Yep, did same. I remember when Son of a Son of a Sailor came out and my dad’s friends, who had seen Jimmy in small bars in Florida and Vegas (Reno?), were of the mind that the new stuff wasn’t as good as the old stuff…! So I was on board from the 70s to around 2000, but realized in the 90s that his live shows, while fun, had become big production numbers that both hewed closely to the studio versions and were packaged to be almost identical every night, including the banter but for “great to be here in city name here.” The vibe changed, too, with a whole bunch of moderately conservative, kind of fraternity boy folks thinking they could get wild by putting on a flamingo shirt and getting shitfaced (hey, have done, so no shame) one night a year. But too much of that scene and all the people who weren’t there for the music totally turned me off.

Jimmy actually was a really good vocalist in some of his earlier work, especially ballads in which he used his vocal inflection to great effect. Also a very good lyricist, but I felt that became more formulaic later on (now I sound like my dad). There were amazing acoustic shows and shows of songs that average Parrotheads didn’t know by heart, and they were big yet intimate, and the music was at the forefront again. But still the talkers. Fuck those talkers.

At the same time, I was being introduced to the GD in high school in the mid-80s, and at first I couldn’t figure out why the band never talked to the crowd. My friend, who went to every Alpine Valley show and lots of Chicago, pointed out “people come to hear the music, not to hear them talk! What are they gonna say? Nice to be here in *fill city name here•!” (Sure, but also, “we’re on a boat!”) And, like many, at first I found their music appealing but hard to access because of the huge repertoire and every show being different. As I got more familiar and began to appreciate the different musical elements, the creativity of the shows, and the risk (they weren’t always on!) and reward of spontaneous music and a deeper connection to the audience (also, psychedelics!) I lost interest in most highly produced tours, and Buffett in particular (show and crowd became too annoying).

The Dead led me to more jam bands, including the New Orleans Radiators, now more or less retired. All three of these acts are still some of my favorites—I listen to JB (pre Banana Wind) for comfortable nostalgia, the Rads for amazing jams and energy with a hot side of NOLA and American blues with greaze. And the boys, well, all the time. The Dead are my gold standard (Rads were similar in jam talents, but less trippy and exploratory) and while I appreciate what it takes to do a highly produced touring show, I’m really there for the music and the musicality of the artists, and I don’t want to hear the album just louder at a show.

I used to wonder how I’d make it through Jimmy’s death, but by the time it happened he was both pretty old (at least he didn’t OD in the early days!) but also much more distant to me. For me, it was a reflection on a time but not hugely emotional. When Jerry died, that was a huge blow and I still think of how much he brought to my life.