Grateful Dead

This was my first show. At the time there were not a lot of Grateful Dead fans in the Charlotte area, and the crowd was not huge, though not as small as a previous commenter said.
My date and I arrived early, and we were surprised that the doors were already open. I carried in a camera, film, and other stuff, and was not hassled at all by security, also unlike a previous commenter's remarks.
When we entered the arena I was thrilled to see a preview of the Wall Of Sound, which I had read about in the Dead Head News letters. The house lights were up, and a piano tuner was working on Keith's piano. A beardless Jerry Garcia walked onto the stage with Mountain Girl. They talked to each other for a while as Jerry plugged in his guitar (Wolf), and then he began tuning his guitar. After tuning, He stood near his amp controls and began noodling on his guitar. I walked to the edge of the stage and began focusing my camera. Jerry saw me, and walked a few steps in my direction. I took a few shots. I then gave him a little salute gesture as a way of saying "thanks". He nodded, and then turned back to his amplifier. Soon he unplugged his guitar, and walked off the stage. A few people applauded, but most of the few people trickling in seemed not to have recognized who he was, and paid no attention.
A little bit later Phil Lesh walked out, carrying a Heineken, and sat on the edge of the stage to talk to about half a dozen hippies that I knew, and my date and I. One of the ladies in the group said she was from L. A., and was glad to finally see the Dead in Charlotte. Phil said, "I've been to L. A., and believe me, I'd rather be in Charlotte". Someone else said she had seen their show a Duke University, prior to the charlotte show. Phil Phil became animated and said, "I love playing at Duke! I would kiss those people's feet!" A rather old usher came up, and told us we needed to go to our seats, but Phil told the man that we were old friends of his, and we were catching up. When the man said we were blocking the aisle, Phil told the man that there were only 7 or 8 of us, and the aisle was 12 or 15 feet wide, so we couldn't possibly be blocking the aisle. Then he offered to elderly gentleman a Heineken. The man gave up. He just shook his head and walked away.
About two or three songs into the first set, while Garcia was re-tuning, one of the girls that had been talking to Phil walked up to the stage with a piece of paper and a pen, and got Weir's attention. He smiled sheepishly, and autographed the paper as the audience applauded. When he started to return the pen and paper she pointed to the rest of the band, and the audience cheered as Weir took the paper and pen to each band member and got everyone's autograph before returning the paper and pen to the girl.
Unlike a previous commenter, I remember no wall of police in front of the stage, and I was never stopped from walking right up to the stage to take pictures.
As I mentioned, it was my first Grateful Dead show, and I can't imagine a more perfect first time. In all years since I never again saw the band so relaxed, and having such close interactions with the audience.