SOTM

August 1st is a happy day in Grateful Dead history; It's Jerry Garcia's Birthday. This year he would have been 80 but 8 days after celebrating his 53rd birthday in 1995, we lost him. It's no secret the health and substance struggles he endured most of his life. Some would argue that was part of his greatness, others that was the cause of reducing his greatness. I will leave that debate to fan boards elsewhere but what can't be debated was Garcia and the band had a following unlike any at the time and that following created a culture that endures today. Their culture was unique, wasn't fabricated, just naturally evolved based on who they were and what they stood for.

The community was always good at celebrating and that is what the next days are about. Aug 1st until his death on Aug 9th are known as "the days between". Fans use the time to reflect, reconnect, and remember the man that gave them so much. I remember where I was that day; poolside at my summer job listening to tunes when the news came across the radio. No text, no cell call, just the news alert between songs on a classic rock station. I then spent the next 6 hours of my shift listening to whatever Grateful Dead cd's I had with me, then connected with friends later that night and did more listening. For me the band died that day and while I have seen a few shows of the remaining members since, it was never the same.

I do think it allowed me to explore more music and 4 months later, I was at my first Phish show with my now wife (also her first) and today, 130ish shows (thanks Nicholas Otte for helping me try to figure out the real number) later, we are still at it. Just last week we were at the home of Woodstock '69 celebrating another Phish show with our kids (their 14th show).

Everyone wants the "best" culture but for real long lasting culture it has to come from a special spot; your heart, your soul, and then surround yourself by people that only feed that and run from people that don't. In the end, the culture you emit and the reputation you leave are the only real lasting impressions.

Last week, the industry lost a guy with a great reputation and personal culture. Anthony Portelli was a consummate gentleman, a wise and caring man who was always there to teach and to be taught. Tony was the first clearing guy I really knew. Back at NYFIX in 2003 I was a young electronic sales guy and he was our clearing "guy". I used to joke before I meet Tony that all I knew about clearing was it happened some time between the market close and the open the following morning. He spent the time to teach me that wasn't the case and he was willing to learn about electronic trading and the "flippers" as he called them (thanks Sean Malloy for reminding me of that story). I think his obituary said it best

"A wise mentor and a guy who never had a bad hair day nor missed a workout."          

For those that knew Tony, I hope we plan a time soon to celebrate all that was Tony. Until then; the days between will allow me to think about Tony and all he provided me and others.

"Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right"

-Garcia/Hunter

studio version

a classic live one from Cornell '77

#SOTM

#thedaysbetween