Europe 72 Holiday Giveaway

Very cool, mike.

Indeed.

I have crossed path with Phil three times; none conducive to a real conversation (two mens' rooms---TXR and the NY Thruway) and once on 6th Ave in The Village).

Two "Hey! Phil!"s and one "How you feelin'?"

Very generous and a great idea!

I love a good story, and I love to TELL stories so I'll throw one out there. It's not my "favorite" Grateful Dead moment, but it's a good story and the first one that comes to mind. Plus, I've been sipping a little whiskey, enjoying the afterglow of a very nice 49ers win this afternoon, so I'll babble away here, almost certainly going over 200 words, but you only gave a minimum word count. Dangerous in my case. Here goes...

"The show was at Shoreline Amphitheatre on July 1st 1994. I was the head of the Shoreline Guest Services department at the time and had full run of the venue. Grateful Dead shows in that era were incredibly long, difficult & complex events to manage and I was usually really busy from the parking lots to the top of the lawn for hours before, during & after every show, but I always tried to get into the bowl for at least the songs after drums to enjoy some of the music and remember why I loved it all in the first place.

On this night, the first show of their usual three-show runs, I was busy at the main gates after drums and when I heard them go into Sugar Mag I rushed in, figuring I could maybe catch Sunshine Daydream or at least the encore.

Because I was in a rush, as a shortcut I went through the backstage area, planning on scooting by the dressing rooms & popping out next to the stage, something I would do often at every show to save time. Unfortunately I didn't quite make it by the end of the set and the band was coming off the stage right where I was, so I stepped to the side until they went back out for the encore.

While I was standing there, Jerry & Bob were talking and I hear Weir say, "I don't even want to play an encore", to which Jerry immediately says "Fine", walks right past me, jumps into a van and takes off.

Cameron Sears, who was the bands stage manager at the time, was standing right next to me, looking shell-shocked as Jerry has just left the building, when Mickey walks up and asks him what's up. Sears says, "Jerry just left", which definitely got Mickey's attention, and then he got everyone else's.

At this point I'm a fly on the wall, out of the way and I figure I'm sticking around to see what THIS is all about.

Bob is clearly pissed. He gathers the other band members into a little huddle and they begin a "discussion", happening right in the middle of the semi-public backstage area where all the many dozens of family & insiders who have passes will soon be walking through as they head back from the bowl. The band's head of security was an ex-BGP guy and he knew me, so he grabbed me and placed me right where all those people were about to come, telling me that NO ONE can go through until the band is done with their meeting.

This is a difficult assignment, as many of these people are serious insiders/family members and not used to being told NO, especially in the backstage area. 

But I used all my powers and got folks to hold up, waiting beside a storage container while I was just a few feet away from the band. It was Weir doing all the talking, and the gist of the issue was that Bob felt the drummers were purposely speeding up on his songs just to fuck with him and he was pissed about it... "If I could get just a LITTLE cooperation!!" The rest of the band just sort of stood there listening (and smirking) and it broke off after a few minutes.

Of course the official story has always been that it was the infamous Shoreline curfew that was to blame for the lack of an encore, but the next night tensions must have still been high because there was no encore that night either, bringing on the only time in my 17 years of seeing over 200 GD shows that I ever heard boos directed towards the band."

So that’s probably juuuuust a little more than 200 words, but it’s a good story, so tough.

>>If I could get just a LITTLE cooperation!!"

I guess Bob won the tempo war in the end.

Sweet offer!

One event/story or can be more, of fewer words ones?

I was friendly with some of the Neville Brothers crew and band during their Dead / SF related years and would take care of various agricultural needs and desserts while they were visiting the Bay area. However, I was a total Neville Brothers fan and catering to rock bands was not my main gig. But it was fun being backstage before and after shows and I knew when not to be around, so band management tolerated my presence.

One year I was backstage downstairs at the Warfield chatting with Cyril Neville before a show, sampling the wares so to speak, and who walks in and sits down but Bob Weir and his future wife to be.  The room was small and I had to scoot over to make room. Cyril passed the joint to Bob, who politely declined. I faded into the woodwork as those two kept talking but gradually, as the scent of this weed reached Bob, he quickly changed his mind and proceeded to enthusiastically join us. Cool… Bob Weir liked my weed!.He really liked it! I was stoked. 

(Bob would have no way of knowing but this wonderful Blueberry strain – we didn’t even use that word then – from Redway, also regularly got sold to Jerry’s manager at the Dead office on its way to my house).

^ Around that same time I worked at a non-music job with a guy who was Jerry's personal assistant (and later art dealer). He got the gig because his wife babysat Jerry's kid and he was always hanging around.

He was an honest guy and not a gossip, but we got some offfstage Jerry info from him every so often. Remember, this was before there were websites so every piece of Dead related news was carefully passed on and dissected.

It wouldn't be unusual to be talking to him (about our work) and have him say, "I gotta go. I gotta call my daughter to have her pick up Jerry. He just ran into a guardrail on 101." No shit.

Well, since we were longtime co-workers and friends and fellow Deadheads, I just had to ask him.. "dude.. if you can do it...without any hassle...I'd love to meet Jerry. Just to shake his hand."

Well, that almost happened at the Warfield one night before a JGB show, but alas..... Consolation prize I got to hang, and burn one, with Jackie and Gloria. That was cool. 

(I'm so easily impressed)

^ The only other thing I got, is that I got engaged next to Vince Welnick's piano (which might have belonged to Brent). Followed by a DNB show at Ace Cider Pub where we celebrated NYE with Stanley Mouse.

Slim pickins, I know.

Nice story, but I don't think Phil should be eligible to win the CDs.

Lance, maybe someone should remind the drummers of the 7/1/94 show when Dead and Company plays again.

Yeah, I think at this point the drummers realize how the bread is buttered, and who's buttering it.

It isn't 1994 anymore.

^ drummers.. that reminds me... I did play drums with Mickey once... sorta.

Mickey lived up the road in Graton when some local techno-freaks put on a laser light / music healing show in downtown Sebastopol (post GD). I was running some lights we were projecting on the surrounding buildings.

There was a big assortment of percussion instruments and drums in the town square that some of us were banging on and who rollls up and joins us, but Mickey. Well, lets just say I rocked that gong. I think the Mayor proclaimed it Mickey Day or something.

(All these run-ins were not unusual for anyone living in the Bay area late 80s / 90s. Everyone had a story of bumping into Jerry at the 7-11 in Marin..."Was that who I think it was?" " Yep, that was him." "Boy, he looked a little rough." "Yeah, I didn't want to look him in the eye.")

I went to a show

Took some cid

I spun and spun

I look back and smile

Good times

Welcome back Tim. Glad you are back to share your flashbacks. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Those fish are waiting for ya.

Thanks for the McCoy Tyner link!

>> when some local techno-freaks put on a laser light / music healing show in downtown Sebastopol

The local techno-freaks was probably Mickey's son who DJ'd 

So not worthy. Incredible offer. How about a chain ?  Send to one freak, they copy em then send to another zoner till everyone has em ? Just a thought.

Never partied with the band, but I got lots of stories, from Free Trips for all at the Palace in 72 - a cat who looked exactly like Marmaduke walked down every aisle offering free acid to anybody who needed it. Show was 45 mins late while the band located a local piano tuner guy, a 65 year old dude with white hair doing his best to tune a piano (they prefer silence)  in a small theater with 2,700 ( place only holds 2,500 but it was waaaay over stuffed)  howling screaming leaping gnomes nearing peak performance. He got it just exactly perfect and it was off to the races. The show was pure nirvana madness.

Left for Watkins Glen around 10pm the Thursday of that week in a Ford hay truck converted into a rolling Hilton. We had mattresses, sleeping bags, 55 gallon drums filled with food, beer, ice, everything. And the party started. Woke up Friday morning on the side of the highway, not moving, going WTF. My brother and buddy up in the cab were both asleep. I woke em up going WTF are we doing here,, the reply, ' we're out of gas'. I said, ' you stupid sons'a bitches, we have dual gas tanks'. Flipped the switch to tank b and we were off again. A short while later I had to piss pretty bad, and from the back of the truck the driver can't hear you, so right about that time our truck slowed down a little, thank God, I realized later it was because we were going thru a toll area, but only cars going the other direction had to stop and pay. Our direction only had to slow, so I whipped out the weasel and took a well deserved piss. Finally made it to the Glen, up the hill we went at a nice mellow pace so we took off the Hilton's back door (a sheet of plywood) and put it on the roof, where it quickly caught some air and soared away down the hill. We were yelling for my bro to stop, but of course he cant hear us so by the time we stopped to park it was at least a half mile or so away. We park, figuring good bye back door, so we grab a beer, roll a few up,  divvy up the acid, and holy shit,, here comes 4 dudes running towards us carrying our door over their heads. They hung out with us for a smoke then went on their way. The whole time we were there it was like that, just nice people having fun with their neighbors. Friday was souncheck day, lucky us. And by the time we made it to a spot, about 30 feet behind the 2nd set of towers, there was at least 17 million other mutherfuckers there. At least. And 5 mins after we settled in to our space, a cat walks up to me and says, ' hey man I saw you taking a piss going thru the toll on the highway this morning'. I shit you not. 48 million people there and this cat saw me toll pissing. The whole time there was just good family fun, the music was ok too. 

