Road Tripz

My friends and I were the very last people in the lot after one of the 91 Vegas shows because everyone was still too spun to drive.  But the cops were insistent we leave so 14 of us and a dog piled into my friend's VW van and somehow got out of there.   Don't know who drove.

At my very last GD show at Shoreline in 95, I was headed back into SF in my friend's Ford van.  Right before we got onto the highway, we saw a hippie standing on the shoulder of the on ramp and figured he needed a ride.   As soon as we opened the door and let him in, a mob of hippies emerged from the bushes and all started piling in too.  I don't know how many people got into the van, but it was like the evacuation of Saigon as we peeled off with more hippies running after the van trying to jump in.   

One couldn’t have a discussion about road tripping between shows and not talk about the 1990 holdover party in Sterling ny between the foxboro and buffalo shows. I think everyone that did both shows ended up in that field that night! 

Or the blinding snowstorm between Denver and Tempe in December 92....

I spent a few moments  before the Jan 94 Garcia Grisman shows with a gun pointed at my head by a police officer responding to a shots fired call in the panhandle. Quite a few heartbeats and about an hour on the ground cleared things up and set the stage for a pretty satisfying pair of shows. Good reminder to my heart why I don’t do coke...

a few weeks later coming across the bay bridge I was passed by a cargo van that had a wheel cover that said “family wagon” on the back. A while later turning the corner by the side entrance to the warfield I saw Jerry getting out of the side door of the same van. Parked just in front of him and was able to have a short conversation and an autograph before some cat ushered him inside, briefcase in tow. For a short time it was just him and I standing there like any other 2 people on the planet. My buddy wouldn’t get out of the car and said I was a fool for talking to him but he was very pleasant and probably would’ve talked longer if he wasn’t pulled inside. Best mission in the rain I ever heard that night....

>One couldn’t have a discussion about road tripping between shows and not talk about the 1990 holdover party in Sterling ny between the foxboro and buffalo shows. I think everyone that did both shows ended up in that field that night<

Stone Soup was the band.

We were one of the first to arrive,  camped right next to the owners house. 

Jonesing for one!  

>>Stone Soup was the band.

eventually becoming Doc Apple. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNK09jq6iEc

Charley Orlando still plays with these guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoIpQGW6p_E

>camped right next to the owners house. 

Phil!

>> Or the blinding snowstorm between Denver and Tempe in December 92.... <<

Did that one. We knew better and took I-70 to Moab and SW from there. It was still a blinding storm, but they never closed the highway. We heard they shut down the southern route through ABQ and many missed the first night. Having a sunny, outdoor, 2pm show after that was surreal.

***camped right next to the owners house.***

>Phil!<

Phil you say? Phil was a fantastic host, very nice guy.

sweet topic

no spot currently taken

(;

My friends and I were running low on cash, we had enough money for gas and we had beer to sell.

We arrived at the party and quickly decided that it was not appropriate to sell beer there. We offered people beer and food, explaining our situation and our willingness to accept donations. Over the course of the night we collected $16, enough for more beer.

Early in the afternoon I gave my pitch to a woman who happened upon our spot. She smiled, wished us luck, and said, "I'll see you later."  Day faded to night, and the party raged... what a party!

The following morning we were packing up and the same woman showed up. She had a limp that I hadn't noticed the prior day. I asked her about it and she shows me a nasty wound on her foot, which appeared infected. She said it happened a few days ago, but she hadn't taken care of it.  I went to my trunk and pulled out a bottle of hydrgen peroxide, and I believe some bandages.

She then asked if anyone donated. Told her we had $16, enough to buy more beer to sell, so we'd be ok. She handed me some money, which I put in my back pocket without counting. She gave me a big hug and jumped into a yellow VW bug, with Arizona plates, and drove off.

I reached into my pocket and realized she had given me $100. We went out for pizza.

Too spun to drive?

For most people, that is a thing.

But for a few of us, well,

when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

>>> Or the blinding snowstorm between Denver and Tempe in December 92....

>>> Did that one. We knew better and took I-70 to Moab and SW from there. It was still a blinding storm, but they never closed the highway. We heard they shut down the southern route through ABQ and many missed the first night...

we made that drive.  picked up a head while stuck in traffic due to an accident on the freeway just outside of Denver.  he was in one of the cars involved in the crash.

we also said 'fuck it' and decided to take the closed highway (no one there to tell us not to) and still missed the first show. when we arrived in Tempe we found a place to park & sleep, and woke up in front of the church of St. Stephen.  good times.

 driving to richfield in '92 we got lost and ended up about two hours past the venue. we got there with the 'tank almost empty' light flashing and only caught about 15 minutes of pre-drumz thru the end of the show.  MLB(ish) Jam> Drumz> Space> Dark Star.

