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  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    We have a winner!!

    And the trophy goes to Oroborous for "fungal foxtrot" -- my gawd man, you should be a writer. Oh wait...

    Another story: Roy Buchanan. We first caught Roy at Carnegie Hall in spring '74 and probably caught him a dozen times across that year into fall, most often in small theaters and clubs. (See: Roy Buchanan at Town Hall 1974...) At many shows, we had purchased "seats" and we sat in them -- for about the first 15 minutes. Then a half-dozen of us would emerge from our sometimes scattered seat assignments and basically make our way to the lip of the stage. It's not a Dead show and most folks remained seated while we formed a small cluster in front of Roy. He would smile to himself. His drummer later told me that the band referred to us as "Buchanan's rabbits," because we were always "popping up" at the lip of the stage. To this day, I've got more hearing damage from Roy's Tele and Twin Reverb (maybe 75 shows, 1974-1986) than from a roughly equal number of key GD shows (1972-1992). (Key shows: RFK '72, Watkins Glen '73, Capitol Theater/Passaic '76, Englishtown '77, Red Rocks '78 and every single subsequent GD Rocks show.) Not braggin', just happy lookin' back.

    One such event featured a double bill of Roy and Boz Scaggs w/Les Dudek on slide. We were in the first 10 rows and it was so loud, no need to get closer! After both bands played, Boz, Les and Roy jammed at supersonic volumes...

    Not to mention the many times we spent the day on the east stairs at the Rocks, then dashed in to actually cop front row (one behind the actual front row, reserved for handicapped) and at one ABB show realized that we had WAY better seats than the fairly large contingent onstage in the wings.

    Basically, my life has been one dash for the front or a judicious stance near the soundboard when I wasn't working, going to school, chasing tail or poking around the backcountry. I'm semi-retired from the big shows and, looking back, pretty effin' happy with the way I misspent my youth.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Up Front when it was cool

    The first six or seven years we’d go up front any chance we could if it was GA and we got there early enough.
    Half the fun was hanging out with the heads all afternoon waiting for the chance for the mad dash to the front.
    We’re talking small Auds we’re up front you were often less than 10’ away from them and the stages were often only 4 or 5’ high, very intimate! And the stage sound was amazing.

    Speaking of the dash: At the 7/1/92 show that we worked production, we were on the stage when they opened the gates and it was wild watching the throng come swarming over the hill and down toward the stage at Buckeye as Healy blasted the Horse race Trumpet Fanfare lol. Like some kind of psychedelic scene from Braveheart!

    It could be physically brutal and grueling though, especially if you weren’t in the very front row on the rail, where you could sorta lean and push back against the throng. Better ventilation too. Basically, it was on the wall or nothing, with the wall being only about 4’ high.
    If you knew what you were doing, and the circumstances were right though, there was nothing like it, but nothing comes for free so it was often a long grueling day, but we were young, prepared and it didn’t really phase us, especially once we got electric!
    So early on it was all about up front. Yes the vocals weren’t as prominent but you got the golden pure unfiltered sound of their amps/speakers, and in 83 when they started using the Meyers stuff full time they’d put small monitors on the stage in a half circle pointing out to help fill in the vocals better.

    But besides the sound it was like going to school to be able to see how they played things and to check out all that marvelous gear out up close! “Oh, Finger Ease, that’s the stuff Bobs always spraying on his axe”, like going to school!

    Perhaps the best part was the eye contact. If you were really paying attention you could see them communicating non verbally and they’d pick up on if you weren’t just some stoned civilian, but could tell if you were really catching all the little things they were doing. It was like you were in the band and if they picked up on you, they’d watch you and see if you caught little things they’d toss about. They seemed to really dig folks who could properly pay attention to all this, especially if they made a mistake!
    I can still picture any of them throwing some musical little tid bit out there, and watch your reaction, and then smiling because they knew you caught it, PRICELESS!
    It was big fun to joke around between songs with them too. We used to pick on Bob about songs and Phil especially always had a good time with that!
    Sigh, those were the daze!
    BUT!!! learning the fungal foxtrot in front of the SB was pretty damn sweet too lol.
    And aw those awesome summer nights outside with a big ole moon during a hot Terrapin…
    Sigh, yep, those were the daze my friends, we thought they’d never end…

  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    Getting close...

    So apart from Watkins Glen we had partaken of the GD/ABB gathering at RFK earlier that summer, the first day. The GD went on first, I think because Jer had an Old & In the Way show in Boston that night -- that's what we heard. (He 'coptered from DC to Boston with Peter Rowan, according to hearsay.

