Grateful Dead

Was sick before the show - someone talked me into ingesting the wrong thing, serves him right I threw up in his van. Still feeling pretty bad when the band started playing, but The Dead brought me back to life. Fantastic concert, I went to every one I could after that. I couldn't tell you what's missing from that 2nd set list, but I'm sure it was longer than that. Saw so many Dead shows in that building, tend to run together in my mind.

I was - and still am - a classical musician, and I had never been to a 'rock' show before,. I knew nothing of the Grateful Dead or their music, except I had heard snatches of Truckin on the radio, and was waiting to hear if they would play the little bit of what I was familiar with. Despite the effects of 'refreshments' handed down from the stage before the show - which might account for the universal uncertainty about the second set set-list - I immediately recognized the tune when it first arrived. At that point, the band was sailing through one song into another and totally blowing my mind - I thought I was listening to Mahler or Bruckner, but on a different planet. Truckin came and went two or three times amidst other unfamiliar but compelling tunes, and I came away a Deadhead-for-Life! A few years ago, a recording of Dark Star>Eyes>China Cat from the show came my way, and any doubts I had that my reaction was induced solely by the the little tab of paper I ingested were put to rest. My mind was blown anew, without even the assistance of a dose of prescription strength red wine (I'm older now....). I also remember songs with references to 'wine' in them: We can share the women/wine, red grenadine, etc. I'd love to connect with anyone else who was at this amazing show....viva '73!!!

I was hanging on to the front of the stage for this show. I know they played "Promised Land," because after they ended it, somebody in the crowd asked what the name of the song was, and some wiseacre backstage shouted "High Over Albuquerque." They also played Dark Star > Eyes of the World, because it was the first time I heard Eyes of the World, and it was like a sweet breeze blowing from the stage. DW