary I wanted to read. 

Fuck.

"As hard as it gets."

RIP  and thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Godspeed friend

RIP Phil.

Bass bombs in heaven

Condolences to the Lesh family.

I'm crushed.

There are no words. The silence is deafening! I always thought that it was Phil who bought out the best in Jerry and the nights that Phil was ripping them were the best of what The Grateful Dead were. RIP Phil. 

Oh nooooooo!!! REST IN PEACE, PHIL. Thank you for all the music!!!

so long friend and thanks for being so kind to my daughter 

RIP Phil.

Unbroken Chain

Thank You.

PHIL-O-WEEN tribute?

Broken Arrow, Box of Rain, RIP Phil, your love will reign 

Sad day:(

Thank you Phil for all the years combined.

May your next journey be filled with light and peace.

Lesh is Love

Best music of my life!

>>{{{{{the day the bombs died}}}}<<
 

Now go find the sound and let us know.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Bombs away.

RIP Phil

Hey Jerry!

Hey Phil!

Let's go jam forever now.......

Look out of any window
Any morning, any evening, any day
Maybe the sun is shining
Birds are winging or rain is falling from a heavy sky

What do you want me to do
To do for you to see you through?
For this is all a dream we dreamed
One afternoon long ago

Walk out of any doorway
Feel your way, feel your way like the day before
Maybe you'll find direction
Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you

What do you want me to do
To watch for you while you're sleeping?
Then please don't be surprised
When you find me dreaming too

Look into any eyes you find by you
You can see clear through to another day
Maybe it's been seen before through other eyes
On other days while going home

What do you want me to do
To do for you to see you through?
It's all a dream we dreamed
One afternoon long ago

Walk into splintered sunlight
Inch your way through dead dreams to another land
Maybe you're tired and broken
Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken
And thoughts unclear

What do you want me to do
To do for you to see you through?
A box of rain will ease the pain
And love will see you through

Just a box of rain, wind and water
Believe it if you need it
If you don't, just pass it on
Sun and shower, wind and rain
In and out the window
Like a moth before a flame

And it's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare

And it's just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long, long time to be gone
And a short time to be there

Thank You Mr. Lesh, The times we spent together were spectacular.

Love to all.

just caught this... in these times of trouble we've got to LOVE one another...So blessed to have been touched by this ancient soul... so many times
Thank you Phil, You Sure are a Beacon of Light and DeLight, We will keep it shinning after wiping tears from my eyes... ONLY LOVE CAN PHIL.. RIP.......um er  IT UP IN THE PROMISED LAND ! and it is so nice to meet so many Zonners that all felt That Love...Thanks Viva too , open invitation in France y'all know

A true original if there ever was one.  Thanks for everything Phil!    RIP 

Thanks Cody 

God bless Cody. We love you too.

It's difficult to even describe how important Phil Lesh was and will forever be.

Similar to Garcia, he just transcends description. 

The Best of the Best 

Heartbroken Chain 

Love to everyone 

I'll be Daniel Donato at Brooklyn Bowl tonight if anyone wants to meet up and cry their eyes out.

Devastating news I am so very sad. But as posted above he gave us so much post GD and did it his way and am grateful for all the joy Phil brought into my life from being up close and personal at Radio City to Hampton 86 Box Of Rain breakout to P & F in 1999 to TXR and everything else in between and beyond. He brought other musicians like Warren, Herring, Molo and others into my world as well. Condolences to his family and his extended family. 

Rest in peace Phil,,,, love to all. 

I'm trying to process this. It's going to be a long process.

Not sure I'll ever get there.

On It goes.

We all knew this day would come eventually, but I can honestly say I wasn't ready for it to be today.

There will never be another Phil Lesh.

My heart and my thoughts are with you all. That's about all I can muster right now.

((((((((((PHIL))))))))))

I had one conversation with Phil.  After he played one of the free TXR backyard shows, I was passing close by him at the entrance to the restaurant after the show, and I said: "Thanks for everything, Phil." 
He replied:  "You're welcome!"

Thanks so much for the joy!!!!!!!!!!!!

My life would have been much colder without you!!

Tears, then memories to smile at ..... then tears.  So grateful

This is an excruciating grief. I am crying.

God Bless you Phil and Thank you Forever. Condolences to the Lesh Family, and also to our exquisite Zoner Phamily.

