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    marye
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    Okay, it wasn't ALL roses... One of the subjects that came up behind the scenes the other day was how just about everybody had a particular song (usually found in the second set) that they regarded as the perfect opportunity to beat the restroom crowds, purchase another overpriced water bottle, or decide whether they just had to have that T-shirt. The perfect opportunity, in short, to be anywhere but in the hall listening to the tune. In classic Deadhead fashion, it also came out that the same tune that sent one person running for the exits was the show's high point for another. So it goes. What's your experience?

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  • kovida
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    red rooster
    I always found Red Roosterto be a downer, so that was the perfect time for excretion.
  • sixstringsmoreorLesh
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    'walking blues'
    tj crowley it seem that the bobby tunes take awhile to get appreciative of. easy answers still doesn't grab me..saturday nite wore it's love out..truckin can takes it's toll.and eternity didn't last that long for me...there's no bad song and these would not push me out the door as each moment is one to be experienced but would you find me talking during 'dew' or (soory pomo 1) a 'dark star'. found it always rude that some one would be talking during these moments 'man did you hear 'em do 'dw' last week?' 'outa site!'. despite my lack of total acceptance of previous mentioned tunes, each one takes on a new demension so walking out was rare..oh wait! drumz..yeah...10-100 (necessary break) time check out www.esu.edu/wess fried-days 6pm - midnite (e.s.t) for the sounds and vibes of the 60's/70's w/ a splash of the 50's and todays sounds...'six strings...more or Lesh' grateful dead hour (davdi gans production) 10pm (e.s.t.)
  • Yeha
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    When to roam
    I liked to take the time to experience the show and the scene en route to answering nature's call so I aimed for a long song. Also a wordy song 'cause there was less likely to be astonishing and surprising jamming, and the sung words were hard to hear in many halls. So the perfect bathroom break tune was Desolation Row. ("The riot squad is restless, they need someplace to go.." OK off we go) And no matter how many changes I went through on that seemingly long side trip I was amazed to always get back to the seat before the tune was over. Desolation would often clock in at over ten minutes.
  • stevie wonder
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    Heresy
    Realizing I am about to commit heresy, upon hearing the first notes of Stella Blue I always took my break. to me, the only good thing about Stella Blue was that it usually meant a Sugar Magnolia would follow. Space a close second.
  • jwt
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    He's Gone and I Have to Go...
    He's Gone was always a snoozefest for me and just a perfect opportunity to dispense with the by-product of beers consumed at places like Cal Expo, Kaiser, Shoreline. The slower version of TLEO also qualified.
  • magnetosphere
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    I got a few on the shortlist
    In my thirty+ '85-'95 shows, I rarely ever left a show to hit the bathroom, but if I ever really needed a break, "I Will Take You Home" was an easy answer (pun intended - I actually found that one perversely enjoyable in most instances), as was "We Can Run But We Can't Hide". Lovely tunes, I supposed, but they just didn't seem to fit in with everything else going on, at least not to me. And honestly, Bobby-era "Good Lovin'" never really did it for me either. I think I saw only one or two in all my shows, so that was fortunate for me. Pondering Pig's epic versions alongside the post-Shakedown St. versions always made me scratch my head as to why they even bothered. But all that said, I loved that the Dead challenged us all musically, and had songs that not everyone of us loved every time. I can't BELIEVE how many people don't like Black Peter - that song pulled me in from the first time I heard it, and remains a favorite to this day. It's the perfect song as far as I'm concerned! Find me another song that sort of approximates a blues and then has a gorgeous undefinable bridge like that! Brilliant stuff from the deepest Hunter/Garcia depths! But then I'm sure some people will take issue with my choices, so I guess I get it. The band had a little something for everyone, and that was part of the magic. Thanks to everybody who went out on the limb and answered this one. Long live the Dead, occasional clunkers and all! Scott Scott Judd Chicago, IL http://tangleweed.org http://magnetosphere.com
  • Erica Evans
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    Drums
    ... always drums. maybe it was just the pounding rhythm that set the system to "go" you know? worst nightmare was standing in line in the ladies' room upon arrival to the venue, running late after an unusually difficult entry proccess and hearing the first chords to the show's opener ... "Help on the way ..." yeah, help on the way would have been a few more stalls!
