RIP AK. Was at some of that run. The 'security' were totally out of hand. First of all on the way into the lot they were making people open their trunks, then stealing all the Beer. Pre-show tailgate time, they were generally wandering around the lot hassling people. Later in the night (I'm told) they were grabbing stragglers, throwing 'em in a van, beating the crap out of them and tossing 'em at the far end of nowhere. The 'security' were mainly off-duty state cops making overtime to harass and beat up kids. With AK apparently they went overboard and threw the body over a fence into the highway ???
Those shows were a tough ticket if like many, you arrived looking for one. So as usual, many stragglers in the lots. Out of five nights, I went to the opener and a couple others. One night we could not find tixx but followed some Heads going in the Jersey Devils hockey team office space / headquarters. The guy at the desk just sat their grinning as we went up the escalator, followed the Heads and wound up going through a door into a dark room.
Turns out we were in 'Winners' bar which is only open on hockey nights, and it was an organized racket to let Heads in free. When the coast was clear, UP went the rollup metal door and we (dozen or two) scurried out under it into the arena lobby.
It worked that night, but someone got wise. The next night we went those doors leading inside to the escalator were chained up with a padlock.
So Adam was killed during the Saturday show, which was the 14th. Don't know if I was at that one or not, think I went to three out of the five.
Did the entire 89 Fall tour from Hampton 2 nd night to the last Miami show. Only missed the first Warlock show. Heavy security at a lot of the shows with these being the most fucked up. It was a great but sketchy time to be a head.
Seems like that era was the 'end of a good thing' as far as East Coast venues and their lackadaisical attitude toward Dead shows. Places like Nassau Coliseum or the Spectrum (or most venues in general) didn't care if you stayed all night and partied in the lots. Parking was maybe 5 bucks, which included free tent space.
Then it evolved into cops / 'security' chasing everyone off after the show.
What's still a mystery is how & why AK left the venue during the show and wound up outside.
Right after the show, some dude was spinning away in his skirt, minding his own business and probably headed to his car. He wasn't selling anything or doing anything wrong. A golf cart with yellow jackets drove up behind him, they hopped out, gave him a beat-down, got back in the cart and drove off.
We watched that go down, were scared shitless and hightailed it out of there. I had never seen a more aggro security crew.
We went to Rick Danko at the Wetlands. He was so wasted that he could barely stand up.
Having attended East shows from '80 forward, my mentality was "You can hang out in the lot, quaff a few Beers, find your extra ticket and have a nice time". Suddenly that nice chill vibe came crashing down. The Meadowlands 'scene' seemed to get real ugly at that run. (Not that it was any sort of paradise prior.) Went with my girlfriend one or two nights and with a dude who had been at Carrier Dome & Saratoga shows previously a night or two.
Definitely we were all like "what's up with the overzealous lot pigs searching people's trunks and thieving the Beer ??"
We never got shook down as we probably hid our Beer under the seat, or just didn't look like easy targets. But it wasn't fun to just relax in the lot and have a nice time. Around the same time Philly Spectrum (and/or local cops) put up cameras in the light poles, and had panel trucks full of cops to bust people and haul them off to jail.
What a mess this run was. Those yellow jacket security guards were nothing but hired thugs. I went to both nights at Hampton, the 5 Meadowlands shows & the 3 at the Spectrum. There did seem to be a lot of security at every venue, but the Meadowlands was just way out of control. I guess I was lucky to be with no less than 4 people each night, because I never got hassled, but saw plenty of harassment & busts. Really scary scene.
RIP Adam and others who never made it out. I did that tour and like the rest of you, I felt "something in the air" at the meadowlands. We stayed by the car, sold nothing and drank out of cups. We split right out after the shoe too. We were a wooked out crew and would have taken a beatin. Nassau Coll used to have some rough security too. Not like this though. The Adam story one of the worst things from an otherwise blissful period for fans like me. I wont forget. Thanks for keeping it in peoples minds Tim. It could have been any one of us.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lasher Von Zekenstein
What an insanely crazy, dark,
What an insanely crazy, dark, fucked up night in the swamps of the Jersey Meadowlands.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
RIP AK. Was at some of that
RIP AK. Was at some of that run. The 'security' were totally out of hand. First of all on the way into the lot they were making people open their trunks, then stealing all the Beer. Pre-show tailgate time, they were generally wandering around the lot hassling people. Later in the night (I'm told) they were grabbing stragglers, throwing 'em in a van, beating the crap out of them and tossing 'em at the far end of nowhere. The 'security' were mainly off-duty state cops making overtime to harass and beat up kids. With AK apparently they went overboard and threw the body over a fence into the highway ???
Those shows were a tough ticket if like many, you arrived looking for one. So as usual, many stragglers in the lots. Out of five nights, I went to the opener and a couple others. One night we could not find tixx but followed some Heads going in the Jersey Devils hockey team office space / headquarters. The guy at the desk just sat their grinning as we went up the escalator, followed the Heads and wound up going through a door into a dark room.