We have had a good run and we know our love will not fade away.

Love to all, no exceptions. 

He received a new lease on life thanks to a selfless young man, and Phil certainly made the best of that time. May he remain a shining example of that positive attitude to all of us. Thank you for a lifetime of beautiful and enduring music.

((((((((((( Phil's Family & Friends ))))))))))))

Like a punch to the gut.. RIP Phil and thanks for more than I can say.

What A Fantastic Man To Have In OUR LIVES ! RIP DEAR PHIL ! You Are LOVED By Many 

https://www.facebook.com/susanjweiandrockphotography/posts/pfbid0Ys4n9PLkMfLkYziBP3c2GN38GrZnZJqPVMhZpxA6Am61jziNPDLZvMiHUN194HHil

The black screen finally gets an actual Big Friday Surprise and it's some of the worst news ever.

Sigh.

I remember a Phil show at The Tower Theater, was hanging in the side alley and a cab pulls up, Phil gets out and casually walks to a side door. Hi Phil! I say, he waves and says hi back, goes in and gets to work. A man of the people for the people.

From 1976 till now, he was a friend of mine. Lesh is Love!

>>>The Clubhouse jams were a great coda to an amazing life. 

All the way to the end.  What a storied music career of continuous exploration.

It's beyond a sad day.   

"Thought it was an end of an era when Jerry died. Thank you Phil!"

Absolutely gut-wrenching... RIP.

Thank You for a Real Good Time!

RIP Phil

When you get old you expect these things but the suddenness always surprises.

Thank you PCL, for the music and the inspiration.

I will listen to the Planet Jams and think of his essence possibly traveling that route.

Thank you, Phil.

Some of the most inspiring moments of my life unfolded in your care.

Thank You Cody for giving us Lesh 2.0

Trying to finish my chores and be with like-minded freaks at JRAD tonite

another seat taken on Heaven's Bolo Bus...

RIP

Well shit, this hurts, been a while since I've had the shiver in my heart and soul upon hearing news like this. Time to go crank up the tunes and toast/roast a few. 
 

Thank you Phil.

So close to the date 24 years ago where I was hooked again. RIP Phil from your friend RBG who is still out there following my own weird.

https://archive.org/details/2000-10-28.paf.sbd.philleshnet.2359.sbeok.flacf

gonna play all the Darkstar-athons back to back tonite, like Phil intended

Hi everyone! It's been a long time. First place I thought of. RIP Phil. 
 

I'm heartbroken. 

glad i went to the last couple of shows that I did. 

farewell maestro.

the warfield was my last phil show/venue. fitting. 

seeing him and james casey do dear prudence i wept. went outside after the show in the scene of market st. and there were giant PHAT rain drops falling. listened to a cat playing take 5 on the sax. was beautiful.

The man both changed the world and made it better place with his art!

Thank you phor everything Philip Champan Lesh!!

Been awhile. Phil, thanks for all the great music you created. Thanks to this community for introducing me the the Q and other Phil bands. May the four winds

50 years of awe. I heard my first China Rider in 1974 and I had no idea how it was going to change my life. Thank you. 

Farewell Phil- glad I got hear so much of your music.

Heartbroken.  The tears help a little.  Safe travels Phil. 

My mom, who is as straight and narrow as they come, texted me earlier to let me know she had heard about Phil passing and wanted to know if I was doing okay.

There's something in that gesture that speaks to this thing of ours and its effects. We sense it goes deep and wide, but it's days like today that give us a better glimpse of just how much and how far.

Love is real, not fade away.

Phil is a topic on GD Channel on Sirius right now.

Been in tears all day.  Thanks so much for all the wonderful memories.  You will be missed.  Love ya Phil,

I love you all!

(thanks Cody!!!)

((Phil & Family))

just dropped in to say thanks phil

rip

Phil

Instagram tribute...https://www.instagram.com/p/DBkLQ4TyGEzQWpF6ePz90NhvRglPkzxQI1abjE0/?igs...

Tough day for any of us who ever logged onto this site. Thankful for the opportunity to see so many Phil shows with allot of y'all. He was a special bass player best in my orbit. Thanks for the music & being you!

