Grateful Dead

well, since ya mentioned Disney I would guess that the first song I knew all the words to was M-I-C...K-EY...M-O-U-S-E!
And the Ballad of Davy Crockett too...

....for sure.

...this was one of my favorite songs as a young one, no kid’n, 😉, I guess this was the beginning for my love of dancing skeletons,LOL!!! 🙏❤️💀

https://youtu.be/vOGhAV-84iI

My first 45s were green onions and pipeline.

My first favorite song was Elton John's "Crocodile Rock." I was about four. I remember jumping up and down to it on the kitchen radio and telling my Mom it was my favorite. First 45 was Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog." B-side was "Don't Be Cruel." Good times.

6-8-77 in the car yesterday.
6-9-77 in the living room last night.
6-9-73 spinning in the living room now along with some tasty M-43 N.E. IPA and prepping for grilling.

Tomorrow brings 6-10-73....

.....and a Box announcement too???......

One of my earliest memories in life was at the age of two and listening to a 45 of "Hi-Ho" from "Snow White" that I played on my very own toddler-proof kiddie record player. I was so happy that I peed myself. Clearly, a lifetime love of music was in the cards. At about the age of three my parents decided that I could listen to pop music, so they bought for me a 45 of "The Peppermint Twist". That pretty much opened the Pandora's box, and pretty soon it was The Beatles, The Byrds, The Monkees, but when my sister gave me "Surrealistic Pillow" (how did that get by the parental censors?)
it was too late, although I really had no idea what the Airplane were singing about. A far cry from Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.

....burning out his fuse up here alone.
More depressing than I expected, but amazing nonetheless. They nailed the casting for sure.
Fun factoid. Dee Murray, Elton's long time bassist, played on Weir's Heaven Help The Fool record. Hmmm....

A Leslie train horn
2nd song, Chubby Checker-the twist
First crush, also Hayley Mills
Look that up in your Funk & Wagnell

Impossible.. for me. I guess I didn't have photographic and sonographic memory until later. :P.. now what were we talking about??

I had older brothers sisters and cousins.. so there were albums lying around, FM Radio. Does anyone remember Ronco and KTell? My parents were into stuff like early Glen Campbell, my dad, R&B and blues/jazz/rock like Chubby Checker, Fats Domino, Ray Charles.., Simon and Garfunkel came to be at some point. There were comedy albums back then too like Sister Mary Elephant, George Carlin and the like.. There were Phil Spector albums in our house.. Somebody would sign up for the Columbia Record House Clearing bullshit and ten albums would show up one day.. another ten a year later, etc. Albums were a luxury back then.

I think the first stuff that made an impact on me was the early FM radio pop scene. Stuff like Elton John, Motown, the Jackson Five, and weirder year specific artists and songs, but I was to young to remember detail. I just knew it was louder and sounded better than AM Radio. \

My opinions sure did change once I tried pot for the first time though. I guess that's when I first stated listening instead of just hearing. It wasn't long after that until I discovered the Grateful Dead and lots of other different and interesting bands. After that music migrated into technicolor, which brings us exactly to our next box set announcement which simply has to be coming soon.

....cheapest seats? $400!
🤔....😂😂😂😂😂😂. Hard pass.

I guess a prior visit to one of your local casinos is in order then. 😂

Amazing and nice to see Hayley Mills remembered on here. She was particularly luminous in "The Twisted Nerve" and "The Family Way"-the latter scored by Paul McCartney.

My first 45 was "Get Down and Get With It!" by Slade, a cover of an obscure Little Richard track and a riotous call to arms. I was never that into Elton John, although the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was the soundtrack to my very first trip back in 1976. Reminds me of Jerry's observation in "Garcia A Sign Post to New Space" that psychedelic music, as such didn't exist. He said words to the effect that psychedelic music was what music sounded like after you had taken psychedelics-and that could just as easily be the blues as "Dark Star". Or in my case. Elton John.

mmm....no.

a living legend, true...but, no. no. no.

robot preventer: "click on crosswalks"

four pages worth. finally, "you aren't a robot, I guess."

I need a Funk & Wagnell to look up Funk & Wagnell.

