How I Missed Dark Star at the Greek, July 13, 1984

I saw all the first 6 shows at the Greek from 1981 to 1982 (and like 13 of the first 18).

For some crazy reason, my 25 year old self skipped this night. My housemate Robo when to the show for free as an usher (which I could have done too) and around 1am when he came home I said how was the show? He said it was great and they encored with Dark Star.

And I laughed. Sure Sure. Never did it before. Never did it since. Played more than 220 times and never played as Encore. Except they did. Fuck me.

I called my brother Ralph the next day and Cormac scored me tickets for the next night, when Why Don't We Do It In the Road. But still I missed the Dark Star.  Lucky I saw the prior one on December 31, 1981 (actually 2am on January 1, 1982), but only one in 80 shows.

The problem for a chronically underemployed young guy was there were simply too many shows.  I had to stop seeing the Jerry Band in 1981 for the same reason. $5 for the Keystone did not grow on trees for the kid making $5 an hour.

Bay Area Shows, When I Lived There, December 1980 to July 14, 1984

December 1980, when 48 hours of moving to California, I saw 5 of 5
1981  Saw 10 of 10 including the Fiesta with Joan Baez and the acoustic show at the Warfield
1982 Saw 7 of 10, missed the December 26-28 shows (I think, maybe saw some)
1983 Saw only 4 of  14  missed Warfield 3, 2 Greeks, 2 Frosts, 1 in Marin and first 2 at New Years
1984 Saw 0 of 5 at Marin and Sacramento

Missing shows also correlated with the commonly accepted decline of the band's performances and Jerry's voice between 1976 and 1984. This comment is my own based on the amazing shows I had witnessed in this years (of my 80 Dead shows, 9 of first 11 are on CD (1976-1977), 6 of my next 35, (1978-1980) and 1 of my last 34 (View Vault #4) (1981-1987, 1994)

But missing this Dark Star really shook me cold. I gave up going in 1987 (except for one Branford surprise show in LA in 1994), faded away to West LA, went to grad school and started my career and I missed the resurgence of the band in the great late 1989-1991 era, which I could have had a 4x better chance of seeing another Dark Star then seeing an Estimated>Eyes!

Dead Listening does another outstanding job on the aud tape of this show (one of many from the sweet spot in the Greek

http://www.deadlistening.com/2008/03/1984-july-13-greek-theatre.html


Dead Essays Critiques the Few Dark Stars in the Dark Star Drought Era

http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2013/05/dark-star-1978-1984-roundtable.html

Link to Charlie Miller music from this show

A rare mid-1980's review of the Dead show in the local paper

My Brother Ralph with Dead Doctor Jordan at the Greek

https://glidemagazine.com/142656/dark-star-stories-the-greek-07131984/

Dave's Picks 17: Berkeley Greek? UPDATE: IT"S NOT

UPDATE 11/3/2015

Apparently, the Deadhead below thought he saw 7-14-1984 and actually saw 7-19-1974.  Or he was just a prankster

The more than rumor is that Dave's Picks 17 in January will be a 1984 Berkeley Greek Theater Show.
It was nice to see 1968 Greek in the 30 trips set, but the 27 shows between 1981-1989, plus the 29 other Berkeley shows (mainly at Berkeley High School) offer a great opportunity to celebrate the East Bay Dead Experience.  Even if the rumor is not true (supposedly there was a banner on dead.net for a moment that said it was), this is a treasure trove for future Greek run set(s).

If so, I take some credit.

EMAIL TO DAVID L. AT DEAD VALUE

Me to Vault:

Dave
Thanks for your great releases. I suggested a few weeks ago on The Golden Road that you might want to consider a Berkeley show for an official release sometime.  Just thought since no GD Berkeley show has ever been released.  The BCT and Greek experience was seminal in my career from 1975-1994  Dave Davis
http://gratefuldeadprojects.com/1979_1986.html
Sent from my iPhone

Grateful Dead Vault <vault@dead.net>
May 17

to me
Thanks for the note and suggestion. I don;t hear the Golden Road, so didn't know about your request.

DL


TALES SUGGESTION

I also suggested to David Gans Gary Lambert and to Bruce Hornsby on January 25 on Tales that the Dead release a Berkeley show
I start at 14:59 of this:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/uiopskxsdbzo2cc/Tales%2015.01.25.mp3?dl=0

MY BLOG POST

http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-mecca-berkeleys-greek-theater.html


Here are some fun recording of the 1981 shows.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tb65s8sxbbck1z0/AABao1QpfP39S9PonBGCUXZCa?dl=0

7-19-74  US Blues