Compton Terrace Amphitheatre

August 30, 1981

Tempe, AZ US

Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

Set List:

Mississippi Half-Step
Franklin's Tower
New Minglewood Blues
Tennessee Jed
Mama Tried
Mexicali Blues
It Must Have Been the Roses
Beat it on Down the Line
Cumberland Blues
Looks Like Rain
Might As Well

Samson and Delilah
Ship of Fools
Estimated Prophet
He's Gone
drums
The Other One
Stella Blue
Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad
Good Lovin'

Don't Ease Me In

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Comments

Didn't quite make it to the show, but made a hippie really happy

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I remember I was supposed to meet a friend at this show, but the traffic was so bad heading south out of Phoenix trying to get to the show off of I-10...by the time I actually made it off of the interstate and heading down the road toward Compton Terrace, the show was probably about half over and I still had a ways to go in deadlocked, bumper to bumper traffic. I was considering turning around and going home. I saw this forlorn looking hippie on the side of the road, just sitting there under a tree. I asked him if he had a ticket to the show, and he said, "no". Right then and there I decided to be a nice guy, handed him my ticket, turned around and went home. He was, to say the least, incredibly happy and grateful. KJ

"Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's been."

great story!

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you done good...

Facts, facts, facts, ...Who needs em?

This '81 show was at the old Compton Terrace which did not involve having to get on I-10, or head south out of Phoenix, etc.
(Still a good story though).
The first Dead how at the 'new' CT was in '87.

all in the way u look at things

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if you live on the west side of phx, u do get on I10, u do sort of go south more east though as phx is slt north and west of tempe if U want to get technical. i lived in tempe and walked/stumbled/skippedn'tripped there, i believe i was on time:)

Exactly

The old site actually was walkable from Tempe, not to mention a very easy bike ride- right over the historic Salt River bridge. But the latter, 'new' Compton Terrace was in no way walkable or stumble-able from Tempe.
The 'old' site was adjacent to Phoenix Stadium which was, over the years, the SpringTraining home for various teams; the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland A's, etc. And the minor league home of the Triple A Phoenix Giants of the Pacific Coast League up till about '91 or '2 when they moved to Scottsdale.
The old Compton Terrace was also adjacent to, or imbedded within, an amusement park. That footage from 'Festival Express' that had a Ferriss Wheel turning in the background reminded me of good 'ol Compton Terrace. I remember thinking when watching that move, "Hey, I know what it's like to see the Dead with a Ferriss Wheel turning in the background.' CT baby.