Not Fade Away

I would post a story but flashbacks already posted mine. Pretty much the same story I have. Nice give away. I downloaded the whole release illegally and it really is phenomenal. I don't have it anymore but it's absolute pure lightening GD firing on all cylinders. Really beautiful.

Flew to San Francisco for the NYE shows in 2001 at the Kaiser Auditorium.  So, in line for the bathroom I start chatting with this woman.  We're making small talk and laughing and she pulls out a laminate and offers it to me as her friend couldn't make the show.  Holy smokes, okay, I thank her big time and proceed on my merry way!  It was good for the entire run.  Everyone was back there Phil, Kreutzmann, Barlow, Mountain Girl, Wavy and so on.  Peak experience overall and I wasn't acting like a fan girl.  Free reign to come and go as you desire.  

This was after a difficult ltr break up and the person who I was with was special but I didn't feel we should get engaged.  He passed away a few months before the shows and the trip was solo and everything I needed at the time.  Complete magic and of course I ran into people I hadn't seen in years. Cathartic.

Never met any band members the closest I got to anything innie was Blair Jackson because my good friend became his east coast photographer for a while in the late 80’s. Other friends bred schutz hund Rottweiler’s and used that to get back stage. Both Phil and Brent were into the same thing. Also knew a coke dealer in college who could usually get back stage at the cost of an oz, but they would always test it before they let him back I guess they got burned on that in the past. I never tried. I pretty early on came to view that barrier at the front of the stage as something put up as much to keep the people back there from us as it was to keep the GA crowd from them.

That said I look back on it all in wonder at the crazy bubble of luck that surrounded me in so many situations where I deserved nothing but bad outcomes. My one and only arrest at a show was in Providence where I got tackled crossing the street for having and open beer. Cuffed and carted off and into the paddy wagon. When it came my turn to show my ID the cop was pissed to find out I was only 17 and apparently didn’t want to deal with the extra paper work. So I was let go and then of course ran into my very stunned friends wondering what the hell they were going to do. No cell phone but that shit just seemed to happen.

Hitch hiked from Red Rocks to Oklahoma City and got picked up by a gay trucker who smoked weed and huffed rush the whole time he was driving. He let me and my friend sleep in his cab and gave us ride to Amarillo. Super nice guy and never tried anything.

Flew from Boston to SF for NYE shows by myself and knew no one. I was going to camp in the park across the street, but my back pack with my tent and a bunch of buttons went to PR instead of SF. So I slept in the airport the first night waiting for my bag where I ran into people I met on the summer tour from Minnesota who ended up putting me up at their friends place in Berkeley for the whole run. Bag finally arrived three days later. The also hooked me up with NYE tickets. I only had tickets for the first three nights.

Waited for my friend to pick me up by the sign outside of Oxford, by the big sign after the show by the big sign because for some reason I didn’t want to walk to his car. He of course never showed and so I started hitch hiking to our camp ground an hour away. Got picked up by some people who had no place to stay and they gave me a ride all the way, but 50 minutes in were pretty skeptical I knew where we were going. The last bit was through the camp ground up a dirt road where the camp site owner had put us to keep us away from the normals. When we crested the hill there were all my friends singing around the fire with on of them on cello. The guys giving me a ride were relived. Finally my friend who was supposed to give me a ride showed up. His car had been broken into and they stole his tapes. The next night we parked to close to the train tracks and came out of the show and our car was towed. Somehow we walked to the garage and got it and picked up. But all my memories of that weekend are nothing but good.

I could go on but I think you get the idea.

I was also incredibly lucky with shows. I only saw about 120 from 79 to 94, but in that run I caught. Warlocks in Hampton, Brandford in Nassau, St. Stephen in Hartford, Day Tripper in Portland, Caution Jam in Cape Cod, and Casey Jones in Kansas City. Shows at Red Rocks, the Greek, and too many to remember at MSG. Along with Brandford I got to see them play with Santana, Edda James, The Tower of Power, Mick Taylor, Hall and Oates, and Dylan which was the worst show I saw. 

Always a hoot

(((Always a hoot)))

My stories as a fan aren't as interesting (IMO) as my work stories. I have LOTS of those, so I'll throw out one more working-a-Grateful Dead-show story...

"I was working as a "bluecoat", the name for Bill Graham Presents security staff, at a show at the Oakland Coliseum sometime in '93. My position was the stage left pass-gate, the little opening at the very end of the front-of-stage rail where people with proper passes could go backstage.

A pass-gate is a great assignment. You work with one other bluecoat along with a venue security guy, you're right next to the stage & speakers and your only job is to let people with the proper pass go by and tell everyone else sorry. It was a really fun way to see a show and get paid for it.

At this show a group of maybe 6 - 8 people in their early 20s came from the back through my gate right when the doors opened and scored seats in the first row next to the stage, right in front of me. They were friends with or connected to Weir and they went back & forth repeatedly for the next two hours, likely to refill their drinks and use the clean facilities. It was obvious that they were all completely lit, eyes blazing and smiling that Cheshire Cat smile we all know, but they were handling themselves well enough, except for one guy, who had a deep space stare going and looked more than a bit gone overall.

About halfway through the first set the deep space guy floated past me going backstage, and I remember thinking, "Damn, that guy is really high", but he was walking OK and he had a pass so I went back to watching the crowd and rocking out with the show.

For some reason though, a couple of moments after he passed by me I looked back over my shoulder and I saw him up on the back of the stage walking along the edge toward the front, above me. There was nothing along the very side of the stage there, it was dark and just had cases and equipment stashed. It wasn't a place anyone was allowed to hang out and I immediately knew something wasn't right.

He comes up to the front edge right above me and begins to climb over the equipment cases stacked there, clearly on his way onto the stage itself, just feet away from Welnick.

I reacted and was able to step onto the bottom of a barricade and reach up just as he was scaling the case, and fully extended I was just able to get one handful of his pant leg as he was perched on the top of the case. It was blasting loud and dark and I had no leverage to do anything but hang on and try to tell the guy he had to come down, but he was looking at me as if I were reaching up from the depths of hell to drag him into the inferno... he wasn't moving.

I was well aware that this was likely completely visible to the entire arena. I didn't have the leverage to pull him gently and I didn't want to drag him crashing down on top of me, him possibly dragging the case he was clinging to over the edge with him, so there we were, me reaching full up with a handful of jeans trying to tell this guy it was OK, I wasn't going to hurt him but he had to come down. At this point the venue security guy, a massive human being, was able to step up higher and get the guy by the back of his pants and together we were able to pull the guy down to a lower edge of the stage where we could hold him, since he was COMPLETELY freaked out now.

The venue security guy wasn't as gentle as I was and he was ready to just manhandle the poor freaked out freak when his other friends came rushing up, got all around him, hugged him & talked to him, and after a minute or two got him to come to the floor and we walked him backstage.

From there good ol' Rock Med showed up and took over and I went back to my position a bit shook up at my close call, because allowing someone to get on the stage with the musicians was a sure way to get a reaming from about five different people, and never get to work front-of-stage again.

After the show some friends came up and said they watched the whole thing, and that it was the most entertaining part of the whole show (it was '93, not the best of times for the good ol').

Later I was walking through the dressing room hallway area. I saw Weir getting ready to leave when the band's security guy called me over. He introduced me to Bob, who shook my hand and thanked me for helping his friend, saying he'd had a little too much and he was glad his friend didn't get thrown out of the show."

I hadn't thought of that in quite a while, but this thread dredged it up again, and I enjoyed writing it out. It still makes me smile.

Those were fun times.

^ Good Stuff

Would love to hear some more of our own list tales from the golden road. C'mon you hardly ever or never ever posted freaks, I know you have some cool tales to share.  

One of the Dillon Stadium shows in the mid 70's I went with a half dozen buddies who, because I was strong with a good arm, not at all because I was a naive dumbfuck,  selected me to toss a case of beer over the fence to them. No coolers allowed inside. I waited till my buds got into position. I was so happy to know I would soon be inside enjoying a few cold ones with my favorite band, I didnt look around well enough to see a Hartford cop was a bout 10 feet away. I heaved the case and it somehow cleared the 10 foot fence, then I turn around and BAM the cop has me in a hold, saying too bad I won't be going to the show. He leads me over to his ultra fucking hot Harley Davidson cop cycle and it was the shit. I immediately start telling him how cool his bike was, how dumb I was and yada yada yada. A good 15 mins goes by of good conversation and he finally goes, just go on now. I thanked him and off I went just in time to hook up with my buds for the one beer left they saved for me. It was warm.  Heck of a show, the China Cat KYR with the sun going down right behind the band was pretty special.  

