Grateful Dead

Ah, I fondly remember Veneta '82 myself. I want to encourage you Marye to get out those old slides and scan them in to share with us!

It didn't last long, but the Maryland nights, the open air, the friendly vibe... and the lack of mounted police that so often frequented our other local venues.

...shall we go, you and I while we can... Location of my first show. Maybe it's just me, but there was always something special about seeing the band in those old ornate Depression-era movie palaces.

I can't decide which one.

Things conspired and aligned and I found myself backstage at the Frost 5/7/89?. Having attended grade school among the eucalyptus of Palo Alto, it was a special vibe. At some point pre-show i was offered a Triscut cracker with a cheese product atop it. Being hungry, I quickly scarfed the tasty morsel. The smiling, tour worn girl said "have an epic show". At some point, I think during "Crazy Fingers" I had one of those moments. Mind left body. O end up outside the venue, give away my wallet, tickets for next show, the AIDS benefit? and all of my clothing. Someone later told me i said, " i won't be needing this, where i'm going". Very very high on the 25. Kind people find we, wrap me in blankets put in back of comfy 60's era bus. Drive me to La Honda. Feed me kind fatty humus, juice, mangos, fruits of all kind. let me sleep on crazy star lined deck with hot tub for days. Bring interesting friends by to talk to all week. make speedy most high on lucy ive ever been comeback. Feeling strong. Bike rides down the 35 to the ocean and just super irie. and then, they took me to oakland, got me a ticket and said - "have an epic show". Once in a while you get show the light in the kindest of places if you look at it right!= The music is the greatest gift of all. jai guru deva om, jer.

In stark contrast to the '95 Deercreek fiasco, I attended the '94 run at Deercreek as well and I couldn't have had a better time camping among the corn rows and just living it up. There is something awe inspiring about creeping into the middle of a huge corn field under partial moon light and just listening. In the distance you can hear every hoot and cackle from the campground while hearing a million voices coming from the corn stalks as they rustle in the wind. (It also helps if you injest a little liquid and you bring along a few whip its for ambiance) I always liked passing that old country road on the way from the campground to the venue with the 'Dead End' sign with the big steal your face plastered on it. Ouch! I just realized I was smiling too hard as I typed this and I got a cramp. That is the true sign of a very good memory. Peace

I always had a great time at the Richfield Colesium. In the parking lot as well as in our hotel, Just seemed like a cool place to be.

I went to the Hall of Fame in Cleveland yesterday with my 14 year old son and his friend. When we entered the building the main ticket window was selling only memberships and the admission tickets were being sold downstairs. So, you we down the escalator and what's the first thing that hits my eyes? The display of Jerry's guitars right in front of the ticket window. On the way out, we were browsing in the store and the p.a. announcement came on that the place was closing for the night. As we walked out the doors into the beautiful September night, what was playing? "Touch of Gray." I told the boys...."See, Jerry, Pig, Brent, Keith, and Vinny are watching over us." By the way....there's a great exhibit on Monterey Pop which includes a letter from the Dead demanding a refund of the $110 they were charged by TWA for extra weight on the plane. Also, the Doors exhibit there until March '08 is superb.

well, it was, I suppose fate, it was I reckon, destiny. We were inseparable childhood friends, having gone to kindergarten together, up to about the 2nd or 3rd grade. Lisa and I were buddies, running around, playing after school, playing on the jungle gym during recess, splitting peanut butter and jelly samwiches - you get the picture. I remember crying the day her family moved away, I must have been about 8 or 9 at the time. Like little kids, we sent a letter or two, maybe spoke on the phone once or twice, but soon we lost touch as her family had moved to the middle earth.... gone were those days of fun and frolic. fast forward a long number of years. I was at a show, and as it so happened, the boys were playing Scarlet Begonias. I had got into the habit of shaking strangers' hands during that line; pretty much ever since I heard that song live the first time way back when... ANYWAYS, I turned to shake the hand of a 'stranger' dancing behind me, and as we shook hands, our eyes locked. It was LISA! our friendship continues to this day, I'm happy to say. the boys in the band re-united me with my childhood friend. it was just one of those things that could have happened anywhere and at anytime, but the fact that it happened at a show made it ever so much more special. peace.

I just recently ran into an old friend too I haven't seen in 20 years at a Ratdog show this summer, it made the show so much better just to see his smiling face :)

ok, so let's dwell on the really good scenes! though I certainly agree with marye, that we should not forget the hassles and lousy scenes; they were, after all, a part of life back in those daze. peace.

nice story, marye. way back when, with a flat tire, blown tube, dropped transmission (3 separate incidents, luckily all from different tours) on the side of the road, a bus/car full of helpful heads stopping to help us get back on the road. stuff like that, which was just so 'normal' was always a special part of the scene.

