I learned today that Vince Welnick died over the weekend. He was the Dead’s primary keyboardist from 1991, starting with that year’s fall tour, until the end of the run in 1995. If I remember right, I even saw his first run of shows at Richfield, the only three he did flying solo before Hornsby started his hitch at the next stop, which I think was MSG.

We — Deadheads — weren’t especially kind towards Vinnie — his voice could be harsh, and his original songs were, um, a bit quirky. But there was some good stuff there, if you look. I’m listening to another Richfield show as we speak, one from a chilly spring day in March 1994. The Dead wasn’t especially consistent in those days, but this show was a keeper: “He’s Gone” and a tumbling jam leading into “Drums/Space,” and a post-space “Lovelight” that bracketed the best “Stella Blue” I’ve ever heard. In terms of remembering Welnick, the jam is the highlight. The drummers had started to do their thing, but Garcia wasn’t ready for the break yet, and he continued to noodle until he found a cool little melody he was comfortable with. It got rolling hard enough that the rest of the band — already departed for their second-set intermission — eventually came back onstage to keep the jam moving along.

Vince Welnick was the first one to return.

I probably have more to say about Vince. I probably have a few Spinal Tap jokes in me somewhere. I definitely have stories about this weekend with Fred and Ethel — all good — and some thoughts about W’s anti-gay marriage amendment — I’ll let you guess what I think about that one .

But I don’t feel much like writing right now.