May 3, 1968 Columbia University Strike!

Fifty years ago, the Dead were smuggled into Ferris Booth Hall at Columbia University and placed a hidden free afternoon show to striking students. Happy 50th on May 3!  The Columbia Spectator says they did the Dew that day. 

June 11, 1968 NY Times

Dead Essays says 

5/3/68 Columbia University, NYC (free afternoon show) [Morning Dew (per newspaper report)]

This show was filmed – the video confirms that the Cryptical>Other One suite was played. Setlist attributions have come from album songs that were dubbed over the film.

http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2014/09/missing-1968-shows.html   Sorry no music today, but you can try the youtubes and here for my clips

Deadlists says

Band	Grateful Dead
Venue	Low Library Plaza, Columbia University
Location	New York, NY
Date	5/3/68 - Friday	posters	tickets, passes & laminates
Comments	DeadBase XI lists: Cold Rain and Snow, Sittin' on top of the World. These songs supposedly appear in the film "Columbia Revolt"
Recordings	None in circulation as of 2/02. The prior shows were in Philadelphia ending April 28 and the next show was 5/4/68 at Stonybrook and for 6,000 in Central Park on 5/5/68 as well as 5/7-9/68 at the Electric Circus.

Six Months Earlier

https://www.jambase.com/article/grateful-dead-at-columbia-university-in-1968

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

100+ Moments in The History of the Grateful Dead as told from Record World Magazine, 1967-1976

Record World magazine was the coolest and hippest of the Music Industry Trade Magazines (Billboard and Cash Box being the others).  Here are some interesting little tidbits from those times. For more from these pages see here

1967-1969

1970-1972

1973-1976