Grateful Dead

So it’s June 1980. I’m in Kalispell, Montana near where I used to live and work and I look at the newspaper box holding the Spokesman Review out of Spokane. 237 miles or just under four hours away, a stones throw ( throwing stones ) in in the mountain west. “ Shit is that a photograph of the Grateful Dead on the front page”. They played the night before in Spokane. “Well fuck me blue”.
I made up for it a year and a half later and went to six Dead shows in the Bay Area in December 1981.
I get a feeling I’ve told these stories before.

....my wife is a truck driver and is currently in Spokane.
She won't let me slap a Dead sticker on her rig.

Like the corners of

Screw That!

34 years ago right now...(well 1987/06/13) I was on Ventura Beach, Beyond High but the most relaxed I have ever been. Cool westerly breeze, palm trees dancin with bolts of lightning in the fronds .At this point they would have been maybe around Estimated as it was a 2pm start. Second Set Shakedown opener was sweet, as it was slow and slinky and funky, but what really made Ventura a special place was that it was small venue and Phil Bombs made the sand we were standing on vibrate under our feet. As this date was a Saturday, it was an intense party. The fellas had a huge night time bondfire for the freaks and at midnight they showed Refer Madness and other goodies on the big screen. That was outside the venue on the beach proper. Never saw such a powerful small group of heads and absolutely no law enforcement any where that I saw. Only downside I heard, was some youngsters that came to the party and got drunk, and threw objects thru the local liquor store window. And not even sure about that as it has been days gone by.

Is there a 1972 shortage in the Vault? Let's get this Box Set rolling with '72 Dreams.

Decent ventura 1987 board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ZrE49wH6c

real easy for me to get on the BBS.

....saw Phish there in '98 though. Caught a good Bathtub Gin and Emotional Rescue there.
It's a great venue.

My first California shows. Had a great time.. windy and chilly after the sun set as I recall. I have no memory of where we slept that run.. my guess is we camped there if they allowed it. I completely forget where we stayed for the Greeks.. but it wasn't in Berkeley. We had already left for Ventura before our Greek tickets arrived.. so we had to get them fedexed to a distant relative in Gilroy. Life before cell phones and GPS.. how did we do it?

So three Ventura into three Greeks into three Alpines. Then someone got married or something so I had to make a brief visit home. Great times.. my only wish is that it wasn't 10 or 20 years earlier.

I wish some of the soundboards sounded better. 87 is kinda all over the place. Just try and find a good recording of any of the Alpine shows that year. There are often audience tapes that sound better than the soundboards from this summer. He did clean things up in 88 a bit though.. for example, the 88 Greek shows sound really good.

Ooops, didn't mean to ramble. Loved Ventura. as you were.

82,83,84,& 85. wild times, I'm sure they can find a box set in there somewhere.

....the boys from Vermont put one out.
It's not that hard.
Their website is tight. As is Jerry's site.
This site is like circa 2012. And that fact is legit.
Get your shit together dead.net. Was hoping for stellar 3D projections and holograms by now.

I'm partial to the 84 run, but admittedly, I have not listened to all the shows from some of the earlier years..

The recordings are pretty clean.. Jerry's voice is still holding out, but not for long. I sort of think of this run as a prelude to all the new songs that they broke out in 85 simply because it has early reintroductions of the old arrangement of Dancin' in the Streets and a rare modern Midnight Hour.

To me, the 84 Ventura shows are special. ..but Billy, you have peeked my interest in the 82 and 83 run. A good series shows to toss out on the what's playing today thread.

First show 7 18 82

One of the best experiences of my life

In the top five

1. birth of three kids (tied for first)
2. 7 18 82
3. 7 13 84
4. 6 9 90 Cassidy
5. Wife being on Jeopardy

All are cool, but #5 is way cool. Hope she won.

I'll Take Psychedelic Misfits for $500 Alex.

Well, this ones a daily double dose.

but if there is any claim to fame, it's that she was on the last episode of AT's final full year as host

and I got to be in the audience

it was a truly awesome day

Well, I hope we get a release this week of some kind, preferably a whole show if it is a 50th anniversary release, but if they released a whole acoustic set from 1970, that would be cool. For all the hockey fans, today is the day that Lord Stanley died, 6/14/1908. I've seen the Sharks play live several times, and seeing hockey live is fantastic, very exciting.

