October 16, 2023 • 20 mins
Ever found yourself lost in a parking lot for hours after a mind-blowing Grateful Dead concert? George Michaels, author of 'Grateful Dead Tour Tales', not only knows exactly how that feels, but also crafted an entire collection of captivating stories based on such experiences. Join us as we journey through George's transformation from a club kid to a devoted Deadhead, and get a glimpse of the Grateful Dead culture through his eyes. Hear about his first Grateful Dead concert in Saratoga, where he lost his car for three hours, and the tale behind the unexpected Mississippi Half Step performance at the Nassau Coliseum show.
Grateful Dead Tour Tales: Volume One: 1984-1987
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Grateful-Dead-Tour-Tales-1984-1987
But wait, there's more! What if you could relive the magic of attending 35 Dead shows in a single year? Get ready to ride along as George recounts his transformative adventures as a Deadhead. From the memorable show where he heard Shakedown Street for the first time, to the European tours and the breakout shows with the Warlocks, there’s a tale for every tune. We also talk about his writing journey, as he crafted a book that aims to encapsulate the myriad experiences and life-changing moments that come with being a part of the Grateful Dead fandom. And speaking of being part of this unique culture, let's not forget the indispensable Tangle Free Dreadlocks Hairbrush!
This episode is sponsored by ShakedownTshirts.com with unique lot-style T-shirts and gifts for Grateful Dead, Phish, Zappa, Panic, and more. All US orders over $35 Ship Free. Use code "Lot20" for 20% off any order.
Tales From The Lot
will@talesfromthelot.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/talesfromthelot
YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@talesfromthelot
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tales from the Lot, episode 19 from club heads to
dead heads overnight.
My guest, george Michaels, ishere to discuss his book
Grateful Dead Tour Tales, volume1, the Warlock Shows and much
more.
Here we go.
Hi, welcome to Tales from theLot.
Uh, this is Will.
My guest today is GeorgeMichaels.
He's coming to us from NewJersey.
(00:21):
He is the author of GratefulDead Tour Tales, volume 1, 1984
through 1987.
Uh, hello, how's it going,George?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
It's doing, doing very well, Will.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Awesome, yeah, yeah, I'm glad to have you.
I, uh, I noticed you had a bookcome out recently and I was
like man, this is exactly thekind of person I would like to
talk to, somebody who remembersstuff, cause uh you know, I sure
don't.
So, uh, that's awesome.
So, uh, you're in New Jersey.
Is that where you're fromoriginally?
Is that, uh, where you grew up?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, that's correct.
I'm from Northern New Jersey,uh, very close to Manhattan,
like a suburb of Manhattan, say,or New York City.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Gotcha and then, uh so, uh, growing up, where, where
, where your family big deadheads and you grew up following
the dad, or or what were youlistening to?
You know, my family wasn't abig dead heads.
They, my parents, are more.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Uh, they were from the Bronx and like 50s music and
sock hops and stuff like that.
So but my aunt, my uh, myfather's, you know younger
sister went to Walken's Glen andhad seen Jimi Hendrix live and
stuff like that.
So she kind of took me underher wing in a way.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Right.
So what were you listening togrowing up, like you know,
asking for on your birthday?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, I mean uh, I would say I started, you know,
around the mid seventies gettingalbums and stuff like that,
like the Beatles starting outlike that.
And then I got into Framptonand all the seventies stuff and
the rock music scenes back then.
But, like I said, my notes backthen, you know, if you were
into the dead, you know youweren't into progressive, you
(01:46):
know people had their own littleniches, uh, that they loved,
you know, um, but I was into aclassic rock.
And then, you know, in theearly eighties I got very into
like the MTV stuff, you know,and uh, and I was very surprised
the grateful dead who I wasinto before, but not a hundred
percent, you know, uh, theyreally came back once I saw them
live came back into my life ina hard way.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Did you have friends that pulled you into that, or
did you just kind of, were youreminded by something you saw?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, it was one friend of mine, kevin Cunningham
, and we used to.
We used to be club kids goingto Manhattan.