    So a good friend who had not eaten the blotter said, "Let's go up front." Plenty of room to manuever that day. We got real close -- definitely whites of their eyes -- and several things unfolded, no longer sure the sequence. First, some Deadheads being assholes, a few miscreants were tossing fireworks around. Some genius lobs an M-80 onto the stage and it lands at Jer's feet. He used to do a little shuffle when he was jamming and, without skipping a beat, he kicks the M-80 (prior to explosion) back into the crowd with one smooth movement. When they started He's Gone, the crowd moans and boos -- the feral animals on acid syndrome. But Garcia carries it off and I think they closed the set with China-Rider. (Just looked at the Setlist Program, and that's backwards -- set closer with China-Rider, 2nd set opener He's Gone.) During China Cat I get acid-confusion. Bobby is playing a Gibson SG (I believe) and Phil is playing a big brown hollow body, but in my youth and ignorance I always associated the solid body with bass and the hollow body with a Gibson guitar -- so I'm like, wait, which one's Bobby and which one's Phil?? (I knew from photos who was who, but go figure in that "special moment"...) I said nothing, but I think my buddy realized he was leading a potential casualty around and we retreated. Also, when you're 15, although tall, you are rail thin and still getting initiated, so we did not make a habit of pressing forward. It was a foray only.

    In 1976, during their theater tour, I had something like 7th row center, 3,000 people, I could the band quite well right in front of me and discovered for the first time the buzz of the amps in the back line. I was much closer in May '73 for Old & In the Way: 3rd row, audience left, right by Jer and his banjo.

    If that's not a great way to grow up, I don't know what is.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    About 20 rows up at red rocks

    Is just exactly perfect. My first show 7th row middle was too close for the best sound. Got there early as HF suggested and had our pick. But it was so loud I had to sit some just to give my ears some relief. Next two times there we figured out, as Vguy notes, the balance and full bass effect was better about 20th row middle. A few rows in front the tapers section and soundboard (duh, that's why they put it there). For Brent's RR debut in '79 we got back closer to 12th row as we wanted to see the new guy and the sound was pretty darn good and it seemed the crew had figured out the Red Rocks by that third visit and how to bounce Phil off them. All my other shows were pitifully far back or to the side with McNichols '79 the worst sound of all, upper deck right side and an echo chamber. The Denver Coliseum, where I saw a few other bands, had terrible acoustics. College halls that were designed for good acoustics like C.U. Boulder's were ideal. Pin drop perfect for the Chick Corea/Gary Burton show. You could visually see the notes, no wait, maybe that was the shrooms.
    Cheers

  • dmcvt
    Joined:
    close up Newcastle May 1970

    Probably late to the party on this, just discovered on utube , lengthy (almost two hours) coverage of the Dead's May 1970 trip to England, rough cuts, casual interviews, a few tedious moments, loaded with inside looks and about 35 minutes of concert footage from 5/24: "Grateful Dead England 1970 (The Lost Film)"

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Seeing the whites of their eyes

    As I remember it, it was quite easy to walk up quite close to the front of the stage when the Dead played at the Rainbow, London, in October 1981. It was standing room only down there.
    I was even closer the first night on the October 1990 run at Wembley. Brilliant! Seeing people you have read about and listened to so much, for so long, at such close quarters. Prior to this night it was hard to believe that they actually existed. Nobody I knew had ever seen them, or even heard of them. Like living in a world of your own. Which, given the alternative, might not be a bad thing.
    The last night I was up the balcony to the right, and that wasn't as good. I'll never know what was me - I was high as a kite - and what was really happening. The people around me appeared to be dancing and cheering before the band came on. It was like they could hear something I couldn't. When the band did come on, the only instrument I could clearly hear was Bruce's piano. I went bombing downstairs to try and get in to the stalls, but was easily ejected and went back to my seat. The balance improved during the show - but it was an odd sound. And as I have said before, drums and space was incredible.

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Being really close at the Dead....

    ....only twice. Vegas '91 and Portland '95. Sound sucks up there anyways.

  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    Getting up front

    Was fairly easy early on. Then it became a headache.

    Back in 93 or 94 we decided to go to the Spring shows on Long Island. You were still able to call in for tickets back then and somehow I got right through. To the customer service rep - I need tickets for Thursday and Friday, but purchase Friday first because that will sell out quickly. Of course when she reads the first order back it is for Thursday. Annoyed, but I got 6th row. By the time she put in the Friday order, we got the farthest section back in the upper deck. That was the last time we got up real close. Of course as any seasoned head would do, we brought our Thursday stubs to the Friday show. The usher gladly showed us to our seats right up front soon after the lights went down.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Up Front

    Pretty much gave that up around 85-86. Combo of no more GA, getting a little older, and most of all…discovered the Lysergic shuffle which requires proper floor space lol

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Phish fans....

