6/4/78 - UC Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara, CA
I was at work listening to the radio when the local Boulder station played five Dead songs in a row. That was unheard of back then. Several of my college friends had moved to Southern California and I knew they were going to the show in Santa Barbara that was only a few days away. I phoned my girlfriend who kinda had a crush on one of the dudes that had moved to Southern California and asked her if she wanted to drive there for the show and explained my cosmic experience of hearing five dead songs in a row on the radio and that I thought it was a 'calling' of sorts......oh the many ways we rationalized hitting the road to go to another show!!! At the time I didn't have a car and didn't know how to drive....she said yes....she wanted to go and we hit the road....California bound. We arrived in Los Angeles and hooked-up with our old friends and made some new friends and all drove to Santa Barbara. When we arrived we had to wait a bit before going in.....seems they didn't have tickets, but comps and passes for the show. As we waited for the Dead's list to make it to Will Call a group of Hell's Angels came roaring past. They didn't need tickets, passes.....didn't even have to stop....they just rode right in. One of them rode their bike right up on stage. It was an amazing site and for the first time I truly understood the power possessed by the Hell's Angels.
We got our passes and went inside....hung out backstage, my buddy was showing pictures to Bobby of a recent weekend spent together. Warren Zevon and Elvin Bishop were also on the bill and I wanted to go into the crowd and watch/dance/listen to the music....I went solo. I remember the heat, both Bobby and Warren doing Werewolves of London and the mask they wore and the hottest Not Fade Away I can ever recall seeing with a BMW 900 on stage playing the beat of the song.
July 7-8, 1978 - Redrocks Amphitheater - Morrison, CA
This was the first time the Dead played Redrocks. We drove there the night before the show and walked to our seats in the amphitheater. There were already a couple dozen people there. We brought our sleeping bags and camping gear and spent the night in our seats. Sunrise on the red rocks that fill this natural wonder created by man is a sight beyond description. By the time the security arrived there were several hundred people inside the park/amphitheater. They didn't know what to do and by the time they came up with a plan it was noon. They asked everyone to leave so that they could take tickets. Some did and some stayed inside with their stuff....and people had much stuff....that they probably wouldn't have been able to bring in ad normalum. For those that chose not to leave they walked row by row taking tickets. The rest of the day was spent getting to know neighbors and generally being overwhelmed by the beauty of this amazing place. It was clear once the band hit the stage that they too were overwhelmed.
August 30-31 - Redrocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO
Truly blown away by the sheer awesomeness of Redrocks last month.....The Boys scheduled another set of shows at this amazing venue. This time the security was a little more prepared and they had the entire mountain cordoned off. No one could drive in......so we got dropped off at the bottom of the mountain with our packs, sleeping bags, etc. in hand and hiked to the entrance to the park.....dodging security vehicles patrolling the road along the way. There was a very small group of us that had ventured this path and we all camped out at the entrance, which was closed this time round. They let us in in the morning and we secured rows 2-10 center and awaited the arrival of the rest of our crew. The day was spent much like last time getting to know our neighbors and relishing in the beauty of this awesome place. As I write these 'memoirs' I realize that my memories are mostly of new and old friends and less of the show. I was very much a 'newbie' and did not know the significance of songs played or broken out. I do have distinct recollections of Donna and also of some weird vibes between Donna and Phil during this set of shows.
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