... So I put all the negitive vibe behind me (or at least on the other thread) and I remember the fun times... The UCB shows. Hiking through Tilden park...smiling hard... Sitting ontop of "tight-wad" hill watching the sunset and listening to the band on the radio while they played below. Walking around Mtn View and talking with all the cool folks. Camping out in the park behind Shoreline and having such a good time. Watching the LA Harbor before and after the Long Beach shows. Walking along the marina dreaming of the day when I could own one of those yachts. Singing Ship Of Fools at the top of our lungs. Getting a hug from that gal and being handed that cookie with a big smile....Furthur... finding yourself alone on I5 somewhere around Barstow, pulling over to take care of business and having a fellow travler (going to cal expo) stop to make sure were OK... CalExpo camping...nuff said... Smile smile smile... Eric

i really envy all you heads from the left coast. i know the grass is always greener, etc, but it seems like the scene is/was so much better out there. "never been so i'll have to go""" nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

Having made the trek to both coasts. I've found the BGP shows to have been more special IMHO. Eric

Growing up, I never knew who Bill was until I went to the "A Conspiracy of Hope For Amnesty International" show at the Omni in Atlanta in 1987. Bill was there with bells on and put on a great event. PS: The night Bill died, I was seeing the Alman Bros @ Lakewood Amph. in ATL. I heard the news on my way home. Luckily, the tapes were quick spreading throughout the land. Fogerty - Green River - very nice.

Forever Young - Oh yea - that was a tear jerker!

Ive got a real nice photo on my "dead-room" wall of that day with Jerry grining with Neil next to him *while they played that tune). I was in the masses of people on the field that day too.

waiting for the second show in paris 90,it was a very unpleasent sunday morning.in fact it was raining cats and dogs.maybe around 2 o clock GD sounds were audible from the zenith to the waiting crowd,and believe me we all looked like we had to swim there..but suddenly something happened which i had not encountered in 31 years of visiting concerts(..and i have sawn a lot o groups).because it was raining so hard the guys inside decided to let the audience enter the place at 3 in the afternoon instead of 8 o clock,when the show started.there really was somebody in the house who cared about the people outside getting wet :-)!!i did not experience a similar reaction never before and after never again(until today..)!a grateful head

I had my best memories at Buckeye Lake as far as scene goes.

Roanoke '87 stands out for me. The Rainbow Gathering was just finishing up in the nearby Appalachian Mountains and of course, the crowd was exceptionally crunchy. Roanoke Civic Center was a tiny little venue amid the second year of giant stadiums and the Blue Ridge backdrop just gave the whole scene a gentle midsummer night's dream feeling that persisted throughout the run. The shows were awesome (still one of my favorite Scarlet>Fires) but more than that, there was just a laidback atmosphere. No hassles from cops or hotel or arena security (that I saw anyways). The Holiday Inn (I think it was the Holiday Inn) was like a huge circus with people hanging out on their balconies, a large throng loosely gathered by the pool. In the Dark came out the first day at Roanoke and I remember thinking when the band left the stage after the Black Muddy encore on the second night, that it would never be the same again. The next time I saw them on the East Coast was 2 months later in Landover and I was right. The crush was on and it stayed on until the end.

is SPAM used in the procedure? Pretty bad that you hafta disparage Value Village this way, too, you spamfaced, spamheaded spammer

marye to the rescue!!

I have had so many great times-the mind wanders with delight, Winterland,The H.J. Kaiser and Frost shows, The Greek runs as well as those Warfield dates were all awesome for the music as well as the vibes. However, The time I had with the family of heads across the highway from Boreal in the meadow was the one I drift back to often. We got there early and set up camp with others, it was a beautiful spot a wonderful meadow surrounded by a mountainous ridge that held it's own weather pattern. We had a ball, camping playing and listening to music, cooking out and having a high time at the highest Dead show ever. The show by most accounts blew-well when you could hear it. It was a dust bowl and I stayed high on the ski slope away from the mayhem. Poor planning on the turnout of heads left to a parking fiasco and I was glad I had nothing to do with all that. Just what turned out to be the best of times, one I'll never, ever forget.I do have some nice pics and some excellent video from up there. If the Dead ever do something on DVD about that show-look me up. Never had such a good time...........