    ....yup. They have changed a lot since I first saw them in 1994. People up front on the floor tend to get very territorial. Throw down huge tarps and will say they are "holding spots for their friends" and will get hostile sometimes. A lot of times I never see their so-called friends ever show up. Sad really. I don't go up front anymore.

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....this was a totally fucked up movie. But in a really weird, almost unsettling, but creative way. I had no idea what I was getting into when I watched it for the first time like 5 years ago. I sort of didn't no how to react to it....part awe, part fascination, big doses of squeamishness, a lot of eerie moments. Not for the faint of heart, but yes if you like shit that is totally off the wall. At this time, I'm not even sure what this movie was about in recollection, other than these images and feelings it conjures when I think about it.

Sixtus

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Every Saturday afternoon at 1 pm on Channel 56 out of Boston. Loved those old school, campy horror flicks. The Wasp Woman, Invisible Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon and all the other classic misfits.

Those were the days. Just remember to adjust your UHF antenna appropriately!

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Charles Theatre- now that brings back memories..they'd have themed events and J. Waters and Divine would make an appearance when his films would show...fog is lifting

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In reply to by Sixtus_

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....Rob Zombies The Devils Rejects. That's a good one.
His Munsters remake though? Don't waste your time.
Stay with what you're good at Rob. Which is gore. Not family friendly drivel.
Regarding old school, campy films, Mystery Science Theater 3000 does a good job making fun of them 👍.

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In reply to by nappyrags

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Nappy - that must have been great, to see Black Sunday at the cinema when you were young. Features the luminescent Barbara Steele as well.
It's selling Eraserhead short a bit, referring to it as a "horror film". It doesn't really fit into any genre. None that I am aware of anyway. I don't think the plot is actually that important. More of a mood - a waking nightmare that defies logic.
Suspiria is a bit like that. Some amazing set pieces, incredible over saturated colour and a great soundtrack by the Italian prog rock group Goblin. There is no need to try and follow what's going on - its just a real feast for the senses.

Dennis-they have some great B movies on British TV at the moment too. The Last one I saw was a William Castle film called "Homicidal." 15 minutes before the end they had what they called a "fright break" so if anybody found the film too much, they could leave, and be seen by a nurse in the foyer in case they were at risk of having a heart attack!

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On Me-TV maybe out of Chicago as he calls Berwin home.
Every week has all the cornball 50s sci-fi and humorous ones too.
Great selection but as it's on every week lots of repeats.
He avoids the gory stuff but you have to put up with really bad jokes, skits, and rubber chickens flying. I think the 50 ft. woman one was on a couple months ago. (We caught that car switch too Dennis!) Last Sat night he did Bride of Frankenstein. She's a hotty with that hair, LOL. And "just a little nervous from the fall" to bring it back to the Dead.
Cheers
Edit: The "store" weirdness continues. Just got an email from someone named Mac at support about my order status inquiry but I never placed any inquiry. Says my order went through and gave me the same order number I already had, so I guess it's all good even if confusing.

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Yes, there's one in Illinois too.
His accent is a dead giveaway as well.
Cheers

Agree, not his best work but Eraserhead came early in his career and was made with almost no budget. I think he was pretty much an unknown when it came out.

I read somewhere it was inspired by his experience having his first child and how weird/strange/whatever being a new parent can be.

This and the Wall have to be the worst moves to see on acid. Not speaking from experience but I know it's been done. I was with somebody that saw The Wall dosed. Didn't seem like a good idea to me.

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Holy Crap! I just read vguy's post about the new Phish box. I had just moved to Seattle a year earlier, and everyone said "gotta see the Gorge" So I took a chance on Phish who I had never seen before but obviously knew about. These shows are legendary, I just didn't know it at the time.

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In reply to by itsburnsy

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....those were probably my 12th or 13th shows and I knew during the setbreak of the second night that we were witnessing something special. Then that second set of the second night started. Even my wife was like, "WOW!!!", and she was just a casual phan. Plus. The camping scene was stuff legends are made of.
Top shelf Phish.
Saw them there in '97 also, sans girlfriend/now wife. The only times I've been there. Need to go back one day.
After those shows. We drove south and saw the Shoreline show and the Ventura show, which is also officially released. The band was en fuego that year.
Now, my wife could care less about Phish. I think I overdosed her on them.

