First There is a Mountain

"Then there is no mountain, then there is."  -Donovan

Pretty sad that I can't make it to Mountain Jam this year, which I really enjoyed last year and wrote about in my first and only piece on Kveller.

This quotation comes from the song "There Is a Mountain" which my friend Adam, ever the joyful Rainbow tribe family member (and holy hassid) introduced me to via his Happy Tapes.  Here is Donovan performing the tune in its original form.




And, further to my late-bloomingness (but who's really counting anyway), little did I know that the Allman Brothers did a pretty famous jam improvisation on their album "Eat a Peach" that they called "Mountain Jam"."  Hence, the name for the music festival that I am missing at Hunter Mountain.

Better late than never.  People write about this album and this jam like they were life-changing musical experiences.  I don't doubt that.

Reason #127 Why My Favorite Band Should Play in Israel

It has taken his entire career to make it to Israel, but former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart will be playing in Jerusalem this August.  He is performing as part of the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival.  He is the only Jewish member of the Grateful Dead.

Mickey Hart  photo from Jpost.com

No doubt, Jewish Deadheads worldwide are kvelling.

I have said it before and I will say it again:  changes a' comin'.  This gives me hope that one day, my favorite band will make it to Israel.  (this isn't the time and place to say how the Grateful Dead leads me to Phish.  For just one convo on that topic, go here)

And despite that my sort of silly sort of not silly calculations that led me to predict that Phish would play there last December didn't come true, it still gives me hope.

Phish is celebrating 30 years this year...the time is now.

If not now, when?  -Hillel

It's Not About the Nail

Going viral as we speak.  Totally awesome short movie about male-female communications.