  • enlightend rogue
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    I'm Sorry to Say
    It was Dark Star !! I only saw 2 really good Star's in my day one was in Jan 79 right b4 Keith and Donna were kicked out of the band and again in 91 @ MSG right after Brent died!! When i go see Ratdog and they start up Dark star i run out of the room !! It was bad enough for me when Jerry was Playing it!! That and Dear Mr Fantasy/Hey jude kill me!! Rogue
  • izzie
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    interesting!
    This is becoming really interesting! I love hearing how we all dealt with necessary breaks, songs we didn't particularly like, not wanting to miss a single thing, never wanting to leave our seats.... I'm personally aghast that anyone would ever leave during a Brent tune, but I'm notoriously freaky that way.
  • lorddali14
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    "For me, since I started
    "For me, since I started going to shows only in '93... it would be Easy Answers. I've been to a bunch of shows but unfortunately had to see this one too many times. I would probably have to say the same for Eternity and for Way To Go Home." Yeah, fustrated the sheit out of me...i got into the band and was listening to so many early (68-71) shows , losing my mind to 11 jams...and every other show i attended i caught a cheezy answers or a way to go vince... shoe fits, samba in the rain...walkin bluz...lots of bathroom breaks before too long...
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Okay, it wasn't ALL roses... One of the subjects that came up behind the scenes the other day was how just about everybody had a particular song (usually found in the second set) that they regarded as the perfect opportunity to beat the restroom crowds, purchase another overpriced water bottle, or decide whether they just had to have that T-shirt. The perfect opportunity, in short, to be anywhere but in the hall listening to the tune. In classic Deadhead fashion, it also came out that the same tune that sent one person running for the exits was the show's high point for another. So it goes. What's your experience?
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Johnman...you sacreligeous oaf, you (I'm just a kidding, you know!) xoxxo Gypsy Cowgirl goofing around again......but, yeh, right on......
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arr......i now be properly chastised...........but...to this day....when the drums start to fade out........i gotta pee........pavlov's deadhead i 'spose
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ok, I'm willing to admit it, I used to take naps during drums / space. funny as shit, my crowd said -- during the touch head era, and sorority gals would ask tour buddies with great shock: 'is he OK?' 'sure he is OK', Al Dente (old tour buddy) would reply, 'he is just taking a nap' as soon as the boys all got back on stage, and as the first chords would be heard, I'd get a boot in the ribs, to wake me, and a "cc, go ahead man, call that tune" which I usually could. ( -:
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all i ever heard was security, sayin' "get 'im outa here, or i will"........but not during drums, so boy i guess i got bit by uh tangent
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I'm a huge Weir fan, but.... Queen Jane, Eternity.... Phrom Phil... Wave To The Wind Even Jerry... Row Jimmy Other than that - I'd hold it as long as possible!!! ~ Pappy www.theCAUSEjams.com "Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right." - Robert Hunter
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ROW JIMMY!!!! OYGoh well each 2 their own
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Red Rooster or Walkin Blues, these were also great times for smoking too. Pappy-Row Jimmy, for shame ha ha I really agree with Gypsy though whenever nauter calls. most of the time though was sweating all those Becks and Guiness out.
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Quickly - as I don't want to usurp the thread on Row Jimmy or other songs... BUT - RARELY did they NOT get lost in the solos of this song. I saw several versions at the shows I attended. They hit it ONCE (and I didn't have to go pee!) and I enjoyed it. IMO, Jerry's weakest 1st set tune....other than Day Job (but they were done w/ that tune by the time I hopped aboard). What I can't understand is I get crap for Row Jimmy, but others didn't for saying DARK STAR & PITB jams?!!! THAT WAS the GD - jamming & exploring - getting "out there!" ;) 'Sall good... I LOVED the blues tunes...all of 'em. ~ Pappy "Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right." - Robert Hunter
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broken heart don't hurt so badain't got half what you thought you had!