Not sure where this was originally posted; I found it on Reddit. Here are Warren's words for Phil on this day

RIP Phil Lesh - A huge loss to the music world and to our beloved musical community. There’s a whole type of music fan and a whole type of musician that exists due to something that Phil helped create. I always thought of myself as that type of fan and that type of musician but I can say I was brought into that world full force by a simple phone call I received from Phil in the late 90’s inviting me to join him for what at that time was just gonna be a few shows and turned into decades of playing music together.

Prior to that I had always considered myself an open-minded musician but instantly upon meeting and playing with Phil I realized that his open-mindedness in that regard went way beyond mine or nearly anyone else’s for that matter. I was amazed at the lack of pressure he put on "the music” which he always maintained “existed” and we just "tapped into it". There was no fear of venturing too far, of exploring the unknown, of trying something that might totally backfire — whether it be in rehearsal or in front of a massive audience. “There are no mistakes — only missed opportunities” he was known to say and he always turned what most musicians would consider mistakes into a chance to venture down a new path which oftentimes would lead to musical highlights of the performance.

I learned an untold amount from Phil and we shared an amazing amount of musical joy on stage in the countless times we played together. It was through him that I was introduced to a lot of what would become my favorite musical collaborators. Thanks to Phil I had the wonderful experience of performing as part of many incarnations of "Phil Lesh and Friends” — most notably “The Quintet” which played together for several years and is still one of the greatest ensembles I’ve ever been part of. Also thanks to Phil, I had the amazing honor of touring with The Dead in 2004 and 2009 which was an unforgettable experience and I cherish the musical and personal relationships forged with Bob, Mickey, and Billy as a result.

Phil has been a bit of a “north star” to so many fans and musicians alike and the impact of his loss will be a heavy one. I remember when my soulmate Allen Woody died — Phil was one of the first people to call me and I’ll never forget what he said: “I’m so sorry. I know what it’s like to lose someone with which you have a profound musical relationship.” Yes he did. And now I’ve lost another one. Thank you Phil.

WH

I found out about this while in the Doctors office for the flu. Terrible day.

The greatest times of my life seem less today.  I hope this sadness doesn't last long.

.

Thank you Phil! We will meet again and you will play music for us again as you have for us in many past lifetimes!

((( Godspeed Lesh )))

This seems like the place for old mystery zoners to come to today.

Phil Lesh was directly responsible for the sound track of my life. How in the world could 5 guys make so much music from a small stage? But they did. Simply amazing.

I always remembered his wise words as well,

"No one gets everything they want from the Grateful Dead"

RIP Phil Lesh

https://bisslist.com/biss-review/sunday-daydream-phil-lesh-friends-mcnea...

So very sad to wake up to this news. Condolences to family and to you all. 

Good Night Kind Sir.

Such sad news.

Phil changed the trajectory of my life.

Thank you all for being part of that.

RIP Mr Lesh

A good friend just texted Phish opened with Box of rain 

Portland's Garcia Birthday Band is playing at 9 PM this eve at The Get Down.

Sounds like Mike Gordon is sporting a nice wrist band tonight 

yup, friend sent me stream...Phish opened with Box !  watching stream now....just processing it all

Sad to hear of Phil's passing today.

He truly touched my life and the lives of so many. An absolute legend who will be loved & remembered well beyond his time here.

RIP Phil 

SF Mayor London Breed said the city will light up City Hall Friday night in honor of Lesh, calling the bassist a “San Francisco icon.”

Sitting here thinking and listening to Phil. All the wonderful nights full of Zoners, sharing our love of Phil. I think of that night at Bimbos and a set break that seemed liked an eternity. We all start singing Wish You Were Here to Phil. The dedication from the stage to Fritz (and others) put a little ease into all us of so heartbroken. All the parties and dinners at Terrapin, Phil always happy to take a picture or chat for a few. The endless dedication to organ donation. 

One of the rainy nights of the Furthur rehearsal in Fairfax I was running across the street to get something out of my car and the Phil came around the corner going kind of too fast and he had to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting me. when I look up and saw  him we locked eyes and laughed at each other, for him driving a little fast and me for jaywalking I will always remember just loving look in his eyes. I'm gonna miss that man.

 I sorry for any of that doesn't make sense I can't type or really see the new zone on this phone  (tears aren't helping either)

Thank you Phil Thank you Cody Thank you Zoners....

Thanks, Phil, for 54 years (my first show 1969) of sweet tunes and bass bombs, and for writing some of my most favorite songs ever.  For agreeing to replace Dana Morgan. For the Grateful Dead. For PLF. For Furthur. For Terrapin Crossroads.

