Grateful Dead

Was the first show I attended.

This was the show where we were all tear gassed in the parking lot!! What a trip killer.

I guess some kids rushed the gate that's what caused the gas. I was there in the park that night. To me it seemed like the cops just couldn't handle the energy. They were trying to push people out of the park. Every time they pushed the energy would surge, the drumcircle would get louder and everybody was just sending positive energy back at them. They couldn't deal with it, so they dumped the gas. It seemed like some crazy scene from a movie. I had just jumped on the bus in Atlanta so this all seemed like some great adventure. I was a filthy wharf rat, and loving every minute of it.

yuck the gas...police on horseback...and choppers overhead...oh the drama.

I had parking tickets for a specific area and paid for 2 days. The Lot was individually owned. The night before the show was cancelled due to Bob's father being ill. My buddy and I went to The Farm and did some partying there. We got back the next morning and there was cop sitting in the parking lot. As I parked in my reserved spot, he came up to me and told me that I had to leave. I showed him my receipt and parking pass. He pulled out his handcuffs and says if I don't leave he will throw my ass in jail. Not wanting to miss the show, I had to leave. Then after the show, ahhh tear gas. Well.... you know what happened. I will never have any respects for the Orlando Police Department again.

fun fun fun

Aisle surfing for killer views and sounds from the band the entire show. Outside: babies crying, dogs vomiting and tear gas everywhere. Bummer...

The turning point in taking my children on tour. It was beautiful, sunny and mellow while my children (then 6 and 9) laid in the grass before the show...lazily reading some of the "Secret Garden" and eating oranges the Red Cross? was passing out..... fast forward a bit.....tear gas everywhere, the noise, smell and panic still fresh in my mind..... Somehow got my kids (with help from a very kind man in overalls who kept calling me Mom although at 25 I couldn't have birthed this 40something :-) to safety.... We left after only a few minutes because it was too angry and fearful a vibe to have children around.... We drove all night and wound up camping in Vero Beach. We did finish the book and met Ron and Tim the next day.....

Was the gas after the show??? Oh my memory :-( I guess we missed this show, inside, then....Doesn't seem right, I thought it was just as the show started at dusk..... Although this would explain why I don't remember any of the first few songs..... I do remember kind overall 40 something guy and send the warmest of thanks if he should ever read this....He scooped my son up as I did my daughter and we just ran for cover away from the gas....It's a blur now, but we made it back to my vehicle and then he was gone, and we were on our way to some well deserved ice-cream anywhere but that horrible scene....

The whole Orlando scene had not been good to Heads around this time. The last time the Dead played Orlando, cops chased a teen into the huge lake around the arena and the teen never made it out alive. Then, just a day before this show, the first show on the stop was cancelled due to a Death in the Dead family (Bill's dad I believe). Finally, we get a decent (not great show at all), only to be tear gassed on way out of venue after a I Fought the Law encore. Did the band know what was happening outside? Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know Feels like it might be alright

I remember my eyes were burning in the line, and wondered why. Only to find out after the show that cops sent tear gas flying. The people who had tickets from the day before could'nt get because it had been cancelled. I thought it was Mickey's dad who died?

And I'm not even talking about the tear gas. The night prior to "that" show we were partying at a Residence Inn (our room) when some disrespectful Head was told twice to stop making calls from our room phone. After the 3rd time he was called out the scene got a big out of control and this punk sucker-punched my buddy Jonesy and broke his jaw. We wound up in the E.R later that night where they gave him pain pills and not much more as we are Canadian and didn't have the Insurance nor the cash to get him operated on. The next night came and Jonesy toughed it out and rocked with us at the Show only to fly home the next day. His two week vacation came to a halt after 3 nights because of some jacked up punk. Good show, sh!tty times !!!

I will never forget my eye's burning after the show and not finding out what happened until the teary eye's dried up. Had a great time afterward in the Keys being on standbye for 3 days.