We were like 17, even too youngto go in the bars, but they let
you in.
And then one day his brother,mark, said, hey, do you want to
see the grateful dead up inSaratoga, new York, on a Sunday
in the summer?
And uh, you know, we said okay,why not?
And uh, it just turned into athing.
(02:37):
It really rained really hard.
It was 1984.
And uh, I lost my car for threehours.
I, you know, I was in a port ofsand with a girl and my friend
also for a while, and the musicwas cool.
They did satisfaction thatnight, you know, it was, uh, it
was quite a show in the rain anduh, just something clicked.
And then all my friends, we allwent from being club kids to
(02:58):
deadheads overnight, literally.
Um, to the point where, yeah, Imean the first year, I'd seen
like 15 shows.
Right away, we're traveling.
The next show I went to was inVirginia, you know, and then I
just started going, but not 100%every tour of his show, but you
know, um.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah, it seems that that was that.
Once that button is kind offlicked, yeah there's, you just
dive in, because there's so muchto dive into really like as far
as past history.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah it's like where's this world been?
You know?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
it's almost like where's it going?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, yeah, exactly it's, it's.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
it was a really cool thing, though, you know right,
and so you saw like 15 shows thefirst year and then, yeah, yeah
, yeah, I saw a couple in thefall that year I went down to
Richmond.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I got my friends to go down to Richmond and we saw
the metal and shows.
But then the spring of 85 thatwas a lot of fun we went up to
Springfield and did the Nassaushows.
When Phil broke out, tom Thumb,blues and man, I went up to
Rhode Island that that tour andthen down to Philadelphia.
Of course I think I did nineshows on that tour and then then
(04:03):
that's what this book is.
It goes basically every show ithas a story is the way I break
it down.
And the first book I have isabout 43 shows I think I go to,
you know, and each one has astory and a title, almost like a
time filled episode where it'slike I make it.
I call it a name like half step.
Who knew?
(04:23):
And that's about the NassauColiseum show when they played
that I had broken outMississippi half step and I had
no idea it was even a thing youknow.
But it was.
And you know I do a wholecomical sort of story about it.
But it's an absolute true storywith my friends what we do and
it's a lot of fun.
You know surprised how much funand how much I had to write.
(04:45):
I just couldn't stop writing.
I would just keep writing, evenon the weekends, by friend bill
.
It's like I'm going to go outand party and I'm going to stay
home and write and they'd likewhat are you going to do?
But I loved it and it reallybecame a you know, a love
project for me.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That's awesome.
Yeah, you know, as we wereemailing ready, getting ready
for this, I mentioned this sortof I was.
I had a thought, just like aninkling of, like man, I should
write a book of what happenedand any stories I can remember
from when I was following thedebt around, and and I, you know
, I picked up my pen and, likeman I can't remember I was like,
(05:21):
oh, I'm going to get a littleflash is here and there and here
and there.
And then so I thought, you know, well, you know, I should talk
to some other people that werethere with me, or just just
other people in general, and Ithought, well, you know, I
should record it.
And it turned into this podcastand and so now I'm hearing
other people stories and andit's bringing back a little bit
of the, the memories that I hadhere and I'll get these files as
well.
Yeah, it's something like that,yeah right.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I get a lot of reviews, people saying it brings
back their own memories andstuff like that.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
And it's true, and that's.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It's really nice to hear that stuff because that's
why I did it.
You know I wanted people toremember these times because
they were really crazy, as crazyas they were.
There were a lot of rewardswhen they played some good shows
.
You know everybody was so happy.
You know you'd see people thatyou know would normally see in
life that were just kind of, youknow, tough, mean, not mean,
(06:08):
but you know, but they would.
They see Grateful Dead Show andthey just be so kind and so
happy.
You know, I just love to seethat, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, that's, that's.
That's exactly what struck mewhen I first went was the
kindness I mean you know, in dayto day life everybody.