Not Fade Away

Awesome holiday spirit.  I have a few, here is one

Back in 80 or 81, me and some buds went to see Bobby & the Midnites it the Pier in Atlantic City.  Post show, we went around and there is Weir's bus--so we figured lets hang for a few.  Low and behold, Weir comes to get on (Alphonso Johnson was first out) and we made our way towards the bus door.  We chatted him up of a few and he was just as I imagined--spaced out, California cool but friendly.  Didn't chase us away.

One more--the short lived Kokomo band with Brent & Bill played the great old Chestnut Cabaret in Philly on August 19, 1985.  Post show Brent & Bill and David Margen were hagin at the bar.  We went up and chatted with them--small crowd as it was 30 minutes after the gig ended.  Kreutzman was a bit of an A hole, smoking a cigarette and tipsy and rude.  Brent on the other had was a real mensch--bought him a Rolling Rock and talked Hammond B3 for 10 minutes.

I have lots of stories. Like Lance, I worked a lot of Dead shows, as a stage hand with the IATSE, for the Barsotti Bros’ Fillmore Fingers and then there were small shows in the earlier days, when audience and band members still mixed. One of the reasons I like going to DNB gigs, is the similar atmosphere.

Before I begin this story, which I may have posted before, I just want to say, nice offer, Mike, and no spot taken.

I graduated high school in 1972. During the summer, like most summers since 1968, I worked at the Sacramento Music Circus, a summer stock theater. By ’72, I had become pretty well accomplished as a theater tech and stagehand there and at the Eaglet Theater. The Music Circus was partially a union house and some of the IATSE stage hands were trying to get me to join the union. It was pretty enticing since the job would have included the big rock shows around town. One day, one of the guys, who knew I was a Deadhead, asks if I want to work the 8/12 Dead show at the Memorial Auditorium. I got someone to cover for me at the Music Circus and took the gig.

I was assigned to the lighting crew. Most of the work was set up and I didn’t have to run anything during the show, so I would be able to hang out and watch most of it. We were loading stuff in and some of the band and crew were already there. I was carrying a bunch of light gels across the back of the stage when I happened upon Jerry and a few people sitting in a circle on the floor, passing around joints. I just nodded as I passed by. On the way back to the loading dock, I go through again. This time Jerry’s hand shoots up at me, holding a nice fat doob. I must have had a wistful look as I was obviously sniffing the air while walking by. He asks, “Want a hit?”. Now, I’m one of the kids and pretty much a newbie with the union. All the top guys there are at least my grandfather’s age. No way could I get caught getting loaded on the job, so I just say, “Thanks, man. Maybe, later.” Or, something like that. I continue on my way to schlep another arm load of lighting stuff. When I came back through, the little circle was gone.

For the rest of pre-show, I’m installing gel frames over the Lekos and Fresnells according to a diagram. Someone else positions the lights behind me. Up and down with my ladder across the stage, I finally finish and the lighting guy tells me I’m done. I go over to stage right and ask the stage manager if there is anything else for me to do. He tells me to just hang out for now and don’t get in anyone’s way.

I positioned myself in the downstage right wing against the fly rail behind the front curtain, which was closed. The Dead’s crew had just finished their work. There is a big metal washtub bucket near me, filled with ice and beers. Phil is there, with Parish, Ram Rod, Kidd and a few others. They’re telling jokes and goofing around. I’m standing right behind Phil when, all of a sudden, he’s laughing loud and backs up on top of me. He pushes me into the fly rail and I can feel the thick ropes in my back. He turns around and gives me this look, like WTF are you doing here? Uh, oh. I got in the way. Phil says, “Hey, man, where’s your beer?” He reaches into the bucket, pulls out a Heineken and thrusts it at me. I take it and look over at the stage manager, who shrugs his shoulders. So, I open the beer and have my first Heinie on Phil. Tasted pretty good.

About that time, I can hear the sound of the audience, as the house was open. The Dead start taking the stage. I was surprised there was no real sound check, but, hey, this is Sacramento. Instead, they all just meander on stage and start getting their stuff ready. I notice a guy I never saw before at the grand piano, who turned out to be Keith. Bobby is test, testing his mic and asking for more monitor. Jerry is fiddling with this and that, just a few feet away from me. I’m still in the wings and I’m looking for a chair or something to sit on because I don’t want stand the whole time. Jerry must have noticed, because he looks my way, points to a stack of amp cases and says, “You can sit here, man.” So, I sit. My view is straight on Jerry the whole night, about 5 or 6 feet away. I asked him a couple of times if he needed anything, but he just said no thanks or shook his head.

Now, I was still just a piano player in those days. Earlier, I went over to the grand to say hi to Mark, who was tuning it. He was the same guy who tuned the pianos for the Music Circus. He even had me noodle on it for a bit. I had been fooling around with guitars off and on for about a year, because my Dad somehow wound up with my aunt’s Stella at our house. Getting a chance to watch Jerry play up close was educational and entertaining. I didn’t interact with anyone else in the band or crew for the rest of the show.

The curtain opened and the audience starts hootin’ and hollerin’. The band gives each other high signs that they’re ready. Someone (can’t remember who) announces the band and they start right into Promised Land. This was actually both the opener and the sound check, as they make motions to the sound folks and their crew for this and that during the song. I’m just sitting there, watching Jerry do his thing. I am visible to just about everyone in the audience, except for those sitting on the left side of the house. And, I can see them. I see a lot of people I know. Mostly, from school. Later, towards the end of the first set, I ask the stage manager if it’s OK for me to go into the house. He says it’s OK and I go out and hook up with some friends. Since, there’s no smoking backstage, or at least there’s not supposed to be, I can have a cig and smoke a little boo with my friends. Usually, the crew smoked on the loading dock, but being in the audience was better.

I head backstage before the break is over and go back to my “seat”, where I studied Jerry for most of the rest of the show. Another thing I noticed, was how it appeared to me that Phil was directing the band in and out of transitions, especially communicating a lot with Billy and the new keyboard player. Also, the first time I saw Donna. During the show, Bobby did most of the talking to the audience, but Jerry was pretty chatty, too. After the first couple of songs, Bob had introduced Keith and Donna as new to the band and mentioned that Pig was ill, but he would be back when he was better. Unfortunately, I don’t think I ever saw him again.

When the show was over, the band pretty much split right away. I helped the IATSE guys pack up some stuff, but I didn’t have to remove the gels I put up, which was cool. I got paid a hundred bucks for the show. The main thing I got out of the show, was an inspiration kick to start playing the guitar more. A month later, my folks got me a Hummingbird for my 18th birthday. The first thing I did was buy two Dead music books and begin to learn everything in them on the new guitar.

<So, I open the beer and have my first Heinie on Phil. Tasted pretty good.>

can't top that

great story!

Awesome offer, no spot taken.

None of my stories will measure up to what Ive read so far. But this post rung a bell

>>>>Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center
12/31/2001

In an apartment on the Oakland/Berkely line the morning of that show I spent making pot cookies and mushroom chocolates to give away that night.So inhaling mushroom dust moving it from the coffee grinder into the melted chcolate and licking the spoon of the cookie batter had me in a good mood.  Headed off to the venue early with a cooler full of beer and got a great parking spot near the entrance but not too close, if you know what I mean. It was raining that day or overcast early and rainy later. Either way I dressed accordingly. When I got to the line to enter turns out I was the 2nd one there!!  Next guy to show up was my buddy so that pushed me back to 3rd in line. Others slowley filled the line behind us. The guy 1st in line's buddy showed up so that pushed me back to 4th in line. Meanwhile we were making friends and joking around with the ushers working the door. With time on our hands and a friend to save my place I was able to keep my beer buzz going all afternoon by sneaking back to the car and filling up my "Starbucks coffee cup" By the time doors were getting ready to open I had been pushed back to 6th in line. That last minutle hustle started behind the glass telling us to get ready. Just before it looked like they were going to start letting us in and you could feel the flood of humanity behind squeezing forward. Our new buddy the usher comes out from the door and yells: "Any minute now folks. Tonight NO BACKPACKS! I repeat NO BACKPACKS! My buddy quickly rips his off his backpack and tells me to hold it. In a swift unoticed motion he takes off his raincoat. Slips on his backpack, then puts his raincoat back on covering the backpack in less than 15 seconds after the announcement. Others around us are still trying to figure out what the usher had said and started asking questions. Soon the folks with backpacks had to make a move to get them stowed in their cars. Me, I never carry anything into shows I can't hide on my person. I usually have all I want plus extra to share without a back pack. One by one folks pealed away from the line and I was back to 3rd in line with my buddy infront of me and the guy who beat me 1st in line. His buddy bailed to stow their packs. When doors opened our being on a friendly basis all day with the usher paid off. No pat downs! Just waved us in. By this time with all the excitement I'm a bit confused. We worked so hard to get in early. Where do we go. Luckily my buddy still had his wits. We ran into an empty arena except for some special people who were already there. The guy infront of us went to the rail. My buddy was smart enough to plop us dead center just a little more than halfway between the soundboard and the stage. Maybe a bit closer to the stage.  I offer my buddy a cookie he offers me a bump. Thats when we noticed gaffers tape marking a trail on the floor. My buddy has us move a few feet to not be in "the path" The arena fills and our friends find us. I think I was in the center of about 20 of us. Friends would show up with beers so I didn't have to leave. The show was amazing. A highlight was at New Years my buddy pulled out 2 bottles of champagne he had in his pack. Also when a very pregnant Susan Tedeschi comes out in a "tight" fitting red dress, while the band was jamming and walks over to Phil as he's playing and starts waving her womb at Phil!?!  (if I ever get pregnant I wanna wave my unborn fetus in front of our leader as he plays) So the gaffers tape "Path" we noticed earlier was for that carousel looking float thingy Billy,Mickey and Bob in clown costumes traveled on through the crowd to get to the stage. Bob didn't look like he was having any fun but I distincly remember Billy giving the finger and snarling at everyone.