Thanks.

Hello Zoners. I'm absolutely crushed today. No words.

it's gonna take me a while to process this...

Yet, the Zone will endure. Am I right?

Today we lost a brother. Our hearts and love go out to Jill Lesh, Brian and Grahame. Phil Lesh was irreplaceable. In one note from the Phil Zone, you could hear and feel the world being born. His bass flowed like a river would flow. It went where the muse took it. He was an explorer of inner and outer space who just happened to play bass. He was a circumnavigator of formerly unknown musical worlds. And more.   

We can count on the fingers of one hand the people we can say had as profound an influence on our development – in every sense. And there have been even less people who did so continuously over the decades and will continue to for as long as we live. What a gift he was for us. We won’t say he will be missed, as in any given moment, nothing we do will be without the lessons he taught us – and the lessons that are yet to come, as the conversations will go on.

Phil loved the Dead Heads and always kept them in his heart and mind. The thing is… Phil was so much more than a virtuoso bass player, a composer, a family man, a cultural icon…

There will be a lot of tributes, and they will all say important things. But for us, we’ve spent a lifetime making music with Phil Lesh and the music has a way of saying it all. So listen to the Grateful Dead and, in that way, we’ll all take a little bit of Phil with us, forever.

For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago…. Mickey, Billy and Bobby

Never met the man, but>>> 

He was, he was a friend of mine

He was, he was a friend of mine

Now he's dead and gone

This morning my best friend was sleeping in his bed

His face like a jewel and he was dead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo-bUr4MSco      He Was a Friend of Mine (Live at Big Rock Pow Wow Music Festival, Seminole Indian Village 5/31/69  

>>>as the conversations will go on<<<

Goddamn right.

Because beyond all us old-timers, there are 20-somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings, even teenagers who are also crying tonight.

Because despite this incredible loss, Grateful Dead music is alive, it's a living thing. It has been from the beginning and it will continue to be.

And that's far out.

LONG LIVE THE GRATEFUL DEAD!!!!!!!!

BTW, kudos to whoever wrote that tribute. It definitely wasn't any of the now core-3, but it sure hit the right notes.

Which is what Phil specialized in.

Well done.

>Yet, the Zone will endure. Am I right?
 

(((((((((amen)))))))))

Dear Zoners,  Of all of the fortunate people, we are the lucky ones*.

Thank you, Phil, for your generosity of spirit, your lush sounds spreading out into the universe and finding their way back, your love, perseverance... and your life supported by Cody's liver.

Thank you, Cody and family.

I'm so very sad, but spending the day with my 11 year-old grand daughter meant I could feel and talk about Phil, but not sink into the morass that could have been.

Oh shit, we're going to miss the living body that was Phil Lesh, but we'll have so many memories of sights, sounds and life, and that'll have to do.

I love you, Zoners. Wonderful to see so many of you who haven't been around lately.

Thanks lava and Hey Davey for working with me to continue the Zone on the black screen.
 

*From a fortune cookie fortune from the way past.

Thank you Phil

Empire State Building this evening in honor of Phil

Phish played Unbroken Chain tonight

Phish Box of Rain tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PofMFlw8MJI

>>>Of all of the fortunate people, we are the lucky ones<<<

Just a few minutes ago I texted a very similar message to a great zoner, a better person and someone who was very close to Phil's scene.... "Oh, what a time we had, we lucky few."

I still have no words about Phil, and it's likely I'll never find the right ones, but yes... thank you to Brett & Schnee for the black screen, and to lava, hey davey and Judit for keeping it alive.

The original Phil Zone and then this place have absolutely enhanced the "Phil Lesh experience" for me, and I'm certain for many, many others.

I was thinking earlier that good always comes from even the worst things, and in this case seeing some old-timers come back to the black has been a very good thing. I hope that continues.

What a loss we've suffered today, but oh, what a time we had, we lucky few!

We lucky few.

Way back in the 90s I stepped into a puddle that was the wrong size. I ended up floating above the crowd, no longer understanding anything. Phil Lesh sang the line "going back to San Anselmo" and it snapped me back to reality (kinda). Ever since that day I have been fascinated with all things Phil Lesh...Fast forward to 2000ish I finally get the Internet and of course I search the Philzone. What I discovered re-changed my life again...

