setlist
Let the Good Times Roll
Shakedown Street
Walkin' Blues
To Lay Me Down
It's All Over Now
Loser
Let it Grow
Bertha
Greatest Story Ever Told
Crazy Fingers
Truckin'
drums
The Wheel
I Need a Miracle
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Hey Jude Reprise
Turn on Your Love Light
Black Muddy River
Shakedown Street
Walkin' Blues
To Lay Me Down
It's All Over Now
Loser
Let it Grow
Bertha
Greatest Story Ever Told
Crazy Fingers
Truckin'
drums
The Wheel
I Need a Miracle
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Hey Jude Reprise
Turn on Your Love Light
Black Muddy River
show date
Venue
dead comment
Camping at Philly
These shows were fun just being able to camp in the park right next to the arena. Once the camping days ended, things changed. There was nothing like camping right at the show for 2-3 days, Home Sweet Home.
Standing for Peace
(this post is also connected to a photo posted for this show)
Hey Friends!
For any of you who attended the Spectrum run in Philly in the fall of 1988, this may seem familiar. (see photo in fan photos for this show) As was par for the course for me in those days, I arrived in Philly with my closest friends a day or so before the show. There was a park across the street from the venue that became home for everyone for about a week! It was such a special place and I knew from showing up how special it would.
As we pulled up and found the sacred parking spot right at the park, the saw that the first inhabitants of this massive field (that would soon be home to thousands and thousands) was this tee-pee set up by the rainbow family. Soon after this photo was taken, as many more folks were starting to arrive, a rainbow circle was formed in the middle of the field and about a hundred or more people joined hands in a circle and set an intention of peace and positive vibes for this space and all of the people who would come here. We joined our voices in toning and moved around in the circle singing some sacred songs and putting out intentions to the universe.
As we all know, the scene was threatened around this time as so many people were now showing up to shows - many people doing so more for the scene and the party than the music. So, this prayer and intention was sending out a blessing to all so that we would be respectful of each other, the land, and all who we encountered on our journey there.
I was deeply touched by this and felt like it spoke to the feelings I was having at the time of wanting to "leave only footprints" and be a presence of love and healing vs. destruction and chaos.
The days to come during these shows proved to be a "battle" of these energies as there were many displays of peace and community as well as many occurrences of destruction, abuse, and violence.
I give thanks to have been aligned with friends and community that were helping to keep the scene filled with love, collective responsibility, and focused on what was most important - the music!
Hope you enjoyed the ride too!
With Peace,
Brother "A"
Yeah!
Yep, magical times! That was one of the sweetest little scenes for sure brother! Strange I don't remember the tee-pee! Probably because by that point in my life stuff like that had become so normalized that it didn't stand out as being strange or unusual to see a tee-pee in the middle of a large urban environment. But the whole scene at those shows was miraculous really, that we were allowed to set up in the midst of the city like that and create a separate community with its own values etc, outside the mainstream, yet existing alongside. A beautiful scene! Although I think that show was the first show where I remember people talking about someone overdosing, which made me think...!Thank you for you nice post brother! :)
Are you kind?
The current fashion sets the pace.....
Hey Jodester!
Thank you for the acknowledgment and your post as well.
I was debating on whether to mention the OD or not but now that the cat is out of the bag.....
I am not sure what of this is true or not, but hearing you speak of the OD supports what I was tuned into at the time. I believe there may have actually been a couple or even 3 fatalities or injuries leading to death or near death at those shows.
Sadly enough, I believe that at least two of them were nitrous related as well.
I know that one person that was doing nitrous standing on this concrete platform near the pond in the park passed out (as people do on nitrous) and fell backwards into the water. Everyone else was so high and freaked out that no one acted to help. Not sure if that person died or what happened to them.
I also remember hearing that someone was hit by a car in a nitrous related incident. I have seen people do weird things when on nitrous and one of them I witnessed a few times was people going into a raged stupor. I guess this person was out of it and made a mad dash heading right for traffic. Again, not sure of the outcome of it but what I remember being said at the time was that these people perished or were seriously injured from those incidents.
I do remember (from my point of view) that this was the absolute peak of nitrous. There were so many tanks at that park that all night long you could here them whisping in the background. It simply became a constant background noise that never seemed to stop. There were balloons everywhere.
I was never a fan of nitrous and I feel I chose to not go there because I saw the "hippie crack" effect it was having on people. It was sad to see how dark and "screw-you-over-ish" the scene got because of something like nitrous and the obsession with drugs.
As with any scene (and as with life in general), the path you choose to walk is the experience you will have. Despite being aware of all of that stuff happening and having it come up in your face every now and again, I chose to align myself with people who were over flowing with love, singing songs until the sun came up, and sharing the joy of being alive and appreciating all there was to be grateful for by being right where we were!
Truly Grateful,
Brother A
Ah, yes...
...now I remember, ur quite right, there were three people! It seemed so strange to me because the vibe was so good over all. But when it got to the really late at night scene I remember it was getting skanky and I was happy to hang in my tent with a few friends toasting. I didn't feel like it was dangerous or anything. I was completely surprised to hear about the three. Amazed even! My eyes were not really opened to the fact that such terrible things could happen on tour. I was hanging out with folks I went to Rainbow 87' with, cats from NYC and various tour folks who were really positive vibrations. It wasn't until some point later on tour that I realized how bad some aspects could be. As for nitrous, yeah it was around more than I'd noticed before. No where near as bad as at Pittsburgh shows a couple years later though. I counted at least 30 tanks just in one campground!!! Every ten feet there seemed to be a tank. My friends had one on a certain occasion and by the end of the day they were dribbling snot all down their faces. Cool huh?! :/ Not my scene although of course I tried it a few times.