The Q with Derrick Trucks? At the Kaiser? What's not to love!

Don't need to participate in the contest as I have the Box Set. But thought I'd chime in with two quick stories. Both 1973. First RFK. Only completely pure hallucination in all the acid, mescaline, mushrooms and peyote I did in the 70's. On the feild of the stadium 100* heat. Tripping my you know what off when they Open the 2nd set with Eyes. All of a sudden I see the notes as Jerry had written them as sheet music coming out of his guitar and floating up into the air. Not only was I listening to but also reading the notes as he was playing them. Amazing. Years later some girlfriend of mine gave me a t-shirt that depicted the same hallucination. Don't know how she knew or where she found it. Mind boggling. 

Boston November/December same year. Short version.  After one of the shows we found out what hotel the band was staying in. We devised a plan to get in to party with them. We knew Phil loved Heineken so we bought a case and made our way up to the room they were partying in. Knocked on the door. Told whoever answered we had a present for Phil hoping he would invite us in. Phil comes to the door. We give him the case Heineken. He says thanks and slams the door shut. Lol. Many years later at a meet and greet at the Cap. I tell Phil the story and looks at me and says "that was you?"  He actually remembered the incident and apologized for not inviting us in. Said he was probably tripping out. You can't make it up!

Love all the Tales,  so far Mylar story is the Winner. 

Imagine that,  being right off-stage for a Grateful Dead Show.

That's a pretty Good one.

'72 was just the first time I was either right off stage or on stage during a Dead show.
Here's a quick one:
I'm at a Kaiser show working for FF. Can't remember which one, but I think it may have been a NYE, because a whole bunch of people were on the stage. I'm standing next to Bill Walton.
I have a bullet in my pocket with about a gram and half of coke. I take it out for a snort and Bill looks down and sees me, so I ask him if he wants a blast. He says sure.
I show him how the device works. It had a little knob on the side. You give it a half turn and tip it so about a line goes into the top chamber. Then you turn the knob back and then snort what's in the chamber. He turns the knob and then starts snorting on the bullet without turning it back. First one nostril and then the other. He hands me the bullet back and I discovered he snorted nearly the whole thing! I laughed about it the rest of the night.

So I'll throw in a Post - GD tale.

2000-2001 NYE Oakland,  it's Bob Weir and RatDog, then Phil & Friends, and Crusader Rabbit for the closest Thang for Surviving Grateful Dead performance.

Maybe I'm confused on the Year... probably more like 2001 -> 2002 ?

Already I messed up the Tale.

Anyway the Venue is Kaiser and we drove from Oregon,  but we have to meet Dawn (RIP) because... She flew and we drove.

So we get to the Hyatt or Hilton or whatever Hotel,  and we look for Dawn.
As we're getting out of Dave's truck,  we see Bob Weir,  Wife and children arriving at the Hotel.  They had a Volvo Wagon.  We did not go and say "Hello" because we are well-mannered people.

We did not want to bother them.  That would be rude.

The kids were basic Infants back at the "Turn Of The Century" and now they grew up to become adults.

OK --

So Dawn basically had our Hotel Room keys,  and it's important that Dave and I meet Her before the Show. (12 / 30) whatever year Crusader Rabbit.

We wander around the Hyatt / Hilton place looking for a House Phone,  and find a Conference Room where Weir and Roadies are having a heated discussion over some Bullshit. Basically some Crew members are Mutinous and upset over arrangements.  But we find a House phone and attempt to Contact Dawn.

There is no answer there.

This is the BEST topic in a long time! Thank you, Mike. Thanks to everyone for sharing. I just finished Mylar's post and am relishing his story before I continue reading. 

Good stuff.  Thanks to the contributors. I might post my much less interesting, passing encounters with the Boys later, but am too toasty now. 

Thanks, MIke!

*********************

40 years ago, on September 6, 1980, on a fine Labor Day Weekend, I experienced one of the best days of my life, certainly musically! Lewiston State Fairgrounds, Maine was the sunny location where Roy Buchanan played a blazing set, followed by the one and only Levon Helm with The Cate Brothers, who had the crowd A-Rockin'!!!  Some people said that The Grateful Dead played one of their best outdoor East Coast shows ever that day because the other bands raised the bar so high...All I know is that we were Rockin' & Groovin' all day & night. It made the 13-hour excursion we took totally worthwhile! That trip had involved a car break down on the way from New Jersey, an Amtrack Train ride back home from Connecticut to get another car, THAT car catching fire, and still making our way by dawn to our destination!!! Ya can't make this stuff up!!  To commemorate this momentous day, I have compiled the excellent audience and soundboard/matrix recordings into a Box Set to be given out freely to those who would dig it!  

                                                                                              ~   Bob O'Donnell  

https://archive.org/details/gd80-09-06.sbd_aud.miller.25560.sbeok.shnf

My second show was at Englishtown. During NRPS my brother pulls out a full sized sheet of notebook paper. I see it is "wet"...the whole sheet. He says "I got some acid, let's split it". I saw, heard, and felt things I'd never seen, and never will again...first trip to the island as Kruetzman would say. Must have been at least 20-30 doses. Good thing it was my first or I would have lost it. There was a short period of time for which I cannot account. Went back to the island many many times, but none of those visits compare. Close, but not the same. Life altering!!!

Is LSD and Alcohol a good combination!? 

Seems contradictory!

I was 16. No alcohol. However, I do enjoy a nice drink or two while bicycling these days!

^ i like the way you talk

I'm thinking about that quote from The Chairman of the Board "I feel sorry for people that don't drink because when they wake up in the morning, that is the best they're going to feel all day"....except I feel sorry for people who have never taken that ride because they'll never totally get it.

Not a show experience, but it's about a box of rain, so I figure this story gets some slack. Posted this last year:

I made a Box of Rain in 1995 … a love story

Some of my favorite Robert Hunter lyrics are from the song Box of Rain ….
“

…
Just a box of rain
Wind and water
Believe it if you need it
If you don't, just pass it on

What do you want me to do
To do for you, to see you through?
For this is all a dream we dreamed
One afternoon long ago
“

Cleaning out the closet in our bedroom, today, my wife found many items of fond memory. One of them was the Box of Rain that I made for her in Colorado in 1995.

In June of 1995, I had a business trip to Denver. Had read many reviews of the Amtrak trip heading west from Denver over the Rockies - glass sightseeing roof and the majesty of the views whilst the train did right to left switchbacks, curling and climbing up the Rocky Mountains. It was rated the most scenic train trip in America.

Booked my business trip to the Denver Convention Center with an extra free day to take that scenic train ride.  It would have been perfect to take that 3 1/2 hour ride whilst smoking a few bowls as the diesel pulled us up from the Great Plains to the lower sky, but that would not be in the cards in 1995 OR 2019. Getting arrested will put the damper on a vacation day every time.
 
Strategizing with a friend before the flight to CO, he suggested that brownies were the way to go.  Inspired  thinking, said I.  But I have never cared for brownies - even as a kid….. too dense. I tend toward light and fluffy.  In that context, I love Devil’s Food cake!

Betty Crocker was do-able even with my limited baking skills .. and Tupperware was my friend (until the train). The 2nd stop west from Denver was at the mountain top in Winter Park Ski Area, Fraser, CO.

