Grateful Dead

This was definitely number two on a long list. The only show that I enjoyed more, for a couple of different reasons was the Private Deadheads Only Capital Theater show also in Jersey. Only because you had to belong to the Deadheads, you had to be invited, 1800 seat theater in the nice cold Winter, instead of the 105 degree heat of the Englishtown show. Broadcasted live on WNEW NY, And, one last very cool thing, it was such a small audience, and we had orchestra seats, well, in one of their intermission Bong breaks, when they return I yelled about ten times for them to do Franklin's Tower, well, they stopped what song they were about to start, walked off for another couple of quick bong hits, returned and granted me my wish, by playing the best version of Franklin's Tower I ever heard them preform live. My special Dead story. It still gives me chills thinking about it. One other thing about this concert, while out in the vestibule waiting to get into the show, the place was crazy outside, and at the Capital Theater, they had glass doors with 1/2 spaces between the doors, well, the police were on the outside, not allowed into the theater, well we were smoking up and blowing the smoke through the space between the doors getting the cops high. Another one of those very special moments thanks to the Grateful Dead! The only bad note of the night, was that Jerry was sick, but still preformed. Class act all the way he was. God, I truely miss the man. Don't get me wrong, the Englishtown Show was very special, I'll never forget it.

Always wondered what the band thought about this set-up? Cargo container Hell? Altamont East? Easy-Glo Bake-o-Matic? It had the potential to go South, but it didn't. Largely due to no huge ego's, i.e. the Stones thank God weren't involved. There were Angels there, but I didn't see them do anything but party to the vibe. Did lose my Brother though, he showed up at home the next day in the back of a police car. He hitched and got picked up by cops who got him home with rides from other police dept's. Even the cops were cool then. They didn't know him or our family at all, just helping a 20 year old kid get home. Can you imagine cops setting you up for a ride across 4 NJ counties today? I didn't think so. All we wanted then was freedom and we had more than we could have imagined. We got greedy and complained too much, thus giving away all the freedom we gained and a lot more. That is all lost now as all we have is emerging, evergrowing, ugly control at the hands of the "Me 1st!" and the "look what you made me do" bunch in Washington and Berkeley.

This concert (35 years back) truly exceeded my expectations. It was the concert of a lifetime...the music festival of my youth. I'm glad to be around to recall it. John Scher handled the out of control masses with dignity; I was glad to be a part of a "free concert" though we bought tickets. Echoing sentiments of Alzado's in his 2/5/2012 comment, it was accidentally excellent regardless! Could it happen today in the era of Bamboozle, Warped, and "Silent Raves"? No. It IS not the same, but I think the world is a bit better because of our collective experiences and positive values which transcend historical date and time. I don't belong to the currently bamboozled, but belong to a loving, grateful era which exists inside many of us still, and hopefully will live on in our progeny and loved ones once our ride on the turning wheel ends. RIP Gerry.

I was lucky enough to work at this show. A good friend worked for John Scherr who was the shows promoter, and a bunch of us went by bus from the Capital Theather in Passaic NJ to Raceway Park. We had cases of beer on the bus, and were partying the whole way down. We worked security, and my friend Louie and I worked in the "flip out" tent helping 16 year old girls off bad acid trips. That got us bonus points so when it was time for the show, we were put ON STAGE. I was in front of Keith Gacheaux(SPELLING?) andJerry was about 25 feet to my left. My back was against the chain link fence that was in front of the front row. To this day, it is one of the most amazing 2 days of my life. I'm going to see the movie tommorrow night to wish Jerry a happy 70th birthday, since I just turned 60. Yeah I'm gettin old, but never too old to watch The Dead. Seeya all there!

Drove down from Connecticut the night before.......Parked in a field.....Got drunk......Passed out.......Walked to the show the next.......Great Show.......Went with Brian Will-Do, Chris Curren and Vinny Monaco..........Awesome Day......Killer show...........Maybe the best Dead show I ever saw.............Stutch

We left Staten Island Friday night and were going to "camp" in line to get good seats. Naturally, we stood in line, and they opened up the gates around 2 AM Saturday. We saw some folks carrying in a couch. By the time we settled in just to the left of the center tower (planning to get some sleep) the sun came up, the the crowd crowed like roosters. The acid about noon time kept us going throughout the day and night, and then some. Arrived home 7 AM Sunday morning to sleep for 15 hours after being up for 45. A couple of bongs Sunday night set things straight, and we reflected on the experience of all this humanity in one place for a truly historic event. Long live the Grateful Dead!

