Summer Magic 1985: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 6/30 & 7/1
Concluding the Deadcast’s Summer Magic 1985 run, we pull into Maryland for 2 over-the-top shows, explore the band’s ‘80s gear, the Dead Heads’ ‘80s pipecraft, & the enthralling scene around the Dead.
Summer Magic 1985: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 6/30 & 7/1 supplementary notes
by Jesse Jarnow
The Grateful Dead’s final shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland became the stuff of Dead freak legend, to veterans heads and wide-eyed newcomers alike, including (but hardly limited to) the mammoth “Shakedown Street” on June 30th. It wasn’t the end of the tour, but certainly a high point.
Nicholas G. Merriweather is the founder of the Grateful Dead Studies Association, and contributed liner notes to the new Summer Magic 1985 box. He also contributed a scholarly chapter about Dead Head pipecraft to the forthcoming book, High Style: The Art of Cannabis Pipes.
Earlier in the year, Jerry Garcia spoke with Jas Obrecht for Frets magazine, an extensive interview that can now be heard online. Thanks, too, to David Gans, who spoke with Phil Lesh in 1981, included in Conversations With the Dead.
Nick Paumgarten published an epic piece about the Dead and Dead tapes in The New Yorker in 2015, Penguin will publish his hockey memoir, The Intangibles Friendship, Fatherhood, and the Love of the Game in November (on the 41st anniversary of 11/10/85).
Jeffrey Alexander currently leads the Heavy Lidders, who recently released Liquid Donnon, and hosts the Pome Pome Tones radio show.
Christian Crumlish recently released his debut album as Layers of Meta, Nobody Does It Solo Only.
Comment
We got front row seats from a scalper just after we pulled in...
From Tennessee. The scalper had just bought them at the box office earlier that morning..
We didn't even know that they were front row until a near the end of the 1st set becau we were with out friends on the lawn. We got a bunch of folks down front. So many that the security guard said he'd kick us all out if any more should up and that if we left he wasn't letting us back.
Oh the Shakedown! My 1at of two magical rcront row tickets that appeared after I was inside the venue 2nd was dueing fall 89.
Worst Deadcast ever!
I have listened to every episode of the Deadcast but this is the first time I've posted a comment. I have LOVED most of the episodes, liked or given a "so-so" to some, but IMO this episode about Merriweather is awful. Peter Miller's stuff was okay but it goes on too long, and it was painful to have to wade through an hour of peoples' stories of how they got to the concert, what drugs they took, and how messed up they got before you even start talking about how great the music was. I understand that you have to put something out to promote the new releases, but please give us more about the music and the musicians (or others involved in creating the Dead's magic) and less time with drivel. As a wise man once wrote: "Please don't dominate the rap, Jack, if you've got nothing new to say." Thanks.