You know I come from the Midwestand it was like a factory town
and everybody's like, oh, youknow like we work in factory
jobs, you know, and and I didn'tsee a lot, of, a lot of
happiness in them and you know,I guess you know people were
probably happy and what they did, but it but it wasn't like that
(06:38):
first time when I went to DearCreek and like and saw some
people just smiling year to year.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Exactly yeah.
People who would normally gothrough their lives with a
straight face.
All of a sudden, these samepeople are just got a big grin
on their face, right yeah, wherethey want amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah, the transformation.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
That can happen.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
You mentioned.
You mentioned the, the, theSeinfeld type things and and
give me, give me one of those,one of those stories, one of
those things.
That was just like, so you know, a teaser from the book or just
something that you know.
All right, yeah, okay.
Let's look back on your timefollowing the dead, like this is
the one that really just youknow.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
There's so many you know and I'm saying I'll let me
hit you up with this.
So you want a story likebasically, all right, let's go
to.
Let's go to that nationalColiseum show, the Mississippi I
called it half step.
Who knew?
And basically you know, me andmy friends get in the car.
Yeah, we go out there and, youknow, drink a lot of beers and
(07:37):
Go and see the show.
We went up to the front row andI remember the second set they
opened up was shakedown Streetand in the book I go into a
whole flashback of me and theeighth grade smoking pot for the
first time and listening tothat album.
And Then I come back into theshow and describe how Jerry
looks like he just kind ofrolled out of bed Because I was
basically in the front row forthat one because I was general
(08:00):
admission.
And there I am and we see theshow.
And then in the first set, allof a sudden you know I'm in the
front there and Phil goes up tothe mic which I didn't realize
was such a big thing and hestarts singing Tom Thumb blues,
you know, and the whole placejust erupts.
And that was funny.
Now I mean, I'm just kind ofgiving you a whole scattered
(08:20):
thing.
When I do these stories.
They're very, you know, beenbeginning to and there's a
middle, ever beginning, a middleand end to each one of these
stories.
That has some fun stuff.
I'm just kind of put on thespot here.
It's trying to make y'all laugh.
But yeah, I mean the thing is,one of these things about trying
to make this interesting is notjust make it so mundane where
(08:42):
it's like Okay, I'm in a parkinglot and then I'm going to the
show.
You know there's a lot of stuffI bring in your relationships
and girlfriends and all myfriends.
I have a whole Characters thatcome in and out, but it's me
basically Going to a GratefulDead concert and who I go with
who and what stories are goingon around the whole thing and
stuff like that.
And as time goes on, you knowlife happens.
(09:02):
You know we're all kids when westarted out, but then you know
life starts knocking on the door.
What are you gonna do with yourlife?
You can't just keep doing this,you know, and that comes into
play as well.
That's why I think this isimportant book, because it
really shows what it's like Tobe such a fan of the Grateful
Dead.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Right, we talk about that coming of age, and so this
book goes up to 87.
Yeah, you kept seeing showspost 87, I presume.
Well, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I did in fact 1988.
I saw probably the most.
I think I saw 35 shows thatyear, so I know I couldn't.
If I went into another chapterI'd be another hundred pages, so
you know I you know, and mybrother Colin.
You know I started writing it,writing this book in 2006, and,
you know, I put it down, didn'tknow what I would do with it.
I contacted Relics magazine.
They ran a few stories, but itjust kind of sat there and so,
(09:52):
as it built over time, you knowit, it grew, you know, and I
just didn't know what to do withit.
And here here I am now and I'vedecided to put it out.
And my brother Colin said, youknow, I said, well, maybe I
should go into 88, 88.
He said that that's enough.
I think you're good here, youknow, because it's 43 shows and
it's a lot of different stories.
So the next book will be 1988,1989 and 1990 is my plan, you
(10:16):
know, and I'm about two-thirdsof the way done and I'm gonna go
all the way up through Europe.
I did go to Europe, and youknow.
So I went to a lot of breakoutshows too, because the warlocks,
you know.
So I mean, I'm a guy who wentto a lot of shows and I'm gonna
tell you all about.
