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
It must have been a circus when the Dead invaded Manhattan in April 1971. First up was the Dance Marathons at the Manhattan Center.
According to the open letter to Patrons from the April 15 issue of the Village Voice, guess the band was starting to feel the New York City craziness.
The second night would bring us Not Fade Away>Goin Down the Road from the Skullfuck Album, but night one gave us the more unusual Goin Down the Road>St Stephen>Not Fade Away that you hear now. Fun times in the City.
Billy P posted on my facebook that The Wheel at Sunset was Amazing. As the day was ending, the band started up Playing In The Band into Uncle John's Band. After Not Fade Away as the daylight faded away, At sunset was The Wheel and the band did the only return into Uncle John's Band and Playing In The Band that they ever did besides the three Playing>UJB>Dew>UJB>Playing shows. After the Brokedown Palace encore, the very next song performed by The Dead was the acoustic Birdsong at the Warfield.
40th anniversary update Septemeber 6, 2020: try the FLACS for the best experience
The Kathy Sublette which was revealed recently by Charlie Miller and Scott Clugston and
Thanks to Kathy Sublette for the Master Audience Cassettes - Thanks to Ted Mattes for finding the master cassettes - Thanks to Charlie Miller for the transfer and coordinating this effort
So 35 and one-half 40 years ago, The Grateful Dead invaded Lewiston. According to Billboard, 25,127 tickets were sold for $264,087 in ticket sales. This was my all-time favorite concert experience and as a show it is in my top-3 out of all my shows. For your iPhone The flac and all the files are here If you want to hear a specific Lewiston song, click here
The show almost didn't happen as the Lewiston, Maine City Council debated whether they would approve the "Soft Rock" act in front of a few thousands fans on a nice Fall Saturday afternoon.
Dead to the Core's great view on the show
Jimmy's Mom was quoted in the local newspaper letting the Council know of the 100,000 fans in New Jersey in 1977 (and their house was only a stone's throw from the site), but luckily for we youngsters, sanity prevailed and we got our show. Jimmy's sister Katie says she actually was angry they were coming and was VERY vocal about it, yet due to our proximity to the Fairgrounds I'm not sure I could ever remember a time when Jimmy was more excited for anything... (well...except when my parent's let him name the dog Jagger....I digress...) And the best part was that this concert didn't involve hitch-hiking out of state lol...My sister's and I were crying we were laughing so hard lol!!
Jimmy Roux and your Narrator, Berkeley, 1981
One new piece of news NEVER EVER REPORTED is that the promoters tried to have a Lewiston II in 1981, but alas no go. I heard the band was going to play Dark Star>Unbroken Chain haha
At least 40 of my fellow students from Bowdoin College trekked over the 20 miles to the show as well as at least 15 of Michael and Juliet's friends from Brandeis, who spent the night of September 5 on the floor of my apartment at 6 Jordan Avenue in Brunswick. Luckily, Jay brought his camera and took a picture of Harriet dancing at the show.
My Dead Head Girl Friend, Harriet from 1978-1981 as Photographed by Jay Blakesberg at Lewiston. Harriet and I revealed her identity to Jay by email in 2015
PRESHOW
My brother Ralph recalls The party at 377 college street w the steal your face banner hanging from the garage ...
I had just come back from Springfield and Providence shows I believe and had handed out xeroxed directions to our house while on tour...
I told Mom that "a few friends" were gonna swing by for a small gathering before the show/ Our house being 1/4 mile from the fairgrounds and on one of 2 main access roads we were in fact inundated with dead heads... And then you David: show up from Bowdoin w the Delta Sig house and the fun just got started!
We had the My-Oh-My party at my house and then I go to met Phil.
MEETING PHIL
Let's just say, Phil was not on the wagon in September, 1980 and it seemed more like we were driving a train instead of an auto:) Thanks again to Steve Longley for letting me go and meet Phil. And thanks to Chuck too.
SET ONE
Juliet says
Oh!! Best show of my life. But I can't let you put it in the blog
On the off chance my kids read it
I don't think there were 30,000 there but certainly more than 10,000. As usual, the Grateful Dead played a very long first set since it was beautiful late Summer/early Fall day in Maine. I can't even speak when I think of this show so I will go back to the amazing deadlistening.com notes (see link below)
Sugaree plays on and on, Garcia speeding and swirling effortlessly. The band is locked in with him, everyone adding fuel to the fire. It's a healthy, long version, typical of the time period. Feel Like A Stranger is sublime. The jam is tossed into a heavy syncopation after Bobby missteps a "silky silky silky crazy night" line. It's impossible to tell who in the band slips with him, and who stays in the prescribed beat count of the song. But the result is an extremely extended jam that fires flares off in roller coaster streaming arcs for what feels like an eternity. The phrasing is filled with the standard Stranger themes, but it is peppered with so much more. When they somehow manage to pull together for the final refrain, it's like be shaken from an epic dream.
