Grateful Dead

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I've looked for years... and can find not the faintest suggestion of a tape of this show; indeed, I've found references to the show which state there are no recordings. It wasn't an extraordinary show, as I recall it, but I'd love to hear it again to see if my refined sensibilities give me a new outlook on the show. Thanks.

A rare show for sure! Myself and six friends drove in a blizzard of a snow storm from Ft Smith Arkansas to Tulsa Ok for my very first...and most of my fellow attendees...first show ever. The show, as I remember it was pretty lame, actually. Due to the weather, the attendance was really sparse, and I don't remember seeing even one dose or dancer the enitre show. Luckily, the following year, a number of these same friends took me to a show in Kansas City, Mo. where we ran into some Heads from NYC that we picked up hitchhiking. They had some green windowpane and the rest is hsitory. This night, though not one of the better Dead shows of my "career", was a turning point in my life that I will always remember. I, too have been looking for a tape of this show ever since, with absolutlely no luck whatsoever. Anybody else out there remeber this show?????

Sadly, I've discovered no tapes of this show, as well. The perception of quality is subjective, so for me this show was absolute magic. It burned a poignant, permanent imprint of Peggy-O into my psyche. I can't hear that song to this day without wanting to cry. The concrete and metal bleachers under the domed metal roof of that agriculturally decorated art deco arena created a waveform that contained hotspots one of which I was happy to be stuck right in the middle of. My memory is of a syncopated, rhythmic jack-hammer madly beating the inside of a giant tin bucket stuck over my head, but in a musical way. At this show I internalized with complete understanding the concept, "the faster you go, the rounder you get." They don't make em like this any more.

At the age of 19 I produced the show on behalf of the Tulsa univ student assn, changed my life . due to the weather we lost $15k, a valuable lesson ( with someone elses money) about business. Experience of a lifetime. They felt sorry for us and invited me on the bus. I stayed and got my degree instead . Asked Dicks Picks about it , tapes were damaged .There was someone with a good rig close to the stage, but i never got the tape. They were a bit shocked at my age when we met at the airport. Jerry was real friendly and we hung out and had a long converstaion at intermission. My girlfriend and I had a steak dinner cooked by the crew backstage second set. The experience was crazy , the Babtists threatened to protest ( Oral Roberts country ) , the stage union tried to shut us down for using student labor , one of the cars with band members wrecked on the slick ice. Mickey threatened to toss the TV out the window when they would not let the band in the hotel bar with jeans on. That experience prepared me for a great job that included working with global promotions , beauty pageants , TV shows and all kinds of good stuff. Thanks Greatful Dead. Learned a lot of lifes lessons that unforgetable night. I still have the coffee cup from the band commisary

I have a poster that is signed by Jerry.My friend had a girl friend who's art class at TU designed the poster and she meet Jerry and he signed it for her.My friend a few years ago have me the poster on my birthday. A good friend.I remember the show because there was a snow storm going on.

Hey Miles, There is no tape of this concert in the GD's archive. This is one of those rare post-1976 GD concerts for which I know of no recording anywhere. Very odd. DL

were they ever here at all? ha.... there is an inaudible tape. Mayor Bill Lafortune has it. Had we not been so high, we'd had the guts to get the mics up despite the threats from our county sheriff. Then there's my story of getting 100 grams of coke to kid. Long time gone....

Hey Mike, I heard that a tape of this show circulated among a few of the Tulsa guys but I never could track it down. I think M. Treat was the one that told me about it.

Yup, I was there too. It was a weather disaster. There was a blizzard raging in the hours prior to the show. The band made it to Tulsa. I'd always heard that the TU Student Association posed as a "real" promtion company and brought the Dead to Tulsa. having been a fan for many years, this was my 3rd show with the Dead and I was happy to attend. I bought our tickets early on and had great seats right in front of the stage. As I recall, the band had played Saturday Night Live about a week before and they were touring hard. Jerry's voice was in lousy shape (you could hear it when he sang I Need A Miracle...lots of crackling in those pipes. I chalked it up to working so hard and being on the road for weeks. The unfortunate thing is that many of the fans couldn't make it in due to the snow - seriously, it was a foot deep. Even people from Oklahoma City backed out and consequently, the Fairgrounds Pavillion was really about 2/3rds empty. For me, not the best show, maybe the worst - but by God I was there and its sorta like fishing - my worst day fishing is better than my best day working....my worst Dead show was DEFINITELY better than most other days in my 55 yrs! Thanks to Patrick Dead Head for confirming my thoughts. I too went on to earn my degree from TU and happy I stuck it out. This made that fateful year even more interesting. By the way, I'd also heard rumors after the show that the Dead would NEVER play Tulsa again and you know what? They never did! I'm going to run some traps cause if the Lafortunes have a tape of that show, it needs to be liberated!!!!!

The snow, and the fact that I was sick as a dog. I had no business going to the show, but it was the only time the Dead played my hometown, and there was no way I was gonna miss it. My faint memory is it was one of the worst shows I ever saw... but I've been lucky. My 1st was OKC '73...good enough to make Dick's Picks. My next 4 were at Winterland and became The Grateful Dead Movie. Next 3 were the S.N.A.C.K. benefit where they premiered Blues For Allah with no lyrics, and a free show in Golden Gate Park, and New Years at the Cow Palace, so I was damned spoiled. The crowd was tiny, the drive was treacherous. Fortunately, I was well enough to make 2 Soldiers and Sailors shows in KC that weekend, and they were tremendous. 1st night, 2nd set, we welcomed the band out for the 2nd set by clapping Not Fade Away, and they responded by playing it...now that was a great memory!

We drove 100 mi. from around Shawnee up to the concert. 4 of us in the front of a pick up. A bunch of wood in the back for traction. It was a huge blizzard but we had tickets, up in the nose bleed section. When we walked in the usher pointed up the stadium and told us that is where the seats were. We looked at him and smiled and headed down to the stage. There weren't a lot of people there because of the weather but it was nice to be right next to the stage and not crowded like sardines. I remember Jerry taking a big hit and blowing the smoke out over the crowd. Since it was so small of an audience they seemed closer to the audience. Maybe they knew that the people that did show up were HARD core fans.

I was an ORU student and glad to see the band in town. I first saw them in 77 at Soldiers and sailors hall then later at the Uptown in Chicago. Loved both of those shows and was looking for some of the same. I recall the place as a pit and the show was not the most memorable. Small crowd with little energy. The snow freaked out the locals but being from Chicago it was just another snowy night to me. I worked for a landlord in town and spent a lot of time off campus and hanging out with locals so don't put all of us ORU people in the same boat. Honestly glad to put Tulsa in my rear view mirror and as far as Dead shows go can't really point to anything special....Alpine Valley WI. Now that's a place to see GOD!

The Tulsa show was my first ever. This is the first time I have seen a complete setlist and I have never been able to find a tape. I remember having a great time but when the show ended without the boys playing truckin', I was completely confused. How could this legendary band not play their most popular hit? About 50 shows into my touring days, I got my first trucking' and understood completely! I never got a Casey Jones in my 16 years on tour but it was the "and we bid you goodnight" in alpine '89 that brought tears to my eyes. See you in Chicago in July!