Grateful Dead

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"Just a little Brent" Edie Brickell and New Bohemians opened, but didn't really get very loud. The field was general admission, and when it rained like heck a lot of people were getting into the mud thing and doing the running mud slide. I listened to first set up in the 200-level to escape the rain, but it was not very loud up there, so I went down to the field for second set, which was massively cool! Phil had to do TAKE A STEP BACK before Box Of Rain, and Dan Healy put a bunch of effects on it and made it sound really weird, like a march in reverse! The DARK STAR was quite epic, the only one of the tour!!! ". . . Music is the best!" (fz)

Humidity Humidty...DC Dark Star !!!

Edie was not loud, but it didn't matter to me because I was right in front of the soundboard. Do you remember her comments? "Imagine if you will that this stadium is a giant bowl of gumballs. Then imagine that a giant gorilla came over the side and started picking gumballs out one by one." Obviously, this comment melted my brain. (Especially since my trip was just kicking into high gear). - My first Dark Star Peace- David Diaz

At the time I remember thinking that this was the worst Dead show I had seen. It was raining, humid and the band was way too quiet. Never really got the sound cranked up. I think the second set had some moments. Next two shows on this tour were much better.

My husband and I went with a friend we hadn't seen in quite a while. He found some old friends to talk to on his way in so he said he would meet us at the seats. His old friends and he dropped some acid. His old friends didn't realize that he had been recently diagnosed bi-polar and was on lithium. He showed up at the seats tripping, which didn't bother us, until he told my husband that he was having some really weird auditory hallucinations. Hubby scoped out the location for the first aid station,and before we knew it, our friend went into grand mal seizures. First aid showed up and called the triage room upstairs. Our friend was so rigid, It took them about 20 minutes to get him out from under the bleachers. When they finally got him to the triage room, they called over to the hospital (2 blocks away) probably DOA. They wouldn't let us go with him, and they told us we wouldn't be able to see him or get updates on him since we weren't family. We were told to stay and enjoy the show... yeah right. Anyway, after the show, we did head over to the hospital. When we asked about him, they couldn't find him. The lady at the desk said "Let me check the morgue." I freaked. She didn't find him listed there so she re-checked her admissions and finally found him in ICU. They wouldn't allow us to visit, and they wouldn't let us know his condition. We decided to spend the night so we got a hotel. We called the hospital over and over again the next day and still no one would update us. We finally went back to the hospital. He had just been moved to a regular room so we did get to finally visit. He ended up being ok, but I NEVER want to go through that again! A side note... a couple of days prior, we had gone to the show in Raleigh. I danced a bunch with a guy behind me - Bill from Hickory. At the RFK show, right in the middle of all the trauma, I turned around and there was Bill from Hickory. I was crying, and he held me to calm me down. Bill, if you see this, THANK YOU! Liz

I missed Edie due to car troubles, but really wanted to see her. I couldn't re-start my car after the show either and got towed all 100 mile that my AAA plus card would let me. I was dropped off at Rockville MD, and had to be towed again from there. I eventually got towed to a place that works on FIAT spiders and had two mechanics working on my car at once trouble shooting. Turned out to be the points. Anyway with little cash in my pockets and figuring out what the bill would be for 2 guys workin gon my car, I caught a break with the one guy asking if I had money for gas to get home, which I really didn't. He said just give me $20 for the parts. I had a CC saved for just emergencies, but got off the hook that day!

And a Music never stopped that still shakes my bones! Downpour during box of rain got the place juiced.

on the big screen scared me-he looked too high...

Edie was hilariously high during her set, which prompted some people around me to yell stuff like "have another hit!" Bobby kissed her on the cheek when she came off the stage and she had stars in her eyes. Two guys in jester's outfits went around before the Dead came out, dosing everybody down on the field from what looked like big contact-lens solution bottles. The rain didn't really dampen everybody's spirits...especially after it stopped and the boys played one of the best 'Dark Stars' ever. If you haven't heard it, just listen to View from the Vault #2's filler...it's on there. It's simply amazing, Jerry's hoarseness notwithstanding. Probably my favorite Dark Star of all time.

Amazing Dark Star to a downpour with all kinds of thunder and lightning that shook the place!!!

