[I'm on the Bozo Bus]

My first show was at Boutwell Aud in Birmingham, my home base. I toured from 81 (Just a young pup of 17) through 88. Then I only caught the boys when they were close to home.
RED ROCKS
I read in "Searching for the Sound" that PL said it was one of those cosmic places... I'm not that much into the metaphysical thing but he nailed it.
We arrived there on show day (three night run) just as the sun was rising and had traveled from another venue in AZ.... I think. Typical story, no tickets little money however plenty of good times.
That morning, after convincing what security was there that we were harmless, we walked the grounds and who did I run in to.... Parrish. He was very non-chalant (sp) about meeting us. Go figure.... Once he realized half of us were under-age and were not out to hurt anyone, he gave us THE promise. "I'll see what I can do (Tickets)". We scored tickets to the last show already but that was two nights away.
Lo and behold Parrish came out a few hours later (In a golf cart) and we flagged him down. He "Hired" us to watch the semi. Our payment... 4 tickets to the two shows we were going to miss. Watching the truck consisted of us parking next to it (under the watchful eye of "Sir" Steve), setting up our tent in between two of the trucks and making sure no-one "Ran off" with two empty, locked beat up trucks. Easy gig. We did our job, and was paid in advance. Out there somewhere is a trailer with a "Stealie" drawn with a black marker and a "Phil was here" and the date... sometime in 82 I think. At the time it was mark of territory.. I had my "Tag" on a GD equipment truck for a few years...
My claim to fame.
Again, Red Rocks gets my vote not only for the above mentioned sentimental reasons but some of the best (percieved) shows I have ever been have been there. On a run there the next year, we saw our "Trailer" and told the driver about us de-facing his truck. We showed it to him perhaps to get some side or back stage passes or maybe even a "Good to see you again" with Parrish nope.... He chased us off for marking up his trailer... Oh well.
That's one of many stories....
PEACE,
Phil

[ebick]

I've seen the Grateful Dead at SPAC and at Red Rocks.......No question, Red Rocks.

Several folks have already clarified that SPAC is not in Hartford, but there is an outdoor venue in Hartford that you might have been confusing it with.

It used to be called the Meadows, now I believe it is called the New England Dodge Music Center. It was set up kind of like SPAC (with considerably less grass area I believe). SPAC is way better. The Meadows put a walkway behind the seats in front of the grass area which messed up the viewing angle from the grass......as I remember it.

[ebick]

Again, Red Rocks gets my vote not only for the above mentioned sentimental reasons but some of the best (percieved) shows I have ever been have been there. On a run there the next year, we saw our "Trailer" and told the driver about us de-facing his truck. We showed it to him perhaps to get some side or back stage passes or maybe even a "Good to see you again" with Parrish nope.... He chased us off for marking up his trailer... Oh well.
That's one of many stories....
PEACE,
Phil

I have a good Red Rocks story.....

Saw them there in 82. Got there a few days early and were able to camp in the park (once the day of the show actually arrived that was not possible). Anyway, we found this spot that was down at the end of this type of corridor between rocks that ended in what I can only describe as a Cul De Sac.......a beautiful nice round area with the thickest, plushest grass you've ever seen. We set up our tent.

It starts to rain, as it does occassionally in Colorado. It started coming down very hard. It's very hard for me to describe, but the rock that made up the Cul De Sac had this kind of like cave thing working where we were able to get in under it....you know....til the rain stopped.

Fast Forward quite a bit of time.....not really sure how long, but for some reason, we came to the conclusion that we needed to scout out another place. We get out of the Cul De Sac area, where it is still really coming down and out into the aforementioned corridor............drizzling......barely.

We realized why the grass was so plush.....we had set up our tent in a natural waterfall.

[astroman99]

Best venue for the dead was always any college campus show, been to the rocks...simply magical... all three years I went, especially 1982, love MSG, Hampton
Any venue with hotels within walking distance,like Hampton, or Rosemont always rocked!
Just read the last post, interesting... in1978 @ Red Rocks , we slept in an abandoned mine, with about 200 other galactic soldiers, it was so dark, I couldn't tell if my eyes were open...

[FairTheeWell]

TigerStrat...I thought you might like that "PR" move with the Good Foot Lounge!