Now here we are, feeling that good grief yet again... We love you all.

Thanks for everything Phil.  May your spirit be gently carried to what comes next. 

It's nice to see old time zoners.

Sweet collage from my touring buddy "A Deadhead With A Camera."

Phil brought us all together. My heart is broken and I sit here scraping through my memories of all the evenings I got to spend with him and you.  Phil was an inspiration to me and played an integral role in who I have become as a person. He might not have known me, but I definitely knew him.  I will miss Phil and will cherish the memories I have of him.  I send love to our entire community as I know you all are hurting as much as I am.  I send love to the Lesh family and hope they can live life knowing their Husband, Father, Grandfather was as great as they come.   He shed a bright, happy light for many.  Thanks for always being there for me and getting me through some of life's speed bumps.  May you rest in peace Phil.

PHIL'S DEATH

I saw the social media post this morning
But did not want to believe it was true.
And then the internet exploded
And then it was on the newswires.
Phil Lesh has died.
He was looking frail the last few years
He had profoundly avoided death for decades
survived near fatal disease, a liver transplant
~ God bless you Cody ~
to grace the stage with so many great musicians
and he brought along so many new young players
helped enshrine the Grateful Dead canon
in the world musical songbook where they will remain
so long as there is music and time, the songs will fill the air.
Shows always ended with Phil urging all tn the audience
to become organ doners, help save lives.
"Not that anything is ever going to happen to me,
But if it does, I want to be an organ doner."
For almost fifty years now, I have been in the audience
and the Grateful Dead started following me around even before that!
Then, when Jerry died in 1995 the long strange trip seemed over.
Until my thirty ninth birthday on October 9, 1999
when I went to see Phil and Friends at the Warfield Theatre.
The curtain pulled back and there was Phil singing
"Like a Rolling Stone"
And I was back on the bus
for another twenty five years of mind expansion and bliss.
I was seventeen years with Jerry and the Grateful Dead
(on the "Jerry Side" or in the "Phil Zone") 
but they were original psychedelic years!
I recall one night before the first set
when the band took the stage and everyone in the audience
had their auras stretching across the room
and I was focused (like so many other times)
on telephathic communication with the Grateful Dead
and looked at Bob who smiled and looked away
then I looked at Jerry who shrugged and looked away
then I looked at Phil who looked right back at me
and  fiercely flipped me the bird (Ye olde Zoner Salute!)
and brought me humbly right back into my body.
In the Phil and Friends years, I was seldom so psychedelized
but often just as high, and exhanged smiles with Phil
from the floor to the stage, stage to the floor.
I took my favorite original hippie girlfriend
(who had avoided seeing the Dead all those years)
to a show with Phil and the Quintet at the Berkeley Greek Theatre.
She was hooked from the first notes of his bass
and we were show companions for the next twenty plus years
with many iterations of the Friends in various venues far and near
including many visits to Terrapin Crossroads, our "clubhouse."
All precious times I will never forget and  never remotely imagined
when I started on this long strange trip.
So, now Phil is dead
and that part of the journey is in the past
experience and music that remains in recordings
"Preserved in amber." as Phil once said.
But it will never again be that excitement
of waiting for the first set
and the thrill of hearing those first bass notes
when he plugged in and tuned up.
What comes next, I don't know
only that the music will remain and go on
I will enjoy and champion it as long as I still live
and when I die, I don't know
endless sleep seems most likely
but if there is an afterlife
and we all end up in heaven
I will be in that company
with friends and family
and Phil will be in the Angel Band. 
 

~ D. A. "Roarshock" Wilson

Martinez, California
October 25, 2024

Thank you for saving this thing of ours. Rest in Peace 

^^ What skyjunk said^^

Boy, what a ride !  Thanks for the memories Phil! 

Been  a long time since being here. Hearing the news yesterday, I thought of three things right away. The old zone, this concert at Glen Falls 10-20-2007, and the Phil and friend show at Forest Hills Stadium with the "Q". The picture above was taken on the balcony in Lake George, Poz's room. A pre-party with many friends, some not here any longer. Glen Falls was taken over by dead heads that day. I rode up with Coyotte, mike (before he was left for dead at another show lol), and muletaper. Adam Gittman drove his own vehicle. The ride up from Coyotte's was hysterical. Non stop laughter. We met Robin from vermont, and the rest was historical. As Matt said years ago, we had a "ZonerBox" of seats right off the floor. The pregame was everywhere, in every store and bar. Truly magical. 