The second set was painfully under amplified. It may have been the humidity but it was hard to hear. This was painful for Dark Star which others have noted was pretty decent. Gotta love the first set song list another fun RFK Tennessee Jed sing a long

Here's Edie's little fable, which everybody got a kick out of: "If I were an ogre, and I came across RFK stadium, I'd look inside and everybody would look like a bunch of different-colored jelly beans. Then, I'd reach down, and eat one of the jelly beans, and then all of the other beans would run around screaming."This wasn't the only clue that she'd gone electric, but it was a good one. This show was the most psychedelic scene that I would ever see, and the weirdness that began with Edie grew throughout the night until it exploded like the thunderheads above and leapt like chain lightning from person to person throughout the stadium.

Memories from this show:so much rain that there was a river running down the stairs. Oh, and my friend Martha suggesting that we should probably take our clothes off since they were all so wet. But I think that thought was abandoned.

My first time ever taking LSD. The clouds drifted all day in the awful humidity. There was no comfort in sight. The thunder and lightning was starting before the show and it was getting nutty ! As the band was about to start, the cluster of dark clouds just parked themselves over the stadium and as the first notes rang out, DOWNPOUR !! Such an incredible night if you were not covered and just getting drenched . The crowd over by us was just loving it. So much fun stomping in the rain over your ankles. I remember figuring out how to keep my cigarette dry so I could have one if the rain stopped or for after the show. DARK STAR, the best ! A very fond memory !

Ever since baseball returned to DC and RFK 3 years ago, I've truly enjoyed going to games and reliving old memories, especially those great memories of the 5 Dead shows I saw there (including my first one). The Nationals will be leaving RFK at the end of this season to move to their new stadium, so although the new park will be nicer than RFK, it will never have those memories that I hold so dear. I had been planning all year to head to a game at RFK towards the end of this season, bring along a RFK show, sit back and re-live the experience. I did that last night with the Nats game against the SF Giants (nice tie-in, I thought), and brought along a nice SBD copy of this show on my Dead-Pod. I always liked this show alot, it was a crazy night regardless of the performance. Heavy rain and a freaky Edie Brickell made it a very interesting night alone. There were a number of great performances that night though, which I enjoyed again 17 years later at the same place last evening. Highlights from this show for me include a fun Good Times opener, the smokin' Bertha, and a powerful Music Never Stopped to close the first set. The second set opens with a hilarious Take A Step Back, then one of my favorite Box of Rain's ever. A great Dark Star made this a truly special night. Speaking of that Dark Star last night, as we hit the 7th inning stretch, and everyone is singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame, I've got that Dark Star crashing in my ears! For one night last night, I was able to experience The Dead at RFK one last time. Truly magical.

Drove 200 Miles up to to RFK on a new liscense. Dosed as soon as we hit the parking lot....best acid I have ever had....Caught the last part of Edie's set was in the bleachers at that time. Her coments were strange but just kicked in the trip even more. Moved to the GA floor before the boys took the stage. I was stupid and wore jeans in the hottest part of July! Thank god there were some very kind folks that gave me water to help me through. The first set rocked and the rain in the second made the night. We were about 4 rows back from the stage during "take a step back"...I honestly felt they were helping me out personally since I was feeling crushed at the time......The large monitors were kinda creepy but maybe not .....could have been the lsd. Our car broke down about 4 blocks away from the venue after the show and we wound up sleeping on the streets of DC. Not good at all....I have pics from the car after the show...if i can find them I will post them.....all in all a wonderful experiance.

Wonderful Dark Star and quite an impressive show at the bottom line. Reading the comments posted here I realise that a lot more people enjoyed this as much as i did. Funny little story about the car mechanics, I smiled at that one too. Overall fantastic show, keep up the good work !Royal Caribbean

did not attend, but am listening to this show again right now (post-Dark Star Drums). for me, the highlight is the SICK Foolish Heart that goes into Dark Star! the Dark Star isn't THAT great, imho. other highlights are the Stranger, and the entire second set in general is good for a '90 show. PEACE. I'm a Deadatarian; I don't eat Phish! (~):)

I remember thinking that the storm clouds were INSIDE the Stadium. Our friend bought a dark colored tie dye before the show and after it rained he took it off and he looked like a Big Blueberry!

Dark Star Bought the tix from deadheads heading S on 95- we had a sign in our car window and got 'em on the side of the road. Rained like hell. Soaked to the skin. Lighters useless. I was in front of Jerry about 2 "rows" back for whole show. Epiphany like experience with Dark Star which is the only one I was ever lucky enough to get to see. To the young girl who was next to me for the show- greetings and thanks for the kiss after D.S. Good Karma. The song list of this show is awesome and should be reviewed to see just how awesome is it!!!!!!!

