While no one knew it at the time, this is the final performance of Neal Casal‘s band Circles Around The Sun, from the late night set in Garcia’s Forest, Lockn’ Festival,Thursday August 22, 2019.
Neal Casal created this music to be used between sets for the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well 50th anniversary shows in 2015. People loved it so much, it was eventually released for the public. A little later, he began performing it live with this band.
They had been at Lockn a few years before, also with a late night set of CATS music. The band had done some small tours, and was planning on more. They released a second album, and were in the studio working on another one.
I don’t know the how or why of Neal’s passing. It is being called a suicide, though I don’t know the specific circumstances. He seemed to be in good spirits this weekend at the festival, and played with gusto, and a lot of smiles. He was in a relationship, and had plans for the future, and involved in lots of music projects too, all of which which makes this all the more tragic and shocking, and difficult to understand.
While there are many questions that may not be answered, we will have his music forever. Neal let me video him often, and I will be sharing much more of it in time.
Fare thee well Neal… may the four winds blow you safely home my friend.