I never saw The Dead there, but I played it myself when passing through in 1990. We stopped in some sort of bar, and this guy was playing an acoustic guitar. When he finished, my girlfriend told him I played too, so he handed it me and asked me to play something. Gulp. I strummed through "Ripple" (click , buzz) and after I had finished, he told me that it was American music, and didn't I know anything British. In a word..no.

That reminds me....another, time, about 10 years ago, I visited a social worker friend of mine who worked in a hospital with people who had been confined due to having severe mental health problems. Again, messing around I played "Ripple", which he thought was a beautiful melody. Next time I saw him, he told me he had played the song himself at a singing group in the hospital, and that he had them all singing and playing along as best they could.

50 years ago today………..

June 14, 1971
Central Park, New York, New York

CANCELLED SHOW?

Bill Graham clearly references this proposed gig at the start of the April 29 Fillmore East show: “……on June 14, these gentlemen will be in Central Park………”, but for whatever reason, the show never took place.

Rock on!!

Doc
Stated clearly enough, an idea may cancel itself out

If I remember correctly there was an underpass leading from the parking lot area entrance to the town area...it seemed as if that walk under the 101 Hwy was "The Boundary"...stay on the Ocean Side and it was cool...and you took your chances if you wandered out...such times...

I hear banjo music..

First set of 7/13/85 is perhaps my favorite first set! Ripping!
You can hear how stoked they are on the tape between songs too...

Have a great tape from 84 with Brentski doing Just Want Make Love To You....

Worked merch there on 96 furthur tour, made me envious...must of been awesome seeing the Dead there!

Go Isles!
and,
Big game tonight!

listened to my cassette of set two side A after getting home from 7/19/87

I was glowing ;)))

that was funfunfun

Sad to say, but I can't remember shit about my one and only trip to Ventura except that I was there and I recall feeling underdressed at least one night after the sun set. Wicked, cold breeze.

I recall the carnival atmosphere outside the venue and all around.. roller skaters, etc. but sadly not many specifics. It was super fun.. perhaps I had more fun than I should have which decades later seems to have affected my memory. If so, it was not alcohol that did me in.. I tried real hard not to mix too much alcohol with my Grateful Dead. Risky behavior if you drove...

My only time there. I had a three day weekend off from trail work in Northern Mew Mexico. Flew into L.A. Friday morning, rented a car at LAX. Drove up to the fairgrounds. Three days of “fun, fun, fun”. Just no t-bird. First night slept in the car up near Point Conception. I should have rented a Cadillac. After the Sunday show I drove like Neal Cassady to make my flight. Phil Mazonzon caught a ride with me. I’m across the street from the car rental stuck in traffic and fuck it I drive the rental car over the 10” high median curb, bump -bump. Pull in the rental lot , throw the keys to the attendant , tell her I’m running late, get to the boarding area, the plane is delayed by 2-3 hours. The jet (from the promised land) lands in Albuquerque at 4am Monday morning with two hours to get to work. I drive my Peugeot (sic! Clouseau was right) 70-80 mph up to (.......... ........ ........) arrive just before 0600 starting time. No sleep on the jet, could not have if I wanted to. Casually walk into the recreation shop, Say good morning to my boss, go out to the barn, saddle up the pack horses, load them with the camp gear and trail tools. Ride five miles up ....... Canyon , drop off the equipment. The rest of the trail crew hikes up and sets up camp and hikes up canyon to the work site. I return with the pack string several miles down canyon back to the barn. Take the saddles off, turn the horses loose in the pasture and start hiking the several miles back up the canyon. I slept during my half lunch break , wake up and work building a trail reroute for the rest of the 10 hour work day.
Had one of the best nights sleep of my life that night.
This is a true story. Truth is stranger than fiction.
The 1987 Ventura Grateful Dead concerts were worth that Neal Cassady level of energy to pull it off.

Persistence Furthers. The Southwest heals. Music unites!

that reminds me of not only the MO for sneaking to many Dead shows, but much of my twenties....

I’d stay out all night until about 4:30 or 5:00, get up a couple hours later, shower, eat and off to work.
Everyone in the shop turned the 15 minute breaks into a half hour, so I’d go sleep then in the supply room...would wake up to the sound of when they got the presses rolling again. Would eat lunch while working so I could get another half hour/45 minute snooze in during lunch, another quick nap at 3:00 break. Come home, sleep until around 7-7:30, take the dog for walk and burn one, eat and watch the 8:00 movie, then back out again around 11:00, damn near everyday! Oh the hubris of youth!
No wonder I’m so tired and broken now.

