Grateful Dead

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This three day run was a wonderful time and a very specail event for all of us who attended. However, this last night was the only Dead show I ever walked out of before it ended. It had rained literally all day and night long, and being in Wisconsin, even though it was summer, it was in the 40's and very windy, rainy and cold.Brrrrrr......

We were lucky, our seats all three nights were under the roof. This night, we went in the moment the gates opened to take advantage of the shelter. As we're walking down, some nice Miles Davis was coming out of the speakers. Up front, we realize that it's Jerry, all by himself, with his guitar set to sound like Miles.

These three shows were magical for me. We also had seats down under cover so the rain was a non-issue while the shows were on. I can't remember anything sounding bad...what a place and what a band. Scene was much more laid back that the EAST COAST but still very rockin!!

This Alpine run especially the 19th were some of the best of 89' - that says alot in a very incredable year!! Opening up w/ bucket then sugaree, amazing! (one of my fav sugaree's) Well played versions of, Mexicali Blues, Althea, Victim or the Crime An Epic ->West L.A Wiht Row -> Deal (smokin') ending the set. Arguably one of the best first sets ever played!! Second Set was the golden nugget for this show! And awesome B.O.R which set the PERFECT setting for one of the best, if not THE best foolish heart the band ever played!! -> L.L.R Ending this monster with other one-> wheel->DEW!!! AMAZING!!!!! That night the universe stood still for about 3 hours.. Never made it to this show but have seen it on DVD!! This is one of my fav alltime dead shows - One word........ EPIC!!!! nuff said! L.L

Crazy heat the first day gave way to rainstorms that left the camping area a muddy mess. I'd lived in CA for several years, and during this run I saw fireflys(!!) for the first time since I'd left home (NY.)

oh we made it through the show and took off our muddy stuff and were wrapped up in our respective sleeping bags carlos the jackal and I in the back of Mr Marc's covered truck when, he started to drive off and the vehicle got stuck in the mud. I want to thank all the people who helped push us out cause there was no way I was getting out to help at that point...did I say I love those guys...

Fantastic show. I don't remember much because I had a sugar cube melt in my pocket after half a window pane was already in my system. I too got stuck in the mud and two smiles and four eyes surrounded by mud came out of the mirky night to push me back to the road. I still wish I could say thanks to those two. I was completely lost for the whole show. But it all came flooding back when I got ahold of a very high quality bootleg. I lost it last year in a fire along with another 200 or so. I just got Fallout from the Phil Zone and the Box of Rain brought tears to my eyes.

These were my first shows and, needless to say, it changed everthing when I got on the bus. In retrospect, I probably would have seen them play (I got an honorary GD degree during college), but the most of the shows I saw from '89-'91, during high school, rank among my favorites. But, these shows almost didn't happen.I had just returned from six weeks of student exchange in Spain and was planning on going, with parents and friends, up to the Boundary Waters for a week of camping. We had been doing that trip, yearly, since I was about ten. It was becoming quite a tradition. Well, thank god, there were a few things in favor of these shows. I had just seen my first live concert ever in Valencia, Spain @ the Plaza de Toros (think of a mini Roman Coliseum as to the architecture). I was not very familiar with "The Cure", but I was listening to "New Order" and "Dead or Alive", at the time, so I was familiar with British New Wave. Plus, there were a lot of girls who were going :D (c'mon, I was 16). It turned out that the show was awesome. It made me understand the essence of the live performance. I was in line purchasing my tickets when a Spanish women came up and gave me an extra she had. "Sweet, a free ticket!?" (Unbeknownst to me- that would just be a prelude to the gratitude eminated at a Dead show). The show was "The Cure" on their 'Disintegration Tour" mixed with selections from, what I determined later was the "Staring at the Sea" singles. When I got state-side, literally just off the plane from O'hare, I was sitting at home and my Dad said that a friend of mine stopped by and dropped off a card. There below the 'Welcome Back' card, on top of my bedroom desk, was "Skeleton's In The Closet" with a caveat written on the back saying, in so many words, "Listen to this 24/7until you're in the car on the 17th, and you'll be ready!" I returned from Spain on the 14th, so it was the wknd. before the midweek shows, from what I remember. So, I had some work to do. Mind you, I had never heard a Grateful Dead song and I was the 'movie cliche'- Christian kid, football and summer-club soccer playin'/science team geek-jock. I had farsided glasses at 4 years old and played bass clarinet and had braces and had headgear at 10. Uggggrrrr... I could go on, but it's personally becoming painful- just kidding. On the other hand, my 'going to be a senior' friend who left the card was someone I knew from 5th/6th grade football, "The Early Years" (part of my personal mini-series I'm pitching to FOX) Enough of the humor, I digress. My friend Chris went more the way of the smart/girl-magnet/stoner/who gave up sports for fine arts guy. To him, I was going to be 'enterainment' taking me to the shows. He had seen the '88 shows at Alpine, so I was getting a 'Dead Show Tour' from a seasoned veteran (in my eyes) and a friend. It took a lot of "convincing of trust" coversations with my parents. They, at least, knew my friend well. Plus, I had to tell my other friends that I wasn't making it up to the Boundary Waters this year. That was going to be a little easier since my parents hadn't been involved with the trips. Gosh... when I look back I swear I was adopted. In the end, they got rained on, most of the week, while camping up in the North Country. And, I tried someting new, changed my perception and was, in turn, changed forever. The experience taught me exactly what the lyrics and emotional play of the Grateful Dead expressed. The synergy of it was divinity anthropomorphized (and I use that word to avoid making any religious assumptions). These shows, and the summer of '89, represent the end-growth of my own personal tree trunk. It was the change in my life were I started growing branches. The following year was the first time that I had to encounter death, and it happened on three different occasions within six months; it was a close friend, a family member and Brent. My next shows were July 4th and 6th of '90 in Bonner Springs and Louisville. Afterward, I did the annual Boundary Waters Trip, saw the Northen Lights for the first time and then saw the two wknd. shows @ The World Music Theater on July 21st and 22nd. Times were a, definitely, changin'. Geez, those were the years we went from "Appetite for Destruction" to "Nevermind" Nothing quite like high school summers!! ......And there were days I know when all we ever wanted was to learn and love and grow.