The Forest Hills show, was amazing as well. ALL you need to say is the "Q". We pregamed at a bar, about thirty zoners. After which a short train ride to the stadium. Needless to say  thirty very high zoners getting into a train car with "regular' passengers was a blast. The show was unreal. Memories like these will not be forgotten, nor the menory of Phil Lesh and his music. This is how it lives on. May the four winds take you home Phil.  Tonight will be some jam beyond the pearly gates. Admission for those already there is FREE.

Gosh look at everyone coming home to the black screen. Miss you guys

I can't believe the day is here... it's hard as my heart feels so sad and joyous at the same time. Sorry for such a tremendous loss but so grateful for what we have shared. I can't tell the difference between my tears of joy and sadness 

Pre game Forest Hills stadium for the "Q".  The train ride over to the stadium was like a magical mystery tour lol  Let your memories flow....Thank you PHIL!!!!

My deepest condolences and sympathies to Phil's dear family and everyone here.
Because of Phil and this space here, I met some great human beings.
Phriends for life and phorever Grateful. Love to you all.

What a fun time that was in Kew Gardens before the show! Great picture of a hot mess of phreaky hippies im proud to be a part of!

Love to all from Phil's Chair

Beautifly said Roarshock, thank you

The beautiful words here are a tribute to all of us and the man we all loved.  Thinking of Jill, Brian, Grahame, Levon and all of Phil's family and friends.  A special thanks to Jill, without whom we probably wouldn't have had many of the last 30 years with Phil.  May the memory of our fearless leader be a blessing to all he touched.  My God, he touched so many in such a meaningful way.  

Nice Box encore by Donato last night. A perfect reading.

Similar to Garcia passing, Phil's departure is as heavy as it gets. A smoking crater.

It's tough to come to terms with. 

Daniel Donato - Box - 10-25-24 // Brooklyn Bowl

https://youtu.be/FgOGVg5c4pc?si=nnsbyBO02M7Gn-SS

Havent been on the zone in a while and wanted to check in after this very heavy loss. Phil shows were always such a happy place for me and the zone has given me so many friendships and memories that I cherish. I feel pretty speechless and broken but can smile at all the great moments I seized with Phil and you all. Such a short time to be. 

Incredible moment of serendipity today as I had been planning to attend the Dia de Muerto commitment to the Four Directions ceremony in DC for a while and found out about Phil's passing while traveling here...little did i realize the emotional impact I was in for. The entire event from the opening prayer to each of the dances brought forth a back swell of tears and waves of emotion as a lifetime of memories poured out at once. It was both overwhelming and extremely moving at the same time. 
 

as this familiar riff emerged from one of the prayers, a smile formed as I tried to predict the moment Phil would make his grand entrance... Phil Bombs live on forever...

https://youtu.be/duF4h-GBtLQ?si=09HcXcNdko8nJ_B0

((((())))

Nice to see you all,....wish it was for different reasons. 

Thank you Phil, for being such a huge part of "what I could not miss" and all that that led to in my life. 

Saw this in the parking lot getting groceries today

Turn it up!

Damn! Scrolling through here to see all of the new comments...It's so good to all of your shining handles!

>>> Gosh look at everyone coming home to the black screen. Miss you guys
 

It does indeed suck that this is was what brought a lot of us back here to the black screen but It really is good to see you all.

Oh the times we have had. I will never forget them or you Pholks.
 

Dammit Man..Love to all...no exceptions!

((((((((((PHILLIP CHAPMAN LESH))))))))))

Love to All!! 

Its a tough day.  However you all bring smiles.  Love seeing you all. 

Still numb from the news.

I thought things were over after Jerry, and finding it too painful I stepped away from the music and the scene.

But Phil unexpectedly roped me back in. Specifically the 2001 Maritime Q shows in February - I had no intention of going but a friend had an extra ticket and had to practically drag me there. Then... lo and behold I found that mojo again. A few months later, some Berkeley Greek shows in July - one of them the city of Berkeley declared it Phil Lesh Day - that is a fact!  And so I continued to see our hero sporadically in the following years. And that 70th birthday show in SF. Wow, so many good times...
 
