Juggling Suns

Mystic Hot Springs, Monroe UT

Monday, 9/6/04 - Day 4

After the wonderful weekend in Las Vegas we had to head on up the highway to Utah.  We had a little excitement on the road when the band's equipment trailer had a tire blow out!  Fortunately it occurred right at the Mesquite exit and despite it being Memorial Day, Mark was able to find a replacement and get us back on our journey with just a few hours delay.  Our reward was waiting in Monroe, Utah at the beautiful Mystic Hot Springs!

Along with the large soaking pool, there are old bathtubs scattered on the hill side that capture the hot water and provide a private soak.  There are also campsites, the main building that contains the video studio, kitchen and a community bedroom for the visiting bands.

Walking around the grounds, I found this old tour bus with what looks like my old VW bus welded to the top!  It also happened to be the home of one of the cameramen.

Mystic is owned and operated by Mike Ginsburg, a Deadhead artist famous for his stickers and animations on the summer tour video screens.  He converted the main lodge into a video recording studio by purchasing some old video cameras and recording equipment from EBay and building a stage with great lighting and tapestries for backdrops.

The unusual aspect of these shows was that there wasn't an audience!  It was a private show for myself, Brianne, Azie and Beth with the band playing to the cameras and an empty dance floor.  IMHO, this definitely had an impact on their performance.  With the pressure of being recorded and without the feedback energy of an audience, they just never launched into the zone like they can when their fans are with them.

It appears there was also some inspiration provided by our dear departed sister Andrea, her bubble presence was captured several times by Brianne's camera!  We miss you BubbleChick and always think of you when we see those bubbles...

Personally I thought there were some shining moments if not perfect performances, most notably Path To You Heart.  I certainly enjoyed the sets and got some wonderful pictures thanks to the professional lighting. Unfortunately the guys knew when they made a mistake and there were no retakes so if something wasn't right that song was a toss out.  We got to see the video immediately following the performance and it was really cool, great camera work, nice close-ups and seamless fade in/out transitions.  I hope it makes an appearance someday for all to enjoy despite it not being exactly perfect and Gus missing in action.

Mystic Hot Springs - First Day Set List

(This show recorded w/ 3 cameras for possible DVD release)

Set 1 (75 min)
Jungle In My Heart
Jumping Over Ashes
The Thrill Is Gone
Obsession
Path To Your Heart
The Ringing >>
The Awakening
Crimson

Set 2 (60 min)
Ups and Downs
Laced In Silver
Steppin’ Off A Star
One More Time
Festival

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