Grateful Dead

richiebagadonuts my first time,sumptin special,listen to them for a while,but this show sealed it. the best. life without dead unthinkable ;->

If you grew up in the tri-state area and listened to the radio at all, you heard that commercial for the funny cars and stock car races all the time. Way before NASCAR was cool and redneck. So, the prospect of heading there for a show was interesting. It was a big, outdoor event with Marshall Tucker doing a hell of a job and NRPS filling space until the real show started. We got there the night before and were forced to park seemingly miles away in front of some poor sucker's house and walk in the dark to the site. At first, they were going to keep the doors closed until the morning, but due to the gathering mass they made the prudent decision to let us in. Everyone just headed in and dropped down and slept. In the morning waking to scores of thousands of people made me wonder how embarresing it would be to have a wet dream among all those folks. The morning brought heat and there was little water and what there was, was hard to get. It may have gotten Altamont, but things stayed in perspective. After NRPS, I realized the crowd was getting tight and at 5'7'' I probably wouldn't see much. So, I bought a case of soda - that's right - so I could stand on the cans. The show had it's ups and downs. I recall the NFA being very interestingly disjointed with almost Garcia solo sections. During the show, one of my friends had the first of several freak outs that would land him Bellevue, accusing everyone in the crowd of staring at him. Instead of traveling back with a friend from the hood, I squeezed into a car with my cousin's friends, which boded well for me as the other car ended in a wreck. Since seat belts weren't cool, I would have surely been airborne through the wind shield. Live and learn. I don't know how I was able to survive in tact, but I have.

...shall we go, you and I while we can...Many people think this might be the definitive version of this song. You can check it out on Dick's Picks 9.

I remember this show like yesterday. It was a hot early September day, we didn't have a lot of trouble finding the place, just had to park and walk a long way. The show wasn't in the raceway, it was beside it, with eighteen wheelers used as boundaries. When we got in at around 3 in the afternoon, maybe earlier, The MTB was playing, We sat about 3/4 up the hill as the stage was at the bottom of a sloping hill. There were booster speakers all over, I remember there was some trouble getting the sound right and the Tucker Boys were not real loud where we were. As the MTB wound down, the sound got better, It was hard to see the stage where we were, but with binoculars you could. (Dicks Pick 15 is a hi Quality recording of this show, a great show,) As the Dead started, things picked up and the Dead put on a first rate show, that was broadcast on radio, where the Dick's Pick got their source from, I don't know, but the quality is great. The crowd was friendly as usual, and it was a pleasant evening of music, being capped by a great version of Terrapin Station, in the stars of the country!!!! John 3:16

This show was best, it was the cream of the crop after going to shows in RPI, Troy NY, Willam and Mary, Cornell, Glens Falls, Rochacha NY, Landover MD, etc. This show was all you need. We where between July and August colection of speakers at Englishtown. We did not really see the Band but we have seen them many times in earlier shows, so we just sat back and danced up a storm. The sound was incredable, they had the speakers tuned in. Leash souded load and clear as day/night. Had a great time the night before camping on the field. I will never forget the show. Two weeks later I was hitch-hiking in Hayword CA, guys in a van pick me up, they have an old newpaper in back with a great centerfold panoranic picture of Englishtown NJ. Glad I was at the show!!!!! I will never forget this show and time in my life....... Go NY Rangers!!!!

After gettin' hassled by the State Troopers in smokey bear hats, who took most of our stash (not all!) and dumped it in the swamp along the turnpike, we got to the show and the sunshine daydream began...Jersey and the Dead forever! See ya down the road, Boxcar

The best half-step ever, first set magic,didn't happen often but when they hit it, all you could do was smile.

Two of us just parked, walked down to about the first towers/center and enjoyed the show. Not at their best, but later, toward the back, the well synched sound towers produced a much fuller, fatter sound.

I was 16 and my best friend couldn't go to the show, so I went to Manhattan, grabbed a bus and headed to Englishtown. I got there just as Marshall Tucker had started. I was the proverbial wide eyed kid in a candy store. I had met a young woman on the bus and together we got to know each other. I stumbled up the slope to go to the port-o-john and when I got back she was gone. I never saw again. The show was life changing. After the show, I walked back to E. Brunswick to the bus stop to return back to Manhattan. The bus stop was about 15 miles from the show. My mind was on fire and I literally danced down the highway.