I spent 3 hrs in a drum circle ... Had no idea how much time went by.... Show was good ... I remember leaving the venue and the first thing I saw was a girl pushing a baby carriage (both crying) I thought how sad! Then it hit us.... the tear gas! Next show.... a bumper sticker was ready.... I had a gas in Orlando!

the thing we remember about this Florida show......the tear gas....what a shame it came to that. We barely got in the door........xoxo Gypsy Cowgirl

I thought it was Billy's dad

Stayed at the hotel by the arena. Made some new freak friends who asked if they could use the shower that morning. Five minutes later, Orlando cop banging at the door threatening me with arrest for "theft of service" for letting friends in the room. (Guess they like us stinky). Then severely sprained my ankle. Cop wouldn't let me use the hotel pay phone to call a cab because I had already checked out. Said the next nearest phone was 3 blocks away. Thank you very little officer. There was no wind, not even a breeze so the pepper gas hung like fog around the area long after the show. On the plus side, good show. Liked Louie Louie and There Were Days. Also a very kind local head gave me his very nice hand made driftwood walking stick when he saw my purple-black ankle. I offered to buy it but he wouldn't take money. He does have my undying gratitude though. People like that make up for a whole raft of bad vibes.

I remember clearly what happened that crazy Orlando night! Unfortunately, I didn't have tickets to get into this show, so I hung out with my friends outside of the concert on the lawn in a drum circle. It was a peaceful and harmonious gathering. After a while, I noticed the police riding up the street/parking lot on horseback. I specifically heard one cops say to another, "We're going to clean it up this year!" Then, I saw several cops remove green tinted bottles and throw them into the crowd. The smoke was thick and people were panicking and running down the hillside towards the highway. Children were being separated from their parents and mothers and fathers were hysterically looking for their children. It was a dangerous and unnecessary situation! I remember many of us took refuge inside of a Burger King restroom, trying to wash the burning sensation from our eyes. A few minutes later, the police spoke over the Burger King intercom, threatening to teargas the restaurant if we did not leave. It was total chaos and bullshit! F the police! Their conduct was inappropriate and uncalled for! Nobody rushed any doors!!!

having lived in Orlando for thirty-five years and working with the city, mayor's staff and the arena director, I can only tell you what I believe to be what went down.In 91, during the 3 day run, it was a much different vibe, cops on horseback smiling and talking to heads, not gassing them, but in that time, there was a different mayor and arena director, both cool and the dead and all the bozo's were welcomed with open arms, hell, we even got great reviews in the local orlando slantinel. fastforward to 94, female mayor, born and raised in oville, hated the dead, old fart arena director who thought the eagles were too heavy. Same nazi-like sheriff who was given a free hand to "clean up" the lot. Also, remember that Orlando had been selected to host several world cup soccer games that year, first time anything that big ever in oville, so several thousand dollars was allocated for "riot control devices" In the event of a riot at these games. Put this all together, plus a cancelled show the nite before, and it was a police riot waiting to happen. There had been some kind of rush to the doors by several ticketless people who had been left out by the previous night's cancellation, some damage occured to one door on the west side of the arena. It was over as quick as it began, but this is what the police needed and the word was given to clear the lot. All this happened before the show was over, so anyone inside did not know what was going on outside, but I thought it was quite poetic for the encore to be "I fought the law". By the way, this was a great show, Jerry looked so tired, but he still delivered in a big way, even repeating lines that he had missed or misqued. Stepping outside it hit you, tear gas, not the wimpy stuff, riot grade A burn your eyes out tear gas, everyone had to walk through it to get to their cars, assh@%! cops threating to arrest anyone who wasn't "leaving now" Bad vibes, the beginning of the end. In 91, it was like stepping back in time, in 94, it was like a warning for the future. "one way or another, this darkness' got to end"

How sad it was for the innocent. Babies, children and pets that got tear gassed. I remember how pissed the authorities where because they could not get on the private property everybody camped at after the show... Does anybody remember the helicopters flying over? Or the bands that played on the property? That was a lot of fun.