Are you kind?
:/
Interesting at shows how the nasties come out (in every way) when the goodies are away. When the hour gets late enough and the percentage of nice people drops off and then u start to see the jonesers start to act up. It was never so bad at GD shows as what I witnessed at Phish shows however, thats for sure! A different mentality had emerged by then. Wanna be gangstas! Lil' posse pussies who had no real morals and not enough character to stand on their own. But the more of the darkness I see the more I feel strengthened in my path and determined to stay in the light! It's all learning! If we choose to be open to the lessons offered. Blessings! J
Are you kind?
Seriously !!!
you compare phish tour to the dead !! Hey dudes, yu should have stopped goin' !! Ever think of that ??
when we pulled up to th
when we pulled up to th parking lot looking to get in get a spot...a cop (kinda arrogant) says there will b no camping in parking lot this year...we're looking a lil' lost at this time...til he points a all this grass across th street, in a asshole way he tells us were to camp there....ughh no, dont throw us in th briar patch...lol.....great time
city of
I thought this show was amazing!! In all honesty I hated going to Philly for shows. We use to call it the Philthy Rectum. By the end of a run it smelled like ass. It became to much about the scene here & not the music. I don't miss Philly shows, in fact I don't miss Philly.
Balloons, The stage, The folks.
Hey, I know it's been a long time since you posted this but I just happened to read it.
The Nitrous at the shows were nothing more then a bad vibe and a dangerous killer.
I once was behind a couple of guys with two tanks on a rolling dolly and they had so much money it was falling from their pockets I mean hundreds of dollars in 5 10 20 denominations I just kept following them, Once we got to a certain point I stopped them and handed them back about 600.00 dollars, No crap man. I could have kept it but that was bad karma no matter what. They were oblivious to it, That's how much money they were making from people killing themselves.
They just looked at me as to say OK Thanks man, And took off like lightning. bills flying all over the place. I looked like a cop, Still do.
Yet it was not illegal to sell! The cops would close them down, Then if they caught them again empty the tanks. I remember seeing one box truck with like 5 or more tanks in it. Boxes and boxes of balloons.
Like you said, there were death's do to the crap...This I know for sure. You are cutting off the oxygen to your brain when you do that shit. Do a few more and it's COMA time.
ME? I would pick up a sheet if I could at every show for my own enjoyment. I'm no never did it never will...Still do and still will, can't find. COP!! HE'S A COP....RUN! that used to piss me off.
However once inside a show all the dramatics usually went away unless like me you were an EMT. I have seen things in the medical centers at what used to be the Brendan burn arena, Giants stadium, The Spectrum you name it. OD'S People so flipped out they were tied down to a bed with no cloths on. I saw a young girl like that once, She kept asking me to untie her. NO! I have seen two people die at shows. Englishtown, East Rutherford, {THE BURN} OH and at the last show at JFK in Philly I watched as a young girl was sitting and had no pulse, she was brought back, I think? I was pushed out of the way when the paramedics got there.
That does not include ADAM KATZ who was killed by the yellow jacket security and everyone knows it.
SO Whats my point? Even today young kids are under the impression that going to a Further show is to get high just like the late 80's & early 90's before we lost Jerry. If I'm Wrong Please Let Me Know, I Would Like To Go To Another Show Before All The Boys Are Gone, Or I Am.
I stopped going to DEAD shows in 91 and only went to Jerry shows till his death. haven't been to any Further shows. Just two Rat Dog and one PHIL Show. The people at the Phil show were arrogant, insulting, paranoid freaks. A friend of mine was just taking photos in the parking area and was accosted by a women and her boyfriend. They were violent, Pushing him and telling him to give them his camera, At the time it was worth over 1600 dollars and was all digital. {CIRCA 2007} They were freaks man. This was in FL. Once I showed them I had a concealed carry permit they ran away. The permit is not what they saw. I was in fear for my life and my friends at the time, These people were obviously very stoned and dangerous.
I have not been to a show since. I wish that the shows were always like the west coast 60's 70's and early 80's But once and I hate to say this but once the younger freaks started crashing and coming just for drugs it was all over now baby blue.
We have our memory's and no one can take those away from us. PEACE.
P.S. My comments are not convictive of all the shows. I went to a lot of really great shows with some of the best people on earth. Dead Heads.
Phil Shows.
I had just commented on that very subject. When living in FL. I went to two Rat Dog shows and they were great. Good people, A bunch from the local collages.
But Then Phil Came to town, For some reason the people that were following them were real freaks. Not everyone but a large percentage.
These shows took place at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton.
I had found that most of the trouble makers were from other states that were following the Phil Lesh Experience.
The locals for the most part were cool as far as I could tell anyway.
What was it all about? Why Phil? Did anyone else see this in other states? Out West?
Deaths at GD shows
Ripplejack, I'm attempting to document all the people who died at GD shows in my upcoming Encyclopedia of Jerry Garcia Music Venues. Please email me at slipnut01@gmail.com