Grateful Dead

After 2 previous nights I really had to drag myself to this show ,not cause it was April fools day .Because I had to GO.Thank goodness the boys reminded me, quite funny and almost sounding good ...fun night.

I was a little "out there" when they opened up the show with Promised Land, playing different instruments. I couldn't really figure out what was going on......the crowd was going crazy.....I turned to my friend and said, "They sound like shit tonight.....don't they?" He said, "You idiot!.....Jerrys playin the drums!!!!"

So there we were, Howard & I, waiting outside the Capitol in the line to get frisked & get it. We got there a bit late for some reason or another, and we heard them start the show with Promised Land, no biggie. As we got closer to the doors & were able to hear it better it sure sounded a bit ragged. We finally made it into the joint as the song ended to a rousing chorus of cheers, got down to our seats and the band started playing their second tune of the night, Promised Land!! I turned to the head next to me & said, "Didn't they just play this?" He looked at me in surprise and asked if we had seen it. When I replied that we were stuck outside waiting to get in he told us of the big switcheroo. Oh well, you lose some & then again you win some... http://www.thebughunters.com

It's like the old sixties saying, "If you remember seeing Jerry on drums, then you weren't there." Anyway your story is classic John Scher incompetence personified. At the previous "Deadheads Only" invite show at the Capitol [11/24/78], waiting in line to get in for over an hour, resulted in me missing the first 2 songs. What a bummer Scher's operation was most of the time. I guess he endeared himself to Jerry following the bust in South Jersey in 73, but as far as the NJ locals are concerned, all Scher was, is, will ever be is a third rate Bill Graham wannabe. It seemed to be a chink in Jerry's armor thru the years, leaving business decisions to people who basically only had one ability...they possessed a good line of shit.

Unless they played in 81 at Capitol they were staying at SNLive Omni Place in manhattan- friend and I followed their bus aftershow and saw "Jerry like clone" get off bus- all I saw was hair..then a bunch of country guys played bluegrass I know you Rider as Bobby watched from Lobby..was not Belushi at one of the 3 Capitol shows that year? BP "if the Thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!"- The Wheel "Gonna find out something only dead men know" - Silvio Class of Red Rocks '79... Life without the Dead is not life...and so we carry on...

Estimated Profit (which I will always call "California" because thats what we knew it as before Terrapin came out. I think that Leon Redbone opened this show.

I was in the eighth row 'Dead' center... Very fun opening with members all on different instruments... I actually had some nice black & white photos of this gig with the band on their different instruments during opening Promised Land... But, lost to moves and changes... Wish I had and could post for all...

For some reason, this evening I recalled this show - 32+ years ago. I still have my "gold ticket" for this show that I had to retrieve in advance at the Capitol Theatre. Was sitting in Row P. When they came out at different instruments, the place went nuts!!! I've never heard a tape of this show, but I vividly remember Bobby just running his fingers up and down the keyboard while singing. Great memories!! Then they came out and did it again - the "right" way. I miss those days terribly !