The Second Decadenal Field Trip, Veneta, 8/28/82

Absolutely one of my fave shows!

Driving down in the morning, with the rolling hills, patchy areas of fog, absolutely beautiful late August day!  We arrived and parked our dancing shoes in front of the Dead's stage, which was completely empty at the time.  The other stage rocked while the dead's stage slowly got put together.  The Flying Karamozov Brothers with The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Band / Orchestra, and of course, Robert Cray, were just incredible, great music!  Meanwhile, as the other stage slowly had the drums and amps put up, Peter Rowan came out and did a heartfelt and inspiring solo set on the Deads stage, cool hearing all the PA wispies and swishes that only Dan Healey can do (or take liberties with, LOL).  

When the Dead came out for their set, it was a cold mix.  You can hear a very unbalanced mix to start Bertha, but Dan the man get's it dialed in real quickly!  You can hear the vocals and instruments get adjusted (where's Brent? Swish, he's in the mix, victory dance).  By the end of the song they're sounding great, and then a small plane flies over the stage and right over the crowd for the ending.  So many great versions of classics during that first set!  

The second set starts with Ken Kesey doing a quick poem, then the band launches into the first public performance of Day Job!  And if that wasn't enough, after dancing hard to women are smarter, they break out West LA Fadeaway for the very first time!  Woot!  Next we're treated to Brent singing Far From Me, into a spacey Playing...   

Little did we know at the time, but a hurricane down in Mexico had decided to share it's moisture with a cold front off shore, bringing that moisture up a thousand miles over the course of the day!  (yes, I'm a meteorologist, please forgive me for I understand climate change).

While the drums were rocking, some very high clouds started to stream very quickly overhead, spectacular actually!  They break into an excellent space, and as it builds into the Wheel, you can see the thunderstorms building behind us in the Cascades, and the wind starts to pick up (If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will!!!).   After the sweet yet fiery rendition of the Wheel, they smoothly work their way into a powerful version of the other one.  By now the sea breeze is picking up, clouds of dust swirl around the stage, the high clouds continue to thicken, and the acid is in full control yet fully submitted to the benevolence of the cosmos.

The wind settles down and they rip into a nice version of Truckin', but the Black Peter is the best i've heard live, simply a fantastic version of the song, with Jerry giving every bit of emotional integrity to telling it's tale as i've every heard.  They finish the set up nicely from there!

The encore was very unexpected, which is pretty rare for a Dead encore in and of itself!  Jerry pulled Jelly Roll blues out of the closet, hadn't been played in many years!  Duprees Diamond Rag was a real treat for an encore (wonder how many times that happened???). I loved it!!!

After the show, the sky was fully clouded over with high clouds, very dynamic fast moving clouds, yet there was clearing to the west...   what we were treated to was an hours long sunset with every color of the rainbow swirling and twirling in an everchanging ode to the mystic of the rainbow, the clouds, and the people....

Later that night it poured hard, got an inch plus of rain, which never happens this time of year, but the earth and the people rejoiced, as did I, a danced out weary traveler filled with dreams and splendor of my best Dead show...   

I was in Geology field camp that summer in central Oregon and assumed I wouldn't get to see the GD. However, I busted my arm playing volleyball (went up for a net shot and landed in a gopher hole), so I had to leave camp prematurely, got tix for the show, and attended with my arm in a cast. Our second child was one year old plus we had a 4 year old - both went to the show with us. We had a huge crew and a bunch of gear, so we made a protected zone within for the kids - many of our friends brought theirs as well.

Despite all our protective measures, some mega-wasted guy walked right through all the people and stuff and stepped on our baby's leg. No actual injury, luckily. Fungus kicked in and we all enjoyed a most excellent concert  for the era, including the sky show.

Couldn't attend this  one,  although I did 'Summer Tour' that year.  Had to attend University classes in late August the other side of the continent.

Always wondered about the opening bands listed in DeadBase --  'Tatoo' and 'Strangers With Candy'.  Can't find any info about them.

A friend who went said that Greg Kihn and band played there,  but no mention in DeadBase so ???

Of course everyone knows Robert Cray.

Don't remember "Tattoo" but I do remember Greg Kihn being there. - I think.

Wasn't Strangers With Candy just the Pranksters and company?

Nice tales all.  

There are actually a few current or recent bands called 'Strangers With Candy'  and a TV show.  A quick web search found one in Murfreesboro TN and another SWC in the Carolinas.

But I just thought of someone who ~might~ remember that day's bands.

Archive Show Link:  https://archive.org/details/gd1982-08-28.sbd.lai.tetzeli.fix-2333.34933....

Looking at the footage, it's amazing how the band and scene changed from 1982 to 1987. Only 5 years but such a massive shift.

Final appearance of China-Rider in set I?

>> Final appearance of China-Rider in set I?

Hardly.

I saw one at Frost in '89.

Pretty sure they did a few in the late 80s.

The '89 Frost C/R was the last first set appearance.  Two in '87.  One at Bill Graham Memorial 11-3-91 but that was one set only.

Nassau '85.

Actually,  lots of set I C-R through 1986. Something like 17 (set I) vs 7 (set II) in 1981. 11 / 8 in 1982.  8 vs. 13 in 1983. '84 had only 1 first set China Cat (7/21/84 Ventura).

Someone has probably produced a colorful Fibonacci rendering.

I'm probably off by 1 or 2,  squinting at the teeny print in DeadBase.

They opened a show with a China>Rider at the Kaiser in February, 1986.

....

Everyone looked a lot thinner in 1982, except Jerry.

Nice one from Ventura '84 up on Taper's Section this week.

It's the rare mid-1st-set China>Rider :)

http://www.dead.net/sites/all/themes/dead2013/jplayer/?url=http://rhino....

This snap of the 2nd Decadanal Field Trip by David Warrington was purchased under license by Bill Graham and was allegedly one of Bill's most favorite images ~ in capturing the spirit of the Grateful Dead and its community.

The guy at center right in the pic (in the black ballon pants) is a dear old childhood pal of mine: Mark Schrier.  He was the first truly "worldly," Deadhead I ever knew.  We went to Middle and High school together.   He left our Northern NJ Hometown at 16 to be a world traveling street performer.  We are still in touch after so many years!

Sometime around 1991 (I think), Bill Graham had this image blown up to a size approximately equivalent to the side of a Semi Trailer and hung it above the courtyard at CalExpo.
I couldn't believe my pal Mark was featured in it mounted up above all those fun raging dance party's at the Expo!

Off the top pf my head. Wasn't Duprees Diamond Blues played at this show. I am down that!

<< Wasn't Duprees Diamond Blues played at this show >>

It was the encore, first time played in many years  

West LA Fadeaway and Day Job were played for the first time as well