We showed up at my friend's house, ready to roll to the show. He came out and informed us he was forbidden to go with us. being a true friend, he dropped the fungii on the front seat and went inside to, no doubt, to brood. We hit the road and got to the already congested area around 3am. Started walking and found our way into the field. We made it in after giving the security some still chilled Molsons and some pbj's. Set up shop around half way between stage and first set of towers. I was exhausted from soccer training the day before and slumped to sleep. Woke up to a blazing hot sun. The field was filling very quickly. We were surrounded by semis parked end to end and port o johns inside the ring of rigs. There was a lot of security (or just random people) trying to keep things civil. I remember watching some guys that did not want to wait for the port o johns gettings peed on from the rigs as they peed on the rigs. We had a great space of blankets and coolers. The NRPS and MTB were worthy diversions during a blistering day. I think Jerry came to play mandolin on a NRPS song or two- I could be wrong. Our beers were getting warmer, though and we were praying for an early set. The Dead started playing, shrooms were passed, buds flared and we were in for a night for the history books. Check out the tapes, check out DP's, it's all there. I picked up a 5-disc vinyl bootleg (ripped from the radio simulcast) that was about the most divine souvenir one could ever hope for . Clarity, balance, memories...lost to multiple moves and abandoned apartments.- sadness Dick's Picks. Get it. Listen to it. Remember what it meant to be "on the bus".-happiness I love each and every one of you....still.

This show has so many special memories. It was the very first time that ALL the people from our little gang of Deadheads made it to a show together. The drive, the cheap sandwich meat from Waldbaums, NRPS, Marshall Tucker Band, and of course, the Grateful Dead and Terrapin Station as a closer. What a night....30 years ago and still embedded in my mind.

WOW, remember like it was yesterday. Drove down from Monroe NY in my friends Dodge Challanger and got pulled over on the Turnpike by the Jersey State Police doing 90. Never got the stash, just the ticket. There were 2 other car loads of friends following us and they waited off the exit ahead of us and trailed behind when we finally got to go again. The concert was great, lots of pink and purple colored tabs. The thing I remember most was it was hazy and hot and the Dead as good as they were took quite a while between breaks, much longer than the other Dead concerts I went to. I also remember the trailers all around. At the end of the concert we walked through bottles and cans piled everywhere and I remember there were folks all banged up throwing bottles off the trailers at folks leaving, it was crazy. But the concert was great and I miss those day's big time.

My folks droped my stuff off at RU from Brooklyn NY as a freshman and then droped me off on Rt 1. I hitched to the show by myself. Great show and nice people. After show I hitched back and somehow found my dorm room. Looking back wow. Could my kids do that now?

"What a Long Strange Trip" Thanks for the time machine Dick. It's always fun to take that ride again. I know you are out there somewhere. Everything was left just as it was. See you again next year. ~Marshun~ "Not Fade Away!"

What a great time we had! I bought a great concert T shirt there (wish I still had it). It had the one eyed skull and said something like – Grateful Dead and Friends “End of The Summer Concert”. The New Riders and Marshall Tucker also played. The most memorable – The day before the show the radio reports were already talking about the amount of people and traffic in the Englishtown area. All my friends were going and me and two friends left the night before. Since there were like 200,000 people there, we never found any of our other friends. Memories: - This was shortly after Terrapin Station was released - this was a spectacular show! - Sleeping in the car the night before. - Long, long walk from the car to the concert. - The concert area was surrounded with trailers (from tractor trailer trucks). - Great crowd. BIG Crowd. - My feet suctioned in the mud when we made our way up near the stage. - Great, great show.