....listened to this Dark Star on the way in today, aptly:

https://archive.org/details/gd1973-06-10.sbd.miller.89640.sbeok.flac16

Traffic was snarled and a normally 5 minute/seven-mile drive took nearly 35 minutes....aka perfect fit for this monster.

Happy Birthday.
Sixtus

P.S. the first music I can recall actively listening to was either Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits, specifically 'The Gambler', or perhaps it was the Star Wars soundtrack & the main John Williams theme? Either way, being born on this date pre-determined me to be a tried and true Deadhead - there was no other way.

Bobby singing Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall

sweet

also

Playin and UJB had some very nice moments

Viola Lee Blues was pleasant
I promise you I called it a few moments before they started it

I could use a few more shows like that

withOUT that bullshit "getting into the venue" process.

it really was that bad.

once inside:

nothing left to do but smile smile smile

...not completely positive of my very first, but these Four tracks were deffently apart of my first 45’ songs...🙏❤️😎

‘Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’
"Wooly Bully"
https://youtu.be/Pv5cXss5cPg

’Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’
“Little Red Ride’n Hood”
https://youtu.be/xNEYfIUDkh8

“I Put a Spell on You"
Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins,
https://youtu.be/PwXai-sgM-s

‘Peggy Lee’ - “Fever” *she was a singer in the Benny Goodman Orchestra & sang in Walt Disney’s, ‘Lady and The Tramp’. 😉
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JGb5IweiYG8

Boulder is ridiculous also....doesn’t need to be, but every year so far has been horrible. Every year gets much more crowded too.....hope this year isn’t a total shit show.....glad to hear the boys are playin!

Happy happy to Sixtus! !

As a child of the 50s, I grew up with all the Disney soundtracks as they came out: Snow White, Bambi, Pinnochio, Dumbo. . . those crows singing "When I See an Elephant Fly" to Dumbo up in that dawn-lit tree with a chorus line of dancing pink elephant-clouds was definitely psychedelic – still ignites a flashback every now and then. The first 45 I remember having was Chubby Checker's "Do The Twist" in the earliest '60s – I think that was the beginning of a lifetime of NOT being much of a dancer. . . And the Wizard of Oz – still love covers of "Over the Rainbow" – Papa John Creech's is a favorite. By the mid-sixties, pre-FM KAAY's Beaker Street out of Little Rock got me on the right music track.

Enjoy your new growth-ring Sixtus! Onward dude!

preeeetty sure they was Peter Paul and Mary

provided by parents

Apollo 100 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Snoopy and the Red Baron
a little older: Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack. I know that stuff forward and backward

that opening riff...bom bom bom, beh, beh, beh
my mind is clearer now
at laaaaast all too well.............

I've had great experiences seeing shows at Folsom Field in Boulder. Always, always buy the on campus parking in advance. If you want to chance it parking in the surrounding neighborhoods, you could be walking a long distance. And will you remember where you parked it? Times I've been with folks and lost our ride could take up a whole 'nother post.

The Boulder campus is beautiful. Go early and hang out in Shakedown Street. The drinks are cheap and plentiful as is the food, merch, etc. The people watching is outstanding. Just a great time every year in Boulder, think the band agrees as they keep closing out the summer tours there.

I always hated corny kid music even as a tiny child, it was like, shut off this Sesame Street noise and give me some Rolling Stones. Seriously. I had no time either for the cheesy crap they'd make us sing in school assemblies or holiday programs. I refused to participate, just hung out with my hands in my pockets - teachers be damned.

take yo hands
out of yo pockets

46 years ago today

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

It's my Dad's birthday too. His 90th. Spending time with the parents today.

My earliest music memories were:

Parents playing classical music
Disney movie tunes
Home on the Range (my favorite as a small kid. Always wanted to wander around out West)
The Beatles
(Hey hey with) The Monkees

About time for this to be released isn't it? Please, please, pretty please?

....a friend of mine has two Scarlet > Fire seamless tickets to unload for the Dead & Co. Boulder show on Saturday night 7/6 if there are any takers (please PM me, if any!) They are more $$ than a regular ticket as I understand it, but you get a dedicated entry/exit to the show and a few other little perks. The tickets themselves are GA. My wife and I are going but my friend who got us the tix had to bail on Saturday (we're going Friday as well).

This tip on the parking in Boulder is helpful for sure, as well as where to snoop around - thanks.