Climbing and chugging up the face of the Rockies, curling back and forth was majestic and perfect. Due to my research, I knew exactly where to sit on the train for the prime scenic experience. An hour into the journey, I opened the plastic bag within the Tupperware for some attitude adjustment, and the whole car was instantly filled with the virtual aromatic marriage of Betty Crocker to Bob Marley. I was rather horrified, but undaunted.

Two plus hours, and 4 Devils Food cupcakes later (Beloved NJ Mother: Betty Crocker had never been so kind to me with YOUR cupcakes..…) , and with the train car infused with the scent of electric lettuce and baked chocolate, I departed the train at Winter Park Ski Area, Fraser, CO.

Twilight Zone time:  There was no one there. Deserted. Ghost town. Nada. Zilch.

There was a row of shops - likely busy in ski season, but dark and closed on a June Thursday.

6 hours til the next train back to Denver.What to do for 6 hours???

George Harrison wrote :  " No sooner had I ooped it down, I felt so far above the ground..."

My fourth wedding anniversary had been just a week before and I was missing my wife and stepson. The song Box of Rain was in my head and I still had the gallon baggie which had kept the special cupcakes double sealed within the Tupperware.

I spent part of the next 6 hours collecting nature from that remote mountain top - fossils and leaves, rocks and natural items unique to the SoWest USA - and also filled the baggie with CO mountaintop water. Back in Denver, that night, I arranged the nature specimens within the water filled baggie as an artistic presentation framed within a small rectangular box.

Brought that Box of Rain home to my dear wife to let her know that my extra day away from her and our stepson had been spent thinking of them.

Lisa kept the gift. That box ended up tucked in a corner of the bedroom closet, together with other special heirlooms and memories.

She found it on Sunday A love letter from the past from me to her.

<<<
And it's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
Or leave it if you dare

And it's just a box of rain
Or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long long time to be gone
And a short time to be there
>>>

Anyway,  it's a good long Drive from Corvallis to Oakland,  about 566 miles or 911 kilometers.

So Dave also had to drive from Portland to Corvallis. Then through Southern Oregon and the mountain passes of Northern California,  where Semi trucks try to run you off the road. It's Late December, so there's a bunch of Snow there.  We get through all that,  and arrive in Oakland eventually.

Naturally, we want to freshen up before the show,  change clothing,  take a shower,  puff a Reefer,  maybe eat something.

But where is Dawn ?  After witnessing the Bob Weir vs. Roadies debate,  and calling the Room, we both realize -- "The Bar !!"

And we find her there,  have a Beer, and Bob Weir wanders in.  The fans say Hello and buy Him a drink. Johnny Walker Black.  We all go back to our cozy corporate hotel room,  regroup,  and perhaps eat some Dinner.

Also, we had to smuggle in the Border Collie,  Cloud.

That was my closest Brush with GD fame -- Weir was in the same Hotel bar as us (Dawn,  Dave and Me).  Cloud the Border Collie was in the Camper top on the Nissan pickup truck.  Cloud was always comfortable in there.

We did not get the chance to buy Bob Weir a drink;  others were on top of that before we knew that our opportunity was gone. I really forget where we all ate,  but obviously we ate Somewhere,  several somewheres.

Cloud the Border Collie stayed illegally in our Corporate Hotel Room for a night or two, until the Front Desk called and said "Yer Busted, no Dogs".  She was fine in Her mobile Canine habitat.

Many will say that running into Bob Weir three times in one afternoon (the Volvo with Wife & Kids, the Roadie argument in Conference Room, The Bar) qualifies as 'Brush With Fame'  but actually,  witnessing all those Roadies clucking at Weir really made our Day.

I had a tape of the first 6 songs from 12/30/86 that I used to listen to a few times week. I got the name of our son from that tape. He was born in Walnut Creek but he had to be rushed over to Kaiser in Oakland after seizing at birth. He spent two weeks there before returning to Walnut Creek for 4 more weeks. He came home with conditions but he grew fast and strong and is doing excellent even with a few disabilities. 

My wife's friend came up to see Bobby and Bruce in 2012. She had a ticket for Saturday but when she got up here she checked to see if she could get Sunday tickets and scored two. She gave me the Saturday so she could talk to my wife about divorcing our friend. I went to the show and got to see Bob play Esau for the second time in nearly 25 years. He had broken it out and dusted it off a week earlier at TRI studios. It didn't go well to start but he stayed with it and pulled it off. My eyes welled up. 

Esau loves going to shows. This was the first year he didn't go to Hardly Strictly. But he met Gibby Haynes at City Lights in February. 

Esau's middle name is Gibson. Like the guitar. 

My stories pale in comparison to those above, but thought I'd share:

Place: The Eugene Hilton Cafe, were I met some friends who were staying there for breakfast on the morning of an Autzen Stadium show in early 90s

What happened: The cafe was of course, crowded with deadheads because that's where the band stayed... almost all tables were full. I found my friends and ordered blueberries with granola and yogurt. There was a 2-seater table available next to us, and we notice a couple being seated there... I look up and Mickey was seated next to me on the banquette. 

He looked at us, smiled and pointed to my breakfast and said "I'll have what she's having!"   

I blushed and was speechless.... as literally everyone else in the cafe was standing up looking at our corner. 

My other story involves surprising Bobby at the CalExpo Hilton when I opened the door to the workout room... he was on the treadmill in his short-shorts, LOL. 

Of course the yogurt was from Kesey's creamery right?

Nice offer Mike!

One of my favorite Dead stories happened on 6/22/92 at Star Lake Amphitheater on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. I had started going to shows in 1983 and by this time had 50-60 shows under my belt. Due to extenuating circumstances I had recently moved back home with my parents to get my financial situation under control. By this time they were used to my long hair, tie dies, and music blasting from my car/room/apartment constantly. One day my Mom says out of the blue, "I want you to take me to a Grateful Dead concert, i want to see why you like this so much." So when the 92 summer tour was announced and it came time to mail-order, I ordered extra tickets for the 6/22 show and told Mom she was going to the show! Low and behold we got tickets 10th row center, best seats I ever got from mail order. So comes the day of the show, and for whatever reason I decided to work and not take a vacation day, figuring that Star Lake is only 45 mins from home and we would have plenty of time... WRONG!!! Traffic had backed up on the highway several miles before the exit and was moving painfully slow. So fast forward an hour and we're finally getting to the entrance to the parking lot, where traffic is being turned away because the lot is full. This day is not going as I expected. To top it off, she desperately has to go to the bathroom so I drop her off at the lot entrance to go find a bathroom while I find a place to park, which ended up being a mile down the road. I can only imagine all the things that could go wrong while I'm off trying to find a place to park. So I hustle back to the lot to find her there at the entrance where I had left her.. whew! A big feeling of relief flooded over me as I realized everything was going to be Ok. She had even run into one of my cousins and his wife, and spent time talking to them, but they headed in since the first set had already begun. The distance from entrance of the lot to the venue is a good hike so we start making our way thru the lot to go in, and she gets her first glimpse of the chaos of the Dead lot, which by 92 was getting crazier and crazier.

One of my buddies had a lawn ticket and couldn't go to the show so he asked me to sell it for him at face. By this point I don't want to deal with this, I just want to go in because the music is playing, but I figured it would be a quick sell since there are plenty of ticketless hordes outside. I tell Mom to wait near the ticket takers while I unload the ticket. It turned out to be not so easy because everyone wants a miracle! Not surprising but again I just want to dump this ticket and go in!  After 10 minutes I find a girl who wants to buy the ticket but shes paranoid that I'm trying to sell her a counterfeit. I keep insisting that its a good ticket until eventually I point and say "See that old lady with the gray hair over there? Thats my Mom and I'm taking her to the show!! This seemed to make sense and she bought the ticket. Finally!! By the time we're making our way in they are playing BIODTL and the irony doesn't escape me. I'm hoping we didn't miss too much but when they go into Deal, I realize we pretty much missed the first set. As we make our way to the the pavilion and 10th row seats my Mom comments on how loud it is, and she's right, Deal is cranking!

Set break commences and we settle into our seats for Set 2. She is amazed at the stage and equipment, the crowd and all the freaks and crazies everywhere... and whats that smell??? Its weed Mom... what?? Weed.. you know, marijuana? OHHH!! The lights go down and they play Scarlet> Fire> Victim> Darkstar> Drums> Space> Spanish Jam> Other One> Stella Blue> GDTRFB> Around & Around, E: Knockin' On Heaven's Door. Not epic, but not terrible either considering the time period. Darkstar clocks in at a paltry 4 minutes. During Drums> Space she asked what the hell this was, and I told her it was a free form experimental part of the set, to which she replied "I think its a bunch of bullshit!" LOL!! Well, maybe she was right. After the show we walked around the lot arm in arm checking out the vendors selling shirts, jewelry and the like. She wanted to buy me something so i picked out a sweet Guatemalan hoodie. She was really amazed at all the people on tour and that they were able to sustain themselves that way. She had seen a side to life that she never saw before, the sights, the smells and the sounds... and we talked about the freedom of going out on the road and following the circus, as we made our way back to the car. Now she understood why i liked seeing this band so much. By the time we made it home, my Dad (a retired cop) had waited up for us.. "Well, how was it? It was fun, I want to go to another one" Mom replied. We never went to another show together but she loved telling her friends that she went to a Grateful Dead concert.  