Then TXR was such a bonus. I was living in Berkeley at the time, basically a 20 minute drive to San Rafael. Goddamn we were so spoiled.

The last time I saw Phil at TXR in 2018. Sigh...

.

Downtown Berkeley.

After the Other Ones tour in fall of 1998, it seemed for a moment that Phil was facing death. We were overjoyed when he not only lived, but I never imagined he'd go on for 26 years playing, at times, prolific music. Rest in peace, Phil

July 1st "Phil Lesh Day" in Berkeley, 2001. At the Greek Theatre on Sunday afternoon. Never miss a Sunday show.

Lance it is my understanding through reliable sources that the statement from the remaining core three was written by Benjy.

It is also my understanding from the same sources that the four were supposed to be getting together to talk and play privately in the coming weeks. If accurate, that makes this that much tougher. I know Phil was not well, but I didn't realize, when I saw him in March that the end was this close. RIP Phil. 

Funny, I heard through possibly reliable sources that it was written by Dennis McNalley.

It's a bullshit lie!!!

I wrote it!!!!!!

...

And you did a great job, Lance.

weeping while reading this

seeing so so so many long beloved names warms my shattered heart

just said to someone how family sometimes only gets together for weddings and funerals

>>>We all knew this day would come eventually, but I can honestly say I wasn't ready for it to be today.

this is best statement to mirror my thoughts

my feelings are raw and heavy and hard

because so much love is intertwined with this unspeakable pain

this is harder than Jer for me

all the gratitude to purveyors of all things ZONE for a quarter of a century

my kids exist because of here, as well as my truest phamily

LeshIsLove

RIP Phil and thank you for everything and you too Cody!

So many years of extended joy and revelry in the music that I honestly thought was gone for good after '95. It's hard to put into words what Phil has meant to me, especially after Garcia. But I feel compelled to post my condolences to the Lesh family, GD family and all of you here on the black screen. Be good to each other, we're all we have.

Atta' boy Frank.

Another zoner legend stepping in.

Good to see you.

I remember the first time I met you, Mr. Sinatra, was in the bar at TXR where you were playing music. You guys were good and it was great fun.

In a conversation with CNN in 2006, Phil Lesh reflected on the feeling of performing with his bandmates.

“It’s paradise. At that moment, I’m not really there. And no one is. We are the music, and our personalities as such really cease to exist at all. We’ve been subsumed into the greater personality of the group mind, that’s what’s been created. That’s what’s created when we are creatively improvising, and the flow is really happening. When we are actually channeling, we are opening that pipeline to another reality that speaks to us. And we are acting as transformers, and we have to step that down into musical thought. But this is not something you can do consciously, learn how to do or be taught. It’s just something that happens to you when the stars are aligned properly and when your individual consciousness is open enough.”

A nice article about Phil and his local roots. We will miss Phil so very much. Feels  impossible to articulate all of the joy and love he spread with his music and good spirit. 

https://padailypost.com/2024/10/26/phil-lesh-grateful-dead-member-who-di...

wondering if there are any rumors going around regarding some kind of public memorial service? i think some ppl associated with jerry day are putting something together on haight st but im thinking of something more...official? considering he passed on the same day as bill graham, it seems like it would be really fitting to hold some kind of public service at golden gate park, but im not sure thats as realistic as it was in the 90s

Good morning, Zone, and world without Phil. Sending beams of love out there to you all behind the black screen, some of whom have become my dearest people in real life.

Such a time we've had, and shenanigans of the highest order. Thanks to Phil. (And gratitude to Phil for so much more, but we all know that, and it's difficult to encapsulate a lifetime into a pithy little PZ post.)

We are the fortunate few (thank you for that, Lancey). 

> some kind of public memorial service?

I'm hoping there will be something more than this with some more lead time.

yeah thats the event i had seen talked about. def hoping for something more official and maybe...not centered around what seems to be a set by a local dead cover band outside of a smoke shop.

I didn't know about VLZ, though it appears I'm registered. I've been suffering alone for the last two days. Sure is good to see y'all.

My heart is broken. I'm so sad. I know we're all going through the same thing, but it feels like it's my pain.

I have to perform today, and I have no idea how I'll get through it. I guess I'll just buckle up.

You will drop big mother bass bombs my friend.  That's how.   Play it loud and proud for Phil. 

SO Many GREAT Zoners Chiming In WoW !  thx much.