Turns out we were in 'Winners' bar which is only open on hockey nights, and it was an organized racket to let Heads in free. When the coast was clear, UP went the rollup metal door and we (dozen or two) scurried out under it into the arena lobby.
It worked that night, but someone got wise. The next night we went those doors leading inside to the escalator were chained up with a padlock.
So Adam was killed during the Saturday show, which was the 14th. Don't know if I was at that one or not, think I went to three out of the five.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Tim
Did the entire 89 Fall tour
Did the entire 89 Fall tour from Hampton 2 nd night to the last Miami show. Only missed the first Warlock show. Heavy security at a lot of the shows with these being the most fucked up. It was a great but sketchy time to be a head.
No need to beat on a youth at a concert.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
Seems like that era was the
Seems like that era was the 'end of a good thing' as far as East Coast venues and their lackadaisical attitude toward Dead shows. Places like Nassau Coliseum or the Spectrum (or most venues in general) didn't care if you stayed all night and partied in the lots. Parking was maybe 5 bucks, which included free tent space.
Then it evolved into cops / 'security' chasing everyone off after the show.
What's still a mystery is how & why AK left the venue during the show and wound up outside.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Briank
Right after the show, some
Right after the show, some dude was spinning away in his skirt, minding his own business and probably headed to his car. He wasn't selling anything or doing anything wrong. A golf cart with yellow jackets drove up behind him, they hopped out, gave him a beat-down, got back in the cart and drove off.
We watched that go down, were scared shitless and hightailed it out of there. I had never seen a more aggro security crew.
We went to Rick Danko at the Wetlands. He was so wasted that he could barely stand up.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
Nassau had plenty of thugs on
Nassau had plenty of thugs on the payroll.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: .............
was there...heard lots, lots
was there...heard lots, lots of stories, about uptight wacko security, but we didnt witness any...
RIP ADAM
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
Having attended East shows
Having attended East shows from '80 forward, my mentality was "You can hang out in the lot, quaff a few Beers, find your extra ticket and have a nice time". Suddenly that nice chill vibe came crashing down. The Meadowlands 'scene' seemed to get real ugly at that run. (Not that it was any sort of paradise prior.) Went with my girlfriend one or two nights and with a dude who had been at Carrier Dome & Saratoga shows previously a night or two.
Definitely we were all like "what's up with the overzealous lot pigs searching people's trunks and thieving the Beer ??"
We never got shook down as we probably hid our Beer under the seat, or just didn't look like easy targets. But it wasn't fun to just relax in the lot and have a nice time. Around the same time Philly Spectrum (and/or local cops) put up cameras in the light poles, and had panel trucks full of cops to bust people and haul them off to jail.
They even showed it on the local TV news.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Chuck511
What a mess this run was.
What a mess this run was. Those yellow jacket security guards were nothing but hired thugs. I went to both nights at Hampton, the 5 Meadowlands shows & the 3 at the Spectrum. There did seem to be a lot of security at every venue, but the Meadowlands was just way out of control. I guess I was lucky to be with no less than 4 people each night, because I never got hassled, but saw plenty of harassment & busts. Really scary scene.
Of the 5, 10/16 is my favorite show.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
I was at the 10/16 show, word
I was at the 10/16 show, word about AK was just getting out.
Bobs Birthday show was a great one, Attics encore mind blown at that one. Years later the official cd was released, Nightfall of Diamonds.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Fly
RIP Adam and others who never
RIP Adam and others who never made it out. I did that tour and like the rest of you, I felt "something in the air" at the meadowlands. We stayed by the car, sold nothing and drank out of cups. We split right out after the shoe too. We were a wooked out crew and would have taken a beatin. Nassau Coll used to have some rough security too. Not like this though. The Adam story one of the worst things from an otherwise blissful period for fans like me. I wont forget. Thanks for keeping it in peoples minds Tim. It could have been any one of us.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Willie McD
Last time they played the
Last time they played the place.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: B.A.
I was there as well...heard
I was there as well(10/14)...heard lots of stories about uptight security, but we didn't witness anything that we could remember.
Really sad story.
(((AK))
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Deadly
So sad. RIP AK
So sad.
RIP AK
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thredkilla
Sad & tragic! There is still
Sad & tragic! Here is a FB page still trying to help solve the killing. https://www.facebook.com/AdamKatzInformationPlease/
I knew there was a reward offered but I never knew it was offered up so quickly after the incident.
Lack of Witnesses in Killing of Concertgoer Puzzles Officials
By GEORGE JAMES, Special to The New York Times Published: October 25, 1989
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/25/nyregion/lack-of-witnesses-in-killing-...
How did this not get connected to Adam's case? http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/01/nyregion/9-guards-plead-not-guilty-in-...