China>Rider had a wonderful tendency to catch fire in the early 80's. After just sort of reappearing in rotation at the start of 1979 (after a 4 year hiatus), the song duo had taken on a more upbeat tempo, and by 1980 it was a pure carnival of light and sound. The China>Rider here on 9/6/80 is flat out perfection. A wonderfully glowing solo section cascades into an I Know You Rider which finds Jerry's tone crisp and clean. He rounds corners and rolls over hills, spraying notes to the horizon. The last solo catches the light of the sun and soars like a bird. We slam into a Promised Land that punctuates the end of the first set with the same elevated energy that has permeated the entire show so far. It will blow your hair back and leave you breathless. And set two is still to come…
Alabama>Greatest, Sugaree, Rooster, Feel Like A Stranger, and China>Rider>Promise, what more can you ask in a 13 song first-set. And set two is still to come....
SET TWO
Set Two: Shakedown Street > Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, Althea, Playin' in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > The Wheel > Uncle John's Band > Playin' in the Band > Sugar Magnolia E: One More Saturday Night> Brokedown Palace This set is extra special; all the great newer tunes, a Shakedown for the ages, Sailor, Saint, Althea and then the band flips into the Playing>Uncle John's sandwich. Other than the three Playing>UJB>Dew>UJB>Playing sandwiches in California in 1973 and 1974, this is the ONLY GRATEFUL DEAD CONCERT with a complete Playing>Uncle John's Band that flows back into Uncle John's Band>Playing.
I know at least two of this Lewiston students who attended this show, (row 1, three from right and last row, five from right and probably her cousin two from right as well)
I saw four, the primitive versions of Althea and Lost Sailor (no Saint), Hell In a Bucket and my favorite right out of the gate: Alabama Getaway. Since Donna Jean was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame last Saturday, I say it's time to relisten to the first Alabama Getaway.
August 4, 1979 Althea and Lost Sailor at the Okaland Auditorium Arena (later Kaiser)
November 4, 1979 Alabama Getaway at the Providence Civic Center
May 13, 1983, Hell In A Bucket at the Berkeley Greek
The links to archive are above or if you prefer to add the 161 files to your Itunes, here they are
Here's a nice unusual cover debut from November 6, 1970
Let's review Howard's top-25 highlight selections from 1977. Luckily, I was there for his highlights #2, #8, #9, #17, #18 and #22.
1. 5-8-77 Scarlet > Fire
2. 9-3-77 Mississippi Half Step
3. 5-19-77 Playing > Uncle John’s Band
4. 5-8-77 St. Stephen reprise > Morning Dew
5. 6-9-77 Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower
6. The Grateful Dead Movie
7. 5-15-77 Estimated > Eyes
8. 11-4-77 Playin’ > Eyes > Estimated > Other One
9. 5-7-77 Mississippi Half Step > Big River, Tennessee Jed, Music Never Stopped
10. 2-26-77 Terrapin Station
11. 5-19-77 Sugaree
12. 5-9-77 Big River, Peggy-O, Sunrise, Music Never Stopped
13. 6-7-77 Samson > Terrapin > Morning Dew
14.. 10-15-77 St. Stephen > Not Fade Away > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia
15. 5-22 Eyes of the World > Wharf Rat > Terrapin > Morning Dew
16. 3-18-77 Terrapin
17. 5-28-77 Sugaree
18. 11-6-77 Truckin’
19. 10-29-77 Let It Grow
20. 5-17-77 Fire on the Mountain
21. 5-18-77 Other One
22. 11-5-77 Three Take a Step Backs and Mississippi Half Step
23. 10-9-77 Lazy Lightning > Supplication, Sugaree, Music Never Stopped
24. 10-2-77 Casey Jones
25. 5-15-77 Dancin’ in the Street
I wont't disagree with the one's I was not at. Who can argue with Cornell and Buffalo, however Pembroke Pines 5-22 should probably be number one. Come on, when Dick's Picks 3 was released, that was Godhead awesome brain-dripping moment that I didn't even know occurred until like 20 years later. Also see http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2015/10/best-of-unreleased-1977-shows.html
#2. I do love the Half Step on 9-3, but the 5-7 was more awesome and the highlight of Englishtown has to be He's Gone>Not Fade Away>Truckin'. Listen to that again. it is the best Not Fade Away ever ever ever.
#8 yes Colgate is awesome, i love it nothing to add. Howard rocks here.
#9 yes, maybe higher in the standings, top 1% to 5% best first set I ever say
#17 Hartford is awesome too, and this Sugaree should be heard, but listen to it in its entirety Bertha>Good Lovin> Sugaree Here
#22 Rochester, yes this are fun, but the highlight of this show (which I luckily heard on Sirius at 1-45pm Western last night is Eyes. It's Phil's world, we only live in it. Yes audience tapes do rock too
The Grateful Dead started playing Not Fade Away in 1968, but it took until 1985 for them to open a show with it. And it started with a flyer in the lot. Wish I still had the flyer, but at my 6th straight (and last) New Year's show, there was an attempt to get the band to open the show with Not Fade Away. Which did happen. And Michael and Juliet were there with me as my witness,
Not only did the band open with Not Fade Away, they closed the second set with it, and continued it into the encore for a three-peat.
