Grateful Dead Reviews

jrgdtrfb · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

recalling this night is easy.met up with a few friends in old bridge n.j. made the trek out to a little town called bethlehem[how could this not be special?]. we stopped in a pub[forget the name] and met up with a few more. the actual guy we were to meet was late and we met his friends. had some vittles and ended up trading our floor seats with a taper so he could get his gear in hassle free. found the venue and hit the shakedown. all kinds of goodies but i needed a tye dye for the youngin' at home. a nip to the air made it an easy choice to enter early. no lines just a big clusterfuck with a few rent a cops patting us down[thoroughly] took like forever, but it was a good feeling as this was shortly after 911 and we took comfort in knowing we would be safe. finally made it in and found our seats about 10-12 rows up opposite end of arena. perfect view as the seats in front of us were lower and when they stood up we could still see. empty seats to the left and right that made more room for dancing.

we were predicting the opener and i boldly wrote down jam. anyway throughout the opening jam we heard tidbits of this and that when i heard dylan, and proudly[and loudly] proclaimed EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED. well those in our section agreed and proceeded to heed my sage advice. never before or even since have i heard or heard of watchtower to open a show. Shocked

everybody even security was up and dancin'it was total blissdamonium. we were hooked, we knowed it, they knowed it and we were the bands' bitch and we was happy to be so

tnk followed, and george was there, during the last solo i felt his presence. eerie but still it just added to what was already shaping up to an extraordinary event. passenger never a fan of this tune but it was different, perhaps the way phil wanted it played when he wrote it, or maybe through the q's evolution, whatever the fuck it was it was good. now it gets gooder.

from a dead stop and much to the approval we get a very mellow yet upbeat eyes. headband leading the way ala branford 3/29/90. 4th song of the night and 4th set of goosebumps. phil voice was actually pleasant.did i mention that rob barraco was the driving force? we didn't care about lyrics, we just wanted the jam to continue.never before have i ever seen a crowd so focused, so intense so happy. nobody left their seats. we were all in this together.

ok we were ready for a broken arrow. we got no more do i and it was prayer like. we were reminded of the tradegy some 2 months earlier but at the same time happy and thankful to be alive, now comes the goodest part.the best box ever very up tempo, swing like, i found myself snapping my fingers along instead of dancing. even phil was dancing along[you just know frank was there goading him on "come on hippie swing"] the phinest i've ever heard phil. sadly the set ended. we were awestruck.

tonight was special as the persoids meteor shower was expected. it was a clear night and we were up in the mntns. predictably we got 1000 stars which set the pace for the main event. now "this is where we play quiet and you listen loud". phil was just reiterating our bitchdom to the q. why the boys waited til 95 to play unbroken is beyond my realm of comprehension. listening to jimmy wail away makes me wonder what jerry and the wolf could have done. Crying or Very sad

somehow this smokin' unbrokin' morphs into tiftoo, all along there were hints and allegations and finally he dropped the bomb on us, again it was headband banging out those keys Shocked

more goosebumpage.

all throughout the night wheel was teased, finally they played it. a nice slow steady pace. have i mentioned that rob barraco has been the star of this show yet? i have never seen anyone more happy to make music except for ray charles. back into tiftoo. psychedelicly arranged for our listening pleasure. its now beginning to look like this night is gonna last forever. we wind down and go into the grande finale

here comes the man again. rob leads us in to help on the way. this was ok but the jam into slip is where molo mezmerized me. the drum piece that leads slip into franklins had us staring at him with jaw agape, then as they get ready to turn for home and go into franklins phil steps up to the mic looks towards his right[ as if to say take it] they deliver us unto the golden road. without missing a beat we're carrying on and dancing a ring around the sun. the goosebumps were now like a stubborn case of acne. it was pure psychedelicamania running wild saying our prayers and eating our shrooms.

the ovation was like 96 at the boogiedown.i'm thinking the crowd is gonna break out the nfa chant. phil gives thanks intros the band, franklins has us up yet again bouncing around the room, and in true deadom fashion we get a mellow one to send us home. we bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight............

the ride home offered the persoids meteor shower and made for a pleasant return trip.the morning after i looked around and found my stub, and knowed it wasn't a dream and was every bit real.

so to mike, jeff, vance, susan, all the others in attendance and the boys in the band.

THANK YOU FOR A REAL GOOD TIME.