Sounds like I need to check out those shows some time

I used to be able to function on little to no sleep from time to time

"not any mewr" (to quote...you guessed it...Clouseau)

Was damn near dead.

6 14 69.

The Dead played at Monterey Performing Arts Center.

Bookended the show with LOVELIGHT.

PIG WAS ON!!! ...especially during the opener.

Enough said (aside from the setlist)

Love Light-> Me & My Uncle-> Doin' That Rag-> He Was A Friend Of Mine, Dire Wolf, Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Turn On Your Love Light-> Drums-> Turn On Your Love Light

I think maybe the second time there were Ventura shows we witnessed a perfect example of alcohol not going well with outdoor all day shenanigans...in line waiting for the gates to open we noticed one group of youngsters (we were already all in our mid 30's or so by then) getting pretty schonkered and especially one guy in particular who was already swaying to and fro...gates open, we go in and settle into are usual dead center 20 ft in front of the board location...running over to the restrooms for my pre-gig pee i saw a couple of the guys we had seen partying coming out of the head saying stuff to the effect "serves him right, screw him we told him..." etc...I went in and there was a small utility closet to the left of the entrance that had the door open and their friend was laying on the concrete passed out cold...during the show my friends and I would go to use the facility and everytime he was still there passed out but as the day went on he was covered little by little in garbage, by the end of the show he was totally covered with only a bit of his face showing...I saw one of his buds and he told me they had to go check on him from time to time to make sure he was ok and that the trash was the penalty for ruining the show for them...you crash, you burn as we always used to say...

I listened to the board of 6/13 last night and I really forgot how great a show it was. Now it was always a favorite of mine but the board tape second set really shines.

Jim I cant remember which day/night was so cold. I think it may have been friday because I was like we are in Southern California in June on the beach how can it be this cold. Of course, it really wasn't cold, it was the wind. I think highs all weekend were in the low to mid 70's but the dang wind was 25-30 miles an hour both Friday and Saturday. What the wind did was mess up a lot of tapes. Even on the first set board you can hear an up and down swishing noise. That is the wind blowing so hard, that even with their mouths directly on the microphones, the wind still played with their voice. And out front, it added to the psychedelic frenzy. One reviewer over at Archive says the tapes are not good enough for release, and it is primarily due to the wind. Now the second set where less singing and more jamming goodness happens, you do not hear that swirling noise because the wind only impacted the drums (mics) at that point. I had a blast last night reliving that day.

During Shakedown, we were taping FOB to the right of Healy. Always wanted to abide by the rules of not interfering with his line of sight. There were 4 of us in a circle. Shakedown pumpin, 2 joints and 2 pipes, all with different strands of weed. Hit, pass, hit, pass. All of a sudden slinking thru the crowd comes a real old hippie. I mean this guy was in his 70's (no offense to those that are 70). He was slinking to Shakedown and swimming thru the crowd when he spots our circle. He just jumps right in. He was smoking one of those huge (extra large) Sherlock Holmes (??) type of pipes. We all just hung there in space and time, hit, pass, hit pass. He had on a white t-shirt with I heart drugs on the front. I had on an all black taper shirt, so on the front left chest area was a reel to reel with mic stands. On the back was a big eagle wings again with the tape deck and mic stands, at the center. Written over the top was "Death before Dishonour" and below was "Drugs before Lunch." We never spoke a word, he just danced his way on out of the circle with a wink and a nod. We were in our early 20's and so it was kind of like a passing the torch moment.

Jim, I remember us writing about Ventura several years back as we both did the Ventura-Greek-Alpine trifecta. Talking about get back home and patch my bones, it was needed. Seems I remember a story about you having your favorite hippy car breaking down on that journey. I don't know how you did it. We spent 2 weeks in California that trip. Flew in to LAX, as Strider ( I think said), the Monday before the Friday Ventura show. Hung out in LA, then went to Ventura (actually stayed in Santa Barbara) before heading to the bay area for the Greek shows. After those shows we drove back to LA to fly back home. Stayed home 2 days before driving to Alpine Valley.

