Radio City Music Hall - October 29, 1980

Franken and Davis

My friend Mark and I drove into Manhattan with NO tickets. At the last moment we scored two tickets on the SW side of 49th Street and Sixth Avenue. The Dead were introduced by Al Franken and Tom Davis of SNL fame. The show was being videotaped for the Dead Ahead video. During Drums>Space, I wandered into the lobby and was interviewed by Al Franken. It did not make the final cut. Bobby said before the US Blues encore to go out and vote next week. (Ronald Reagan won his first term.) The show ended after 1:00 AM. What a long strange trip it's been to think that Al Franken is almost the next Senator from Minnesota!

Long Island Railroad Blues

I was able to score 2 press tickets, in the orchestra section. My brother and I took the LIRR into NYC from Long Island. I thought we had plenty of time, then we got stuck and sat for quite a while. I was out of my mind and we finally got to the Music Hall by cab. I had to agrue to be let in as there were natually many heads w/o tickets trying to get in. We got into the lobby and some kid looked at our tickets to "seat" us. I'll never forget the terrified look on his face as he parted the sea for us with his flashlight. We finally got to our seats for the beginning of "Roses". Great show. Only acoustic show for me.

I LOVE getting in for FREE!

Also my first return to the Big Apple since I had left in '76. Had a big reunion planned with my older sister who had been in Ca much longer. That plan was derailed when I came down with appendicitis a few days prior. It all worked out since I got to go to this show. My good friends from HS all had tickets so I caught a ride with them. I was heading back to SF in just a day or 2. I was tryng to score a ticket with little funds and had no luck. I decided to take one more lap around the block and then I was bailing. Just as I came around the 3rd block one of the side doors magically opened. Me and about 20 others ran in only to be stopped by the set of doors leading directly into the theater. So close! I decided to run up to the next level and those doors were open. I grabbed a seat as fast but as non-chalantly as I could. 2 minutes later some guy in a suit starts looking around for people who snuck in. I 'm being cool and don't pay much attention but I didn't even have a chance to take my coat off. Fortunately, it was probably too dark for him to see that and he left. Caught up with my friends during the "short break" I must have used somebody's ticket to get on the floor. We stood in the aisle about 20 rows back for the rest of the show! My friend Billy called the China Cat/Rider set opener. It was a magical night.

setlist

Dire Wolf
On the Road Again
It Must Have Been the Roses
The Race is On
Bird Song
Heaven Help the Fool
Oh Babe it Ain't No Lie
Ripple

Feel Like a Stranger
Franklin's Tower
Me and My Uncle
Big River
Candyman
Little Red Rooster
Tennessee Jed
Looks Like Rain
Althea
Music Never Stopped

China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Estimated Prophet
Terrapin Station
drums
The Wheel
Saint of Circumstance
Black Peter
Sugar Magnolia

U.S. Blues

show date

Tue, 10/28/1980 - 16:00

Venue

Radio City Music Hall

dead comment

my first red rooster

and it was a killer..{.I thought Bobby was on-fire.]For Sugar Magnolia.....a man pushed another man in a wheelchair in front of me.....during the song the man in the wheelchair danced as best as he could while sitting.......then suddenly during Sunshine daydream finale.....HE JUMPED OUT OF THE WHEELCHAIR......and started dancing all over the place like crazy! Oh....you crazy deadheads!

Red Rooster

Best song of night and there were many--the Red Rooster literally blow open m chakras and Tenessee Jed was lke a religious awakeing ( doggie turned to me and he said-must have been post kundalini awakening feeling carried into Tene "See" Jed cuz great song but never took it that way before or after..

My First ShowThe Rest Is

My First Show The Rest Is History!!

Bus Stop

I was waiting on the corner, too. Here's where I caught the bus. All I have to say is, "Thanks, Rich. RIP buddy". Michael Nothin' left to do but smile… smile… smile!

I LOVE getting in for FREE!

Long Island Railroad Blues

Franken and Davis

Ripple

When walking on the streets of the DC center last night Everyone was saying Thats the first time I've heard ripple when I proudly proclaimed I heard the Boys play ripple at Radio cityGreat shows I to was at this show 20th row and will always have the great memorys of those shows.Still can't believe the dead played there.One of the best venues they have played

On the money

I have listened to everyone of the 3 set shows from Warfield to New Orleans to Radio city, This night here they are on no fatigue in these shows. They came to play and of course we all know record a live set of Albums. Some of the songs might seem abit short and perfect and others are just good ole Grateful dead. On this night they do the old style China Rider. with the jam in-between March winds and wish I were a headlight. I love the old school version due to the extra jam. If looking for raw shows I would chose the October 2nd show and or October 14th from Warfield. If looking for raw jamming shows from radio city I think the 27th is the show where they did not care about the up incoming album and just went balls to the wall.

wake up, Jerry!

listening/watching this on youtube. Poor Jer. the needle and the damage done.

wake up Jerry?

your not watching Radio City cuz he was liucid that night baby-fu;lly present!