just incredible Morning dew could hear a pin drop at moments

Took my girl friend who is now my wife. She learned a lot about me at this show, not all positive in her mind. We are still together though.

I 've been to many Alpine shows.. Through MUD and Rain and Cold and Burning Heat.. The worst thing I ever saw happen is some Unkind person threw a frisbie and hit Jerrys guitar dead center... That was the end to the show..What a sad thing ! Please preform random acts of kindness !

Our own person Greateful Dead only woodstock..Tons of mud, rain, corn fields.. The first night was extraordinary with And We Bid you goodnight.. I called it in three notes.. I spent much of the next two days completely out of my mind.. I remember someone following me (seemingly) everywhere I went saying, peanutbutter honey banana bagels for a buck... it wasn't until my first completely Sober show that I realized people sell these at shows.. and I probably just happened to be wandering the same way the vendor was. Looks Like Rain at this show was Bob at his very soulful best.. I loved every single minute of these three days.. and the group I went with met up with another group from our hometown, and we made a little tarp city between all of cars in the parking lot.. *sigh* now I really miss Jerry.

First Dead show, anyway. Elvis Presley was my first show, technically and I was just a sprout... Elvis was the size of an ant, as we had nosebleeder seats.... so my memories are a bit vague. But this show here.... I basically checked my head in at the gate and forgot to grab it on my way out. I'm still there. (Have a giant purple rose tatted on my head with some tribal, if I must prove my story.) ; ) I was there for all three days and nights, miracled in on the 3rd. Someone slipped me a sun ticket as I went strolling up past security, towards the bassline, but I was so stoned, I had no idea what a sun ticket was or that, if I left, I would probably stay wherever I was parked. But my storebought seat was just out of the rain, though.... it remained vacant for the remainder of the show as there was a little sweetie getting down right next to me and well, you know how it goes. I was 19. Come on... someone's got the whole vid. You know who you are. (Wink wink.)

These Alpine shows were fantastic. After waking up the morning after the first show to rain and then more rain for day three, there was nothing to do but enjoy to the fullest. All three nights my friend and I got set up at the front of the lawn, dead-center, which were fine "seats." Two things I vividly recall from this show are:1. Watching the dancers going nuts in the mud to the far left of the stage during "Hell in a Bucket." Serious high leg stepping dancing going on. 2. There was a big crackle of lightning causing a brief sound problem during the Other One during set 2. I have a SBD of this show and that problem does not appear. Must have only come through the speakers that night-- I should listen to an AUD to find out. Great experience all together, rain and all.

We also needed help getting out of the lot after this night. These were great shows, but upon reflection, they were bittersweet. These were the last shows that I saw Brent w/ the Dead, and would only see 5 more Dead shows after this until the end came after seeing 40 + shows in the 80s... Weren't these also the last Alpine Valley GD shows? End of an era...

So many great pro shot videos of this year.

I think many of us have seen the video of these 3 nights. Now they are going to release it in theaters near us. Was a lot of fun at these shows all but one thing I was way to strung out and man that sucks when chasing a substance to feel well. It is one thing I would change if I could about my touring days. Aside from that is a good show and should be fun for those who did not get chance to see this show or the you tube videos. I wish they would pull something out that we have not already seen online though. Would be awesome if they had a copy of say the Starlight theater in august of 82. I would pay to see that show again.

West LA Fadeaway, Desolation Row and Deal are on the Downhill From Here Video/DVD. Not sure why the first set on the 17th on DVD/Video was not complete, and these were added instead.

Dang, my faulty memory had this being the show with Touch and Scarlet in it. That must have been Saturday. It was quite a weekend, what I remember of it. I remembr that it started pouring during the "Here it come again" bit at the end of Looks Like Rain. By Sunday, there was a mud-bobsled track worn into the hill, from people sliding down. It was quite a contrast from 85 degrees and dusty-dry in '87 and '88. These were indeed the last Alpine shows. The place was absolutely destroyed when the weekend was over and Wisconsin said "Enough of that."

My first Dead Show

From start to finish the song titles and lyrical content tell a very interesting and deep story if you really look at them, don't you think? Or am I just a little too stoned and put to much thought into this?