And yeah - today is my nameday and why, I believe, that GD is flowing through my veins...appreciate the well wishes, people! And WOW, Frosted, happiest day to your dad - quite the feat!!

Sixtus

...happy birthday! Wishing you a grateful day filled with love, laughter and good company, god bless my fellow brother! 🙏❤️😎

Based on the spread of recent releases, I'm thinking 1979 might be the next pick. Maybe getting back to the ABCD Enterprises stash...

Two killer shows I can think of -- of course, no bias just because I went to them -- are Red Rocks August 12 (searing) and McNichols Arena August 13 (rained out Rocks). Got electric both nights (no clear memories of the third night in the run) and the 13th opened with a MASSIVE Shakedown seemingly led by Phil.

What are we talking on timing? Around Aug 1, the Fat Man's birthday? No hurry, summer here in Colo is short and sweet, with fall the truly best season.

And I'd guess when the dust settles on Aoxomoxoa's 50th release (really value that one), then likely we get news of the new box. Quite interested to know what's up with that and whether I'm spending or saving.

Boy, I'll tell you, a $2 hit of blotter and a $3.50 ticket 47 years ago and I'm hooked for life!

Merl Saunders and too many Allmans make it difficult. Just to look at the gymnastics they have to go through to put a cover song on a bonus disc. It's easier for them to just avoid it. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we're going to be listening to the soundboard a while longer.

I hear you MLB.. and I sort of agree with you. But the other side of the coin is this is one of the truly great shows left in the cannon and most of the Allmans (and Merl) and previous managers, etc. have already passed.

You have valid points and I always felt the same way, but like butter on a hot summer day I am beginning to soften. I think it's not if this will get released, it's when. I bet for every person that is hanging out there asking for different terms or a greater percentage there are three saying hell yes.. I will take what is "fair" but get this thing released so I can get something?

Not if but when.. that's my position. It will happen, the red sea will be parted and it will get released. That's my opinion, as always I reserve the right to be belly-floppin' off the high dive wrong.

1984 the Hog Farm had a camp a mile from Red Rocks. How do I spell Wilde. 1985 I went to the Chief Hosa campground. I met the very awesome gals from Pine Ridge Rez with the graffiti Ford pick-up truck. So I wrote on the truck “see you at the League for Spiritual Discovery picnic, 8/8/88.
First 45 disc in 1964; The Beatles , She Loves You
First LP ; Beatles, Something New. 2nd LP , Meet the Beatles, 3rd LP, The Byrd’s , Turn Turn Turn
4th LP Rolling Stones , Out Of Our Heads.
Where’s my funking Funk & Wagnall damnit. I think I spelled it correctly this time.
See you in Boulder. Will be wearing a Fillmore East ushers shirt. “Fall of the House of Usher”.
It is true , hardly anybody wore tie die 45-50 years ago.

Would it be sacrilegious to suggest that they release it without the 3rd set, which was the only set, as far as I am aware, visited by Merl Saunders and members of the Allmans? Just going off what MLB said-if the logistics of releasing this show prove too difficult due to guests involvement, then maybe it would be better to release the portion of the show which didn't involve them. I accept that it wouldn't be ideal-but the heart of the set, for me, lies in the first two sets anyway.

...I’m with you my man! 1979 1979 1979!!!
One of my favorite years of the Grateful Dead Performances...One word, ‘Oakland’, says it all.
Boxset! Primo. Most welcomed and have been waiting for ages to be packaged & released with all it’s grateful glory! A place the Dead later called “their second Home”! Just think about what that word means my brothers & sisters, HOME. I can write an essay on my beliefs of what HOME really means but I’ve been told and asked by some members that I “Shouldn’t”and “Don’t” write long posts, so I’ll end my message here my brothers and sisters.
Enjoyed ‘Dicks Picks #7, September 1974 early this morning. Recorded by Bill Candelario on September 9th,10th and 11th, 1974 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. Love it! Audio Mix is very grateful indeed, on my system. 😉 enjoyed every minute!
Have a ‘grateful day’ everyone, peace be with you all! 🙏❤️😎
*been listening to ‘Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1’ CD release. The ninth in the Dead’s "Road Trips" series, it was recorded on December 28th 1979, at the Oakland Auditorium in Oakland, California, and contains the complete performance. The bonus disc included with some copies of the album was recorded two nights later, on December 30th 1979, at the same venue. The album was released in 2009, I cant beive it’s been that long! Bring on some More 1979 !
Another “Primo” show from this run of concerts is ‘Dick's Picks Volume 5’, It was recorded on December 26, 1979 at the Oakland Auditorium Arena. It was also the first release of a full concert to feature my man, keyboardist, Brent Mydland! And if that’s not good enough for some folks, we are lucky enough to have ‘Betty Cantor-Jackson’s’ recording of the Grateful Dead’s performance in the “Vault” and released to fans. This show has a Killer Setlist with an impressive and fun performance of ‘Shakedown Street’ for one of the encore songs, the other being ‘Uncle Johns Band’, another primo version of this beloved song! All this talk of Dicks Picks 5 has got my blood flowing, I know what I’m listing to next,lol. 😉 Sorry for the long post folks, take care & Rock On!

