Grateful Dead

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This was my first show. I wasn't familiar with the Dead besides some obvious stuff (like Friend of the Devil) and I was suprised to hear them open with Dancing and start the encore with Satisfaction. The bulk of the show was a drizzly blur to me, but big fun nonetheless and a useful substrate for future shows. The first of many Playing's. I was confused in a "who's on first" way when I askedm y friends about the freaky part of the middle of the second set and they kept trying to explain that that part was "Drums, Space, and The Other One." (Which other one, I wondered? The other what?)

The Dancin' was a welcomed surprise after serveral years off. They changed the intro and style from 81'. I loved it. Dougles

Went here with some friends from Ridgewood, N.J. whom I've since lost touch with.Lot's of fun walking the lot in the rain!!

Went with Lorraine

I smuggled in my movie camera and shot some Super-8 sound footage at this show. I should get it transferred. It rained like hell the whole time. Jerry at the height of his badness, head down, not much interaction with the others, but he played great! Mike

We ( me & jerry matula (mowgli) got there the day before and set up camp in the parking lot closest to the ticketboot/ entrance...kicked back in our lawn chairs and watched as a small city grew around us..day of the show was one long anticipation and the band deliverd in spades non stop dance-a-thon..i remember so many people dancing on the ramps that they were swaying up and down..weird as usual got lost in the lot after but found my way back to our little piece of earth to chill and stayed till we were again almost the only tent in the lot ...pure unadulterated FUN ! i remember overhearing someone complane about having to hear Satisfaction....looooooser!

There is a marker at Saratoga noting that the Dead had the biggest attendance ever at SPAC...I forget what year.

It's funny, at the time I didn't appreciate the cool first set as much as I do now looking back on it. I remember the Miracle - Bertha the clearest. Can't remember my reaction to Satisfaction, cuz I was a big stones fan, I prolly bitched that it didn't compare to the original....hahaha, whatever, I was still young and stupid. His job is to shed light, not to master.

You are right Grizzly there is a marker, they set the attendance record in '83 but then broke it again this night in 84'. Probably due to the word getting out that they ripped SPAC in '83. The legend would grow with this show and the Dancin' breakout. Again a double encore and another show in the rain in Saratoga. Damn this was fun and the venue just rocked!

Xian, that was a good story about being a bit confused about drums, space and The Other One. I was a bit niave at my first show as well, perhaps even a small part of my seond show. I think alot of us are. Good times.

Artie De. Good show got a little bit too expanded ended up OK.

Another great outdoor arena in beautiful upstate New York that became a ruined by trashy big-mouthed "Deadheads" A nightmare of a place after the Touch of Grey success. Confucius say, Study the past if you would define the future.

This really was a great show, I try to explain to my kids what it's like to be one of 45,000 or so, when no one has their feet on the ground, what a time ! The steel and concrete walkways into the balcony were actually swaying with the weight of the dancers. wow SAS

This was the second show I attended and it happened to be on the day I graduated from High School! I remember that it was a warm sunny day to start. My best bud from school and I basically ripped off our graduation gowns and threw them at our parents and drove the 25 minutes north to Saratoga. The rest of the day is kinda of a blur. I remember that my brother told me to meet him on the lawn. He said he'd be waving a Confederate battle flag (yeah, I know, soooo polically incorrect!). When I found him, he stood back and looked at me in a hazy gaze and once he actually focused on me, we shared the HUGEST HUG! Just a really special day in my life!! Peace! Puff ~Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!~

Great central location. great venueHuge walk-up. Lots of fun, Stayed at U of Albany the night before. Only Candyman I ever saw. The worms were out during Dancin' Always sad that after 3 year run they only went back once. Best East Coast Tailgate I think it did rain that day- blur

Wow, the memories are coming back. It did start off to be a beautiful day. I taped this show so I had to keep some of my head intact. I set up under one of the walkways because of the forcast. It started raining during Minglewood Blues, and never let up. I remember watching water coming off the arena like a water fall as Jerry belted out,"ran into a rain storm" and we all reacted like we just hit the lottery. The China Doll was amazing. Listen to Brents harpsicord sound on it. Afterwards, the parking lot was a riot. We watched one guy hit at least 3 cars trying to get out of his spot. Looked like bumper cars. And in the dark, through woods somewhere, all you could hear was some guy was beating the hell out of a lawn chair.

keep your character, enjoy living, share your fortune,OXOX Merple Reddin

keep your character, enjoy living, share your fortune,OXOX Merple Reddin

Rain it floated my house away. Didn't it rain, Didn't it rain. Didn't it rain that day. (With apologies)

Tripped balls all day..great sunny day.got right to the edge of the cover,,roof, then the sky ripped open!!!!stood there maybe an hour..the band came on we moved,Billy got clothes lined by security.i rightly punched that goon square in the temple.A dude i had been bsing with for the whole hour. and we ran down the aisle...front row!!!!! They kept comeing and comeing..by the third tune i was pushed or danced Back to the 5th row! Jerry was like a statue the whole show..but played great...then when the show was over cattle herded back to the parking lot..moo. moo, remember??I woke up in some chicks lap, who wondered into my car that night..5 hrs later we were swimming in the ocean at Jones beach......on a side note...we brought a 5gallon gas container with gas in case we ran out....paulys face when he got a mouthful trying to cyphon it into the car....still laughing after all these years!!!!

There was a complete deluge during the second set that drove everyone but the faithful to shelter. Rain never bothered me. The second set was really something. Satisfaction > Baby Blue capped off a great show. Onward.

Great shows at Saratoga

The best way to retrieve the gas is collecting in a aluminum can but be careful as it is a sulphurous oxide. A little goes a long way. BBWWAAHHHH BBWWAAHHHHH BBWWAAHHHH

Great show. China Doll was exceptionally dramatic and well delivered. Vegetables were electric. Bikers stole most of our stuff during the show. Had to sleep in the car after the show. Cold and uncomfortable. Overall - fun weekend with Peaky Snete.

Am listening to the Miller versions of this show over on the archive rite now. Just mind blowing sound. Man I love these guys.This is my very favorite summer tour,today that is might change tomorrow again.

Great show! I remember being out on the lawn while the band (and many heads) were inside the pavilion when they played Bertha. A big roar came from those of us on the lawn when Jerry sang "it was all night pouring, but not a drop on me"!

Does anybody have any film or video from this show?

I remember the rain and the mud! I somehow scored backstage passes from a friend who got them from Gary Lyons the producer of Go To Heaven. We camped on the springs after coming up from Harrisburg. I fell down a mud river bank and was covered head to toe in mud. Someone took pity on me back stage and let me clean up in the dressing room bathroom. I spent the rest of the show in the wings drinking Heineken with Bikers that at first scared the hell out of me but soon shared the wealth and were so cool! Dancin In The Streets set the toneand Other One Wharf Rat out of space second was awesome!

I shot 10 rolls of Super-8 sound...

Great show.