You know, I'm gonna tell youwhat the weather was like and
what the traffic when the gasprices were, you know, and
(10:37):
you're gonna feel like you'rethere and I wrote it in the
first person and I wrote it, youknow, as if you know your
Present tense.
Also, I wrote it in the presenttense, so you're gonna seem
like you know you're not talkingabout the past.
Right as you're happening, it'shappening and you're on the
trail, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Tangle.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Free, tangle Free.
It's the only way to be TangleFree.
Tangle Free made just for thedready.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Are you tired of the daily dreadlock drama?
The everyday struggle of tryingto make your hair behave can be
as futile as nailing Jell-O toa tree.
Well, heady Lott Products LLChas a solution for you,
introducing the Tangle FreeDreadlocks Hairbrush.
The Tangle Free DreadlocksHairbrush is here to put an end
(11:33):
to the madness.
Say goodbye to the daily tangleand hello to smooth, flowing
dreadlocks.
With this magical brush, it'slike having a personal dreadlock
whisperer right in your hand.
With just one stroke, you'llhave the dreamy dreadlocks
you've always wanted, minus thecircus act.
So why wrestle with your hairwhen you can dance with it?
Say goodbye to the morningdreadlock disaster with Tangle
(11:54):
Free Dreadlocks Hairbrush.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Tangle Free, tangle Free.
It's the only way to be.
Tangle Free, Tangle Free madejust for the dready.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Get your Tangle Free Dreadlocks, hairbrush wherever
Heady Items are sold.
Right, speaking of that warlockshow, you had mentioned that
and so, as I was getting readyfor this, I put that on and had
forgotten that.
That's like one of thosecassettes that I had worn out
(12:32):
From the moment that I feel likea stranger hits.
I was listening to 10, 9, 89and I was like why am I so
familiar with this?
And then I realized it's theone from Without a Net.
It's like I don't even know whatthat's going to happen.
But that whole show, andespecially when they hit the
Dark Star and you just hear thecrowd erupt for like three
minutes, it's just louder crowdthan it is music.
(12:54):
Those moments like that arejust.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Oh, it was unbelievable.
I went down there with $120 onme with two friends of mine.
They were tapers, so that wasmore like a solo show for me
because they were the firstpeople in the door that night
and we had gotten down there onthe Sunday morning and tickets
were still on sale.
They had a little trailer there.
So we actually bought thetickets for the ninth show, but
(13:18):
the tickets for the Sunday nightshow they did help slip flat
Franklin's.
I went to paint $60, which backthen was unheard of, but I
thought something was up and Ibetter buy it from my friend
Lisa.
She came up with an extraticket and I was in the front
row for that and they startedhelping on the way and I knew
this is going down.
And then the next night I wentright back to my right in front
of Phil Lesh on the rail andwhen they went into Dark Star it
(13:41):
just blew everybody's mind.
And then they did.
You know, death don't have nomercy and addicts in my life.
After they played that and thelights went on, I was literally
in tears, and I wasn't the onlyone.
There was a lot of people justlike weeping and crying and it
was just that really was amazing, it really was.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
I got to say yeah, I have no doubt.
I mean, as I was listening toit, I was thinking, man, this is
like maybe the best show of thelate 80s.
Oh yeah, I remember doing GoodLove and I'm like I didn't break
.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I was only 20 something at the time, but I
felt like I was going to heartattack.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, no doubt.
I mean they're just in and outof playing in the band and like
just from beginning to end.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Oh, yeah, that was really special and it was just
nobody knew.
In fact I was on the Sundayshows out there looking for a
ticket on like an off ramp froma highway and I'm out there.
My friend Roy was like about100 yards in front of me.
He got a ticket.
He comes walking back, passesme and then a cop pulls off the
overpass, pulls me over.
I have to get in the back seatof the car and she writes me up
(14:46):
some.
I don't know if she even wroteme a ticket, but all she's told
me was we didn't even know theseconcerts were happening until
the other day.
You know, even the cops werefull.
They had no idea we were coming.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
And that was the whole purpose that I from.