I was 17, and yes, I was one of those annoying 'Touchheads' that came to see the band I'd heard on the radio. Had alot of fun, enjoyed the show and wanted to come back for more. I regret that I had not been born a little earlier, so I could have seen them in their prime-listening to recordings of the band, it seems like they started to ebb around 1985-1986 or so. I nonetheless remember this show as being particularly good. The music was great, the crowd was even more fun to be a part of, and the general vibe was better than anything I've experienced at other concert settings.

got in to this show with a paul mcartney ticket stub i found in the lot he played a few days before, my first dark star. folk were flying kites in the arena with red glow sticks tied to the strings ala ben franklin what a summer, what a show, what a rain storm love to all

dgiles yup there was alot of rain and rfk served lots of beers .and i picked up my friend anne hitch hiking after the show ,try to get back to harvard sq. she drove and went the wrong way to va. but we all made it back home , fine. R.I.P. ANNE HIGHAM best ride upm the east coast ever, wish you were still here.

I took my girlfriend to see the show and it was her first Grateful Dead show ever. She was not a huge Grateful Dead fan but she did have a good time. This was the first time I went to see a Grateful Dead show that I did not drink any alcohol or do any drugs whatsoever. The show still was amazing but the drums and space part of the show wasn't as much fun because I wasn't tripping on LSD.

I rode up to this show from NC on my motorcycle. It was raining the whole way up. I spent the day wandering around the capitol, talked to a congressman, and just took in the sites of dc. Then I headed over to the stadium. On the way in, someone hooked me up with some orange sunshine. I bought a Sammy Smith's Oatmeal stout, and proceeded to wander and people watch. It was SO hot, and I was overdressed, so I was pretty uncomfortable, but having a good time anyway. I remember Edie being REALLY high, and that going along with my mood. I also remember wishing it'd rain again, so that I could cool off. Boy did I get that wish. The show opened with Good Times and Feel like a stranger, and I knew then we were going to have a crazy show. Got my first dark star that night (my first show was a spectrum show in '88, and I was in basic training for the warlocks shows). I remember being ecstatic after the show, and running across people who had hated it. I couldn't relate to that emotion at all. Anyway, I then headed back to my bike, but was in no shape to ride, so I hung out most of the night in a bus shelter. That show was when I went from being a fan of the grateful dead to a deadhead, I think.

My first show.

I was in Baltimore for my future brother in law's wedding. Kinda bummed I was gonna miss the boys up in Foxboro, MA. Driving from the airport, an ad came on for The Dead at RFK the night before the wedding.It was hot! We only had jeans, and bought ourselves these really comfortable natural dyed shorts from a vendor. Edie Brickell finished up a descent set. The crowd dripping with sweat. Some dude was parading around with a flag that had the date of the last Dark Star. It was still light out, but dark clouds moved in fast. Jerry and the boys walk on stage at the same time a crack of lightning and a booming thunder. The crowd went crazy. It started pouring. It wasn't long before the field became this huge muddy slip and slide. The rain also caused the dye from our new shorts to run. My legs were black and my future brides were green.

I was 18 at My 3rd show and quickly becoming a follower.. I remeber the Mud Pits as well.... Great Show... Was lucky enough to do All DC shows between 88 and the last.. Also many other East Coast venues and Rich Stadium in Buffalo... Did all of 92 spring/summer tour.. The Dark Star was great..

Great idea.. I wish I had thought of that in time.. Peace Bro

So many reasons why this was my favorite Dead show....the people, the weather, the set list....the refreshing storm. I always loved driving down from Philly to sleep out for tickets at RFK, especially because we were guaranteed GA tickets when slept out. Some of the best times were had just sleeping out for tix, especially there. Very magical-the whole experience was. Twirling in the rain on some of the best LSD I'd ever taken, and the veggie burrito guys in the big pink school bus. I could write a book on the whole day alone. I too, can add getting dyed....After the down pours, I was colored red from a scarlet colored skirt that was given to me by some friends I made. Kissing a stranger during the concert happened to me as well:) Made me giggle when I read others similar experiences :) )

It had been a long tour but Jerry knew in the Capitol exactly what was needed and he delivered along with everyone else. His life will always be missed and remembered and cherished for the years those of us that had a chance to see him live.

SHOW THE REST OF US WHOM YOU REALLY ARE AND OR GO HOME! THIS IS NOT FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT HUG A TREE INSTEAD OF BEING NEGATIVE AND PLAIN INDECENT.

To reiterate what a previous poster said, this Victim or the Crime is ridiculous. Jerry's playing can be summed up in one word - FEROCIOUS! I've never heard him play quite like that before or since. A must hear.