22 years ago tonight, I went to my first Grateful Dead show. So, I thought I'd tell the story. Why not, right? I KNOW! Too bad it's not very interesting. Maybe you can tell your own story in the comments?
So, I had this boyfriend in college... blah blah blah.... I actually thought I was going up to just visit him in the Bay Area; I was living in Santa Barbara at the time. But, since I had never been to a show before, I didn't know what I was really in for. So, he brought me to the Oakland Coliseum on December 30, 1989. He had a ticket, and of course I didn't, except I'm pretty sure I got miracled that night (meaning, somebody gave me a ticket for free) but, maybe not, because NYE shows are impossible to get tickets for, so who would have miracled me? I don't know, it was a long time ago. Anyway, I made it inside.
My purpose for the evening, however, wasn't to go to a show, because I had no idea what that even meant. All I knew of the Grateful Dead was Touch of Grey, which was okay, I guess, but a little poppy (poppie?). My purpose, on that day, was to find and take some Ecstasy... which I very much succeeded at doing. YAY! So, we went inside, and found ourselves a seat up in the bleachers or something, I don't know, and all I remember was looking at this giant crowd of people and saying "oooohhhh myyyy goooodddddd...... look at all the peeeooppllllleeeee" and being just so impressed at the size of the crowd. I'm pretty sure my boyfriendatthetime wasn't as impressed as I was. Okay, he had been there before. Whatever. It was new to me; and awesome. So awesome. I didn't even know the music, but the music was so awesome. SO AWESOME. It was only until I tried it again at the next set of shows that I realized it wasn't just the drugs that was making it awesome; it was just awesome.
Here's the setlist. Most of you won't care. Some of you will care a smidge:
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland CA (12/30/89)Anyway, that was the beginning of almost 6 years of bliss. I wish I had gone sooner. I'd had the chance, but I didn't know what was waiting for me so I'd opted out. I was dumb. I miss it. Go listen if you don't believe me.
Bertha
Good Lovin'
Sugaree
Walkin' Blues
Jack-a-Roe
Masterpiece
West L.A. Fadeaway
Music Never Stopped
Jack Straw
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Estimated Prophet
Terrapin Station
drums
I Will Take You Home
The Other One
Standing on the Moon
One More Saturday Night
Baby Blue
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stimeyland 92p · 691 weeks ago
Also, I used to have that round sticker on my car. You bring me memories today.
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jillsmo 103p · 691 weeks ago
stimeyland 92p · 691 weeks ago
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ML@My3LittleBirds · 691 weeks ago
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XLMIC · 691 weeks ago
Happy anniversary :)
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jillsmo 103p · 691 weeks ago
SquashedMom 74p · 691 weeks ago
Also New Riders of the Purple Sage & Marshall Tucker Band played full sets first. It was a long, loooong, wild, hot (100) day. Set list? Thanks to the wonders of the internet, yes:
Promised Land
They Love Each Other
Me and My Uncle
Mississippi Half-Step
Looks Like Rain
Peggy-O
New Minglewood Blues
Friend of the Devil
Music Never Stopped
Bertha
Good Lovin'
Loser
Estimated Prophet
Eyes of the World
Samson and Delilah
He's Gone
Not Fade Away
Truckin'
Terrapin Station
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jillsmo 103p · 691 weeks ago
karen · 691 weeks ago
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Kisha · 691 weeks ago
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aspieside 42p · 691 weeks ago
It was like a city outside the concert- makeshift vendor things set up or something (okay I was on acid & a few other things so my memory not so great...) but anyways I remember people selling shirts and food & other deadhead stuff. And of course people selling acid and other stuff.
Inside the concert area was massive. There was people (tons of people) directly in front of the stage that were standing watching the show but then off to the sides there were areas were people were sort of dancing- kind of like a mosh pit but not moshing against each other. Then areas where people were passed out or just crashed out. The show was amazing.
There was security there but we just laughed at that. Guess they were there just to keep anything too horrible from happening.
We pretty much had to stay all night because there was no getting out of the parking lot anytime soon...
Lots of fun times there. Pure crazyness. Recently I went to a jimmy buffet concert outside & it was pretty cool but still not nearly the same experience as the Dead.
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Jen · 691 weeks ago
My Aunt and Uncle (who each, separately, followed the Dead before they met each other) were dedicated (deadicated?) fans, and my Uncle has a discarded library card catalog with the drawers full of concert tapes. They took me to see Phish, once, a few years after Jerry had died, but even though there might be some overlap in the crowd, the music isn't the same to me at all.
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lancecake 59p · 691 weeks ago
actually I think it's cool you attach memories to your concerts. Twenty one years, two weeks ago I saw Bob Dylan and Joni Michell (met Joni) and mid December always makes me think of that weird moment in time.
cool post
Happy New Year, hippie
@householdsix · 691 weeks ago
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BeggingAnswers · 690 weeks ago
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@AspieKid · 690 weeks ago
@Jillsmo I went to New Year's 88, a year before you were there.
@AspieSide Wonder if I was at the Buckeye Lake show. I was there in 88 when Bruce Hornsby played the accordian during Bird Song.
@SquashedMom That show 07-03-77 is a very famous show. Available on CD as Dick's Pick vol. 15