Not Fade Away was almost always a second set two (and later set 2 post-drums) showcase for the band, and after pairing it with Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad in Queens, NY in October 1970, the pairing moved exclusively to the second set until the famous London show on May 26, 1972 which closed the Europe 72 tour.
This show feature the ultra rare first set NFA>GDTRFB>NFA at the end of first set that had already featured 16 songs including a blistering Playing In The Band and a classic China Sunflower>I Know The Rider. Apparently, the band forgot to leave the stage and the London audience starts the only other clap request that was answered, finishing with a 19 song set, the only first set NFA>GDTRFB after 1970.
Unfortunately, the last one was played in Winterland on February 24, 1974. The next Not Fade Away into Goin Down The Road was played at my fourth show on April 23, 1977, but alas not NFA reprise ever again.
Not Fade Away as an encore was rare since inception with the first one noted at the Watkins Glen show on 7-28-73 while jamming with the Allmans right prior to Mountain Jam. There were two NFA encores in 1976, one in Chicago on June 28 and one at the Orpheum a few shows later on July 17. It rarely opened a set two jam, Englishtown 1977 being the rare exception (certainly best verison I ever heard). And 9-14-78 Eqypt started with Ollin Arageed>NFA, which was close to opening the show.;
The Dead had been experimenting with the NFA show close and revise in the encore at a couple of shows 4-12-83, 4-7-84, and 9-12-85. It's interesting that certian places like California, Providence and Alpine get mulitple versions of these call and response Not Fade Aways. After 1989, they only played NFA in set two. But it was fun while it lasted.
Encores of Not Fade Away, 1986-1989
2-11-86 Kaiser Stella Blue ; Not Fade Away
Encore Not Fade Away ; Hey Bo Diddley ; Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
3-30-86 Providence Throwing Stones ; Not Fade Away
Encore Not Fade Away ; The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)
4-21-86 (I was there) Berkeley High School Morning Dew [9:25] > Around And Around [3:32] > Not Fade Away [7:23]
Encore Not Fade Away [1:44] > Don't Ease Me In [3:02]
6-21-86 Berkeley Greek Throwing Stones ; Not Fade Away
Encore Not Fade Away ; Brokedown Palace
6-29-86 Alpine Throwing Stones ; Not Fade Away
Encore Not Fade Away ; U.S. Blues
12-17-86 Oakland Coliseum Throwing Stones [7:51#] ; Not Fade Away
Encore Not Fade Away ; Brokedown Palace
1-30-87 SF Civic Throwing Stones [8:39] > Not Fade Away [7:01]
Encore Not Fade Away [1:56] > Brokedown Palace [6:17]
4-11-87 Chicago Throwing Stones [8:48] > Not Fade Away [6:18]
Encore Not Fade Away [ 0:52] > Black Muddy River [6:16]
4-19-87 Irvine Wharf Rat [9:25] > Not Fade Away [7:18]
Encore Not Fade Away [0:45] > Brokedown Palace [5:55]
5-3-87 Frost Throwing Stones [8:26] > Not Fade Away [9:01]
Encore Not Fade Away [0:40] > The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) [4:17]
5-10-87 Monterey (encore only) Encore Not Fade Away [5:22] ; Black Muddy River [6:17]
6-28-87 Alpine Throwing Stones [8:52] > Not Fade Away [8:11]
Encore Not Fade Away [0:58] ; The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) [4:17]
8-13-87 Red Rocks Throwing Stones [8:08] > Not Fade Away [5:27]
Encore Not Fade Away [0:23] > Touch Of Grey [5:49] > Knockin' On Heaven's Door [6:16]
8-23-87 Ange's Camp Encore only Encore Not Fade Away [7:43] > Brokedown Palace [4:50]
9-9-87 Providence Encore Not Fade Away [7:43] > Brokedown Palace [4:50]
11-7-87 Kaiser Encore Not Fade Away [7:43] > Brokedown Palace [4:50]
6-25-88 Buckeye Not Fade Away [6:41]
Encore Knockin' On Heaven's Door
7-3-88 Oxford Encore NFA
2-6-89 Kaiser opens Beer Barrell Polka > Not Fade Away (Second and last show opened with NFA)
2-12-89 LA Forum with Dylan on guitar Not Fade Away** ; Knockin' On Heaven's Door**
10-15-89 Meadowlands Throwing Stones [8:51] > Not Fade Away [8:09]
Encore Not Fade Away Jam [2:34] ; Box Of Rain [4:41]