We were able to get in with a LARGE amount of alcohol. Bad move. It was the last time I ever drank at a dead show. NRPS and MTB were great, but by the time the Dead came on I was a bit wobbly. I don't remember any of the first set and very little of the second. I do remember someone a helicopter taking someone away and the rumor was that someone went into labor.

But the Terrapin was a magical way to end it.

I believe one or two of my brothers were at this show, did not see the dead for a few more years but wore out the 1/2 step and the Eyes from this show on that tape - incredible versions.

9/3/77 Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ source: tracks 1-12: unknown aud tracks 13-16 unknown fm lineage: cdr's>eac>flac encoded & uploaded by Rob Berger one disc: 01: 15 Days Under The Hood 02: Oh What A Night 03: Henry 04: Dirty Business 05: T For Texas 06: Home Grown 07: Red Hot Women & Ice Cold Beer 08: Panama Red 09: Love Has Strange Ways 10: You Can Never Tell 11: Glendale Train/cut 12: Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother same show, fm source: 13: T For Texas 14: Homegrown 15: Love Has Strange Ways 16: Glendale Train notes: opened for Grateful Dead 01: intro 02: Fly Like An Eagle 03: Long Hard Ride 04: Searching For A Rainbow 05: Heard It In A Love Song 06: Take The Highway 07: Fire On The Mountain 08: In My Own Way 09: Never Trust A Stranger 10: 24 Hours At A Time 11: Can't You See notes: opened for Grateful Dead

I was 14 years old when I went to that concert at Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ. Went with four friends and we drove in Tom ( the Chef ) dad's Olds convertible. We left the night before and couldn't drive all the way in because of all the people. So we parked and walked the rest of the way in. We got really close to the stage and set up a blanket and met a whole bunch of cool people. I look back now and think I was to young but times were different then and everyone smoked pot. We'll we did our share and we're well roasted from the weed and the heat that reached 100 degrees that day. I remember loving the music and all the people. I became a (dead head ) after that show and would follow them all over the east coast with my family of friends from Toms River NJ. I remember I had a tee shirt that said "MARSHALL DEAD" we lived on hotdogs, soda and water for two days. Had the time of my life and glad I did it. Have you ever been experienced? We'll I have. Thank You to. NRPS. MARSHALL TUCKER BAND and the GRATEFUL DEAD.

This was my first concert. I was 14 and became a DEAD HEAD for life.

You must have been on some good shit if you saw J. Geils perform at this show, lol!

So I have never seen the Dead before and me and 2 buddies somehow hook up with with 2 guys I don't even remember and get a ride in their parents brand new Van, pull in the night before and they open the road and we park at the wall of the venue! Mind you I am a Led Zep fan and think this Dead thing is a JOKE, so I am going all in but with attitude! My buddy has the best liquid LSD and I have 1 oz of kind weed, so we think we are set. We actually are allowed to go in the night before the show and set up camp, so of course I am starting to love the VIBE already!! Wake up with 150,000 new best friends and by the time the Grateful Dead reached the stage, I have already had the best day of my life with the NRPS and Marshall Tucker Band. So I am about to see this Grateful Dead band that soo many have told me Blanch, this is the ??, gotta see these guys. Well at this point I have already done every drug except Heroin and I am in a zone that if they suck, I am gone!!Well I got on the BUS that DAY in a huge way and every thing about this band has been the positive in my life, even when things got shitty, a show would change the direction. Totally as we all know the greatest outdoor Show and I have seen them soo many times on the East Coast, Capitol Theatre shows, even one with MR John Belushi and Radio City Music Hall and moved to CA in 1989 and saw them at Shoreline 6/21/89 with my buddy Clarence Clemens-Rest in Peace- and have been in a marrige since 1994 that my wife hates my music, but the one thing I will never change is my relationship with that music, it has been the constant!! The Greatest Band and since Jerry passed what they have done in the last 10 years is just a Tribute to Mr. Jerry Garcia, the most magical man of Music and I have seen them all that I will ever be able to say, WOW, what a Genius you were and it took you passing for anybody to realizr it.God Bless everyone and may we all enjoy what only a group of fans realized long ago is the best live band and show you will ever see if you have the right ear and attitude!!!

