What do the Grateful Dead and the Jewish ritual of a Passover seder have in common? Nothing. Except maybe that Dead shows and Passover seders seem to go on for a really long time. Also, maybe that they both feature leaders with big beards. And they both feature some kind of burning bush ... if you get my drift. Anyway, Phil Lesh, the Dead's bass player, for a while owned a music venue in San Rafael, CA called called Terrapin Crossroads. In 2014 Ross James, a (Jewish) musician in Phil's orbit, asked Phil if they could host a Passover seder at his venue, and Phil not only concurred, he participated. The event was such a hit that they held it every year until the start of the pandemic. They even created their own Haggadah (the book is read at the seder, containing the Passover story and related explanations, along with prayers), which was surprisingly straight and unhippyish, except for the illustrations, commentary in the form of word bubbles from a little Grateful Dead terrapin ...
One man's journey into the great outdoors of Washington, DC and its environs.