OK, so there wasn't an encore... they played til after 2 and left nothing in the tank when they were done! So I'll use this page to pay tribute to BRUUUUUUUUUCE!
There were several moments throughout the night that made me think of him - from the opening Music's Over jam to the final song - Open Road, where the lyrics 'Can't stop the magic, new world's at the door...' took on a new meaning.
When I discovered the Juggling Suns they were in a transition between bass players. Tank sat in at the Blue Terrapin show that really hooked me but shortly after that Bruce came on full time. Over the next 3 years, I was blessed with some wonderful music and had the most incredible experiences while becoming a part of the Juggling Suns family.
The news of Bruce leaving the band hit me hard, like the loss of a family member. Things will never be the same but then as somebody once said the only constant in life is change and as all DeadHeads know - we will get by, we will survive - the healing power is in the music!
I can imagine at least one of the reasons for Bruce's departure - touring. The open road can be a gruelling hard life when you're doing shows, night after night, weekend after weekend. A few year's ago, Pattie and I joined GrandFunk when he pulled together his road crew for Juggling adventures wherever they were playing. We were doing shows 2-3 weekends every month for awhile as we wondered how long they would last through the trying times of finding a full-time drummer. Juggling survived but the road kicked my butt and wore me out so now we only travel for the big events like the Stone Pony recording. That little period of exposure to the rock'n'roll lifestyle gave me the utmost respect for the effort put forth by them on a continual basis. We just show up for the gig... the band has to load in, setup, play, breakdown and then load out... plus they do it everynight. All I can say is - THANK YOU JUGGLING SUNS!!!
One of the things that made me connect with Bruce from the beginning was our mutual love of the Beatles! I was an elementary school kid when Beatlemania hit the states and their music is woven into the fabric of my soul. Other than the occasional Dead show prior to '95, I didn't hear many live Beatle covers until Juggling came along.
Bruce provided so many cool moments over the years, his selection of covers were always crowd pleasers due in part to his rapport with the fans who he tried to please by attempting our requests. When he broke out a Beatles, Dylan, Doors and even an occaisional Who cover it would always resonate with the audience.
Bruce loved to talk sports and music, he was like a walking 70's juke box at times - I will never forget the last Open Road campfire jam sessions where we really got a taste of Bruce's broad range of favorite musical influences. We called the tunes and Bruce gave it his best shot! Right up to the end where my request of 'Imagine' at the Vault was honored, despite being pitched right before he went on stage.
To Bruce, if you read this... Fare thee well brother, good luck on the new path you have chosen and on behalf of all the Jugg Heads, please, please, please don't stop playing music nor disappear completely. I hope to see you onstage again one day at StoneHenge or New Year's like all the other members of this amazing Juggling-Solar family. There will always be a warm welcome waiting for you whenever you decide to make an appearance. I can't thank you enough for all memories - the music, your songs and the wild and crazy moments... acoustic sets and King Tut on New Years, grinding the mic stand with your bass, knocking the mic during a Vault jam... giving it all you had and leaving your voice onstage -> When The Music's Over!!!
Here's a few clips that have never been seen before of Bruce, from his last acoustic performance on New Year's eve 2003. Unfortunately my camera wasn't setup properly so the video clips are low resolution resulting in a very tiny size. They do give you a good idea of the moment which I hope won't be the last time I hear him play his acoustic guitar...
Bruce's Superbowl Jamboree (2.1MB)