Grateful Dead

I hitchhiked from the east coast to CA for this show. First Uncle John's Band in two year. First Brokedown in two years. After the show I called my friends at, oh, about 4 a.m. east coast time from the pay phone across the street from the hall to yell at them: "Get out of bed you heathens! You non-believers! They DID IT! I TOLD you to go to this show!" My friend Kathy was not amused, and passed the phone groggily to Mark: "Uh... you better talk to Glen. I think it's for you." Listen to the beginning of the Not Fade Away for those lovely Mona licks from Phil. Was "on the rail" for this one -- front row. During Shakedown Street I saw Bobby moving backwards and in slow-motion; not an unpleasant experience, but I DID worry a little -- what if the lights come on and the entire world is still moving backwards in slow motion?" Glen

scene evolved, BGP people were trying to control everything, then they just gave up and it turned into a 4 day blowout

I was working midnight to dawn shifts at the time.. had just come from Christmas with family and relatives, but this was the the year the epic love affair of my life came crashing to an end beyond the control of either of us. I heard the Dead were playing tonight 450 miles to the north, so I clocked off in the morning and headed off alone. A Feast Of Stephen's present to myself...Folks were walking around outside with little bags of ripped paper and many obliged. DP5 speaks for itself and that night the Dead spoke for me and my lost love. I was a howling wolf in the Cold Rain & Snow (my drop dead all-time favourite version), CC Rider's man had come, and just those 2 opening tunes were explosive enough to have us saying things like "Christ, we've just passed Venus!". The energy leveled off a bit but with superb playing and harmonies by Brent and fabulous Bobby guitar. There was that driving new ditty Alabama Getaway (which reminded me structure-wise of the Beatles' Get Back) which I perceived to be right-wing jibe at Jimmy Carter's inability to cut short the Iran hostage situation. After a break that seemed to breathe (some spliced reggae riff) came UJB welcoming tattered me to it's bosum. Speedy jams, a blown cue in Prophet, a sluggish NFA, and again, a song for me, a Brokedown Palace with a flawed beginning. Rarer yet, a pointed Shakedown (my lover's fave Dead tune) that funked then mutated into a surprise UJB reprise. No lie, Jerry was SKIPPING in place on this ending. A fabulous and poignant show. It was one of the rarer evenings where the lighting seemed to make Jerry shape-shift from a Civil War cavalier in Cold Rain and UJB in blue, and a bug-eyed insect in Estimated and Shakedown in red. When Dick Latvala asked for requests for the series, I begged for this in any form or fragment. Wherever you are Dick, thanks from the heart. And belatedly, thanks boys for one of the most emotionally comforting evenings of my life.

keep your character, enjoy living, share your fortune,OXOX Merple Reddin

keep your character, enjoy living, share your fortune,OXOX Merple Reddin

Good one...Was no show played 12-30-79?

Set 1-Cold Rain: great, powerful 1st solo, everyone contributing; excellent opener -CC Rider: VG Jerry solo; 2d solo begins w/ Brent on organ, very nice, continues w/ a bluesy run from Jerry; one of the better versions of a least favorite song -Dire: VG solo -MM Uncle: sheets of sound, very nice, 2 run solo -Big River: Brent keys 1st solo, nice; Jerry has a nice climax at the end of the 2d solo -BE Women: Phil thumping; disco Dead; solo-1st run VG, 2d run Jerry finds a groove and in the 3d he explodes, smile!; screws up 1st line returning to vocals; great version -Minglewood: heavy sounds; excellent 1st solo; Brent starts the 2d solo, full band support, Bobby takes over for a solid run, then Jerry; “tea for San Francisco” even though in Oakland; excellent version -FOTD: 1st solo- Brent plays beautifully, a few runs, then Bobby takes a decent run and finally Jerry delivers a very nice run or 2; VG version -LL Rain: very pretty 1 run 1st solo; excellent band participation during the “looks like rain, feels like rain” at the end -Alabama: excellent runs from Jerry then 2 good ones from Brent in the 1st solo; 2d solo-Brent, fast pace, then Jerry, high tone, very hot; hot outro goes on longer than you’d think; excellent version -Promised: VG set ender Notes: Great 1st set, band is ON! Highlights are Cold Rain, BE Women, Minglewood & Alabama Set 2 -UJB: VG intro; long solo, very good, w/ the middle runs being very hot; Jerry sounds so confident vocally w/ “it’s the same story”; this is the song that proves to me how great Brent was vocally; Jam-Jerry repeats the little riff over and over then moves out, gets spacey at the end before transitioning to Estimated; excellent version -Estimated: Bobby starts the vocals a little early; 1st solo is SO HOT, drummers banging away so hard, Bobby tries to come in early; calm in btwn solos, a little break to re-energize; 2d solo-Brent in the lead at the outset, Jerry takes over, spacey, sad notes; excellent version -Jam: I don’t know if it quite comes totally together, but it is pretty much a Caution Jam, still very cool -He’s Gone: Jerry throws in a superfluous “He’s gone:”solo is very good but a little short; short outo; Good to VG version -Other: back to business! Powerful intro, great 1st jam, good+ 2d jam -Drums -Space: cool electronics -NFA: long, calm & cool 1st jam -Brokedown: what a surprise in the ballad slot! VG short solol too short a version but still very good -Around: pretty good -JBG: starts off blistering and stays that way, energetic version -E: Shakedown: more disco Dead! Solo is VG and just below explosive; Bobby doing his best Bee Gees guitar imitation; outro-electronics from Brent, very good -UJB Reprise: gotta love it! Quick but nice Notes: UJB > Est > Jam, Other are the 2d set highlights. Post-drums cools down a tad but still VG and the Brokedown and UJB Reprise are pleasant surprises. Overall, a Great show, 9.5/10

My first of many California shows! - My buddy Rich and I went cross-country in my van in late Sept from NJ - not following the Dead, just seeing the country . After a few stops we wound up in Cloudcroft ,NM where we stayed until Dec when a new friend ( Mokus )said he was going to CA for the winter to cut wood .He said he had a friend in Redondo Beach who could help us get tix for the New Years' Shows.We quit our jobs,packed the van and went -after dropping Mokus off in Big Bear were we had a couple of very trippy days we met his friend Beefheart who showed us around LA and helped us score tix .After 2 weeks of living at North Encinitas Beach we headed to the Bay Area, my future home.Cold Rain and Snow set the tone for the show (great version) It was the 1st Alabama Getaway in the Bay Area but we all danced like heard it 50 times before. Great promise Land closer.2nd set was magical -Uncle J> Estimated,Other One.Rockin Around> Johnnie B.Goode. Shakedown > Uncle J Encore was awesome!!