"too many Allmans"

sounds like a TV show.

If that subject line isn't click bait, I'm not a fisherman... (In fact, I'm generally not.) Anyhoo, there was a really good article (can't find the link, natch) on the efforts to release this show. As I recall, about five years ago, the GD had a package in which the best of both GD and ABB's performances from 6-9-73, 6-10-73, 7-27-73 and 7-28-73 were put together in a box set for sale. But it got the kibosh; probably too many decision makers (too many splits on the $$) and, one suspects, legalities. Personally, though I'd prefer all the shows intact, if it's nothing or a selection, I'd go with the highlights box.

As to that tragedy... it's real, though the pain is somewhat muted at this point, 46 years later. 9 June 1973 was my second GD show. Me and a buddy caught a ride to DC Saturday morning and the GD opened, played all afternoon. We dosed. Temperatures probably 100 degrees. Little access to water. (A few water fountains for 20,000 people.) We retired to the shade of the stadium seats for the ABB, quite roasted in at least two senses of that word. The ABB came out and due to popping another blotter and the seats and shade and purple lights (and, oh yeah, very powerful music), the ABB just blew us (and the GD that afternoon) away. Must have been easier to get it on with the temperatures dropping and the mood picking up among the dusty denizens that had braved the sun for the GD. We slept on the grass outside the stadium that night, just t-shirts and jeans. Got up and with literally nothing in our pockets -- not a nickel, not a blotter, no nada -- we hitchhiked home. My godfather from Denver was visiting Sunday night (I loved him) and I had school the next day. Got fired from the HS varsity tennis team because I went to the GD show instead of a team party. (That was easy...) Mostly it was because we were 15 years old, penniless, exhausted, played out, with no conceivable plan for getting a ticket, eating, surviving. We'd never conceive of hanging out, asking for a free ticket. I'm still that way.

Yes, you're reading the subtext correctly. We left on Sunday morning and that night the GD played an iconic set. Er, okay, three effin' iconic sets. I missed it.

This type of experience, in a very small way, must have been common in those days. And I think the universality of my own experience among Deadheads led to the surge in the multi-night attendance strategy -- catch 'em all, cuz you never know when a hot one is coming. Still, I went on to catch Watkins Glen close up, two more nights of GD/The Band mere days later. (We learned mighty quick in those days.) And another GD show that September.

I'll say this as a veteran, but with a little mischief in mind: six 1973 shows are worth 100 1980s shows, in terms of the "early" experience: the purity of the Purple Dragon, the expansive '73 sound, the band's evolution, the crowds, my youth. I never racked up big show numbers because how could that possibly matter? To me, the experience and what I learned would play out over years to come and that's what mattered.

Still, we made sure we were onboard by '72, up front for Watkins Glen, and in attendance for every Red Rocks show -- not for the numbers, but if you live 20 minutes away, what the hell else are you going to do on a night when the GD are playing and all your friends are there? You go!

These days the best I can do in terms of stamina of mind/soul is a two-nighter of Derek & Susan at the Rocks. (Yes! Only six weeks away!) As I age, I have growing crowd-tolerance issues, especially with the chattering youngsters, the phones, etc. OMG, I've entered the "Get Off M Lawn" zone!!