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Pappy just playin man. I didn't care so much for Day Job either, just like grdaed said to each hiss own. I used to leave my seat all the time anyway go get lost in the halls for a while, especially in places that had speakers in the halls. Goe melt in the light for a while. Come to think of never really stayed in one place was always wanderering around. Get back home where you belong And don't you run off no more
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I know, I know you guys were just playin'....just find it funny that Row Jimmy (of all tunes) got ANY reaction, rather than the BIG guns, like Dark Star & Playin'. ;) Shall we go? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds? ~ Pappy www.theCAUSEjams.coom "Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right." - Robert Hunter
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just see the little bunny kicking in the air.. that come back stepgreat lyrics,thx hunter fantastic vocals,thx jerry That's the way it's been in town Ever since they tore the juke box down Two bit piece don't buy no more Not so much as it done before who said darkstar???? some of us waited our whole life for that!! and playing??? i mighta gotten up!! but thats no time for a break : )
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Page 1 of this thread...Dark Star. I couldn't believe it either!! :) Some other tunes of note mentioned, that are some of my FAVORITES: Black Peter Stella Blue (Jerry's FAVORITE original song) Death Don't Have No Mercy (but not because of boredom - because of the "heebie-jeebies" LOL!) Friend Of The Devil Someone else mentioned Row Jimmy on Page 3 of this thread! I'm not alone! I LOVE the song - that's the funny thing. BUT, as I said - they RARELY hit a good one. They'd lose count in the jams, or it was just overall uninspired. I saw ONE good one out of 5 or so live. I only hit 33 GD shows overall from 87-95. ~ Pappy www.theCAUSEjams.com "Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right." - Robert Hunter
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Me, I love Dark Star but have some friends that aren't that fond of it. Just like I love the stuff from the 60's especially Pig raps, Anthem of the Sun stuff too. But those same friends don't dig that stuff either. But Row Jimmy was loved, Ok Pappy I'll stop man. FUN,FUN,FUN! Sky was yellow and the sun was blue.
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I always seemed to run during these...Walkin Blues (this song at times was great but after so many...) Memphis Blues (same, same, same) Eternity (Jerry actually made this song paletable) Cheesy Answers (nope) Queen Jane (same, same, same) Don't Ease (I wonder what the difference in timing is for the longest version vs. the shortest version... 20 seconds... maybe?) Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long Way to go Home On the other hand I always tried to stay through Drums/Space
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I was too young to ever see the grateful dead but i know enough about the band to say i like every song except me and bobby mcgee. i love all the stuff pigpen sang on and i love the time with brent ps the concert at penn state was magical pss dead tour 2009 will be epic
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When I left, it was usually during Victim or during Eternity. I'd go to the bathroom and wander around a bit then come back in time for the next song. I read in the beginning of this thread about the one Head who would nap during Space, I was usually that person too. Especially if I wasn't driving and in big time Tour Haze. My friends would always be amazed how I would doze off long enough to get up and groove as they were coming out of it, but those naps helped a lot since sleep didn't always come on Tour easy for me.
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some of the tunes people take a walk on black peter r u kidding omg thats one of the best!!
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I can't remember where I was, but in the early 80's and me being new to the scene .about 1/3 of the people got up and started to walk out.I asked the people I was with if the show was over.Thats when I found out about the pee break songs :) Drums Day job even now when I here day job I have to go.......... Peace
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Drumz seemed like the time everybody who was in a cramped space or just had to go, moved. Inevitably, this and set breaks were the longest lines at the bathroom! Estimated was another perennial favorite, especially those years when Bobby got totally out of hand with the "Bobby Hahs", ya' know what I mean -- Hahh, hah, ha, ha hahhhhhh! Na, nah, na, na Nahhhhh, Na! My apologies to anybody who enjoyed those moments.
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Hmmmmmm.....Wow!! Tis hard because I pretty much like all the dead songs. But if I had to pick a song it would involve Donna. Ive got it SUNRISE. yep it would be SUNRISE for sure. Phatmoye
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DEFINATELY DONNAPhatmoye
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Never liked that one-Oh yeah and "artificial flowers" for Weir solo-also(IMO) "Knockin'" is a snoozefest.
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for me it was any dylan song....it wasn't like i was holding it in till then..... i just can stand dylan songs specialy when the dead do them...i think dylan should ben a poet not a musican....that was my time to wonder the halls maybe bump into people i know....i noticed alot of people said drums and space..i would sit and meditate through that part... let your life proceed by its own design
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I know I know :-) but it always felt like the longest song in the world. "When the smoke has cleared, she said, that's what she said to me. You're gonna want a bed to lay your head and a little sympathy"
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SPACE.........
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First was outside, no problem. Second, great sound in Boston Garden bathroom!
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The only time I was relieved (pun intended) by Little Red Rooster... but even then.. I danced all the way to can... and back! Seek the Truth, Appreciate Beauty in all Things, Try to do Better
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Never met a Dead song I didn't like, but Rat Dog's Mama Said (or whatever the name is) is a perfect time for me to recycle my beer...
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Without a doubt, "Drums/Space" would be enough to make me head for the lobby.
