Grateful Dead

They didn't do 2 shows in Ithaca in May 1980!

An astounding old venue...complete with the 1920s indoor track was the site for the most amazing Morning Dew ever. And to boot, a ridiculous snow/sleet storm afterwards...

I had just completed my freshman year at IC, got a bunch of tickets, went home to get a job, pick up my GF and my brother's GF and drove back that Sat to meet him and his frat brothers at the show...it was general admission, but the time we got there the line was two or three times around the building...I had a case of beer on my shoulder, doors were opening in a couple of hours, and we were wandering around looking from my brother...next thing I know, he and his frat bros were calling to me, they had camped out and were in the very front of the line...so we ducked in, shared the beer and some weed...when they opened the doors, we all poured right to the front of the stage...first set was very intense as we were in the very front, my GF turned to me once and said, "Bobby SMILED at ME!', we gave her a lot of grief over that over the years (still a friend of mine)... During the intermission, the crush started, we were moving and swaying with the crowd, she started crying, very scary as you had no control over your body, the whole crowd swayed back and forth, my brother and I literally pulled our GF's through the crowd to the edge of the floor and spent the rest of the show on the bleachers on the right side..the Shakedown to start the 2nd set was awesome, but the rest of the show was OK, considering the venue, maybe we were hoping for something more... Oh, well, it was a good time, always a good time, and I can say I saw the Dead at Barton Hall,,,maybe not 5/8/77, but Barton Hall...

Worked Super Trooper #1 (Jerry's spotlight) at the Barton Hall, 5/8/77 show. Was a freshman at Cornell and on the lighting committee. I was located on top of the ROTC building, in a bank of, well, special smoke. Also had 103 fever (which I didn't know at the time) because I had pneumonia (also which I didn't know). Next day I ended up in the Cornell infirmary for five days (not a place you ever want to go). Still...the best Dead show ever and the best concert that I've ever been to, still to this day. And, yes, Morning Dew was magical (possibly attributable, in part, to the bank of smoke I was operating the spot light in and my fever).

Best friend and I were at Oneonta and drove to the May 8th 1977 concert. We got there and waiting in line near the doors and it was drizzling. The crowd behind us pushed so hard that our feet were not on the ground for 20 mins. I belive it wasn't long before that, that 9 people died in Cincinnati under the same circumstances, they however fell and were trampled to death.

The concert as we know was legendary! When it was over there was 6 inches of snow on the ground. Had to drive back over the mountain roads to Oneonta with no snows tires.

Fantastic experience that I will never forget. 🙂