Oh, what the hell. I started at 13 on live music with The Chambers Brothers in 1970 or '71, went on to the Byrds, New York Rock 'n Roll Ensemble, GD, ABB, The Band, Red Rocks in 1974, Clapton, Freddie King, BB King, Albert King, Jer band, Roy Buchanan, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Hunter... a zillion more, all in the '70s. No wonder I'm a bit crisp and cranky!

So I missed one of the most iconic GD shows ever, one that opened with "Morning Dew." Big deal.

Aaaaarrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am fine with that, especially if they release 6/9/73 with it.

i missed 6/26/94 after a lame-ass, wtf, 115 degrees Fahrenheit show on 6/25/94

not nearly as comparable as 6/10/73. but hearing 6/26/94 on tape...I really wish that had been played on 6/25/94.

I didn't get on the bus until 1982 (age 18), so I missed a whole lotta great shows.

No doubt, you were young at a great time, musically, geographically, and pharmaceutically. In 1973 I was 16, but situated in the unlovely North West of England, with a soundtrack of Black Sabbath and Hawkwind . And washed down with great quantities of Newcastle Brown Ale. I wouldn't discover anything more exotic until I was 18. Still...being 16.....discovering live music....rock n' roll of whatever stripe-the walls of the city surely shake. Now as then.

Bummer, yea, that would haunt me for sure. Sorta understandable considering the context. Though did you hitch from Colorado and back? 1) good lord that must’ve been something in itself, and 2) if so, why go all that way for one show?
Personally, only a couple that I missed that I really regret;
10/26/89; had tix for both Miami shows and Philly, but couldn't swing Miami after guerrilla Hampton run, so sold Miami tix, Doooooo! Missing that Dark Star will always bum me out.
3/26/88: only show I ever went to that I didn’t get in. So missed out double that night; not only the show with the only Stir It Up (hell any Hampton show I was at was a good one, perhaps my favorite indoor venue!), but also the great party in the lot across the street....I guess they had decent speakers set up and Healy was doing the FM thing then, so I heard it was quite the party! We had gone to visit friends staying elsewhere that also were shut out and when we returned to the Red Roof and heard we missed out AGAIN! we were truly bummed. That didn’t last long as the next night was “primo”...
Had to sell tix to 6/28/88 off of that tour as I had to have upper GI and testing done at hospital, long strange saga there...sold tix to the 87 Wooooster shows, but we had done 8 previous and were, burnt, sorta broke, and honestly just not feeling it that much. Perhaps another 3 or 4 that I “should of” but that’s easy to say now, situationally, back then there were reasons though. But really just the 2 Miami and Hampton that I will always regret!

73 RFK box: suppose Dead only sets would be ok if part of some other shows from that tour?
Hell they could throw in that third set as a bonus if they ever do a Watkins Glen Box...(since you’d think that would entail the same logistical/legal BS)
Don’t see a 73 Box in the near future though since their still selling PNW boxes....

Dave’s 31 would be nice if he gave us that last unreleased 74 DS!

Speaking of Boxes....WTF? You guys trying to kill us, we’re old and could die soon, where’s that box 😉

box
fox
sox
rox
(k)nox
pox
vox
jox

I am out here ready to GIVE you my money, ptb. and I really need more GD CDs. a few thousand is not enough. "too much of everything is just enough."

patience, laddy...patience...

I just found a picture of RFK 73 reels(current profile pic) the ninth shows reels #8,9,10 and reels #1,2,3 of the tenth.

Were these shows multi-track recorded? It sure looks like they were.

I was born in Manhattan in August '57, so coming up on age 62. Folks moved us to northern Jersey in ~1962. Got out in '74, using the thumb. Bounced back and forth between NJ and Colorado in the '74-'77 period. Settled permanently (and I do mean permanently) in Colo in '77.

Thus I saw shows in both places in the '74-'77 period. Then 40+ in Colo; Red Rocks in 'backyard.'

It was only a 220-mile hitchhike from DC to the folks' house in summer '73. That's some nasty roadways for kids, especially burned out kids. Not like the cross-country Western journeys I made in '74-'75, with one highway and big skies. Same routine with Watkins Glen. We got a ride in a friend's van and dashed to positions in front of the stage for the two-day show. (Plenty of water but no food for 48 hrs; we subsisted on mescaline/blotter and Afghani Numero Uno...) Two days later, returned to van, which was gone. Hitchhiked a few hundred miles home. 48 hrs later, off to see GD/The Band for two effin' days.

