Grateful Dead

dead.net the official site

what a place to play a gig ! located on top of a mesa ,this Old time ammusement park - complete with roller coaster, midway with games and booths and side shows. like stepping back into another time or maybe it was the dose's ?!

A wicked, rocking first set in a wind storm, followed by the most laid back second set I can recall.

We had no idea this night that this was their first performance of H>S>F in 5 1/2 years. Nor were we aware that this was the first show of 1983. We lived in such darkness back then.

Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember discussions about that run. Something special happened. Before that night the only version I heard of H S F was on Blues for Allah. And the only reason I bought that album was the cool drawing of the violinist on the cover. lol. Oh well, so I was easily amused. Yes, that was the first show of the year. I was at the (1982-83) New Years show in Oakland. Do you remember Jerry and Bobby playing in Mesa, Az. the previous October 30th? The Who played the following night, Halloween at ASU.

Absolutely. But not together. It was a double billing of The Jerry Garcia Band and Bobby and the Midnights at the Mesa Amphitheatre. Always wondered why their respective side bands weren't paired up on the same bill more often.

Ample winter rains- Sonoran Desert.Leading up to escape from Taos snow.Drove with Tipi Dan in ford truck with custom camper and no way to lock the open back so I told him to back against the Compton Terrace fence right near the entrance.The tipi poles on the roof of the truck-camper broke the ribbon wire but our gear was secure.Great concert,wind and lightning picked up at end of first set during "Let It Grow ".One of those shamanistic Grateful Dead moments.I have slides from that show that need to be added to this site.Then 2nd set "help on the way" on and on.After the show out to the parking lot and we were told many gate crashers had jumped up on Dans truck and over the fence and on into the show.Honest officer we did'nt plan it that way.(We had tickets)And some after concert cheers and just as Dan was starting up the truck and just rolling the cops pulled in front of us and questioned us for a half an hour.Destruction to private property( one strand of barbed ribbon wire) and ran us through the 3rd degree.They let us go and we drove to the desert west of Pheonix where we found some watchtower that we climbed to the top of.It had this very small 5'x5' platform on top.What a day into night.Next day we parted ways,Dan off to the west coast and me the desert rat off to Ajo Peak, desert wildflowers and further adventures. Love Strider,"The Southwest Furthers"

Ample winter rains- Sonoran Desert.Leading up to escape from Taos snow.Drove with Tipi Dan in ford truck with custom camper and no way to lock the open back so I told him to back against the Compton Terrace fence right near the entrance.The tipi poles on the roof of the truck-camper broke the ribbon wire but our gear was secure.Great concert,wind and lightning picked up at end of first set during "Let It Grow ".One of those shamanistic Grateful Dead moments.I have slides from that show that need to be added to this site.Then 2nd set "help on the way" on and on.After the show out to the parking lot and we were told many gate crashers had jumped up on Dans truck and over the fence and on into the show.Honest officer we did'nt plan it that way.(We had tickets)And some after concert cheers and just as Dan was starting up the truck and just rolling the cops pulled in front of us and questioned us for a half an hour.Destruction to private property( one strand of barbed ribbon wire) and ran us through the 3rd degree.They let us go and we drove to the desert west of Pheonix where we found some watchtower that we climbed to the top of.It had this very small 5'x5' platform on top.What a day into night.Next day we parted ways,Dan off to the west coast and me the desert rat off to Ajo Peak, desert wildflowers and further adventures. Love Strider,"The Southwest Furthers"

parking lot was pretty tense with undercovercops everywhere but it was a warm cloudy spring evening, and kinda stormy colored sky with the jets curving behind stage(they freak me out,nuther story) and the buttes as a backdrop to land at sky harbor airport. i heard "throwing stones" for 1st time coming out of a deep pounding drums and remember thinking, wow, thats a pretty dark song for bobby to be singing, but still we danced and shook our bones. and i was also at that show in mesa, good time, 'srooms and a costume contest, in the daylight, bobby and the midnites blew me away, the 714"lude won the contest

I remember when Compton Terrace first opened. Stevie Nicks' father Jess Nicks had a hand in the project and the facility was named for DJ Bill Compton. The amusement park was a throwback from the 50s and down the highway was the pig farm which on a bad day would blow towards Tempe. I believe I was at the Mesa Amphitheater show mentioned away and seem to remember Bobby and the Midnights at the theater in the round near Sky Harbor Airport.Wind and lighting were always an issue at the old Compton Terrace. The band always seemed to take it in stride. H>S>F was an unexpected treat. Guy next to me couldn't believe the unfolding sequence. Blues for Allah wasn't yet one of my favorite Dead albums as it would become much later. Made me go back home and listen to it after the show to understand why. Same reaction concerning Terrapin which always sounded much better live than it ever did on vinyl.

Double Header in Mesa On September 16th, 2007 Golden West said: Absolutely. But not together. It was a double billing of The Jerry Garcia Band and Bobby and the Midnights at the Mesa Amphitheatre. Always wondered why their respective side bands weren't paired up on the same bill more often. In June 1982 JGB and Bobby and the Midnites did a mini east coast tour together. Four shows taking turns on who would open. When JGB opened he was back to the hotel before Bobby's second song (I'd wager) but when Bobby opened both bands appeared for a boffo encore. Twas just before the Ventura County Fairgrounds shows... There was a flurry of east coast Jerry/John Kahn acoustic duo shows around then too in the NYC area. Rumor was Jerry had been busted and had to generate $$$

any one out there taped this show ? i have only have part of the Jerry portion of the show. what a great outdoor amphitheatre, very cozy and good sound.

JERRY GARCIA BAND Mesa Community Center Amphitheatre Mesa AZ 10-30-1982 One Disc (75:09) 01 How Sweet It Is 02 They Love Each Other 03 Valerie 04 That's What Love Will Make You Do 05 Run For The Roses 06 Night They Drove Old Dixie Down > 07 Dear Prudence 08 Deal 09 Encore: Midnight Moonlight

I was born on 3-25-83, this is my birthday show!