Grateful Dead

…that’s when it all began!
First show, third row, THANKS WOODCHUCK, even if you did scalp me lol.
My best childhood friend John’s sister went out with Dave Homel (who fronted several Dead bands over the years most notably Homel Alaniz)
They were supposed to get me a ticket, but being basically a gorilla show at a very small theatre, and being way down the list of requesters, tix evaporated instantly so no soup for me. But a guy I went to school with had a third row he was selling for 20 bucks, an astronomical sum for a poor kid BITD.
There was no way I wasn’t going as I’d had to wait over a year already for them to come close enough, no road trips yet being just a kid. Funny thing, My friends and company had basically a whole row up in the balcony so in typical Dave fashion he starts trying to get me to switch “so I can be with my friend” ha, more like so he could be in third row lol.
I don’t recall hearing about any of the band turmoil and there being no internet we just thought it was another show.
But they did start late that cold January evening and folks were scratching their heads about no DG. Keith was most certainly there (physically anyway) as I was standing less than 10’ feet away from him basically looking straight at Bob as he set up on the left at the time. Garcia was sorta facing strait out, and Phil I couldn’t see that much as the piano was in the way.
Steal Your Face was on auto play in those days as there wasn’t much live stuff and I didn’t have many tapes yet.
So the Promised land/Sugaree was right up my alley! I had seen the Movie too so very familiar song list.
All these years later it seems like it was an unusual show in some aspects (besides the obvious), and though it wasn’t the best show I ever saw, it certainly held some superior moments!
Yeah the second set opening few was kind of formulaic for the time, but for a virgin tenderfoot “it was gold Jerry, it was gold I’m telling ya”!
From there it starts getting good and though not E72 caliber, still a TOO AND a Dark Star, so not bad for a first show!
Had a sweet sorta Serengeti vibe during Drumz too!
Interestingly, serendipity got me my next Dark Star 10 years later on 10/9/89!
I’ve always liked this show, but it’s grown on me beyond nostalgia these last few years and I really think it would make some kind of fine combined Dave’s with 1/10/79 which has Dark Star and the last Saint Stephen until MSG 83. (Saw the second SS in Harshford on 10/15/83).
Always felt like the cosmic mojo acquired from this being a first show somehow continued through 17 years and 109 shows until the last one on 7/9/95, again attended by chance…not a ton of shows but my batting average was pretty high when it came to picking shows!
Oh, funny story: so the folks let me go, but John and I had to get a ride from a parent, so utilizing methodology he perfected over the years, pops talked his way in for the end of the show, and until his dying day always loved Sugar Magnolia after seeing this one live.
Afterwards, we saw a few of the band exit the building and get into limos. Remember seeing Phil and Keith who was with some gals, though back then I wouldn’t have know if they were crew/family or ? so that was pretty cool for a kid barely 16.

I knew Woodchuck for many years later, and down the road when we became experienced heads, he used to feel so bad about scalping me and I of course always teased him about it, but then, (and now) Id tell him no worries as it was the best 20 bucks I ever spent and worth every lawn mowed and driveway plowed to pay for it, and most definitely one of the best days of my life!
So thanks Woodchuck! ; ) and thanks to the GOGD for all the years combined!

To me this was the ultimate show. It was the boys, Donna was no more. Seemed like the whole audience was on the same doses and what a night!

A very strong set 1, with Peggy-O and It's All Over Now as the highlights, and marred only by a tepid Stagger (it's a good song but it has a tendency to bring a show down). 2d set doesn't start off that great but by Estimated it is picking up. Dark Star is of course the peak, both jams are excellent, the first is pealing an onion layer by layer (I even notice Keith for the first time in the show) and the second a Sunday afternoon walk in the park that gets scary when a pack of kids causes some trouble. The ensuing NFA is short but excellent. Overall, a close to Great show, but I grade it as a VG show, 9/10