This was a very fruitful run as we (I) made friends with 5 tapers from San Diego, New York, Pittsburgh. We also made some other contacts that help us fund our fun times. Plane tickets hotels food tapes etc. You know, little shipping powders back and forth thing.

Speaking of passing out. There was a guy from the Navy there for his first Dead show. He was hammered as we were setting up the taping equipment. He ended up passing out just a few minutes before they hit the stage. Ends up throwing up, and then sleeping rolling around in a vomit/sand concaction for the whole show. Dead finish, we are packing up equipment, he comes to, pops up, and a couple of buddies find him and were asking him where he had been. We didn't tell them he was a pig in slop the whole day. However, they could tell by his clothes and his funk.

Nappy, I think it was your post about a bridge and one side cool and other side, not so much. I am having a hard time remembering that. We parked Friday and Sunday in the lot. And if I remember street parked a couple of blocks away on Saturday. Saturday is when we left after the show for a while and some drunk teenagers were walking in front of us. Horsing around but kept getting in our way. My brother is a pretty big guy. One of them pushed a friend into my brother. His sunglasses came off and went right under my brothers feet. Crunch. They were so young they just let it be and got out of our way.

Any way more on Ventura, next time we run this ground again.

Got to post this first as it was longer than expected, will come back and edit in a few...

OK did a little editing...

As all shows there is still a lot more to write.

hot hot hot

a wonderful candidate for a Daves

oops, I jinxed it

I learned early on that alcohol is not my friend

alcohol + GD show for me: doesnotcomputedoesnotcomputedoesnotcompute

I have never passed out or vomited while green
I have never passed out or vomited while lysergic

I have never passed out, but got darn near close, with alcohol
I have VOMITED (oh yes, oh yes) with alcohol

Just saying: alcohol and I do not get along.

a low chant and slow clap going for that fall '72 box?

They've got plenty of good fall '72 tapes in the vault. Of course, the 2021 box is already being mixed and mastered and artwork proceeding furiously, while Dave keeps an admirably tight lid on the contents.

The only other era I can see getting the treatment is spring '69; plenty of available tapes (presumably, arrgghhh) for that era as well.

That is all.

VGuy - About an hour to go now. You’re getting in the Zone. A little music, perhaps, while your thoughts percolate. You have shooed the little lady and the family out of the viewing area. Your Knights are here, the third round (some say the toughest round), and the only thing keeping them from the Run For The Roses - the FINAL - is the Habs, a team the Orcs would be if they could skate. Only the Habs (and their remarkable goalie Carey Price) are keeping you and the Golden Knights from vanquishing “the rest”, before getting to the Final. The Big One. The Stanley Cup.

You got this.

HERE HERE, HENDRIX FREAK.....I AGREE, WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

....and here we go!!
I smell a Tuch goal. For AJS's mom!

HF Picks Vol 1 - Fall '72, The Complete Recordings.

May the web server crash immediately upon the announcement!

Watching the game now too.. IPA in hand.

....or the Avs.
Feeling good. Marc-Andre Fleury ladies and gentlemen.

'86 of course...we met at a friend's the night before the planned departure in the morning...word came of Jerry's health crisis...F**K...what to do...we had a large group (30 or more) coming in from all over the Western US...folks were driving in from Boulder, the Bay Area, some friends were flying in the next day to LAX from the East Coast...we decided to go ahead and make the trek...by this time we were already staying at the camp grounds at McGrath State Beach in Oxnard...we went and set up shop as others slowly filtered in...we had a great weekend of body surfing, playing in the sand and hellacious campfires at night...we'd have the obligatory "Get Well Sucker!!!" vibe sending...one funny thing was one early evening a few of us were making our way to the camp ground showers and an elderly woman stopped us and said, pointing to my dye, "you know, I see a lot of people here with shirts like yours, are you some kind of club?" I said "Yes Ma'am, we're a music appreciation society"...she smiled and said "How wonderful" and went her way...Yes ma'am it was wonderful

Definitely not caliber of the Wild or AVs - Montreal is only there because of Price. I won’t say “sweep” - overconfidence is never a good thing - but definitely looking like to the Finals for Vegas!
PS - Mixed feelings for Max Pacioretty when he returns to Montreal, a team he was a respected captain for.

Since Dave has literally gone fishing, it would appear, just wondering about “The Fox Box”, by the latter day Allmans, would like to hear some feedback from others who may have this one?