My memories of that night aren't really about the music, or the traffic, the crowds or a mind expanding experience. Walking around the lot after the show with our arms around each other, checking out the scene and talking is one of the richest experiences I ever had at a Dead show. When I tell friends that I took my mom to a Dead show they look at me like I'm a lunatic, but I just smile and think of that brief time we spent together. As I was typing this I did a quick calculation and I was 28 and she was 56 years old when we went to that show... and its funny because I just turned 56 in October!

  https://archive.org/details/gd1992-06-22.dsbd.miller.32490.sbeok.flac16/...

LOL, I don't do fake anything, but I remember that it was an artistically arranged dish that looked really healthy, and Oregon is berry country, so there you go. 

I think the chances that a Hilton would buy local yogurt are slim, but who knows, it would have been the right purchasing practice, to buy locally.

Nice Mom story. Brought back some memories - not of bringing my mom she would have hated everything about it. My tour friend who lived in DC planned to bring his mom to a show, and drove down to VA to get tickets for the Hampton shows, which he got. I was broke at the time and wasn't planning on going. Then rumors of what they were rehearsing drifted back to the east coast and I decided to go. Thankfully he told his mom that these shows wouldn't be the right ones for her and that's how I ended up at the Warlock shows. He did end up taking her to shows later.

Another story nothing to do with the dead. I was waiting in line to pick up the biggest rental truck you could get with out a commercial license for our camp at burningman. Got talking to the guy in line with me and he asked what our camp was about. He then said he wasn't involved in any art project that year because he brought his mom out the previous year and that nearly killed him. Another friend brought his mom to burningam and she got to see him get arrested cuffed and taken away. Good times. 

Really nice offer Mike, well done.

Speaking of mom stories, I took my mom to the JGB show at the Rochester War Memorial on 11-20-91.

I was actually the first person in the venue and got us rail spots and killer riser seats on Melvin's side, better

to see Garcia. (I was saving the seats, mom was coming a little later). I finally decided that being center rail wouldn't be

the best idea for mom, so I did the unthinkable (for me) and gave up the front and went to the seats. 

She liked the show ok, he did encore with What A Wonderful World, which of course she knew, so that was cool.

She'll never forget one of my friends' girlfriend taking her to the ladies room. Mom didn't want to deal with that alone!

------------------

About 15 years ago I'm sitting at home and the landline phone rings. We had a phone then with a big caller ID display and I looked

and it said LESH, PHIL.

"Hmmm, why is Phil calling me?" I pick it up and it's my brother's wife; they had rented Phil's house for a week without knowing it was Phil's house....

--------------

A few years ago, I'm at my local bar/restaurant and Phil is there also. I've talked to him many times by then, no big deal. I walk over and we started talking about

the recording studio where he was working (I think on Ross James' record, can't remember). I'm telling him my friends dad built the house himself, they finally sold it 

years after he died, and someone bought it and built a state of the art studio inside. Phil tells me it's one of the best places he's ever recorded, between the facility and

the view.

 I had turned the TV to the Golf Channel and we were watching a replay of a tournament where some light plane or something went crashing down in flames by the course. I think they were somehow ok.

Phil goes, "Holy shit, can you imagine you're about to putt and you look up and see something like that!"

-----------

Same bar, August 2009:

I'm talking to a woman at the bar who says she's there with her boyfriend from Hawaii. I look over and realize the boyfriend is Billy. 
We get to talking and drinking and I'm telling him they should go down to Stockton tomorrow to see Dylan. He goes "we just played with him!"

It happens to be the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and the very day Phil and Bob announced the Furthur band. We didn't talk about either of those things, however.

There was a piano and bass player, as there always is, and Billy is talking to them during their break. He asks the guy if he can, and picks up the stand up bass and

starts fooling around on it. The girlfriend goes shit, I've never seen this, do you have a phone? She wanted a photo but her phone was dead and mine was at home.

Oh well.

So we're doing the usual drinking, playing dice, bullshitting....typical night at the place.

My friend who was about 70 then, a psychiatrist, came in and started gambling with me.

At one point Billy was trying to give me pointers. I finally did what he suggested, lost, and went "What the fuck, Bill!!!"

He laughed and said "just because I gave you advice didn't mean you should take it." Good point.

I finally had to go and my friend stayed. The next day my friend says to me, "That guy we were playing with last night, do you know

if he has a history of aggression or violence? I kept beating him and he was getting super pissed-off."

I laughed and said "you were lucky to get out of there without getting kicked in the nuts!"

------------

Too many Weir stories but once he told me he was going to sing the Star Spangled Banner before a Giants game and I said

"cool, at least they don't want you to sing Truckin', maybe you'll remember all the words!"

Hey, it's Bobby, I can't help it...

BTW, I love all the stories but I think Mylar takes the cake, even if he doesn't want it...

^^^^ Agree! 

OK, one more from me, because I love telling stories. This one is a fan experience. I didn't meet anyone from the band, it was just a seminal experience, one that resonates with me almost 42 years later...

"In February 1979 the band announced a benefit concert at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the first time they'd played that huge hall. I was 18 at the time and just beginning to be a fan, having seen my first GD show that past October at Winterland and then the Closing of Winterland.

My friends had all bought tickets, but because of my youthful inexperience, or the fact that they were playing such a larger place than Winterland and the show hadn't sold out in the days leading up to the event, I waited until the day before the show to buy a ticket. Sure enough... the show had sold out. I was so disappointed because all my friends were going and I was really looking forward to it. 

That same night, the night before the show, a friend's parents were away so he was having a big party at his house. One friend had scored a big amount of mushrooms and everyone was going to enjoy a fun party and then the show the next night. I had three grams myself, and was planning on taking half at the party and half at the show (I don't know if that's light-weight or whatever, but I never dabbled in psychedelics much and a gram/gram & a half had worked well for me in the past).

I took my 1 1/2 during my last hour of work that night, figuring it will all start "working" by the time I got to the party. When I walked in about an hour & a half after taking my dose I was feeling nothing at all, and the first thing I saw when I walked through the door was three friends running into the house screaming that they'd "JUST SEEN A UFO!!!! OH MY GOD!!!! FOR REAL!!!"

Looking around I realized that EVERYone there, about 20 people, were all flying high. After a while longer of feeling nothing, and being seriously bummed about not going to the show the next night and not being on the same playing field as my friends at the party, I figured what the hell, and I ate the other 1 1/2 grams.

Naturally, about 15 minutes after that everything began to change and AWAAAAAAY I went.

I flew straight past anything I had experienced before and everything continued getting weirder & weirder; carpets crawling, walls melting, faces & words distorting. At some point, while sitting and staring into nothing/everything, barely hanging onto my sanity, a guy I hardly knew (and didn't particularly like) walked into the house and without saying a word plopped a ticket to the show in front of me and walked away.

Now I'm too high to be excited about the ticket, and I go straight to being bummed that now I have no more mushrooms. Typical stiinkin' thinkin'.

I went farther out that night than I ever have before or since, and it was not a pleasant experience. I ended up bailing and drove the few back-streets to my home - only five minutes, but what a drive THAT was - crawled into my bed and let everything just melt away, telling myself over & over that I was OK and it WOULD end. Reading short passages of Catch 22 between melting words & pages helped as well. That is a GREAT book to read when altered!

The next day I'm fine, we go to the show, get in line and not five minutes after we get there a decent looking guy walks by selling mushrooms. I bought a gram (the only time I've ever bought drugs outside a show in my life). I eat them down, we get inside, a big movie screen is set up and they run Fun With Dick & Jane, because Jane Fonda and her husband the senator or whatever were the ones putting on the benefit. Fonda spoke to the crowd for a minute, looking like Jane Fonda in '79, so especially using my binoculars I was most pleased with that, and the good vibes kept getting better.

As I said, I had seen the dead twice before, and that final Winterland show in particular was a seriously deep-end show in many ways, so I thought I really knew what they were all about. I was feeling good but not fully on when the show started, but it SOUNDED amazing right away. They played excellently and somewhere in the long 1st set I realized that while I was feeling very sharp & clear, I was seeing & hearing everything "differently". They closed the set with Lazy Lightning/Supplication, and in the middle of Supplication it was like the Doors of Perception opened in my mind in a way I had never experienced.

I'll never forget that moment, when for the first time I realized that this band, these guys, this JERRY guy, were able to do something completely different than any other band, something so much MORE, something truly serious, just through the music, the amplification and the feeling in the room.