Thanks for keeping it weird, Phil. May the four winds blow you safely home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1279DKDCDLY 

 Only Love Can Phil  

Lesh Filling

Bass great

We still have the memories and the lasting friendships. 

All the cap shows, Bradfest, Mule snow show, 2001 Q run, ect ect ect on and on.

Phil carried the torch is a good way.

Peace to all.

RIP Phil Lesh

I was traveling when I heard the news, and had a full weekend planned so it took me a while to sit down and process all this. I knew Phil didn't have a lot of shows left in him but I did not expect this to come so suddenly when he seemed to be doing alright just a few months ago, and still playing music on YouTube.

Of all the post-Jerry iterations of this music, Phil Lesh didn't just do the music justice but took it to the next level. Phil shows were about the MUSIC more than the party (though there were parties), and he never stopped trying to bring that to all of us. Even in the Core 4 iterations he was usually playing musical director and he maintained high standards for his bands. Phil is where you go if " > " is your favorite song, like it is for me. Nobody brings that quality to the music like Phil did.

I was lucky to catch the July show in San Rafael- a last minute decision, and I took the family and we all had a great time on that beautiful day. I'm so lucky I've been able to share the Phil scene with my kids (who are now teens) so many times and we share such great memories around this music. Phil didn't have to keep this going so long but I'm sure glad he did.

I've been on these boards for more than 20 years and they have led me to some great shows and memories, a few secrets, lots of music, some freebies, good conversations with like-minded folks, and a place to come at times like this. It's going to be hard to go on without a Fearless Leader but I hope this thing continues.

It's a loss we can only fill with gratitude. Thanks Phil!

At the end of this rainbow journey, I'd put Phil right up there with Garcia, in regard to importance.

Granted Phil had the advantage of reinventing himself post Grateful Dead but what he did with it was remarkable, particularly '99 to '07. The true cosmic kernels of the Grateful Dead still pulsated. Even in the later years when the magic was increasingly fleeting, IT was still there. The goddamn Grateful Dead lived on when Mr Phil Lesh stepped on stage. 

i've had a few co-workers offer their condolences. helps.

<The goddamn Grateful Dead lived on when Mr Phil Lesh stepped on stage.<

I hear ya JP

For those who may be interested:

I still just can't believe it. I feel like we just celebrated his 60th birthday 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ETrj0SunZf6q80oNf0mNU1OVxJd_qfSx...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJMP7UfZ5Q  

Phil...............

That spread sheet is missing the the Kimock , Jorma show that was released on CD

From the SF Giants

https://x.com/SFGiants/status/1849958111886328005?refhttps://x.com/SFGia...

Sweet, Mark.

7-3-99

Kick in the Head>Dark Star

Oh my...

what I wouldn't give for a Zerb spreadsheet right about now

Received this email today.

Mark
Stopped in to see how people were coping . Notice the spreadsheet. Can you inform whoever that there is a show from April 2000 at the beacon in nyc when Pevar played before Jimmy and the Q started ?
Hope you are well
NYCED

RIP Phil Lesh

And Hi to a long list of Zoners-- Good to see everyone.

4-19 -2001, I was driving by the "Old" Charlotte Coliseum, saw "Phil and Friends" was playing the next night.  I had been "off the bus" for a while.

That night changed my life.  Back on with a vengeance.  The power of the Q just blew me away.  All I could think was Jerry was looking down and loving the music.

Then I discovered the Zone, and found new friends all over the country...... (miss you!)

My condolences, and Thanks, to Phil's family for sharing Phil with us.

A major influence!!!

Hi Judit-- Hope your health is good

(Fuck Cancer)

guttural 

search

This thread can never die. Phil Lesh forever and ever and ever.

> This thread can never die. Phil Lesh forever and ever and ever.

It should probably be pinned at the top of the Other Stuff listing.

Still can't believe this 

The thread will never die. It may be pinned at the top of Other Stuff, or eventually moved to the NFA folder. Pinning here would be the first thing.

...

I just came upon this article from Grateful Web, speaking about Phil & more specifically Terrapin Crossroads.

Many people understood how special that place was, but it really was a locals hang, so much like the Grateful Dead the more you were around it the better you understood it, which made it difficult for most people to really know what that place was about.

This article describes it well.

https://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/coda-one-more-tribute-phil-lesh-and...