Grateful Dead

I think it was during the Stagger Lee at this show when a bunch of fence jumpers came over the wall. We were way in the back pretty much at the wall. Whatever show it was a ticketless dirtbag jumped over and into me hooting and hollering. He seemed really proud of what he did and giving the scene a bad name. He probably thought he was sticking it to the man when he was really sticking it to the band.

My first show! I was a paying customer, however! I have no memory of this famous gate-crashing incident. I think by that point I was completely under the band's spell, unaware of my surroundings. I was 15 and had probably only heard Casey Jones and Truckin' on the radio before this. Imagine hearing this intense MIDI Drumz with no idea it was coming!! 14 years later and after hundreds of shows I've listened to, I have to say this one is truly a great show for '94 and I'm a lucky guy!

Fairly solid show all the way around. 1994 had some great moments and this show was one of them. The first set was good, highlights for me would be Stranger & Loose Lucy. Bertha closer was cool as well. Second set was solid, the outro to He's Gone was really cool. Jerry really knocked my socks off with Stella Blue. This was the first time I'd heard him really belt it out at the end, vocally and musically. I know there are several other versions of Stella from this year where he really turned it on, but this was my first exposure to it. Goose bumps and shivers were felt by many of us who were there. I even saw some folks wiping tears from their faces. Maybe Jerry was still riding high from his recent marriage to Deborah Koons, because all three of these shows were high energy and solidly performed. A rare treat in the Dead's final hour.

My pal and I had to score tickets twice, As thje first ones were bogus.

Cus you've got this just exactly perfect. It was during Stagger Lee and it had to be a monster bummer to be a band member and look out and see that happening. All those people thought they were so cool- and were actually being cheered on by some already inside. It was my first show in 11 years, and 21 years since my first, and after this night I concluded the scene had changed a great deal. Hippie chicks, out in the lot, standing on top of VW busses saying 'sex for a ticket' as we walked in was my first clue. The first set closing Bertha was the hardest rocking version of this song I have ever heard. Just remarkable.

truth is not told, it is realized... i was 18. i had never ever had a dead experience before this night. some friends took me to the show. no one had tickets. i wondered why we were going to a sold out concert when none of us had tickets. i had no idea what i was in for... we walked around the lot. for the first time in my entire existence i felt free. it was like nothing i had ever felt before. shakedown was HUGE! i have attended several dead related events since and have still never seen anything like it. every which way i turned there was someone else in my face offering me something cool to buy. little handmade items, rocks and gems, goo-balls, hemp necklaces, food, beer, i specifically remember one guy in my face saying, "D-S-L" with a slight grin on his face. my life from here on out had already clearly been affected. then all of a sudden there was a loud group of people off to the side making a bunch of noise.when i looked up about 500 people or so had knocked down the chain link fence outside of desert sky pavillion and were all jumping the wall. my friends were 10 steps ahead of me. shamefully, i admit i followed. when i landed on the other side it was like "mosh pits of people dancing" to me. Jerry was standing tall. when i looked over the crowd all you could see was thousands of lighter flames all seeming to be flickering down instead of up as if you were lighting something other than a cigarette (wink, wink, nudge nudge). the band just seemed to be intense free form jamming and i LOVED IT!!! the people were dancing so much you couldnt even walk around. the magic was in the air and goosebumps all around. i dont remember leaving. the next day i went back for the third show hoping to get a ticket with no luck. it was the first and last time i saw jerry. first of all i suppose i owe all fans and band members who were offended an apology. i had no idea what i was getting myself into. no doubt there were several already dedicated "deadheads" involved in knocking down that fence. either way this was a life changing event for me and was the best thing that ever happened to me. i had no idea my life would change on the other side of that wall. if it had not happened i dont know that i would have ever been turned onto the grateful dead. it was clear fate because the grateful dead are now part of my blood soul and DNA. before this night all i listened to was metal music. i even played in a death metal band. this night was the end of all of that! going from dark to light:) talk about change. since i have seen many dead, phil and ratdog shows and i have purchased a ticket to every one. ive even miracled a ticket once which sort of makes up for me jumping the wall. a phil ticket from the late night vegoose show which was one of the best and hardest to get into shows i have ever seen. though, i have to admit that i absolutely do not regret what i consider to be the best thing that ever happened to me:) 14 years later i would like to show my gratitude to the boys for everything. from the bottom of my heart i truly love all of you. and to the entire grateful dead family thank you. it is so nice to walk into a strange place with a dead shirt on and already know you have friends that will seem to just appear out of the woodwork. the grateful dead are a part of history and i feel blessed to be part of that. welp, for now got my tickets to the 10/13/08 Change Rocks show to benefit presidential candidate barak obama with the Allman Brothers band. its been four years since the boys got back together and here we go for one more run! WHOOOOOOO-HOOOOOO! 3 weeks away and im losing sleep already!!!! hopefully this gives some older heads some insight as to what was going on on the other side of that wall that night:)

Some people are not as fortunate to have the money to see the best band ever yes i was one of those dirt bags that jumped the fence i drove there from NH it was awesome!!!!!! And nobody should say sorry for jumpin the wall!!

suck, what was the ticket price then 15.00$? Could afford to drive across country, but not get a ticket? In my years of dead I have gotten things for free, lots of love, music, stickers, pipes, rides, miracles, campsites, food, drink, dope, but never ever wanted to crash the gate. IMHO I think that this violence had a direct impact on Jerry's demise, so being proud of jumpin the wall is like being proud of ending the dead. In the late 90's and even earlier this decade I heard of people who hated the dead and wanted it all to end, I just never thought I would read a post from one of them on this site. I'll say it for ya, I'm sorry for you.

This was my one and only miracle, dead center about in the middle!!! Dont remember any gate crashers, but sure remember sitting on a peice of grass on the left side chilling during stella blue WOW! My last time seeing Jerry! This sunday I got to see Mickey and Billy in salt lake (rthym devils) 7/25/10 WOW was able to meet Davy Knowles and get a pic with him that was cool, but back to the show, EPIC! Remember broken arrow (awesome)

As a "crasher" I'm completely offended by my fellow deadheads who are being critical, cruel and close minded. To blame Jerry's "demise" on this so called "violent" act is ludicrous. Do you really think this was the worst thing they had ever seen thru all the years of being on tour? That is, IF they even noticed!! IMHO it was AWESOME!!! It was a collective energy of many well spirited people who once they got over the wall appreciated the show beyond description! IF the band did notice, I would say, they felt our GOOD, GROOVY, POSITIVE energy and fed off it. It took many hands to get over that wall and it was an experience unlike anything else. "Judge not..."

This show was a classic. People coming from all over the country to see and hear the music. Running into old friends and meeting new friends. I had a (small) cooler of beer and sold each fatty for 3 dollars, I think. Wasn't trying to make money, just wanted to sell beer. Nice to be given the opportunity to work for fun, even if it was not big time. Saw the show this night. Inside, was there for the music, what I paid to be there for.