I only ever saw split Dark Stars. Denver 1990 being my first pair.

My buddy white knuckled driving says, "Dave quit mentioning those monsters you see looming up at us on either side, I'm trying to watch the road."

loading beers in kansas in my truck to sell at the lot...i see a trooper eyeballing me and waves me over....after seeing me load multiple 12'ers in the truck he says, "yeah know son, we have laws against drinkin' n' drivin' here"....having CA plates, I say, "yes sir, we have 'em too"...but that was all that came of it. 

Back to Vermont on Interstate 91 north after Hartford 88 in pea soup fog goin 75mph with 10ft visibility

That was before I heard about Tule Fog and the pile ups that can happen.

Stopped at the rest area north of Holyoke where there was a bunch of heads I knew. 

They were freaked out. I said no problem, just follow me.

Lost them within a quarter mile .

I remember wandering around UC Berkeley after a Greek show in 86...  forgot where I was suppose to meet up with people, so would go to Telegraph street, then to Hearst on the opposite side of campus.  Got to smoke a joint in the lounge of the Physics department (was kind of drizzly out).  Anyway, long story short, wondered out onto Hearst Ave and my ride literally drove by right at that moment, opened the door, and I got in.  They were happy to have found me, sped around a corner onto campus, hit a curb, and blew a tire, LOL.  I was blasted on acid, but was the most mechanically inclined of the bunch at that exact moment in time, so started fixing the tire (the car was driven by Jenny from KLCC morning news fame from yesteryear).  A very large cop showed up to see what we were doing, and I kept making him laugh, lots of self deprecating humor.  We were all tie died and blasted, LOL, so he started telling Greek stories. (ex, a few weeks earlier Jerry had been backstage at a Dylan show, and was too fucked up to get out of his chair, being a large man, it took 4 people, let the good times roll).  Think we ended up getting pizza on Telegraph street...     

I used to know Jenny, Noodler. We first met because we had Deb in common.

I love reading everyone's stories. Thanks.

We've been friends since 82 or 83, have a pic of us at the Greek I might have posted here before 

I probably met her around '86 or '87. Never close, just in the same spheres. She was also a friend of my friend Tripp through KLCC - there were some good folks around then.

I remember  wondering around looking for my car after one of the Firebird Lake  shows in Arizona.  I was so stoned on acid, I did not remember which parking lot I was in. And they were spread out there. Wondered around and partied with different folks until the lots cleared. Those were some fun shows.

Marcus and I had to work the next day but we said fuggit let's go to the show!

With the caveat that we agreed one of us would drive home after the show.

Well we made some questionable decisions once we got to the show....

When the encore hit (can't remember the song) we looked at each other without speaking. The kind of look when you have toured with a buddy for a while.

"Let's bail before the crowds"

Not sure if any of you have been to a show at the Spectrum...

We got to our car and we were the only folks among a vast parking lot full of cars

On our Diesel Rabbit was a praying mantis!

We spent 30 minutes "communicating" with it.

It crawled on our hands and let us pass him back and forth.

Outta of nowhere a crack head shows up as the mantis flies away.

"No man we're good"

Hopped in and left. Jersey Turnpike!

More of a lot tale, but on  3.16.90 I locked my keys in the truck of my car, prior to the show.  It was close to show time so I decided to address it afterwards.  

Great show, black-throated wind et al,  but the key situation hampered my enthusiasm.  Show ended and I immediately headed back to the car. 

I had three traveling companions, all thoroughly spun. I needed a wire hanger to break into my car.  I emphasized the importance of them all staying with the car, as I went to find the wire hanger. 

I quickly scoured the lot for RVs, thought they were my best shot at finding a hanger.  Didn't take more than 10 minutes and I was back.

I wasted no time, popped the door, took out the backseat,  and reached through to pop the trunk. I put the backseat in place, there was no time to secure it, then we were off.