I was sitting next to the guy who had given me the ticket, and I'll always remember so clearly the moment after the lights came up when I turned to him, in complete awe, and asked, "Who ARE these guys?!? WHAT are these guys?!!?". From that night and my immense appreciation for him hooking me up, he & I became friends and he is still one of my closest friends to this day.

Of course that Oakland show turned out to be Keith & Donna's last show. They played a ton of songs, the 2nd set was looooong and deep, I felt just exactly perfect and I was never the same again.

I had seen the band twice before, both of those shows are considered by many to be classics (myself included) and I saw them so many times since, but it was THAT night in Oakland when I discovered what the Grateful Dead were capable of, just how great they really were, and in one way or another that show is the one I have compared every other show I've seen since; ALL the shows I've seen, not just GD shows.

Thank god for the Grateful Dead.

And my friend Dwaine."

2/17/79 -

https://archive.org/details/gd1979-02-17.145263.sbd.troy.smith.miller.cl...

That Oakland show is really good. Love the Wheel. Probably my favorite version. So dreamy. K&D went out on a bang.

Mike, great offer and I am enjoying this thread.  Good luck to all the participants!  Since I would rather tell my GD stories in person I'm passing on posting them here.  After the contest is over could the flac files be shared?  I would love to burn a set of these cd's and an extra set to give away. 

Incredible offer.  Who TF is ths guy ?

Man I've forgotten more stories than I can possibly remember. 

Went pretty early, hoping to get an autograph,  to see Ratdog at the Webster in Hartford in I can't remember the year. Got there in time to hear them run thru Two Djinn and Corrina with the back double doors full open, perfect sound flowing outside. Just me and this huge black brother who was Webster security, cool cat letting me hang out right at those back doors . After a while this sweet cutie comes out and we start talking, super friendly lady, just nice as all get out, after about a half hour or so she walks back inside and security bro asks if I knew who she was,,  I said, no,, he laughs and says that's Bob's wife. Who knew. She came back out and after another round of cool conversations I asked her kindly if there was any way I could bother her husband for a signature. She smiled and said absolutely. I only brought 2 things with we - a 2nd edition Woodstock poster (23 sigs on it so far) , and the Evening Moods cd. She grabbed em both took back off inside returning about 20 mins later with, not just my poster signed by Bob and the entire band signed cd, but with Bob himself who just came up to me shaking my hand saying, thanks for coming and taking up some of his wifes time, meeting nice folks on the road is one of the best parts of it. I was floored, said thank yeeew !!

Fast forward a few years, we're staying at the catskill mt club for one of the Mt Jams, Ratdog is playing that night, after the morning hike all the way up the mountain (realistically a couple hundred yards up the hill is all I made), it was time to hit the pool. To get to it you had to go thru the workout room. We put our key card thingy into the scanner, walk in and who you think is in there putting in some miles on the stationary bike ? That's right, Bobby Weir. I said, hey Bob, have a good yeller rat dog show tonight. He looked up at me and said thanks, then he looked a little better, slightly recognizing me I believe because then he says, and make sure you say hi to Natsha,, she's in the jacuzzi. Sure enough we get outside, she's in the cuzzi with friends, I said hello, big smile from her, totally remembering the Webster nite. I intro'd my wife, we shared pleasantries and hopped in the big pool. Saw em up close another time too but dammed if I can remember where.

Before the 2nd set Wooster 88 Bobstar stared at me , you know they way he stares, in the front row for an uncomfortable amount of time before playing Bucket

went to Ruby's retirement party but I can't remember where or when

^^^ Speaking of Bob and Natascha...  I managed a small bank branch in Mill Valley from 2001-2004.  The Weirs were customers and came in occasionally.  I got to open the first little savings accts for Monet and Chloe and managed some accts for the Garcia estate and for Phil.  Phil's manager would come in every month and wire $9.999 to Owsley every month in Australia.  Obviously never asked why.  The Weirs were gracious and I got VIP access to shows for a few years (other ones, The Dead, Ratdig, etc).  I always played live GD on Fridays in my branch.  Locals would stop in for cookies and to see what show was spinning.  Simpler days...

First time I met Bob and Phil was in the late 90s at the Bohemian Club in SF.  They had a special evening/performance with Bob and Phil (Jay Lane and Sammy Hagar filled out the group).  Yes, Loose Lucy was played.  I sat in on the sound check and after they walked off stage, I mustered the courage to go introduce myself to Phil.  I walked right up to him, stuck out my hand and said "Hi Randy, my name's Phil"!  He looks at me quizzically and then we both had a good laugh.  Phil was/is a gracious person   After that, had to go meet Bob   Preshow, there was a big steak/wine dinner and the guests of honor are seated at the front (think about a wedding situation)   I walked up to the head table to say hello to Bob   He was doing the Japanese bowing thing (no hand shaking, so progressive of him) and he was also very gracious.  I asked him very politely to play Bobby McGee that evening and he looked at me like I wanted him to play speed metal or something. 

Anyway, days gone by...

A year after I had graduated high school, my life became forever intertwined with the Grateful Dead.  It was the spring of 1987 and after my friends had attended a few East Coast shows, they were thrilled that at last I had gotten on the bus.  We arrived at Alpine Valley to see a run of three shows.  It was the day before the first show when we arrived at an energized scene full of people, pulsating with enthusiasm in the shimmer of what felt like a carnival. I remember deadheads being so excited that the band had just played All Along the Watchtower for the first time at the Greek and being hopeful that they would play it at this run.  Looking back I recall it all with startling clarity. 

The feeling of being far from home.  

The acoustics of the venue and the warm inviting sound of the music.

The sense of witnessing something that was familiar but timeless, recognizing that I had been offered the gift of tapping into what had always been around, yet I had not always seen.

Realizing that my life had changed and that moving forward this would always be a part of it.  (5

During the first set of the final show I remember dancing in the aisle and everyone seemed so happy.  The band was playing Althea and nearby I noticed this guy who seemed overcome with joy while frantically passing out what seemed to be gold colored stickers.  I approached to see what all the fuss was about and right as Jerry was singing the line “this space is getting hot”, the guy handed me a sticker which was printed with the date of the show and that very lyric. It was ones of those moments where you feel like you experienced something extraordinary and you know that you’ll never be the same. From that moment on the Grateful Dead has accompanied me during my life's journey, through the birth of my children, their leaving home, the loss of my mother, my wife’s recovery.  Their music has always been present, through joy and through sorrow, always intertwined.

One time we were going to Dead & Co at Shoreline and we stayed at a hotel nearby. It was myself, my son Esau, my wife,  her friend Charlotte and Charlotte's co-worker Alex and his wife Christina. We smoked a couple fatties in our room before we left and I forgot my jacket but remembered as we were pulling out of the parking lot so I ran back up and grabbed it. On the elevator ride down a guy got on and asked for a ride to the show and I said sure. He jumped in the truck and we made a drink stop, then got in the car line to the lot. We were all high and had not talked for ten minutes because a stranger was in the car until Esau broke the ice and and said "So, Sam, how old were you the first time you saw the Grateful Dead?". Sam told us he was 14 when he first saw the GD at the Cap Center. He regaled us with tales of East Coast runs and my wife and I told him our first show was 2003 Shoreline. Alex told him his first show was GD 50 with us and Charlotte. Esau said it was his first show but we told him that he saw a few different configurations when he was younger. Sam told us he really dug Mayer and was stoked that we were all enjoying the music and experiences at the shows and glad to see new generations just keep truckin' on.

I'm working on writing out some memories but they're not award winning, they're just life. I love reading what you other folks have written.

>>>>>Just as the band went into Unbroken Chain

No way! I was high as a kite using the backstage pisser at that same moment.

Clearly remember how empty it was back there

I don't remember that, I was focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and not running into Jill or anyone else "important"

Also hearing the band break into UBC I tried to hurry back to my seats. But i'd been drinking all day and holding it in so it was one of those long never ending pees that won't let you hurry. So I just got comfortable staring at the walls above the urinal melt hearing the band muffled. Then I started to wonder the history this urinal had witnessed over the years. Did Jerry ever take a leak here? Other famous folks? Is this the original urinal or has there been a remodel. Finished up and made  tunnel vision back to my seats

Congratulations slacker and great thread mike 

I love that you're rewarding Slacker for keeping the music alive in the next generation.

My son, whose bio mom is Rosie McGee, never liked music and certainly never liked how Greg and I danced around the house. He might have died if any of his friends had seen us. We took him to shows and the only reason he had any fun is that his friend Orion Trist was also there. So you might imagine my happiness when he turned to me after we'd been dancing around in the shade backstage at Portland Meadows in 1995 and said, "I think I'm a Deadhead!" He'd never danced at a show before that, but that day, at 15, he let himself go.

He's now married to a woman who plays music in the house 24/7. She doesn't play Dead, but his and his kid's life is full of music.