Watch your parking meters!

....and Vegas got him on a steal.
Stone and Martinez as well.
All in on a Fall '72 Texas box.

Reading the posts on alcohol reminds me that getting out of your head is a skill, like any other. It has to be learned, if you want to last and remain functioning. I have seen people damage themselves on every substance known to man or God - including acid and weed - through overuse, combining things that shouldn't be combined, unknown strengths or simply and unfortunately being incompatible with what you have taken.
I was no different in my teens, regarding the road of excess. You live and learn-hopefully.

As for this here box...Fall 1972 or Spring 1969 would be perfect-either one would suit me to a tee. Collecting Dead music is one habit that I haven't managed to curtail over the years. In fact, its got worse.

Hopefully not injured filming the Box Set Announcement Video...

I hear he almost lost an ear to an Oyster Catcher with bad eyesight on the last video. Many people don't realize just how dangerous it is being a tape archivist, one of the riskiest professions out there.

Great Post!

Never realized I was so um...cultured. A member of "The Great Musical Society." Do they make tie-dyed tuxedos?

por favor, Dave

The GD Music Appreciation Society hereby invites you to a Seaside Chat to reveal the next box set.

Tie-dye tuxedo optional.

RSVP

Dennis: from the Gene of my dreams...Wasnt Franco's hands the thing that made possible the immaculate reception? If memory serves.

BTK: Your posts about shows always makes the fire of jealousy burn deep in my soul. Well not really, although I missed a lot of opportunities because of the geography of my residency, I am still quite satisfied with the shows I did see. Question: You being from Mill Valley and all, are you a complete California head? Did you ever venture east? To me seeing both sides is quite satisfying and always an interesting chew. The east coast energy was just as real as the west coast laid back vibe. Not to start a food fight, or east coast west coast gang war, but I go West Coast. The California shows were always so laid back in every possible way. As debated before here and many other forums, there was a direct impact on the shows due to the band flowing in real time with the energy. I love both sides of that coin. But not having to worry about a mounted horseman cracking my skull open (Cap. Center) was a relaxing blood pressure lowering ecstasy. A lot of people do not like View From the Vault III, but I love it. Starting with Estimated thru China Doll is like a massive opioid dream, very laid back California jam. When you compare that to say the opening of 1982/09/21 Madison Square Garden and that level of energy is an incredible juxtaposition.

Always loved this Playin-Crazy intro.

https://archive.org/details/gd1982-09-21.sbd.miller.33684.sbeok.flac16

Any way got more to post but more coffee, watched some of the hockey last night, but I also watch the misogynistic "Street Outlaws" as I have friends that are racers and watching them build cars made me love cars. Who remembers "I'm in love with my car?"

Coffee Coffee Coffee, Beer!

G

you were ever bumped into by a brown maniac wearing a parrot mask at Ventura or the Greek, excuse me...it was hard to see out of that thing...(see new profile pic)

Box Announcement por favor, More Coffee, yes please..

GFar.. you must have seen a dead show at the Crapitol Centre.. I have nightmares of the cops on horseback. My MOST HATED VENUE.. eva. RFK wasn't much better.

Ok, bad vibes be gone.. Deep breath, calming thoughts...ahhh.

back to some sweet Ethiopian fresh roasted goodness and some placid Grateful Dead. I'm finishing a review of the recent Dave's Picks. Some winners here..

That was b side of bohemian rhapsody, methinks

Listened to it a few times when i had the br single.

5th and 6th grade. Shazam!

Nappy’s new avatar

Ventura Stories etc

“The Habs, a team the Orcs would be if they could skate” lol

HeyGary, hope all is well. I never really thought about East coast heads or West coast heads, we just went to the shows to get high and hang out. I went to see the Dead in Nevada a couple of times, but that's the furthest I ever went East. I don't live in Mill Valley, that's a very wealthy area up in Marin County where some of the Dead lived.. I used to go record shopping up there at Villiage Music. I was born ,n the Bay Area, but I live down on the penninsula. Now it's time for that BIG. 1969 SPRING BOX SET, AVALON / ARK, Alright Dave, lay it on us.

All this box set talk,, whew. I just want something big and expensive. Just so my wife can say "what the fuck???"

Forty years of marriage and you live for the small things. :-)