Did Weir ever say " Take a step back" on the West Coast?

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I think not!

Prove me wrong. 

 

Are NY, NJ or MA. on the West Coast?

No- so I doubt it, also.

Some loser did climb on stage in San Diego '73 and started sauntering towards Donna in the middle of a song- I'll never forget Bobby looking at the guy and doing his meanest possible "get down!!!", about 2 seconds before a couple guys grabbed him. 

Never heard that, but did hear him say:  "Did I hear someone say 'fuck the Christian Right'?" at Portland Meadows in 95.

Did he tell the naked pole humper guy to keep it in his pants?

he never had to. folks on the west coast are kind and considerate.

If Garcia played 30 local shows a year the east would have been less amped.  

My first west coast show --- didn't even realize the band was on stage...absolutely no change in the vibe of the audience.  

 

We get

S-T-F-U...

to a crowd of chatty  MILF-Valley types

My first west coast show, Oakland Coliseum 89.  General admission on the floor and they had two aisles running the length of the floor marked off with yellow tape.    Nobody stood in the aisles.  The aisles stayed perfectly clear all night.  It was weird.

Ha

 

A better question might be: How might a West Coast audience respond if Weir told them to take a step back?

In the 80's all the Cali GA shows I saw I could walk up front any time I pleased. Go buy a beer or take a  piss  in the back and could get up front again or close again. No hassle. Just sayin'

I seem to recall a Take a Step Back or something to that effect at the Kaiser, possibly a post Jerry gig.

>>>The aisles stayed perfectly clear all night<<<

You're welcome.

I could tell some stories about those aisles.

Fuckin' east-coast dead heads.

This thread proves that Westies aren't really Deadheads- were just there for the party.

For GA shows in the west coast, there was more of general respect for the people who arrived early to stake out choice quadrants. On the east coast it didn't quite matter as uncouth late arrivals would still try to snake and push their way to spaces up front. 

My first Greek show in 81 I was on the rail in front of Phil. Being from the east coast, I was astounded that nobody touched me the entire show except for one time and the person apologized. I went home and moved to Boulder. 

I bet you westies always found your assigned seat and stayed there too.  *Yawn*

I saw most of my shows on the east coast, and when I saw my first west coast shows in September 85 at HJK, I was blown away by how chill it was. Did folks ever play volleyball on the floor before the first set started at MSG or the Spectrum? I don't think so. It would have been bedlam.

A composition on the sociological differences between the east coast and west coast, as viewed through the lens of Grateful Dead GA floor, would be an interesting hypothesis for a doctoral dissertation. 

 

A discussion of the relative merits of OG Kush vs. Sour Diesel would have to be included in such a dissertation, I would think, Tatters. Or it would if I was writing it, at least.

This is a good example of the space people gave you in Cali.

Ventura 1987. And 87 was the beginning of the mob scene.

https://vimeo.com/131484962

^^^^  From the comments section:

 

>>> dave nelson1 year ago

>>> Look how it was at Ventura! No "Step Back" moments. The crowd was mellow and awesome! Saw every one from 82 to 87. Best GD place ever! I hope there are videos of them all that will arise!

^ And your point is!?

 

 

Westies were more polite and Chill

>>>>  ^ And your point is!?

 

a year ago, a guy commented "No 'Step Back' moments. The crowd was mellow and awesome!" on a video of a gd show you posted in a thread, that you started, titled "Did Weir ever say " Take a step back" on the West Coast?

 

settle the fuck down 

lol

But LiquidMonkey, shouldn't that "settle the fuck down" really be "take a step back"? 

it was right there...

Damn, LiquidMonkey should have gone to more Cali shows. The anger is not healthy! Chill Kahuna! :)

Jerry on the Eel was pretty chill

98003A71-26E4-4A80-B037-B896E1257E55.jpeg
Rolling Stone Aug. '80.

>>> Damn, LiquidMonkey should have gone to more Cali shows. The anger is not healthy! Chill Kahuna! :)

 

i find your lack of self-awareness troubling.

 If it doesn't trouble me why should it trouble you!

 

............and you no that notion just crossed my mind smiley

 East Coast, 7:30 show time: at 7:15 the anticipation starts building and becomes palpable. At 7:30 there's a cheer. 7:37 and the cheer gets louder. People are on their feet, already dancing. The electricity is growing by the minute. Hair on the back of the neck is standing up. A roadie walks across the stage and people hoot and holler. 7:47 the lights go down and the arena erupts with pent up energy.

West Coast, 7:30 show: 7:15, people chatting. 7:30, people chatting. 7:45, people chatting. Lights go out, half the crowd stops chatting. The other half chats louder. Golf claps ensue.

Bri apparently you never saw the Grateful Dead movie or a show out west.

 

That was kinda funny though.

Yes, on 2/26/77 San Bernardino, after Estimated, before Sugaree. 

Good post, Brian. Very true regarding the lights going down... Jerry waves, lights a cigarette and away we go. I'm truly grateful to have been part of that. 

Sooo- did the band appreciate the enormous East coast energy? Effen A they did.

Saw both, Dolittle. My point being, there was way more crowd energy on the east Coast. I don't think that's debatable, especially after '78.

More energy? Or a different kind of energy? Back east was more amped up, no doubt.

I'd say both more and different.

East coast has better blow

> Yes, on 2/26/77 San Bernardino, after Estimated, before Sugaree.

Good find, China-Rider. Not exactly "everybody's favorite fun game" with repeated exhortations like back east, but there it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrEfUddbNDI&t=435s

Of course out east the peeps were more raucous and I loved it. I remember Giants Stadium 89 my only 89 show and the whole place was on fire. I was surprised and loved it!

And my first NY show at Nassau in 81 I had floor seats and everyone was standing on their seats and the applause was deafening. The energy was off the charts and blew me away.

Never saw a show down deep south or in the Midwest. I imagine it similar 

 

But it was cool to be able to walk up front if you chose at any time. Something that you could never do out east.

Weir did say "You people are going to get flat and bug eyed quick"  before He's Gone at the first Irvine show in 83. 

https://archive.org/details/gd83-03-27.sennheiser.dodd.11261.sbeok.shnf/...

 East Coast, 7:30 show time: at 7:15 the anticipation starts building and becomes palpable. At 7:30 there's a cheer. 7:37 and the cheer gets louder. People are on their feet, already dancing. The electricity is growing by the minute. Hair on the back of the neck is standing up. A roadie walks across the stage and people hoot and holler. 7:47 the lights go down and the arena erupts with pent up energy.<<

 

Did WCoast crowds cheer when the four follow-spot operators climbed to their perches?  Or even notice?

Rochester 11-5-77. My second show. The crowd on the floor was so packed it was nuts. Body contact with people in front and behind me. Sick. The "take a step back" helped but only for a few minutes. Still, the show was amazing, a memory for a lifetime.