My first show

I was 16. Many shows to follow!

Peter Paul and Mary sat next to-wow-show is life changer for me

Yep all the stuff folks said except that they did not mention Peter Yarrow was sitting in 13 row with Paul Stucky and Mary Travers and I sat next to Peter's friend (son I dunno) but I was feeling melty afer great acoustic set and he introducde me to them and they had just come from sitting on Break with Dead and had some Dan Healy Hawaian with them which the generously shared so I "Puffed the Magic Dragon" with folks who I sang song to at 5 years old (II sang "freckles in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee?") lol. Well its one thing to have a peak show but I somewho caught the Little Red Rooster in just the sweet spot where Bobby's slide and voice pushed me over edge with "dogs begin to bark hounds begin to howl" and stray cat people, was his guitar slide was on prowl ad it lifted the energy right up my spine out top of my head and I felt like wings might crack open in my back! Kundalini Spontanously rose! Wow-never had it happen again but I read about it a lot afterwards and guy at show as student of Muktananda so asked him whats that think in your back with the energy feels like its breaking your back open like a walnut? ANd he says" Oh that is youe Kundalini!" I was totally unaware of yogic practicces and read Autobiography of a Yogi the summer after when someone gifted me the book but I believe in no coincidences so that was a momenth of synchronicity that put me in just right spot with my 20th Bday money spent scalped lone 13 row seat as Peter Pau and Mary witnessed me crying like a baby duriong Temessee Jed and then springing to life on Red Rooster-well Peter Yarrow said They had been to every show but that night he realized that the DEAD DEFINITELY
"IS" and all I can say-is They SURE WERE! I do not know why or how I got to that state as I studied Kundalini Yoga years later using breath of fire and though I can feel chakras I have never been able to "Pierce the Bindu to release the energy (Sushumna Shakti)" and books have been written on Kundalini and plenty of other Heads talk about having Kundalini awakenings at shows but think it was the old blues niumbers that specifically AIM at raising it and songs like Red Rooster, and many slide blues songs are totaly aiming at that...thats my 2 cents --even a Wharf rat gets to fly away a show or two hey? Oh-they also told me Jerry had had nodes in hi vocal cords removed and they had worried it might be cancer but turned out benign and guess he had thems scraped off but I never really heard in official history of band if that was true or not but show took on urgency under that kind of sword over Jerry's head that the "Cancer" words evoked from me when he mentioned it...I think might have been grape vine misinfo or close to true but fwiw--was real...and I was there and it was the very best show I ever saw in my life beat Red Rocks and thats no small feat!\

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st.steven

15 years 6 months ago

Franken and Davis
My friend Mark and I drove into Manhattan with NO tickets. At the last moment we scored two tickets on the SW side of 49th Street and Sixth Avenue. The Dead were introduced by Al Franken and Tom Davis of SNL fame. The show was being videotaped for the Dead Ahead video. During Drums>Space, I wandered into the lobby and was interviewed by Al Franken. It did not make the final cut. Bobby said before the US Blues encore to go out and vote next week. (Ronald Reagan won his first term.) The show ended after 1:00 AM. What a long strange trip it's been to think that Al Franken is almost the next Senator from Minnesota!
1coolfool

15 years 6 months ago

Long Island Railroad Blues
I was able to score 2 press tickets, in the orchestra section. My brother and I took the LIRR into NYC from Long Island. I thought we had plenty of time, then we got stuck and sat for quite a while. I was out of my mind and we finally got to the Music Hall by cab. I had to agrue to be let in as there were natually many heads w/o tickets trying to get in. We got into the lobby and some kid looked at our tickets to "seat" us. I'll never forget the terrified look on his face as he parted the sea for us with his flashlight. We finally got to our seats for the beginning of "Roses". Great show. Only acoustic show for me.
1ezlife

16 years 9 months ago

I LOVE getting in for FREE!
Also my first return to the Big Apple since I had left in '76. Had a big reunion planned with my older sister who had been in Ca much longer. That plan was derailed when I came down with appendicitis a few days prior. It all worked out since I got to go to this show. My good friends from HS all had tickets so I caught a ride with them. I was heading back to SF in just a day or 2. I was tryng to score a ticket with little funds and had no luck. I decided to take one more lap around the block and then I was bailing. Just as I came around the 3rd block one of the side doors magically opened. Me and about 20 others ran in only to be stopped by the set of doors leading directly into the theater. So close! I decided to run up to the next level and those doors were open. I grabbed a seat as fast but as non-chalantly as I could. 2 minutes later some guy in a suit starts looking around for people who snuck in. I 'm being cool and don't pay much attention but I didn't even have a chance to take my coat off. Fortunately, it was probably too dark for him to see that and he left. Caught up with my friends during the "short break" I must have used somebody's ticket to get on the floor. We stood in the aisle about 20 rows back for the rest of the show! My friend Billy called the China Cat/Rider set opener. It was a magical night.

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