Grateful Dead

Did a road trip down from Portland and stayed atKyle's house in Oakland. I just remember that each day, the show started earlier and earlier, and it was harder and harder to get moving for the next show. But these shows were great, I liked the Sat. show the best, but that Dark Star on the 13th was really special. Woody www.myspace.com/woodyinthebasement www.woodyinthebasement.com

Bertha is always a great way to get things started. Bucket>Might As Well is a ripping way to close a set. They did the Scarlet>Touch>Fire like the Starlight earlier. Everything always seems bigger here at the Greek! After the second set the band left the stage and the lights went down and they unveiled some large screens. Everyone was filled with anticipation because they started showing photos af Stars, Galaxies, Planets, and the like. Then Phil came out and stepped up to the mike and said, "We're going to do something special for you; one night and one night only." and then he exited the stage. If that doesn't excite you then nothing will. I can remember that we were all on pins and needles right up to the first notes. It is kind of like my comments about the Garden show in 83' the year before. I am sure there were people here who had inside information about the Darkstar (like I had for the St Stevens) and I am glad I wasn't one of them here. I just love surprises. Especially ones like this one. Friday the 13th - full moon! One for the ages. Dougles

Hard again to be specific about all the time I spent on that hillside, but I definitely remember being there that night because of the deep space photos projected during Dark Star. Phil's tone was especially good during that song.

My favorite show of all time. First California show, first Dark Star and the first for many things in my life. Drove across the country with a buddy of mine. Was totally broke by the time I got to California from the East Coast, had not eaten or showered for days, what fun it was. We had about $40 left between us with no place to sleep by the time we hit the Greeks on the 13th, loved the Friday the 13th thing for our first show in CA. Tickets were really tough to get and with hardly any money other then enough cash to get us to LA, we weren't sure we could find face value tickets or even afford them if we could. I think they were about $21 at face per ticket. Finally a few hours before the show someone sold me just one ticket at face, so me and my buddy had a dilemma but with a few hours to go we thought we might get lucky, then before you know it, it was about 20 minutes until show time and we were panicking with the one ticket between us. Since I found the ticket, I decided to let my buddy have it and enjoy the ride. I told him I would go on top of the hill and hear the music from there and just then as we were bumming out, it seemed like Jerry Christ had come down from heaven, some couple out of no where walked up to the both of us and asked us if we needed an extra ticket. We were stunned, thank you Grateful Dead couple whoever you were, I love you forever. And to make it even sweeter they gave it to us for free...Jerry Christ we were speechless in Berkeley. Well, we got into the show with $20 left to our name, made our way to the front row barrier on the right side of the stage and waited...oh what seemed like a lifetime. We were nice and high by then thank you very much to all our neighbors who kindly shared their weed with us. We were really thirsty by now so my buddy went back out to get us a Coke and 15 minutes later he came back with 2 hits of blotter for each of us... all for free again. Destiny was on our side that week. We took the first hit just before the show started and then the second just at the beginning of the second half of the show. By the time Phil came out and said something like "We're going to do something special tonight" we were so high for DARK STAR it was a dream come true. As one Dead Head had said "man it was great to be young, stupid and foolish" ...what fun it was. After the show we hooked up with some DHs from Santa Cruz who invited us to their pad if we gave them a ride back and forth for the next two shows and yes they even had FREE tickets for my buddy and myself for the 14th and 15th...thank you, thank you, thank you to all those friends we met at the GREEK in 84. Don't ask me if I saw the shooting star everyone was talking about, I was seeing my own. And to make things even more interesting before spending one final night in Santa Cruz before heading to LA in the morning, the guy's girlfirend who let us stay at his house, snuck into my sleeping bag in the middle of the night for a send off booty call...wow, a time I'll never forget and wish I could experience just one more time. Those were the days. In Jerry Christ Amem!

My 1st time in California,9th show,3rd on the mini tour. I just want to say this, the 2nd set is probably in the top 50 sets the dead have ever played,and i wouldn't have to include Dark Star to say this. But, with it, It was such a surprise, and done somewhat in Bird song style for this time in their history. I didnt realize what this weekend would mean in my life come 2008. Very important.

After a rippin show and the Phil comes out with the announcement about something special. I was tripping out on the slide show watching space in space when we hear Phil fumbleing then that famous Phil intro to Dark Star. On Friday the 13th my first Dark Star. Ain't life grand. and later in life say about 2002 my son started using Dark Star and his night night music. Spaced out dreams I guess.

Flickster Wow, I got goose bumps just readin that about when Phil came out. Fantastic, incredible. the next afternoon drivingaway (had to get back to school)There was a triple rainbow right over the greeks. the energy was just exploding all over Berkeley that day

Phil had been talking for the few days before the Friday the 13th show about how it was going to be a very special show that "you don't want to miss." That was an understatement! Thank you, and Stay In Touch!

The summer Greek shows were as good as it gets. I was lucky enough to go to all of them and this show was one of the best. My one and only Dark Star. Mahalo Phil!!!

I felt the presence of God. I kid you not.