[/quote]

[BlobWeird]

Out of the places Ive been I really like SPAC and I dunno its name . . .. an outdoor arena in Hartford, Conn, that the Dead played at in like the early 2000's.

SPAC Saratoga Performing Arts Center. I saw the Dead play there in '04. a few days later we trucked on over to Hartford to see them at the Hartford Civic Center.

I believe he meant he doesnt know the name to the place in Hartford where he saw the Dead not SPAC

[CaptainTrips]

Red Rocks!!!!!!!!!!

Ive never been there but Im planning on it and its just gorgeous!

Out of the places Ive been I really like SPAC and I dunno its name . . .. an outdoor arena in Hartford, Conn, that the Dead played at in like the early 2000's.

i live really close to spac, heard it's a nice venue but i've never seen a show there myself

You should check it out. Nice place. I mean its a huge State Park so you can get there at like 10 in the morning for a 8 PM show and just have a picnic, dig the vibes, hang out and meet people. Its really a great place to see a show and its pretty lax too. Ive seen a lot of shows there in my time here in NY (which is sadly coming to a close . . . . I wish I knew you were so close, it would be cool to hang out or jam, I just live like 20 minutes away from there)

I remember seeing Phil there and never going in just hanging outside the gate outside this huge building playing hack and listening to the second set open up with Althea. Great stuff. Check it out.

[CaptainTrips]

I've seen the Grateful Dead at SPAC and at Red Rocks.......No question, Red Rocks.

Several folks have already clarified that SPAC is not in Hartford, but there is an outdoor venue in Hartford that you might have been confusing it with.

It used to be called the Meadows, now I believe it is called the New England Dodge Music Center. It was set up kind of like SPAC (with considerably less grass area I believe). SPAC is way better. The Meadows put a walkway behind the seats in front of the grass area which messed up the viewing angle from the grass......as I remember it.

You got it . . . . I grew up outside of SPAC all my life so I never thought to clarify. Sorry If I caused any confusion.

What I meant to say was that I saw the Dead on back to back shows in 2003 going to SPAC first then hitting the road to the Meadows, which is now called the New England Dodge Center.

And SPAC is a much better venue . . . I mean its not even close. But I liked the way the Meadows was set up, I remember Touch Of Grey rocking the place just as the sun was setting . . . . it was beautiful. And they allowed plastic beer bottles on the lawn . . . whereas SPAC makes you go into the beer tent.

[CaptainTrips]

Out of the places Ive been I really like SPAC and I dunno its name . . .. an outdoor arena in Hartford, Conn, that the Dead played at in like the early 2000's.

SPAC Saratoga Performing Arts Center. I saw the Dead play there in '04. a few days later we trucked on over to Hartford to see them at the Hartford Civic Center.

I believe he meant he doesnt know the name to the place in Hartford where he saw the Dead not SPAC

Thats what I meant

[Django]

Starlight Theatre in KC, MO. This is an outdoor theatre in a large city park ajoining the zoo. It is, I think, sort of a Shakespheare in the Park type of venue. The stage has towers on both ends that I once had pictured in my mind as a Don Quixoteish crooked windmill sort of thing but subsequent visits have proven that they are very ordinary structures. What was I taking?
It isn't really very large and the seating is on concrete slabs separated by strips of grass and it is walled in. That said, I never had any problems going in and out the gate to the lot during a show and there are suficient areas of grass on the hill side if you want to sit there. Out side the lot was really mellow and there are little alcoves of other parking in the park that also had their little scene going on. It isn't the sort of place where you could sleep in the lot though, like Alpine Valley. It a very pretty little place where you can hear the animals bellow and I always had a good time there.

[tigerstrat]

Winterland was my favorite, not because it was the prettiest or acoustically best, just the for number of shows I saw the Dead play there. It was their "home" for a while; with the giant Rolling Stone Lips and Skull and Roses banners, the black lights on the ceiling, the cracking plaster and the steep balcony seats- if you were too stoned you could always sit down and see the band even if someone was standing in front of you.

My friend Bruce the photographer has two of the stadium seats from Winterland in his living room!

[warrenMFKNhaynes]

panic gets the chicago theatre rockin