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Is it only me? I tried last night and again this morning to order the 2023 series, and when I enter all info and click on Buy Now, nothing happens, except a red do not enter circle is over Buy Now when I move the mouse over it Help?

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that mine is on the way...also Revolver deluxe on the way. And the World Series starts tomorrow. What to do, what to do. Well, I just saw a Falcon 9 blast off from Vandenberg a few minutes ago, and I'm about to dig into 9/21/82 with some super silver haze. Saw Nick Mason's Saucer Full of Secrets last night. The tour ends in Oakland tomorrow and then Seattle. Go if you can! AAAAHHHOOOO

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In reply to by bigbrownie

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....and Big Brownie just solidified it.
Saw that Revolver release. Expensive.
$110 on Amazon for 5 discs?
I love The Beatles. First music I ever got into, but damn. Laughs in Phish.
Actually. I unintentionally lied. My first music was K-Tel records. I was 8.

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The 10% off code worked for my Dave's 2023 subscription just now. (I didn't have any of the problems other folks have mentioned with submitting the order, but I ordered as a "guest".)
And, I received my DaP 44 shipping notice this morning.

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13 years 5 months

In reply to by aikon.art

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sshhhh.. it's on the downlow. But we all love Vermont

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In reply to by proudfoot

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....Brownie got to watch a Falcon 9 launch live. And then super silver haze.
We have Wedding Cake down here.
So even I say.
Regarding the WS, I don't like either team. So to hockey I will probably go.
9.21.82 is really good.

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I like a 45 minute Playin' as much as the next man but sometimes less is more. My wife's playing one of her favourite albums, The Boy With The Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian, at the moment. The track Simple Things comes in at 1 minute 44 seconds and it's absolutely perfect. It's a good record, give it a listen.

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Remember when they tried to deliver them on the release date? It actually happened once.

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In reply to by Nick1234

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If you like them short and sweet check out The Residents' "Commerical" album,,, all songs are 1 minute long. Great album.

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In reply to by Dennis

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....may I suggest the classic release, Speak English Or Die by The Stormtroopers Of Death. Or SOD as the cool kids call them.

Glad to read the discount code is working, hope many might use it, it probably works for WMG to sell more product anyway. Too bad now is unlike back in the day when individual Europe 72 shows, Road Trips and more music from archives readily available here. Nick1234, good to see your post hope all goes well in Shetland. Sent a PM a while back but it might not have got through, regarding an anthology of Scottish Island poetry found, which seems excellent: "These Islands, We Sing". Great to see Gaelic language in verse, even if indecipherable as English is usually provided as well. Hearing Gaelic spoken is something else, know local dialect in Shetland is much influenced by Norwegian effects. Had first disc listen to Zappa '75 yesterday, two stop tour of communist Yugoslavia, Zagreb and Ljubljana. Its a bit rough for an official release, particularly some saturated vocals, but so historic... Frank's guitar work is outstanding and Terry Bozio, what a drummer. Since Vermont has been outed (thanks Jim!), notes for anyone heading this way, most of fall foliage color has hit the ground, ski season is just around the corner at the big mountains and the launch of retail cannabis is very typically super slow, growers were licensed a bit late and this being a small craft oriented place. Check Heady Vermont on line for details. New Hampster is now surrounded by states with retail and trying to figure out how to sell more booze, with no sales tax, their major revenue stream.

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In reply to by dmcvt

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DMCVT - I will concur, Vermont is a beautiful state, I have always enjoyed the sights. You mention New Hampshire, too, and I recall a family vacation on the NH shore in the 60s that was remarkable. My father made a really big deal of going by “The Old Man of the Mountain”, which was quite neat to see, then, and the times I saw it since (until it’s collapse, of course). The parents were big on Cape Cod for summer vacations, and we had family in Quincy (still do), so New England was a terrific place to visit, absolutely beautiful. Real nice folks, too! Thanks for the reminder of that memory!

Oro - If you are not charming the ladies of Colorado, or working hard/hardly working, please check your PM.

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Dennis: Blue Note Records has a big Halloween sale on now, some pretty spooktacular (sorry, couldn’t resist) savings on vinyl. Might be worth a look.