Me and my friends passed a cassette tape of this show around right around the time I started getting into the dead(1988) I listened to it all the time. To sleep, when getting ready for school, when visiting alternative states, I mean all the time. I need to get this one again. I miss it. Wish I could have seen it. First show ended up being 03-15-90 which ended up being the Terrapin Station recording...Miss the old days, but love life now too!

sorry duplicate post

Ahhhhh the summer of 84 That was a special summer. Seems every time we turned around we got something new. From the Hult scarlet touch to the end of summer in Ventura (I just want to make love to you) Not ever nite but alot of them. Now back to Dark Star I remember hearing all afternoon how tonight was the night to be inside the Greek. Standing out side on the side walk we were given 2 tickets by of all people Callicco Not sure how to spell her name. sorry Anyway she told us you don't want to miss tonight. And in we went. She was rite and so were the rumours of Dark Star.... From my memory we were told it was in the San Francisco pink pages that week that tonight would be very special. Anyone else remember this?

John Geoghegan called me at home in Florida after this show to let me know they had broken out Dark Star. I was so upset that I had missed it but very happy that he was able to witness it and considered me. He always tried to convince me to see more west coast shows because California Dead was the best. After missing Dark Star, I made it to the west coast for New Years and Greek the following summer. It would be a few years before I would see my first and only Dark Star in Miami.

Anyone here get shut out of this show? My Friend who I toured with a long long time and I were looking and looking for tickets pretty much all afternoon. NO sign needed at the Greek all word of mouth. As it got later and later we began to wonder if we were getting when Calico gave us both tickets and told we best get inside. This is not the show to miss. I wonder if everyone got in in some sort of manner? We had heard that Dark star was to be played on this night. I like to think there was no way any of us on tour back then wasn't getting in.

Hopefully not upsetting anyone by reposting online photos of the shows we all loved so much. Not sure if this is the Friday the 13th show but what a night that was.http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg4pk0ggf%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg40v8d38%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg41v5f7n%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg44m94tk%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg48c9wjx%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg4w66m1m%2Fis%2F1 http://images.gdao.org/view/image/ark%3A%2F38305%2Fg4mp53kj%2Fis%2F1

While 1984 isn’t usually what comes to mind when thinking of incredible tours, this is a fine example of Jerry and the band at their absolute peak in terms of listening to each other and creating a vivid space from which to improvise. Jerry’s health was in huge decline during this period, his vocals often being strained to the point of scorched during most of 1983-1985. It wasn’t until after the coma and return to the road in 1987 that he could croon on a regular basis. However, there were often many great nights of guitar playing pre coma. At this point, he was still performing magically on most nights. The Greek Theatre was always a special place for the band and this run was no exception. This night was the first of a three night run and the first back in their hometown winding down from the long summer tour that started out West, moved to the East and then Midwest. This night among other things was known for the breakout of Dark Star for the first time since New Years 81 and more interestingly played as an encore, While that was satisfying in its own right, I believe the Scarlet Begonias —> Touch of Grey —> Fire on the Mountain was the barn burner of the show. This jam in Scarlet, prior to the move to Touch of Grey, which hadn’t ever happened before this night as far as I know, was intense, full of energy and great band syncopation. Paul and I are constantly looking for that magic in the music and this was no exception. The interplay between Jerry’s leads, Bob and Phil’s rhythmic foundation, the drummers cool fresh sounds and Brent who had come into his own (almost 5 years at this point) was highlighted by this mesmerizing jam. I find this full of energy and fresh ideas that I have drawn from in countless jams. The pace starts out nice and even and then builds dynamically throughout to an interesting crescendo. What always keeps me coming back to this jam is the upbeat nature of it. Scarlet jams could be sometimes short, spacey or even somewhat measured. There might be better ones, but this is pretty cool. I especially like the tease at the end into Fire on the Mountain, which Jerry actually abandons in favor of Touch of Grey

On 7/13/24. It's a Rex Foundation benefit. Details at rexfoundation dot org

July 13, 1984 I was lucky to be there with my friends. I do remember Phil coming out on stage at the end saying they had something special. They had two screens that they started showing picutures of the universe on :-). That was the first time I had ever heard Dark Star, the fellow heads around were erupting.
I do recall immersing myself in the song :-)

Cool stuff, on July 13, 2024 I was offered two tickets from a friend to go to the Dark Star Orchestra at the Berkeley Greek Theater, a 40 year Anniversary of the 1984 show and the Rex Foundation. I only found out when I was there that they were repeating the 1984 show. My son and I went with my friend, and had a wonderful time. A great performance by DSO, who added an extra encore that included Ripple at the end, of course with the crowd singing along. My son remarked that we were nearly the same age 40 years apart seeing the same show. me 21 in 1984 and him 20 in 2024. Wonderful.

I was at the infamous 7/13/84 Greek show when the shooting start arced across the night sky as the band rolled into Dark Star. At 21, it was of my most memorable shows. Did I ever think that 40 years later I would return to the Greek with my 2 kids in tow, ages 20 and 26 to relive that incredible evening? Heck no. But, that is what happened, and it was a great time. I attended 14 shows at the Greek but that one was always a stand out. Time to dial up the way back machine and go listen to the GOGD from that wonderful night!