Great thread. Great stories. 

on the drive to San Diego after the 1990 Denver shows  (I did the whole trip in the back of the pick-up truck) we we're pulled over and the cop decided to search the vehicle.

we all knew there was a pipe somewhere inside it (and that we were all in possession of something or another) so we were all holding our breath waiting for him to find it. after about 10 or 15 minutes the cop gave up, wrote out the ticket (for speeding, i think) and told us to be careful.

before we we're finished putting everything back in place one of the guys said 'found it' and grabbed the pipe off the dashboard where it had been sitting in plain sight, clearly visible thru the windshield.

also, while not a 'road trip', after the '90 mardi gras shows i went to the airport late that night figuring i'd catch some sleep there before my early flight out. i woke up about 15 minutes before my plane was scheduled to leave and booked to catch it. I still had to get thru security and realized i had a metal pipe in my pocket. when the metal detector buzzed the attendant said 'do you have anything metal on you?'. i sheepishly pulled out the pipe and said 'well, this pipe'.  the female attendant looked quizzically at the other security guy and asked 'what did he say?' and he replied 'he's got a pipe bong'. they both just shrugged their shoulders and waved me through. when i realized i was in the wrong terminal i had to make a mad dash to the correct one and on the way dropped the pipe in a trash can.

Spring 88, I learned the 1st day of Spring Break that I'd been kicked out of college. After The Hampton shows I got a ride back to school, outside Syracuse, with some dudes I didn't really know. I had to clear out my dorm room.

As the story of my touring days goes, I was tripping really hard and was wide awake, making me the driver. I drove straight through the night and was hauling ass. Around sunrise, just outside Syracuse, I blew by a cop doing 90. Oh fuck! I pulled over before he even got his lights on. I did t have anything on me, but I didn't know about the other dudes, so I wanted to make it painless.

I pulled over and pulled on the parking break. As I was watching the cop walk up to my window just as he got there, he was gone. Thud! I hadn't pulled the break hard enough and I rolled back into the cop car. He told me to say in place while he assessed the damage. It turns out there was none, thank the Lord.

"Sir, please step out of the car," to which I quickly obliged. The two dudes had been sleeping, one woke up and demanded the cop tell him why he had me out of the car. I laughed, explained that I hit his car, all was cool, and to go back to sleep. The cop laughed.

I should say that I was looking pretty crusty. We had been camping in the Appalachians for a week before the Atlanta show (3 people and 3 sheets), and had camped in that Hampton rain. I was wide eyed and tie dyed, my hair down to my ass in a mat, and just dirty. The two dudes I the car were prepped out.

The cop had me empty my pockets, which were filled with all sorts of shit. He was definitely looking for acid, and he knew exactly where to look. He opened up my rolling papers and went through them, paper by paper. He asked if I had a Visene bottle. Nope. The best, though, was a match box had in my pocket, which someone had given me/ it was hand decorated and painted. The outside said, "A box of rain will ease the pain." When you slid it open, it had painted raindrops and "Love will see you through."

The cop kept looking at it, opening and closing it. I said something like, "Sir, I promise that I do t have what you're looking for." He asked me to explain the Box of Rain, which I happily did. We chatted and had a good laugh, and he let me go with a warning.

4 of us drove from the nyc area to the 89 Cincy and Louisville shows.

Again we had to get back to work so I took a tab to stay awake and drive

Everyone was sleeping when somewhere in western pa the sun rose behind some clouds 

as the sun came up the clouds blocked the sun to make it look like a profile of a skull. teeth, eye sockets and everything.

I woke up the passenger next to me who hadn't partook on the trip to see if I was really seeing what I was seeing. She confirmed in awe it was exactly what I was seeing

God I Love The Grateful Dead!!!

So we exited the highway onto Billy Graham Blvd. and pulled into a gas station. Everyone got out of the car to stretch their legs. A couple guys go into the little convenience store at the station as I stayed with the car. After it was full,  I moved the car to a spot in front of the store and went inside. About ten minutes past and we are milling around outside waiting for Joe.  We wait, and wait, check the rest rooms, wait...wait...an hour passes and still no Joe.

At this point I should mention Mike. Mike was hitchhiking and we picked him up somewhere in Virginia, or it could have been North Carolina,  I don't remember.  Mike was grateful for the ride and offered everyone some mushrooms.  I passed,  but the rest of the guys were happy to partake. 

This brings us back to Joe... After more than an hour I decided to head to the lot. There were some protest over abandoning Joe, but I told them that there were plenty of heads around and Joe would make it to the show.