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In reply to by dmcvt

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Sorry for not replying to your PM, I never check them, and sorry to Daverock too. That anthology looks well worth looking into, thanks. Life here in Shetland is idyllic at the moment but winter's coming 😁. The Shetland accent/dialect is beautiful. Our closest neighbour's family has lived in the same house since 1854 and though I love to hear him speak I probably understand about half of what he says to me. I seem to nod and smile in the right places though 😀. The old Shetland language was Norn but the last speaker died in about 1850.

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12 years 1 month
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Ok, I ordered the Zappa 75 from Amazon, then I saw a good price on whippets (600 for under 200). By the time I got to the Blue Note Collection my wife was out of money. So Blue Note another day.

God this site could break a brother.

Looks like next week a lot will be pouring in.

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16 years 3 months
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I've checked my messages for the first time here and I see there are messages that I haven't replied to dating back to 2009. Sorry everyone. Is there a way to be notified when a message is received?

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17 years 4 months
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Is in the house, and no, I didn’t order from Amazon. Musictoday got it here right on time and it sounds mighty fine. Just wrapping up the first set now.

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15 years 3 months
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Love me some SOD and Scott Ian.

"I woke up, can't wait to eat
Got my cereal; boy, was I beat
Opened the fridge, and to my dismay
There was no milk; my mother will pay"

Glad to report there's no pitch issues on any of the MSG box shows, speed is right on. Bob shows up for the '83 shows. Some really good stuff in there, notwithstanding Jerry's voice in 82/83

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14 years 1 month

In reply to by proudfoot

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The deluxe CD set is 25 bucks plus shipping.

I Like Wedding Cake, too.

Jerry Lee Lewis? Honestly, he had to be the oldest living rock 'n roller.

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17 years 6 months

In reply to by bigbrownie

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Nothing new PM box, just one from 10/25 about tracking etc?
Quincy? Isn’t Carlo from around there?
My ole man’s peeps are from Maaaablehead

The Killer, I’d say rip but I’m not sure he’d know how lol

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12 years 2 months

In reply to by Oroborous

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You say that your grandparents are from Marblenoggin?

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10 years 1 month

In reply to by Oroborous

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Oro - No, that’s the one, I wasn’t sure you had seen it, all good. So your Dad hails from Mass? Nice area. Saw my first (only) shark off the Cape while on a deep sea fishing trip there. A fantastic holiday place for a kid back then, no idea now.

Dennis - Blue Note generally aligns their biggie sales around major holidays, so I would expect a big sale as Thanksgiving approaches. Sure, the prices won’t be as spooktacular….(I’ll stop. Right after Halloween…)

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Gotta' love Billy Milano - not for the faint of heart though. Anthrax was a great live band!

Jerry Lee and the Dead shared a few covers: CC Rider, Me & Bobbie McGee, Lovelight, Seasons of my Heart, Green Green Grass of Home, Rockin' Pneumonia, You Win Again, Muddy Waters, and more...

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In reply to by bigbrownie

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....Anthrax is STILL a great live band. Saw them open for Slayer a few years ago. Slayer played the complete Reign In Blood album 🤘.
Sadly, they are no more.

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Didn't know Anthrax was still around; saw them in '87 during the Among the Living tour, great show. Caught Slayer a year later for the South of Heaven tour. Tons of great Thrash shows in the Bay Area then, hard to keep up with on top of the Dead and more.

The 5 CD Revolver is $109, vinyl, 7 EPs Half Speed masters is $188 on the Amazons. Don't think it ever needed remastering, but the outtakes would be nice.

Last 3:
GD 9-20-82
GD 10-11-83
GD 10-12-83
Misfits Halloween
Walker Brothers Take It Easy with

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38 years ago tonight, it was Sunday night with the Good ole Grateful Dead. 2nd night of a real fun run of shows. After the show it was time for great bbq down at Everett & Jones down on San Pablo Ave. Fun tines for sure.

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Last five:

5 classic albums from the Doobie Brothers, Toulouse Street, Captain and Me etc. A bit of a guilty pleasure for me the Doobies, they were always sneered at by my peers in the 70s but without love where would you be right now?

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by Nick1234

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....so much music. So little time.
Listening to Pepper currently. A nice reggae band.

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5 years 1 month
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does anyone write about the grateful dead around here? who cares about your vacations and hockey teams.

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15 years 3 months

In reply to by DeeDeeMcTrivers

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Grateful Who?

Go Phillies

Edit: I got the DaP #44 dispatch email on 22nd but after 7 days UPS still don’t have it.

product sku
081227881580
Product Magento URL
https://store.dead.net/en/grateful-dead-1/daves-picks-vol.-44-autzen-stadium-eugene-or-62390/081227881580.html