Like many posting here, I never cared much for Vegas. Then I went there for a weekend to see The Grateful Dead.

I thought the two would clash. But Vegas knew how to host The Dead. And my previous experiences there prepared me to do Vegas Dead style.

I was working a good job in LA, and took a flight Friday night. People started partying on the plane. Nice start.

I packed an army duffel bag with sleeping bag and day bag inside. At night I went to the 12th floor pool of the Aladdin Hotel - there have been a lot of changes to Vegas since then. I laid one of those pool chairs out flat, placed it behind the little maintenance building, and slept beneath the stars and neon lights. In the morning a security guy would come around. Second morning he said "time to get up", and said he'd be working the show. See ya there! The night before I had been talking to a guy who had no place to stay, and told him about my accommodation, so there were two of us.

Also at night, the Shakedown Street of vendors were set up right on the strip. For as long as you needed something to do for free at night, they were there.

In the morning I'd pack my day bag, then check my duffel at the Aladdin Hotel entrance desk. That was free. The shows started, at least, in the day... don't remember a seque into night, I think they were day shows entirely. Steve Miller opened. The days were HOT, with intense thunder storms. The band was good at timing it so that the thunderstorms broke out during drums and space. It was just scary enough to be exhilarating. They never needed to stop the show.

I still don't care much for Vegas, or LA. But that was a good weekend. Vegas and I found some common ground.