We made it to the lot and started to look around for Joe...found him in about a half an hour, he beat us there.

Joe was spun pretty good, he told me he wondered off from the gas station and sat on a barbed wire fence between heaven and hell, he felt safe there. When he realized he needed to get to the show, he found a car for sale and tried to talk the owner into letting him test drive it...no go. He then saw a school bus and figured it was headed to the show so he jumped aboard... it was full of elementary school kids. I don't remember how he eventually made it to the lot, but it was a good thing he did, they played Attics that night...and I was his ride back to Philly. 

>>>...figured he needed a ride.   As soon as we opened the door and let him in, a mob of hippies emerged from the bushes and all started piling in too<<<

Boy, that really defines so much about the Shakedown era dead head experience. Crash the neighborhoods, crash the lots, crash the gates, crash the rides, crash... crash... crash... It sounds quite a bit like a few folks who post here these days.

Personally I didn't travel a lot to see the band, but one little road story that comes to mind is after an epic Shoreline run in May of '93 where I had been absolutely consumed in multiple ways by the madness and was exhausted, I decided I wanted to relax and have some mindless fun. A day after the Shoreline run the band was playing three nights at Cal Expo in Sacramento, so at the very last minute with no plan and no tickets (although I had a sure connection for tickets at the venue) I decided to hop in my car and drive up to Sac from San Jose.

I drove straight to the venue and got there just in time for the show. I had no idea where I was staying that night and didn't know my way around Sacramento, so after the show I aimlessly drove around downtown and found a room at a Travelodge around midnight.

Sometime around 1:00am my room phone rang and some fool thought I was a guy named Bill and that I had promised him a place to crash in my room. He didn't believe me when I told him I wasn't Bill and he couldn't crash in my room. He called again. And again. And again. He simply would not believe me... "COMMON' BILL! I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE UP THERE! QUIT FUCKIN' WITH ME MAAAAAN, YOU PROMISED!!! LET ME IN!!!"

By 3:00am it wasn't funny anymore (it was still a little bit funny, because I was still "wide awake" and in their own way skeevy wooks are always kind of funny) but I thought it was just another classic example of late era dead heads haunting me even on the road.

I left the phone off the hook after the 3rd call and was thankful that there was a locked fence between the motel parking lot and the rooms.

Thanks all!   I've always enjoyed the personal stories regarding when the music has ended but the trip is still going strong. Good times ;-)

One funny one that didn't involve cops was when we went from Rochester to Riverbend in southern Ohio to do the last part of the '86 summer tour.

We got to where we knew we were close to the venue, but just a bit off, and pulled over at a gas station in a small town to ask someone. This old boy at the station goes, "so what you fellas want to do is go back over that bridge there to Ohio and then..."

I cut him off. "Wait, back to Ohio? Where are we?"

He laughed with 4 teeth and said, "You're in Kentucky, son!"
 

^^^

Same show, asked for directions at a gas station in Ohio, told to head into Kentucky for a mile or two, circle back into Ohio & look for Pete Rose Way.  Sent us right to Riverbend...

10-26-91

These were my first Oakland shows after moving to Santa Cruz that spring.

But that night really started the night before. Almost simultaneously when Bill's chopper crashed I was involved in a fatal car crash in the same rain storm. Another story for another time.

My buddies had moved out a few years before so they had the Coliseum dialed in.

Some of the crew always went in early and saved us a couple rows in the Phil Zone on the first solid row of seats(not bleachers) So we had a 4 foot high concrete wall and an aisle in front of us rather then more seats

I showed up late and was pleased to have such a good view of the band

After the show there wasn't enough room in the car for me to get to San Fran where the party was to continue.

Not familiar with the city they gave me instructions to the Rat and the Raven where they would swoop me to the apartment.

Blazing, I got on my first B.A.R.T. ride.  At one point while the train is under the bay I start reading the "what to do in an earthquake" plaque on the wall of the train opposite my seat.

Not the kinda thing you want to think about with a headful.

Somehow I made it to the bar and no one I knew was there so I ordered a beer( one of the tastiest most refreshing beers I ever had)

A couple walks in who obviously had been at the show as well. We start talking and have a great time for a bit. Then they leave shortly before my buddy shows up to take me to the party.

When we get there the couple I was just with at the bar are at the party.

Our clan had a taper too, so we were listening to the show we just saw as the festivities continued.