Growing up on a coast seemed to provide a certain savvy and access to unbelievable music, as we could get anywhere in NYC within 90 minutes by train and bus. Saw many Jer shows in '75-'76 this way. Also, GD at Palladium/NYC, in Boston, Hartford, NY, NJ, etc. spring '76 and spring '77.

One time, we're like 17, we go to see Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band at the Village Vanguard in NYC. We had a few drinks in the first set, blew all our dough. We stay for the second set. Maitre d says diplomatically, "Gentlemen, there's a one-drink minimum each set." We said, well, we had three in the first set, does that count? No, he says. I said, could we go in the kitchen to talk? He's puzzled, but says 'sure.' We go in the back, and each of us spills out a hefty line and a couple buds for the cat, who had to share with his cook. Can we stay? Uh, sure, what are you drinking?

Those were the days, my friends. Of course, one time we showed up for Ella Fitzgerald/Count Basie Orchestra in a swanky theater in our flannel shirts and jeans and long hair and were refused our fourth row seats! But we caught the show and Phil Woods' clarinet solo still stands out in my mind, besides the divine Ella.

So many stories, so little time. Rock on!

Great stories over the last few pages. I was born too late for the dead but its great to live vicariously through the music and the liner notes and the stories, both laid down in ink and these more ephemeral ones.

I grew up in an absolutely amusical household. The first memories I have of music is christmas songs, only because it is or at least was, a parental obligation in any upstanding right-of-center catholic household to throw ol' Burl Ives a bone when the stockings are being hung and the family pictures are moved to make way for the christmas village houses.

Even in the car is was traffic and weather on the eights, every time. Even if we were going two blocks. So it was kind of fun to discover all the music out there in middle school and high school with friends, without any preconceived notions. First show I remember going to was Bob Dylan at Pine Knob in '95. Saw some killer shows there from '95-98ish, including the Allmans and Yes, Page and Plant and the Who.

Ready for the box announcement....

I'm totally aware that I tout this show quite constantly, however today's THE day.

If you do nothing else, make sure you listen to The Scarlet Begonias in the first set and then, hell, the whole entire second set is one of my favorites Among Titans.

And of course, check out that Eyes of the World. If I can be so bold, this is my favorite version of all time that they ever offered us:

https://archive.org/details/gd1976-06-11.141702.sbd.miller.flac1644

Kick back and enjoy.

Seventy-Sixtus

PS - I am thoroughly enjoying, as I know are others, The Trips through Tales of Yore. Puts you right there. Thanks for sharing.

Perchance, were you at Pine Knob for the Allmans in 96?

That was my first "real" show experience, i.e, unsupervised and old enough to buy a beer.

....firing up said Scarlet Begonias.......NOW!

I was there for sure. Don't remember much, but I was there.

Sixtus, I remember you hooked me up with this show last year. This is a doozy. Aside from the songs you mentioned I love the way Bobby delivers the line" Waits backstage while I sing to you".

The sound quality is so good and it was recorded during the same run as the final Road Trips that I revamped the 6/9 artwork a little bit and made this show Road Trips 5.1. I put it as my avatar in case anyone wants to use it for their cover art. I think you can just download it straight from that net if you click on it. If it's too small just give me a holler and I'll give me the regular size one.

Hampton was not kind to me.

Oro, I too missed out on 3/26/88. Some of our group got in. I was not among the fortunate. Worse yet, no luck on 3/27 either. No Stir it Up or To Lay Me Down breakout. Fortunately, I was able to catch the Push Comes to Shove on 3/28.

Worse yet. A year later. Hanging out in Baltimore at John Steven pub in Fells Point. Late at night trying to convince some cute girls to hang out back at a buddy's house. Nope. Us girls are headed to Hampton for the surprise shows. We have to leave early.

I beg my friends to go. Plently of tickets available. All refused. We have to get back to school up north for exams. Still pissed to this day. The box release sits in my basement. Unopened. Never to be played.

To make matters worse, I was teaching at a local college. During class shortly after the shows, some of the students realized something was amiss. After relating the story, one kid says, "Oh. They played Dark Star."

Hitchhiking is a lost art-form. The transport for many shows and some great stories.