What a great time we had! I bought a great concert T shirt there (wish I still had it). It had the one eyed skull and said something like – Grateful Dead and Friends “End of The Summer Concert”. The New riders and Marshall Tucker also played. The most memorable – The day before the show the radio reports were already talking about the amount of people and traffic in the Englishtown area. All my friends were going and me and two friends left the night before. Since there were like 200,000 people there, we never found any of our other friends. Memories: - The first show I saw after Terrapin Station was released - Sleeping in the car the night before. - Long, long walk from the car to the concert. - The concert area was surrounded with trailers (from tractor trailer trucks). - Great crowd. BIG Crowd. - My feet suctioned in the mud when we made our way up near the stage. - Great, great show. - Long, long walk back to the car that was gone! Our car was toed, as well as many others. We had to walk to downtown Englishtown and wait on these lines with crowds of people all attempting to find out where the hell our cars got toed to. Since there were so many toed cars, the town was unable to keep track of where each car was toed to. It was up to us to find out. After sleeping in some apartment hall way that night, we proceeded to go from police station to police station and gas station to gas station to find the car. Luckily, there were still many people around from the concert. We had no trouble getting rides, but a lot of trouble finding these stations. We finally found our car parked on the side of a gas station. We had hardly any money, but we did have the car key. We stole our car back – VOOOOOOOOM back to NY we went. Just with enough money to pay the tolls.

My favorite show of all time went on Fri. left on Sun. meet up with friends from my hometown Sat. morning What a long strange trip it was

Listening to this show as I type (Jerry's singing "Loser")...I remember riding around in the passenger of seat of my buddy's Volks Bug all throughout the end of the '70's, listening to WNEW's broadcast that he had on cassette. We listened to it constantly. Such a tight performance from a great period. Still 2 years before my 1st show (1/4/79 MSG)...

...The bus pulled up, I got on thats when it all began... It all started here and still goes on today! ...Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil... Jerry Garcia

Frankly don't remember much of this show....wish the Dead had gone on FIRST when I was more awake/alert. I went with my brother and a friend and I think my sister and a friend or two of hers, but I think sister and friend(s) weren't with us during the concert (separated somehow). We were tripped out on something, probably non-organic. My memories are fairly vivid and somewhat paranoid. Let's see. We were surrounded by semi-trailers with security guards on top of them. As the day wore on and it got hotter and hotter, it was easy to feel you were in some horrible prison death camp. Water and facilities were minimal. Getting to the facilities the ground was so walked on it was spongy and moist/damp/gross underfoot. Another thing, there seemed to be two basic head ornaments, red bandanas and these green visor things that I think a vendor was hawking. So everywhere you looked you saw these red and green circles on people's heads. I remember watching the stage through binoculars and seeing a green ring on the left and red ring on the right bopping up and down in time to music. In my tripped out state it was like there were two opposing camps -- angels and devils maybe? -- at the concert. I think I fell asleep during the 2nd or 3rd (I think there were 3?) Dead set. Just too tired from arriving at the site around 3 am the night before, and the drugs. Memorable, for me, for how potentially horrible it was. A previoius comment said a friend wound up in Bellevue partially as result of this show -- I can understand why, the vibes weren't so good this day. This has to rank as my least favorite Dead experience.

Well lets see it was a long time ago...I got off work on a friday night and wasnt planning on going...however two carloads of friends were so....The bus stopped, I got on thats, when it all began........the first issue we faced.... wwe did not have room for two people to ride.... so my friend Rich Z....from Syosset NY and I were going to hitch it....back in those days it was pretty common..been to many shows that way..however for some reason, which to this I still do not understand my sister insisted on hitching with Rich,,,after several objections i gave and took the ride.... As any attendee will tell you this was a massive event...too large..I never thought I would catch up with the rest ot the peple in our group...or see them the rest of the weekend....anyway walking down this long road with tens of thousands of people...(with the locals on their front lawns with shotguns!!!I)I hear my sisters voice in the crowd!!! I call to her we meet up also within earshot was the other carload of friends!!! this was incredible that all three groups made it to the same point at the same time.!!! ..they finally let us inside and we set camp on a few blankets a cooler etc in the middle of where we could see the stage. people just kept coming all night by morning it was getting packed It was a very hot day, they had some hoses running in the back which turned into a mud pit... that morning I went to get a gallon of water and use the porta pots.... someone fell in the mud next to me a dragged me down too!!!! Now I was covered in mud, couldn't find my way back but eventually did due to a large KOA flag as a reminder....my group could see me going up and down the aisle but I couldnt hear them... Anyway to the music..NRPS was great... MTB was amazing like always..and I thought the dead rocked...It is definetly my favorite Half Step...I am pretty sure there was an amazing Looks like rain as well...it was a beautiful evening one of my favorite shows of all time... it was a really good year for shows especially outdoors... Half way thru the show I ran into a old girlfiend named Robin...it was amazing to see her there.. We hought the concert was over , started packing up but really couldnt go anywhere, then they came back on and did what seemed like a 30min truckin... A the end we all left safely the next morning staring at piles of garbage and were glad to get back home and take a shower! Definetly a wonderful end of summer show, one of my favorites

