Grateful Dead

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Oh so sweet - my first show, my tent and everything was wet and cold. But the nice feeling of having experienced and knowing that this was the beg of something bid inside of me!

RODGER ALLINSONi always looked forward to startingspring tour in good old hampton and this scarlet fire was a great one to dance to coming out of sugar mag the place was rocking

the beginning of a long strange trip the last time i was in the coliseum was for the circus (i was seven) walking up the tree lined avenue this time was WAY different than in 1973. i stood in a surging line trying for a half hour to get in- then i realized i was standing w/ folks w/out tickets trying to sneak in. the ultaviolet bear on the ticket, having a sack of jamaican bud and nothing to smoke it w/ (coulda pack the guy w/the bong behing me a bowl and been fine- hey i was a newbie). knowing only 2 songs from the 1st set- all over now & el paso (which i new from marty robbins greatest hits from k-tel- found that quite amusing). the scarlet>fire setting the hook. my favorite combo and keeps me coming back. the crowd clapping NFA w/the boys during drums- overpowering the set list says 'black peter' one of my favorites, but to this day i have no recollection of this song at all. sat on bret side and was blown away w/his skills. he post show high where i thought i could drive back to SC (made it to the NC border) i look at this set list often and have warm fuzzies, but also apang of regret- that a great show like this was somewhat "wasted" on me as a newbie. there were plenty of shows in the 90s i would have love to swap w/ this one.

I had been listening to tapes for a few years, but never had/made the opportunity to attend. I had mid-terms competing against Hampton '86 and faced the same obstacle in '87. This time, I told my professor that my grandmother had died and off I went on the road with two other newbies. (I feared a jinx, but thankfully/amazingly my grandmother is still alive and kickin')I fully got on the bus the moment the lights went down and I got a tap on the shoulder from the long-haired freak standing on the floor behind me. I turned to see him smile, revealing the glow stick in his mouth. I was home. I was a little worried that Hell in a Bucket wasn't a good omen for my first song, but I sure appreciated a Sugar Mag>Scarlet>Fire>Estimated start to my first second set. (My second venue was Alpine Valley; I remember it was such a buzz kill to go to the Cap Centre and realize that not all venues were so chill)

What an amazing experience. One which I was not sure I would have. I became a dead head during my freshman year at college - '85-'86. I was dying to go to a show(s) in spring '86. In fact 2 of my best friends went to the 3 at the Philly Spectrum which was the closest venue to school. I decided not to go because it was during spring break and my family went to Florida. Then when Jerry got sick over the summer I thought I might have missed my only chance. Getting to see them in Hampton and for several years after was life changing for me. Hampton was the venue I liked the best, by far, because of the size - and open floor. I will remember that Sugar Mags > Scarlet > Fire forever. Then to finish off with Sunshine Daydream... just phenomenal.

By this time, I was 17 and had already been shipped off to boarding school for my heathen ways. So, what else could I do but invite some friends from Massachusetts down to Hampton for spring break??? Steve, Tom, Jason and Dirk I think. Just to fuck things up, I got busted the day before for smoking a bowl in my car before heading into a restaurant for lunch. The cop was cool and wrote me a ticket which basically said I had to tell my folks and they had to call him. Of course I didn't and when I went to the airport to pick up my friends they found it. SHit hit the fan briefly and I couldn't drive to the shows. I don't remember who got us there but thanks so much! All I really remember from this show was my first Scarlet > Fire. Two years earlier I had bought "Dead Set" on vinyl and Fire on the Mountain was definitely the tune that sealed the deal for me and still does...

Yes, The roar of the crowd when Jerry stepped past the amps and waved set the place on fire for the rest of the night. Great three nights and great way to kick off the post coma Dead who would get Hotter, Tighter and unfortunately way more popular until Brent's passing. It was shows like this that remind you of why you busted your ass to try and get to shows. Favs that I attended of 87 for me was this night, 6/26 and 9/18. Blew the city off the map - Left nothing there but fire - The wife of Lot got turned to salt - Because she looked behind her