Great choice Mike.

Slacker kid story was my second selection behind Mylar (because, hey, he had Phil himself hand him his first Heineken and this is ostensibly a Phil fan dbmb.) I thought we would have more Jerry stories, but Bob seems the social butterfly.

Mike you seemed in contention as you had the story trifecta with the sex, drugs, and rock and roll -- but alas, no band members.

Congrats Slacker -- you deserve it for posting photos, too.

Congrats Slacker!! and everyone else here with such cool stories and rich backgrounds too. I only briefly met Phil at TXR over the Furthur NYE 2012 run and then Bobby after his Ventura Wolf Bros show last year but it's always great that the band members & friendz seem to make themselves available as extended friends to Deadheads and are not surprisingly very genuine and engaging people all around. Hats off, La Zoners, keep on keepin' on!

I can start the USB drive vine, it's great that we can do that.  It's been decades since I was in a cassette vine.  I'll send Mike my address to start. 

I'll send the drive to the next person on the list.  Next person makes their cds/copies the flac files and passes it to the next person etc.

1. China-Rider

2.

3.

oh great, slacker gets more free shit

;)

cool thread man.

Good choice Mike. Slacker seems to be doing the right thing.

(though I think the kid almost won on the basis of the captain's hat, rims and horn).

that's very generous, Mike

congrats, Slacker

Grate stories,Thanks!

Big congrats Slacker for articulating the dream so well... great story. 
 

Excellent reasoning for choosing the winner, but I think Slacker's kid Esau should be the winner of the CDs.

He can show them to his own kids one day, relics from a time long past.

"People needed to use THESE things to listen to music???"

And Judit, your son's biological mother is Rosie McGee?

Have you mentioned that before?

I'm thinking that YOU must have some pretty good stories.

A good story is the best way to pass on knowledge & culture, and there's no time like the present.

I think this thread should continue.

...And all these years I thought her name was Rosie Philsoldlady

Well done, Bss.

Lance, I've started writing for this thread but it will take me a little while.

Take your time Judit. We'll keep a light on for you.

And this thread has reminded me that writing personal stories is a great way to recall details of our past.

In this age of instant, tweety, texty LOL-short-hand communication, writing is fast becoming a lost art, if it hasn't already, which is a terrible shame.

Slacker, give those CDs to your son, tell him how he got them and encourage him to write his own stories.

The skill & art of writing must also be kept alive.

One more story:

As I said before I never met any members of the Dead, but I forgot that I did meet a * member so here is that story.

This all started at MSG for the Rain Forest Benefit. I had some extra money and put in for Circle of Gold tickets which I think were $200 and that got you first 10 rows and a reception after the show. The 80’s.

I remember being bummed that I ended up in the tenth row for the show. I thought my single ticket would get me closer. The show was hyped as “special guests” and this being NYC I was expecting some sort of Last Waltz show with the likes of Dylan and Neil. Of course as you all know we got Suzanne Vega and Hall and Oats instead. At the time I was pretty disappointed but looking back I’m pretty glad I was able to catch the Dead cover Robyn Hitchcock for what I’m pretty sure was the one and only time, but if I’m wrong about that I’m sure someone on this board will know and correct me.

Anyway even in the 10th row I was close enough to hear Billy and Mickey being assholes to Suzanne Vega who was as scared as anyone I have ever seen on stage. Also got to hear the assorted Hells Angels hanging out behind the rail -  yelling get the faggots off the stage as Hall and Oates made their entrance.

So after the show my friends and me headed over to the private reception not really expecting much. It wasn’t at MSG we had to take a cab somewhere. Once inside there were some Arabian looking tents set up with people lined up to go in. Found out that you could line up for a meet and great with Jerry and Bobby who were inside the tent. I decided to pass on that -  contrived meetings are something I have always dreaded and avoided. So I headed to the free buffet that was laid out. Met Baba Tunde on the way to the food and said hi to him. Got some food and grabbed a table to start eating.

A few minutes later these scruffy dudes ask if they can sit down at our table. They had heaped their plates with food and were going at it, but not before introducing themselves. “Hey I’m Ben and this is my friend Jerry” They were pretty focused on the food so not much conversation there.

Then Bruce Hornsby* sits down at the table and he was more into talking. I told him I enjoyed seeing him at Club Casino at Hampton Beach. He took that as the green light to go on a pretty long rant about how different it is for him as compared to the Dead because at his shows all the weight is on him and he has to carry the whole show. He can’t ever skate by and look to the people in his band to carry a night. Every night that he performs with his band it has be all on him. He then went on to say what a burden that was and started talking about how difficult it all was sort of looking for sympathy. I responded that I had to be back in New Hampshire in a day to report to my customer service job working for a nursing shoe company so I didn’t think he really had it that bad. He didn’t stick around long after us and then it was just Ben and Jerry who were still focused on the food.

Yeah, I figured I'd throw it out there, but knowing how touchy Knot is about what he's owed, he'll probably keep those CDs for himself.

SHAMEY FINGER!!!

Good stuff all.

And a hardy 3 cheers to you mikee, if you're not the best, you're a close 2nd.

Hip Hippy Hooray

Hip Hippy Hooray

Hip Hippy Hooray 

Thank you, mikeedwardsetc! These will definitely get wrapped and put under the tree with E's name. I can't wait to hear him add free jazz trumpet to the mix. I also got him the GD/Jerry songbooks. 

Atta' boy Knot.

BTW, is that photo up there backwards, or does your boy play left-handed?

Nice, folks.

I want a recount. El Nino is obviously the real winner!

STOP THE STEAL!

No I concede Slacker is the winner. No recount necessary. 

Congrats Slacker

I saw Jerry.

Email sent!

Yup, You Kids don"t want to hear from Me.

Happy Holidaze, and Peace Out.

I thought about writing a story, but it would be more like small snapshots of people, places and experiences.

 if this vine picks up steam should it have it's own thread?

E'72 Thread

1. China-Rider

2.  LiquidMonkey    

3.

I started a story, got three pages into it and realized it was the 13th.   But I had photos too!!!

I'm ready for the next one  :)

Great offer!   

E'72 Thread

1. China-Rider

2.  LiquidMonkey    

3.Joy

Great thread!

My wife and I met 34 years ago today, at the middle show of Jerry's "comeback" in Oakland.  We didn't speak to each other that evening, just danced together by the speakers in the hall.  At the end of the night, we hugged, and apparently the hug made an impression on me.  Her brother was standing behind her during the hug and saw the expression on my face, and said to her later:  "You can't hug people like that!".

I went home (I was a Bay Area "commuter" deadhead) and my (now) wife, down from Oregon, was camped in the lot.  The next morning, she prepped a pineapple, cutting it into pieces and putting it into a ziplock for the show.  An east cost friend of hers said:  "Tonight, if you're at a loss for words, remember, you have pineapple!"

First set of the final show, we met up and danced together again by the speakers.  At set break she said:  "Want to eat some pineapple?"  Being winter, backpacks and winter coats were piled up by the pillar between the speakers and the outer glass wall of the Coliseum.  We found her pack and sat down, and ate pineapple.  One thing led to another, and we starting kissing, then sprawled out across the winter coats, making out shamelessly.  Two people stepped past us:  her previous boyfriend, and my previous girlfriend.

Long story short, we stayed in touch, and reconnected at Mardi Gras, Frost, and Laguna Seca.  She left Oregon and moved in with me in time for the Greek shows in June.  We spent 5 nights apart the next 5 years, eventually married, and are still dancing together!

Package arrived. Holy shit, that is a lot of music! Europe 72 in 73 disks. 

We hid some special wrapping paper for gifts from Santa. Thank you, MikeE!

Pics and quotes to come. 

Grate news! 
 

I love it when a plan comes together 

 >>>>One thing led to another, and we starting kissing, then sprawled out across the winter coats, making out shamelessly.

 wait, that was you!!! OMG! I totally don't remember that because I definitely was not at that show.

>>>and I ended up watching from the wings on stage right.

I think I remember seeing you now. I thought you were one of the crew. Kinda skinny? Jeans? Dark t-shirt? I'm reaching... almost shoulder length kinda curly hair?

"it was the guy in the tie dye with long hair, I promise officer"

Best thread in a while .... Happy Holidaze freaks!

E'72 Thread

1. China-Rider

2.  LiquidMonkey    

3.Joy

4. Rongeo

It's a Christmas Miracle, the usb drive has arrived!    :-) 

Scott McDougall did all the art for this set, and in my humble opinion he smashed it out of the park. It's one thing for Stanley mouse to have created the original 72 artwork, (and not to diminish his visual and historic impact,) but to have the vision and creativity to come up with such relevant and accurate venue-specific art, while staying true to the original textures and style, thirty times over, is a real artistic achievement in itself.

The originals were all pen and airbrush on strathmore media.