16 years old and into the Dead for about a year at this point (my Dad got me the tix). My first album was Wake of the Flood but was more of a Steal Your Face/ Europe 72 guy at the time. It was all over for me (or started) and got heavy into Blues for Allah, then Terrapin.... until Shakedown. Saw all the Summers end era NY/NJ stuff, Capitol Theater,lots of solo Garcia and NRPS, Byrds related, Hot Tuna !, Jorma and Jack solo Then came PUNK and I followed the musical freedom until the late 80's. Well then I got a computer and discovered archives, Dime a Dozen, other outlets and discovered Workingman era. worked my way back into the early years. Wake of the Flood is now my fav, 40 years later. Followed by Workinman/Beauty/Early Garcia Solo era. Love all the older Live Dead stuff. Never even listen to Blues or Terrapin really. Things change. Dont remember much of the show, just the walk in, the party.... mescalin!

I attended the Englishtown Dead Show in 1977. I came down from CT. in a rolling wreck of a station wagon, it happened to be a classmates from grammar school,whom I had not seen in seven years.So I made this deal, if he let myself and my girlfriend ride along, I would give Him an extra ticket I had!We had lot,s of food, beer and magic dragon for our troupe!We got down that Friday night before the show on Saturday,what a circus the raceway was!One smart thing we did do was put all the beer on the bottom of the three coolers that security tried to rifle through, but due to the crowds we were able to get most all of the brew in!They had to open the gates in the middle of the night because the crowd was becoming impatient and they didn't,t want any incidents.I witnessed things that happened that I most likely will never see again if I live to be one thousand years old!But one of the most memorable concerts of the two hundred plus shows I have seen.As it turns out we meet up with my girlfriend,s brother and friend who we didn't,t even know we're going to the show.So Her and I ride back in the back of the brothers pickup truck after the concert, unfortunately we walked about a mile and a half to get to it!Something like the beer commercial" It doesn't,t get any better than this" is the way I would describe that "Summers End Concert"

I heard excerpts of that show on you-tube and the sound and the band was extremely tight. I think most of the show,s that the Dead performed that year had that magic touch. It,s like a championship year for the Grateful Dead and their delighted entourage of dedicated fans. I was fortunate enough to be at the Englishtown Raceway Show on Labor Day Week-end of that very Year. The one show of many bands that I have attended that I will never ever forget the Grateful Dead Experience , being the music , the crowd & atmosphere , and just for ten bucks with N.R.P.S. and Marshall Tucker as well.I met people from all parts of the country that plan their vacation,s around the Dead,s tour schedule.Like a fine wine the Dead just always seemed to get better the longer they played.

I knew my sister had gone down on Friday. Saturday morning I woke up drove by a friends house said you want to go to the concert see if we can get in? He jumped in my 68 Olds cutlass and we headed down the parkway. We got as close as we could and just parked the car on the side of a road and followed the crowd. We were totally unprepared. A few beers on the way down , remember back then you could drink and drive ;) and a bag of weed. It was hot! As we walked we could hear Panama Red playing in the distance. We were able to buy a couple of tickets. I remember being in the woods at one point trying to get some shade. We met some girls in twirly skirts from N.C. and partied with them for awhile. At some point we made our way in front of the stage and as I was walking someone tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to my friend who had passed out for a moment. We laughed. Great day , long day
Great memories.