Garcia said “We were great for seconds on end.” I was lucky to see Jerry play for about 1,000,000 seconds exactly. Thanks for your 1,000,000 views here . Dave Davis wrote this blog for 500 posts and 5 years from 2015 to 2019. Contact me at twitter @gratefulseconds

Thursday, February 15, 2018

New 1968 Grateful Dead Date Discovered ! Free Show Gets New Date at Ohio University November 25 1968 (Alas Still No Tunes)


One Less Saturday Night in the Grateful Dead Universe
One More We Bid You Goodnight identified as part of the set list (see letter to editor below)

Once In a Great While, I discover something new under the Grateful Dead Sun,  here's a free show that actually took place on a Monday November 25, 1968 not Saturday November 23 as previously thought.

This is a famous show since both Phil Lesh and Light Into Ashes have discussed it.  Let's start with LIA's http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2015/08/november-23-1968-memorial-auditorium.html

It would have made sense per Phil's memory of playing a free show on a Saturday after a Friday.

Lesh fondly recalls the Columbus show in his book as a great set, though the whole audience was "about three hundred souls in a hall built for six thousand." (Lesh p.138) Per deadlists, Lesh recalled that "so many students from Ohio University in Athens came to the show in Columbus on 11/22/68 (a long drive - about 1 1/2 hours or so) that the band decided to go to Athens and put on a free show for them!"

But in reality the show was at least partically planned in advance (see second Athen's messenger article below) and was definitely announced in the paper on Monday, November 25 and reviewed the next day on November 26.

On top of that , you buried the lead Robert Powers, reporter. With your complaints about the Dead's 30 minutes tunes you almost forget that the band played for free.
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2014/09/missing-1968-shows.html


Also see http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2018/02/november-25-1968-memorial-auditorium.html

November 26 Issue of Athens Messenger


Monday November 25, 1973




http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2015/08/november-23-1968-memorial-auditorium.html


https://www.athensnews.com/news/campus/dinner-with-the-dead-after-mem-aud/article_0cd6f924-360f-11e5-a721-938e9e80dcbd.html


3 comments:

kivis said...

I was at the Columbus show. Yes it was mostly heads from Athens as Athens was major mecca for freaks and heads. Next night they were in Athens for a freebie. If I remember correctly a guy from the SDS tried to stop the show to get us to go protest somewhere. I don't think anyone left with him. Yes around midnight some University a-hole turned off the power. I do remember some of the Dead going acoustic for a while. I also remember them jaming at one of the hippie farms outside of town into the wee hours.

Anonymous said...

I was at the show in Athens, in fact my buddy, who told me we had to get there early to get a seat, and I helped carry the equipment to the stage. What I would like to hear about is their show the summer of 1970 in Art Park, outside Athens.

Grateful Seconds said...

this one?
http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2013/06/may-10-1970-atlanta-sports-arena.html