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Usually by the time drumz and space comes on, i'm to messed up to move anywhere...LOL, but that would probably be the best time to go tinkle if you had too.:)Peace- Moye
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I have been a "head" now since at least 1974 [and before] & I've seen alot of shows & I think I can honestly say [maybe it has something to do with being a musician too] that I have NEVER EVER "run for an exit" because of ANY Grateful Dead tune ! [even when the boys were at their absolute worst !] You all should be ashamed of yourselves for even THINKING ANYTHING like that ! Shame on you ! SHAME ON YOU !! Where has the true Deadhead experience gone ? Am I the only true Deadhead left ??
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I've grown to love a lot of songs after hearing them live, but I'm not a fan of the Cowboy songs - I mean El Paso is a cool song, Me and my Uncle, not so much - it's WEIRd when it feels like Bobby is playing Let's Pretend up there. But the one song that really gets on my nerves is Mexicali Blues. At my first show we were tripping hard and the whole night was full of magical songs: Brown-Eyed, Bird Song, Althea, Shakedown, DARK STAR - but when that Mexicali came around I just couldn't believe how ill-fitting it was. I gotta say that Jerry's midi sounds could be awful at times and the phony mariachi trumpet tone is one of the worst. Talk about wrenching you out of warp-space. I didn't run for the can, I just sort of smiled at all the crazy heads grooving down and getting into it - it sounded like the musical equivalent of a prozak overdose and it felt creepy that everyone could love it so much... Each to her own! I've always been a lover of drumz>space - I come to the shows with that part in mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm a melody and harmony freak, but NO ONE else out there is doing this, especially to an appreciative audience. Even if many go for a pee break, lots stick around for the most transcendental experience they'll have, possibly ever. Love all you heads out there and your individual tastes. This thread is funny! K
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At one point, I told my wife that I have to go. They started DDHNM so I stood for it. At the end of the song, I was sure I have time to go and come back for the next one. The bathroom was CROWDED. Just came back for the beginning of Lost Sailor. Missed " Don't ease me in", one of my favorite. Just thingkin about it. funny, thought. Same show, a guy fall down his beer on our heads, the band start "Looks like rain". Some of those memories. Grate. Richard.
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I'm with Faron...I never run for the door...and Drums/Space is my favorite, especially last week at the Forum...I love all the spacey way out shit. As far as songs go, well...they are always different and I love the jams...so...I usually just piss on the floor.
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I don't think I've ever been to the bathroom at a Dead show. I did go to the toilet frequently at the Warfield during JGB set breaks but that was because they sold beer inside.
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Am apalled! That's disgusting! Selling beer in the bathroom? am intrigued-never heard of that.********************************** Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. Mark Twain
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of the words floor pisser, Incognito does not come to mind. Beware the Jig is UP! ha ha I've been telling people for years frothy beer tastes like Piss, imagine cashing in on that..... To each his own :) PEACE
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or Desolation Row if I have to shit. "In a bed, in a bed, by the waterside I will lay my head. Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul."
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Hey...I was just joking....iknowurider was right...Never trust a Merry Prankster...
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Guaranteed pee break tunes... Easy Answers, Corinna, Victim or the Crime, Mexicali Blue's, Walkin' Blue's, Picasso Moon, Any song attempted by Vince Welnick other than Baba O'Riley, I Will Take You Home, I Fought the Law, Gentleman Start Your Engines, Wave to the Wind, Broken Arrow, KC Moan, Eternity
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me & my uncle or mexicali blues or big river or another good one, little red rooster. HaHa easy answers.
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CC Rider is so horrible luckily they never played it for me! Same for Day Job.______________________________________________________________ I think I'll go up on a mountain, I'll fling myself off into space I'm not doing it because I'm desperate, I'm just trying to save some space...
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Why not pee BEFORE a concert? It just seems really odd to me that there are 24 hrs in a day, correct? If you are aware you are on your way to a concert that YOU KNOW is gonna be around 3-hours long, why would you not pee beforehand? I'm too young to have seen the Grateful Dead in concert but I one thing I know 100% for sure is I did have that amazing opportunity I certainly wouldn't miss some of it to use the bathroom. I have been to hundreds of shows and never peed once during a concert. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a group of musicians you love/admire perform in front of you...and you're gonna leave to go pee?No offense, just sounds crazy to me. I'd wanna spend every second at a Dead show enjoying the music and watching the performing. "What we do is as American as lynch mobs." - Jerome Garcia