I did a little research andrecently about this and and I've
evidently the reason they wentby the warlocks is because the
city didn't want the gratefuldad Like no, we don't.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
What yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
it's with it the whole Carnival atmosphere and so
yeah, what happened in a fewyears before?
I think you know it didn't help, I think right, and so, yeah,
they did it as the warlocks andthen I guess they only sold
tickets locally and it was onsale just a few days before the
thing sort of the whole thingwas bootstrap underground, yeah
yeah, I mean my friend BobHester, he's the one who told me
(15:30):
about it.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
He said, well, my couple of my friends are going
there, tapers, and I kind ofknew them.
But you know, I was like, yeah,I'll go.
I mean, it's just a completely.
We drove all the way down therejust on a whim really, but a
lot of other people did, andonce they played that first show
, everyone was on the phonecalling their friends.
You better get down here, youknow.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah, and for those who don't know, warlocks were
what the grateful dead werecalled Originally, before they
were called the great right andit went by formally.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
The warlocks is what was on the ticket stub right,
right, right, right.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
What?
Do you know why they changedfrom the warlocks originally?
Was it just?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I heard it was another band was called that.
There was another band calledthe warlocks, so they had to
change it or wanted to change it.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Yeah, back then.
Yeah, it was good change, Ithink yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, absolutely I Mean.
When I first started the book Iwas gonna call it.
It must have been the roses.
You know, that was my workingtitle for the longest time.
And my brother, colin, onceagain says well, what does that
mean?
And I try to explain.
Well, you know, I did this, allthis crazy stuff because it
must have been the roses orsomething and but then I just
went with, you know, the oldgrateful dead tour tales, you
(16:38):
know, which is tells you exactlywhat it is.
But a lot of people getconfused, thinking it's a bunch
of different people's storiesbecause they have this other
book deadhead stories out.
So but this is really just mystory, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Gotcha, gotcha, you get it on Amazon and that's what
I did.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I just went on Amazon itself published it
myself.
So it's all me and all the allthe publicity.
Whatever I'm doing is just, youknow, word-of-mouth, I, you
know, I you probably sawsomething on Facebook I posted,
you know, and that's what I do.
You know, and I've been postingsome reviews.
I've gotten and that's gottensome good responses.
I mean, my book was the numberlike 15 place book this weekend
(17:15):
in Music, history and criticism.
I was surprised, you know, butI'm, I'm up there, you know, in,
yeah, as far as popularity goesfor sure.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah well, so I'll put the link in the show notes,
so anybody out there who doeswant to go check it out They'll
be able to yeah, yeah.
Just go straight to Amazon,where it's at.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, I'd appreciate it, you know sure, yeah, how
long ago.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
so what you published it in August, is that right?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I published it in August of 22.
Okay.
I had a different cover and itwas actually a.
Again, my brother Collins, he'sa graphic artist and he he
gives me this cover.
It turns out to be an albumcover of the Grateful Dead from
19, 2015 that I didn't knowabout, and and then they shut me
down and he took it off, youknow, after a few months, and
(18:00):
then I just kind of put the bookback on.
You went out this, this picturehere, which I drew myself, and,
no, there was no saleswhatsoever and I was kind of
even just gonna just give up.
And then my brother said youknow why don't you put that
picture?
You did you know what cherrywith it?
You know that doodle, basically.
And so I did that and add anowhere.
All the sudden, I'm sellingbooks.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Wouldn't you know it?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
It's crazy but yeah, it's that picture, did it and
it's.
It's a cool little doodle.
I did it work and took me fiveminutes, but it wound up being
the cover of my book.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Yeah, I agree with you, as I was scrolling through
Amazon and I was like oh, what'sthat picture?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah, yeah, and if you really look close it's very.
It's just a bunch of boxes thatturn into Jerry.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Unfortunately, at this point in the episode we had
some technical difficulties.
We were sort of able to recoverfor a few minutes, but this is
definitely going to be ashortened episode because of
that.
I want to thank you very muchfor coming on and sharing your
story and sharing Just.