How sad it was for the innocent. Babies, children and pets that got tear gassed. I remember how pissed the authorities where because they could not get on the private property everybody camped at after the show... Does anybody remember the helicopters flying over? Or the bands that played on the property? That was a lot of fun.

During this tour, before the shows sold hair wraps, clothes and beads I made. What a wonderful time.

Hey just wanted to throw my 2 cents in on this particular set of shows. First night of course just as we got to the gate the news came down that the show was cancelled. It was a total bummer seeing that my group was cubed up and really to go. The second mistake from that night was going back to the hotel room and not going to the party on "The Farm". From what I heard that night, and still hear to this day, that it was one of the wildest parties to ever take place on a Dead tour! I still kick myself for not going!!! The second night we got in and unfortunately what I thought was killer seats (the first row right behind where the Magic sit for basketball games) were actually sorry seats due to the 6'8'' security guard standing the entire time next to me, which any chance of me "sparking up". The show was great (remember when the beach ball rolled up on stage next to Jerry and he kicked it???....the eruption almost brought the building down...lol). During the first break I ran to back upper balcony where my friends and their cupped lighters were and asked if someone wanted to trade...of course they just laughed at that...lol...then they came out and played "I Fought The Law" and left the stage. Everyone in there that I was around knew something was up, so as we left we could see the piles of pepper that had been dispensed from the canisters that had been thrown (on sidewalks, drum circle area and such) then as people were trying to figure out what happened, the helicopter came right over top of us and was saying "Disperse now!!!" and by them getting so close, the wind from the propellers stirred up the pepper and it was like throwing the canisters all over again. There were kids coming out of the show (I mean like babies and a little older) screaming and puking from the pepper. As we ran out from there we came in contact with a cop, and simply asked "Why?" He threatened to those us all in jail. I told him he could F himself and as he got on his radio we ran. We found out later the next day what had happened and why, and also that they had threw so much pepper that it had made it to the interstate and as people drove by with their AC running, the pepper came into their cars and caused major havoc. Two weeks later the Orlando Police Dept made a request to restock their pepper supply with more potent pepper on account of the World Cup coming to town, and the Sheriff said "You seen what trouble we had with the hippies from the GD show at the arena, and now we're talking soccer fanatics from all over the world, we need to be able to control any issues that may arise." Of course they were granted the restock and higher concentrated pepper. It was a great show, but very wild and unfortunate night for folks who's only wish was to see the GD and enjoy the love of The Family!!!

Grateful Dead Live at Sports Arena on 1994-04-04 - Grateful DeadSet 1 Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin's Tower, Little Red Rooster, Brown Eyed Women, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Cassidy, Don't Ease Me In Set 2 Iko Iko, Way to Go Home, Truckin'-> Terrapin Station-> Drums-> Space-> The Days Between-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away, E: I Fought the Law Keywords: Audience; Trew Rickers; Chris Davis Downloads: 784 (1 review). The "authorities" sure have a way of messing up a good time. I hope that they are as miserable as I know they are. Peace and Music, Paisley Tom

I had wished at the time before the riot I could have attended the concert. I admit to being glad I couldn't after I read the paper the next morning. I doubt anyone can ever really say what happen sparked things. I remember the news reports talking about the fans who threw glass bottles at the police horses. The little girl who got separated from her parents. I was angry it happened. As a local and a Magic fan, I took great pride in the O-rena and felt my turf had been marred. But I also remember feeling angry that something bad had happened in connection to a band I loved. I've always wondered if Jerry hadn't died if the ban on the group would have been lifted with the new arena.

This show was to me an unusual show but my perspective might not be the best since I went to all my 40 or 50 Dead shows from 72 to 79. with the exception of a couple 89 shows. But they did a satisfying Terrapin , Days Between , and ended with I fought the Law. I liked it. I never saw the gas and was glad i did not since I was "very high"

Bill's dad had a heart attack. He did not die until 2 months after Jerry.