Grateful Dead

Yuck, yuck, get it...? ; )
Strider, sweet post, nice vibe, nice memories, I’m going to have to look at that run. I feel like a had a couple sets from that run, but who knows...tight ya say? That’s interesting cause though I recall liking most/all the shows from that year my recollection is they could be intense, fiery, weird, but occasionally sloppy. But I’m learning that many of my memories are no longer relative lol.
So I think I need to go there...buy the ticket...

VGUY: girls, girls, girls!
Wow interesting set...I was @ those Spectrum shows, and I remember Hand jive sorta but that’s about it for that one....dooooaaahhh, stupid memory! Kinda bums me out I don’t recall such a fun set, or maybe I’m just fortunate I’ve seen so much over the years that it all rolls into one....am I the Victim or the crime?

EDIT: trying to remember now what year/show (86/87?) we saw at the Rectum where they had double booked the venue; WW wrestling followed by the GD....surreal as the meat heads, actually, I remember lots of children with nervous looking Dads LOL, but they had to make their way out through a large, anxious , aaa, “primed” crowd of Dead Heads! Actually very smooth but definitely interesting! Can’t remember what time the band started, but I know we were there well after midnight...Road crew must of loved that shit!

2/14/68, truly a relic of the psychedelic. Have not listened in three years as I did for its 50th anniversary .
But right now I’m traveling back 35 years ago to 2/14/86. Earlier today I glanced at my bulletin board and there was my ticket from that night! Took that as a sign I better relisten and report back.
As I had been given a backstage pass from Brian Williams who was an assistant to John Cutler I brought an old Japanese poet friend Nanao Sakaki (January 1, 1923 - December 22, 2008) who had been visiting up at Kiskadee outside of Nevada City. I got in early and got a couple seats on the left side close to the stage , of course being the Kaiser, just off the main floor. Right now I’m finishing out the first set. As it had been raining cats and dogs and mountain lions and coyotes the Dead played several songs referencing those elements . What strikes me about this run of Dead shows is how tight they were. Let it Grow was so tight, or like the Sun Ra album title it was “bad and beautiful “. I did go back stage at the end of the first set to grab Bobby Petersen to step out front so he could meet Nanao . I believe I had a signed copy of Nanao’s book Real Play that we gave to Bobby. That was the last time I saw Bobby Petersen who died the following January 1987.
So second set they opened with Keep on Growin the Derek and the Dominos song. Last time played. Listening to it now it sounds alright and better. I remember Nanao commenting on the Kaiser Auditorium being like a giant space ship. Boy howdy. Nanao was a true free spirit who loved spirits and smoking ganga. Now listening to Lost Sailor. I don’t believe I’ve listened to this concert in over 30 years. Oh yeah I recorded every night of this run with my Sony D-5 by patching in with other tapers. I’ve got those tapes still. Some on metal tape and others Maxell 2S. I have no idea how they may sound now. Decomposing further I reckon . Was going to pass on listening to this show but then finding the old ticket changed my mind. Sure don’t know what I’m going for but I’m gonna go for it for sure. Drums and space really impressed Nanao who many times was the life of the party at drum jams in Taos County in the 80s. Of course Bobby Petersen and Laird Grant lived in the Taos area off and on in the 60s and 70s. Laird at New Buffalo and Morning Star and Bobby up on Lama Mountain. I didn’t move to New Mexico until 1982 so was a late comer. You could say early 80s was the tail end of the old hippie days. Depends on who you talk to I suppose. I met Nanao in Zuni December 7th 1980. I had traveled there with a WW2 Navajo veteran (communications Sargent) but I digress.
Terrapin sounds awesome at this time. Calling on the elements. Keeping it real. I get goosebumps hearing this show. My God time flies. Anyone who had the opportunity to see the Grateful Dead live even once (and got it) was quite fortunate. I think about the youngest Deadheads (10-11-12?) at some Dead shows in 95 who really became intrigued who may live to 95-101? What 2080? 2085? Who will be the last living Deadhead who actually saw the real Grateful Dead (1995 cutoff thank you) It will perhaps be something like the last Civil War veteran alive or the last WW 1 veteran alive.
Back to 2/14/86, space sounding expansive. Echos from the stars. ( today from Mars?) Left a smoking crater like my mind was blown away. So here it is Valentines Day 2021. My mind is blown. But I will reiterate from another time, to keep your memory sharp, try not to smoke too much herb and drink too much. Exercise, clean diet ( freedom of choice ) good water. Good friends, love of family, lust for life , rise before dawn, greet the sun, give thanks for another day.
Ah yes , Wharf Rat, old man down by the docks of the city. I got no dime but I got some time to hear his story.
So go out and do some good dear readers. Glad I could share this story.
“I’ll get up and fly away, fly away!”
“The compass always points to Terrapin”