You know about your, yourpassion for the Grateful Dead
(19:09):
and and I'm glad that you knowthat you're you're doing what
you're doing To to keep thesestories alive and to keep you
know, to let other people knowthat that we had a really great
time back when we Know we don'twant to let that we don't want
to let the stories pass or beforgotten exactly.
(19:31):
Alright.
Thank you, George.
Thank you Alright.
Take care, take care.
Tales from the Lot, episode 19 from club heads to
dead heads overnight.
My guest, george Michaels, ishere to discuss his book
Grateful Dead Tour Tales, volume1, the Warlock Shows and much
more.
Here we go.
Hi, welcome to Tales from theLot.
Uh, this is Will.
My guest today is GeorgeMichaels.
He's coming to us from NewJersey.
(00:21):
He is the author of GratefulDead Tour Tales, volume 1, 1984
through 1987.
Uh, hello, how's it going,George?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
It's doing, doing very well, Will.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Awesome, yeah, yeah, I'm glad to have you.
I, uh, I noticed you had a bookcome out recently and I was
like man, this is exactly thekind of person I would like to
talk to, somebody who remembersstuff, cause uh you know, I sure
don't.
So, uh, that's awesome.
So, uh, you're in New Jersey.
Is that where you're fromoriginally?
Is that, uh, where you grew up?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, that's correct.
I'm from Northern New Jersey,uh, very close to Manhattan,
like a suburb of Manhattan, say,or New York City.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Gotcha and then, uh so, uh, growing up, where, where
, where your family big deadheads and you grew up following
the dad, or or what were youlistening to?
You know, my family wasn't abig dead heads.
They, my parents, are more.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Uh, they were from the Bronx and like 50s music and
sock hops and stuff like that.
So but my aunt, my uh, myfather's, you know younger
sister went to Walken's Glen andhad seen Jimi Hendrix live and
stuff like that.
So she kind of took me underher wing in a way.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Right.
So what were you listening togrowing up, like you know,
asking for on your birthday?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, I mean uh, I would say I started, you know,
around the mid seventies gettingalbums and stuff like that,
like the Beatles starting outlike that.
And then I got into Framptonand all the seventies stuff and
the rock music scenes back then.
But, like I said, my notes backthen, you know, if you were
into the dead, you know youweren't into progressive, you
(01:46):
know people had their own littleniches, uh, that they loved,
you know, um, but I was into aclassic rock.
And then, you know, in theearly eighties I got very into
like the MTV stuff, you know,and uh, and I was very surprised
the grateful dead who I wasinto before, but not a hundred
percent, you know, uh, theyreally came back once I saw them
live came back into my life ina hard way.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Did you have friends that pulled you into that, or
did you just kind of, were youreminded by something you saw?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, it was one friend of mine, kevin Cunningham
, and we used to.
We used to be club kids goingto Manhattan.
We were like 17, even too youngto go in the bars, but they let
you in.
And then one day his brother,mark, said, hey, do you want to
see the grateful dead up inSaratoga, new York, on a Sunday
in the summer?
And uh, you know, we said okay,why not?
And uh, it just turned into athing.
(02:37):
It really rained really hard.
It was 1984.
And uh, I lost my car for threehours.
I, you know, I was in a port ofsand with a girl and my friend
also for a while, and the musicwas cool.
They did satisfaction thatnight, you know, it was, uh, it
was quite a show in the rain anduh, just something clicked.
And then all my friends, we allwent from being club kids to
(02:58):
deadheads overnight, literally.
Um, to the point where, yeah, Imean the first year, I'd seen
like 15 shows.
Right away, we're traveling.
The next show I went to was inVirginia, you know, and then I
just started going, but not 100%every tour of his show, but you
know, um.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah, it seems that that was that.
Once that button is kind offlicked, yeah there's, you just
dive in, because there's so muchto dive into really like as far
as past history.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah it's like where's this world been?
You know?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
it's almost like where's it going?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, yeah, exactly it's, it's.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
it was a really cool thing, though, you know right,
and so you saw like 15 shows thefirst year and then, yeah, yeah
, yeah, I saw a couple in thefall that year I went down to
Richmond.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I got my friends to go down to Richmond and we saw
the metal and shows.