Grateful Dead - Backstage Clip - 09/03/77 - Raceway Park (OFFICIAL) go to you tube

in every way. Long day, great show, where the fuck is my car??????

amazingly my first show also, a watershed moment

J. Geils played Miami on that day and were not at Raceway park.

No other concert I have ever attended comes close to the "Summers End Concert".The combination of good music,festive atmosphere and dry weather made for a great overall experience.Sure there was some minor technical issues with the sound and security and lack of necessities,if You were not a Boy Scout.All three band,s were at their prime and accented one another uniquely.I mean what do You expect at a Dead concert, the usual three ring circus, clowns,animals and side show freaks!Come on,all for ten bucks, even Santa only brings presents once a year.This show was a once in a lifetime happening and could never be duplicated as for why it stands out as the event of the decade for me! The only other event more significant in my life was the birth of my only child.My girlfriend at the time Miss Dizzy Lizzy,where ever You are now,attended this any many concerts through out the late seventies and this one is like that candle in the wind!United We stand and divided We fall.Even the Simon and Garfunkel show at Central Park in the Fall of 1981, which I also attended, didn't have the vibe this concert transcended amongst the crowd.

A friend from 2d grade and frat brother walks into the Lehigh U. Beta Theta Pi dining room on Thursday and yells, "Anyone want to work a concession stand at a Dead concert this weekend?" I was up in a flash; so began a mythical voyage. We both lived in New Jersey near Englishtown, so we packed the car with two other frat brothers that night and headed home. After some sleep, we took off with my younger brother and one of his buddies in tow, getting to the "stadium" parking in the late afternoon. None of us had gone to drag races there, but we knew this wall of long-haul trailers was not the drag track. We passed through an overlap and stopped in awe at the size of the open field before us. The relay towers were massive structures and the distance from the stage to the back wall looked like a mile. We checked in and were told our stand was the closest to the stage, on the right facing the stage. We spent all evening setting up, stopping for dinner in front of the stage to watch the bands run their sound checks. The Dead were last and they kept practicing Truckin' forever to get something right. We didn't understand the significance of them rehearsing that song. About midnight I stretched out in the back of a bread truck to grab some sleep, the gates were supposed to open at 9 AM.

At four in the morning, I was awakened and told that the gates had been opened and the truck needed to be moved. As I stood on the back bumper I looked toward the entry and already a sea of people had begun walking across toward the stage, only their heads and shoulders visible above the slight rise in the middle of the field.

It took an hour or more before anyone found us and much longer before anyone ordered anything. The heat started to pick up well before noon. When the New Riders came on we were thankful that we had a trailer full of ice behind us with the doors opening toward the stage. Each of us in the stand took turns on ice duty, standing in the open trailer chipping blocks of ice and watching the show in air-conditioned comfort.

As the day went on everyone who brought their own drinks ran out and we were getting mobbed with people needing hydration and refreshment. The hoses were nearby were the only source of water (this was well before the age of bottled water – we were only selling soda), making the area out in front of us a muddy field. The heat did not abate, the mass of people standing in front of us waiting got larger, people began throwing $20 bills at us and we were tossing 6-packs of cold soda out into the general area where the crumpled bill came from. Everyone on the ground in front of us was cool, but the pace was manic and those of us at the window kept looking at each other as we collected garbage bags full of paper money.

Then the Dead came on. We had been oblivious to how long they took after MTB wrapped their set, the constant press of the crowd had been going for almost 6 hours now. But the second we heard Scher introduce the Dead the energy of everyone in that space changed. With the first notes of "Promised Land" everyone was smiling and moving toward the stage as if being pulled by magnets. My recall of the next three hours is sketchy at best. We eventually ran out of anything liquid, the pressure to serve the next body at the window was relieved, and I was toast. I do remember that I had heard the Terrapin album for the first time just weeks before and hearing the first chords of it I immediately took a break and stood up high in the ice trailer to watch them close out the show in a magical way.

After the concert, we had to clean up, run the remaining huge bags of money to the Winnebago that was the office for the concessionaire, and make our way back across the bomb zone that was the now-empty field to find our cars. It took hours to get on the highway and we got home as the sun was coming up. What a long, strange trip *THAT* was!

My 18th Birthday! My 2nd show.

Eigth grade had just started and my friend Ed who was going into his senior year brought me. Lied to my parents. Now look at the state I am in........