....Irvine.
The girls were pretty. That was my first takeaway. I was 16. Sue me.
Didn't revisit the Dead until July '87. Was still in heavy metal mode then. Not an excuse. Just facts.

Killer show.. Garcia's first show back.

....Spectrum. 3.23.86.
Gimme Some Loving->
Deal
Hand Jive
Candyman
Cassidy
West L.A. Fadeaway
Mama Tried ->
Big River ->
Might As Well
.
Sounds danceable on screen. 🙃

GOGD; thanks fir the 7/6/86 reference. I’m not doing Dead today but it’s on my list!
86 needs some intrepid traveling for sure...I know I liked 86 in 86 lol, but through the years it’s fallen through the cracks. Not remembering spring tour doesn’t help. I know I finally gave those shows a superficial listen on a job sight a couple years ago, but I really need to give them a better look. Still haven’t gotten to the Boxilla show either.

2/14/68: RT 2.2, one of my most sought shows I don’t have yet. Waiting for Real Gone to hurry up and redo it. They were moving along pretty well at first, probably 4 a year like Dave’s. Then, a couple years ago, they slowed way down...maybe they had to slow down because rhino thought they were competing with DaPs?
Anyway, been digging the RT 2.4 show from 93 much more then I would have thought. Hopefully sooner than later 2.3, from 74 will be out, since this is another highly anticipated one, hell all of volume 2 is!
So I’ve purposely not listened to 2/14/68 YET, so I’m hopeful they’ll put that out ASAP this year...until then think that ketchup song...”antici-pa-a-tion, is making me wait”

BALLANTINE ALE: ah that brings back some memories...don’t recall my impressions about drinking it, probably cause back then it was most once’s for the dollar..but since my initial reaction is not recoil, perhaps it wasn’t too bad?
But I do fondly recall my pops often giving me 2 dollars to ride my bike down the street to the convenience store so I could get him a sixer of either Gobel or Ballentine, often on sale for 99c a sixer, in the back of the store in a giant pyramid with big sorta starburst price sign, and a pack of smokes (25 or 30c?) which left me a nice little bounty to buy baseball cards etc for the trouble. I’d toss the beer and smokes in my basket and rush home so I could find out if I got anything good! Must of been quite the sight!
Hey it was a much different time and the manager/staff knew me and my pops and stuff like that happened back then.

....2.14.68 gives so much, but asks for nothing in return.

Proudfoot - Oh Yeah, You Betcha! (Think Fargo accent)
Glad you checked that out and dug it.
That 7/6 really surprised me, DL put it on the Taper's Section and I was way stoked on it.
There's some stuff in them thar hills, a fun year to mine. There's some fools gold too!!

VGuy - Ahhh, that's awesome.
I really enjoy pulling that book out and exploring it when the thought strikes me.
It's not my type of read it cover to cover style book, but when I do pick it up and go there, I'm always glad I did.
And it's so well done.
Way to go David Dodd, impressive work!

This '68 Carousel is too much!
That Alligator > Caution...
I grew up wondering what show that was from, it sounds like an epic good time.
Nice send off for Cowboy Neal.

thank you for the r3ference to 7 6 86

Very nice. I listened today via archive on phone while refiling and selecting shows.
StoC thru Stella

86 is an oddball year. There are plenty of gems. Since it was only a partial year due to Garcia illness, maybe it gets unfairly shunned.

2 14 86
3 21 86
3 27 86
3 28 86
4 3 86
4 19 86
4 21 86 "stehwehstehwehstehwehstehweh..."
5 3 86
7 7 86 Satisfaction

.....Mrs. Vguy gifted it to me one Christmas past. Read it to her in bed a few times. Gave her AND I a new appreciation of the words.
Grate stuff.
Now. Onto my annual listening of 2.14.68. Cuddling up in a comfortable blanket of some Primal Dead.