Far out!
For one night on Monday, Equinox restaurant became a head shop, as the four-star downtown eatery welcomed Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead and legendary activist (and Woodstock icon) Wavy Gravy in advance of The Dead’s show tonight.
While plenty of music fans gathered around Hart for photos and autographs, it was Gravy (the “official clown” of the Grateful Dead), who stole the show, appearing in a tie-dyed outfit and a clown nose. He burned incense and walked around with a rubber fish on a leash throughout the event, a fundraiser for the Seva Foundation, which he founded 30 years ago to assist impoverished communities around the world.
How’d they wind up at Equinox? Co-owners Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray met while following The Dead, and have maintained ties to the community of Deadheads. Todd, in fact, decided to be a chef when he used to sell grilled cheese sandwiches from the parking lots at the shows.
On Monday, he reprised those sandwiches (updated with truffles, of course) and spun his own version of Ben & Jerry’s Wavy Gravy ice cream.
Gravy said he’s hopeful that a Woodstock 40th Anniversary concert will take place in New York’s Flushing Meadows. Perhaps Gray can prepare breakfast in bed for 400,000.
UPDATE: After the reception, everyone headed out to the Govinda Gallery in Georgetown, where artist Stanley Mouse is showing his Grateful Dead inspired work. Then it was back to Equinox for a late dinner. “It was hippie royalty,” said Ellen Gray.
