Bob Weir and RatDog | RatDog.Org

The year was 1993 and, being a high school junior, life was pretty good.

I had this part-time job with the local radio station, I had a girlfriend who I thought would never cheat on me (cough) and I was heading, finally, to my first Grateful Dead concert.

A group of friends and I trekked in a huge 1988 Chevy Suburban about three hours (we measure distance in time in Ohio) north to the big city of Cleveland. There, at Richfield Coliseum, my favorite band, the Grateful Dead, would be playing to a packed house of tripped-out kids, 40-somethings looking for the Fountain of Youth and more hackey-sackers than anyone ever thought played the game.

It was an amazing experience — even though my only clear memory is my buddy falling asleep to “Dark Star” — and one I will always hold dear to my heart as I grow ever older and more, ahem, responsible.

Fast-forward 14 years and several pounds later (luckily, my hair remains) and I am getting that first-time concertgoing experience again. Last weekend, I went to Atlanta’s Chastain Park Amphitheater for the Bob Weir and RatDog and Keller Williams concert on 7/7/07.

Dude, it was a lucky night indeed.

Now, I have seen a few Dead shows in my day, but it had been about 10 years since I’d seen any remaining members of the group in concert. Back in March, when the press release landed on my desk announcing this tour with two of my favorite groups, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

After many phone calls and e-mails, it was finally set up that not only would I interview both Keller Williams and Bob (excited expletive deleted) Weir, but I would be going to the show, as well. And not only watch the show, but take pictures in the photo pit at the base of the stage. And not only watch the show and take pictures in the pit, but be able to take my Uncle John along with me for the ride.

Why Uncle John? Well, not only is he one of the biggest Dead Heads I have ever seen, he also was the guy who pretty much introduced me to the band that would become one of my all-time faves as I grew older.

So there we are, “Me and My Uncle,” going down to see one of the guys who made “Uncle John’s Band” the unofficial theme song for my own Uncle John.

First we get set up at the Wingate Inn in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. It’s a beautiful hotel, for about 100 bucks a night, and features a shuttle service. But not just any shuttle service, my friends. We are talking SUV limo, here … for free!

At 6 p.m. we hop in the limo and head to the show, with a bunch of other cool dudes going over. Oh, and did I mention we could take any beer, wine, liquor or food we wanted into Chastain Park? That’s right: The one thing that ticks off people like me about concerts — $5 water and $14 nachos — is something we wouldn’t have to worry about. This 6,700-capacity amphitheater (that has some awesome acoustics, by the way) lets you brown-bag it.

And if that isn’t enough, Chastain provides some seats with tables, where you can sit and lay out your picnic spread while listening to your favorite music. It’s like having a concert in your own backyard.

So there I am, a cooler at my feet, watching Keller Williams and Bob Weir play a couple of songs together, sipping a brew with my favorite uncle in the whole world and figuring, “Life can’t get much better than this.”

Then, it does. Bob Weir comes out, rocks the house with renditions of “Sugaree,” “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo” and “Johnny B. Goode” — and we still get back to the hotel in time to catch some sleep after being wired for a couple of hours following the concert.

Now I have completely new memories, ones unaffected by adolescence, and a whole new venue to hit, any time a killer show comes through town by way of Chastain.

The only way it could have been better was to meet Bob Weir. And there is always next time.