Remember the Drum Circles? WHERE DID ALL THE DRUM CIRCLES GO???

Grateful Dead Drum Circle – image from Dead.Net
http://www.dead.net/features/parking-lot-drum-circle

Ok, some still happen… here is one from 2009 at The Dead:

Used to be a happening at every show. I remember when the set-break drum circles would get broken up by security so the band could start the second set! There was drumming and dancing of such focus and intensity. and Everyone had a drum!

Recently at Terrapin Crossroads, Phil Lesh led a “drum circle” before the Autumn Equinox show. They passed out hand drums to the audience before Phil and Friends came out and led us into a Not Fade Away jam. So here we were, a bunch of Deadheads holding drums, waiting for Phil… and no one really started drumming until the band started us up playing the most basic drum pattern for any Deadhead to play, duh-duh-duh dunt-dunt. WTF? We all laid out our hoodies, grabbed our spots, got our drinks. But no one drummed? Hilarious. In the olden days on so many golden roads, we would be beatin’ it on down the line – you’d be able to hear it beat out loud. Photo by Stuart Levine Photography

After the Phil-led “drum circle” most politely returned the drums and went to their “spots” for the show, some after a couple minutes… Then Ross James did come out and say we all need to put our drums back before the band could start… Ross, that wasn’t nothin’ – there were like 6 people still drumming. We barely got started, we hadn’t even begun… Not complaining, just comparing. The ENERGY of the old drum circles would have blown you away. And I did like the drum circle with Phil, very much, just wish it could have really gone off!

I found a couple videos fo Dead drum circles, but are there more? If anyone in Deadheadland has videos, recordings, or even just pictures, of old school Deadhead drum circles from the past, lots, festivals, campgrounds, etc. – please share!

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