A Krissmus Tale
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:00 pm
Well, it's the holiday season. That means it's time for the family to gather around the fire while granpa tells the same stories he tells every year.
Over and over and over....and over again.
So:
It occurs to me that you might be interested in why people walk around calling out the name of this guy Murray Krissmus at this time of year.
Here's a story I first heard one night while a bunch of us were gathered around the fire in the parking lot at a Dead show back in the day. (No, I don't know what day. Harummph!!)
Murray Krissmus is the guy who invented ">" on setlists. Before he came along, setlists would include the phrase "and then they went into" written in between song titles. Needless to say, setlists were always several pages long and zipped out heads would have all kinds of trouble writing down that long phrase over and over again when all their energies were being channeled into trying to keep their arms from melting.
Legend has it that Murray was at the Fillmore one night (many think it was 5/5/67, although this date is uncertain) and was having a positively COSMIC time thanks to the pitcher of KoolAid he drank on the way into the show.
At one point during a particularly powerful "New Potato", his ears noticed something happening off to his right that his frontal lobes thought his eyes might be interested in. But his eyes were not interested since they were completely focused on the words "New Potato" written on his setlist, discovering the secrets of creation within the juxtaposition of vowels and consonants.
In an attempt to convince his eyes to turn, his brain had his hands draw an arrow on the setlist, pointing in the desired direction. The arrow happened to land on the page just to the right of the words "New Potato". And, in one of those cosmic Dead coincidences, just as Murray's hand drew the arrow, the band slid into a positively mind-shattering, hip-twitching, Pig-Pen-fest of an "Alligator".
Murray was absolutely convinced that his action had caused the band to transition in to the new tune. Wouldn't you be? Now, before stumbling into a little gathering at Big Nig's while on vacation, Murray had been a research scientist at Los Alamos. So the scientific method was deeply ingrained. In an effort to duplicate his findings, Murray tried to convince everyone around him at subsequent shows to all try and draw arrows at the same time in an effort to steer setlists. Of course, his efforts were hampered by people's conflicting setlist desires and by the fact that most people forgot how to use writing implements by the start of the second tune.
But people did find the ">" to be an easy to use, healthful, and nutritious substitute for "and then they went into", and to this day, Murray's discovery benefits tourheads everywhere.
Murray's last shows were in December of '71 (he still thinks he's responsible for the first ever "Run Rudolph Run" and the "Other One>Mexicali" at the Felt Forum). That's the last time anyone saw him in his usual place, down near the stage, deep in the Phil Zone, concentrating intently and at particular moments writing feverishly in his small notebook of setlists. He vanished not long after that. Some think he's living on an island somewhere; others believe he's entered a completely different plane of existence. Still others swear they bought a kind veggie burrito from him at a Phil & Friends show.
In any event, to commemorate his final shows and his contribution to tourhead culture, people all around the world call out the name of Murray Krissmuss during the last month of each year.
Whatever form your holiday takes, please be safe and happy in the coming days and throughout the coming year.
Peace,
hoby
Over and over and over....and over again.
So:
It occurs to me that you might be interested in why people walk around calling out the name of this guy Murray Krissmus at this time of year.
Here's a story I first heard one night while a bunch of us were gathered around the fire in the parking lot at a Dead show back in the day. (No, I don't know what day. Harummph!!)
Murray Krissmus is the guy who invented ">" on setlists. Before he came along, setlists would include the phrase "and then they went into" written in between song titles. Needless to say, setlists were always several pages long and zipped out heads would have all kinds of trouble writing down that long phrase over and over again when all their energies were being channeled into trying to keep their arms from melting.
Legend has it that Murray was at the Fillmore one night (many think it was 5/5/67, although this date is uncertain) and was having a positively COSMIC time thanks to the pitcher of KoolAid he drank on the way into the show.
At one point during a particularly powerful "New Potato", his ears noticed something happening off to his right that his frontal lobes thought his eyes might be interested in. But his eyes were not interested since they were completely focused on the words "New Potato" written on his setlist, discovering the secrets of creation within the juxtaposition of vowels and consonants.
In an attempt to convince his eyes to turn, his brain had his hands draw an arrow on the setlist, pointing in the desired direction. The arrow happened to land on the page just to the right of the words "New Potato". And, in one of those cosmic Dead coincidences, just as Murray's hand drew the arrow, the band slid into a positively mind-shattering, hip-twitching, Pig-Pen-fest of an "Alligator".
Murray was absolutely convinced that his action had caused the band to transition in to the new tune. Wouldn't you be? Now, before stumbling into a little gathering at Big Nig's while on vacation, Murray had been a research scientist at Los Alamos. So the scientific method was deeply ingrained. In an effort to duplicate his findings, Murray tried to convince everyone around him at subsequent shows to all try and draw arrows at the same time in an effort to steer setlists. Of course, his efforts were hampered by people's conflicting setlist desires and by the fact that most people forgot how to use writing implements by the start of the second tune.
But people did find the ">" to be an easy to use, healthful, and nutritious substitute for "and then they went into", and to this day, Murray's discovery benefits tourheads everywhere.
Murray's last shows were in December of '71 (he still thinks he's responsible for the first ever "Run Rudolph Run" and the "Other One>Mexicali" at the Felt Forum). That's the last time anyone saw him in his usual place, down near the stage, deep in the Phil Zone, concentrating intently and at particular moments writing feverishly in his small notebook of setlists. He vanished not long after that. Some think he's living on an island somewhere; others believe he's entered a completely different plane of existence. Still others swear they bought a kind veggie burrito from him at a Phil & Friends show.
In any event, to commemorate his final shows and his contribution to tourhead culture, people all around the world call out the name of Murray Krissmuss during the last month of each year.
Whatever form your holiday takes, please be safe and happy in the coming days and throughout the coming year.
Peace,
hoby