But then the spring of 85 thatwas a lot of fun we went up to
Springfield and did the Nassaushows.
When Phil broke out, tom Thumb,blues and man, I went up to
Rhode Island that that tour andthen down to Philadelphia.
Of course I think I did nineshows on that tour and then then
(04:03):
that's what this book is.
It goes basically every show ithas a story is the way I break
it down.
And the first book I have isabout 43 shows I think I go to,
you know, and each one has astory and a title, almost like a
time filled episode where it'slike I make it.
I call it a name like half step.
Who knew?
(04:23):
And that's about the NassauColiseum show when they played
that I had broken outMississippi half step and I had
no idea it was even a thing youknow.
But it was.
And you know I do a wholecomical sort of story about it.
But it's an absolute true storywith my friends what we do and
it's a lot of fun.
You know surprised how much funand how much I had to write.
(04:45):
I just couldn't stop writing.
I would just keep writing, evenon the weekends, by friend bill
.
It's like I'm going to go outand party and I'm going to stay
home and write and they'd likewhat are you going to do?
But I loved it and it reallybecame a you know, a love
project for me.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That's awesome.
Yeah, you know, as we wereemailing ready, getting ready
for this, I mentioned this sortof I was.
I had a thought, just like aninkling of, like man, I should
write a book of what happenedand any stories I can remember
from when I was following thedebt around, and and I, you know
, I picked up my pen and, likeman I can't remember I was like,
(05:21):
oh, I'm going to get a littleflash is here and there and here
and there.
And then so I thought, you know, well, you know, I should talk
to some other people that werethere with me, or just just
other people in general, and Ithought, well, you know, I
should record it.
And it turned into this podcastand and so now I'm hearing
other people stories and andit's bringing back a little bit
of the, the memories that I hadhere and I'll get these files as
well.
Yeah, it's something like that,yeah right.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I get a lot of reviews, people saying it brings
back their own memories andstuff like that.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
And it's true, and that's.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It's really nice to hear that stuff because that's
why I did it.
You know I wanted people toremember these times because
they were really crazy, as crazyas they were.
There were a lot of rewardswhen they played some good shows
.
You know everybody was so happy.
You know you'd see people thatyou know would normally see in
life that were just kind of, youknow, tough, mean, not mean,
(06:08):
but you know, but they would.
They see Grateful Dead Show andthey just be so kind and so
happy.
You know, I just love to seethat, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, that's, that's.
That's exactly what struck mewhen I first went was the
kindness I mean you know, in dayto day life everybody.
You know I come from the Midwestand it was like a factory town
and everybody's like, oh, youknow like we work in factory
jobs, you know, and and I didn'tsee a lot, of, a lot of
happiness in them and you know,I guess you know people were
probably happy and what they did, but it but it wasn't like that
(06:38):
first time when I went to DearCreek and like and saw some
people just smiling year to year.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Exactly yeah.
People who would normally gothrough their lives with a
straight face.
All of a sudden, these samepeople are just got a big grin
on their face, right yeah, wherethey want amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah, the transformation.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
That can happen.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
You mentioned.
You mentioned the, the, theSeinfeld type things and and
give me, give me one of those,one of those stories, one of
those things.
That was just like, so you know, a teaser from the book or just
something that you know.
All right, yeah, okay.
Let's look back on your timefollowing the dead, like this is
the one that really just youknow.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
There's so many you know and I'm saying I'll let me
hit you up with this.
So you want a story likebasically, all right, let's go
to.
Let's go to that nationalColiseum show, the Mississippi I
called it half step.
Who knew?
And basically you know, me andmy friends get in the car.
Yeah, we go out there and, youknow, drink a lot of beers and
(07:37):
Go and see the show.
We went up to the front row andI remember the second set they
opened up was shakedown Streetand in the book I go into a
whole flashback of me and theeighth grade smoking pot for the
first time and listening tothat album.
And Then I come back into theshow and describe how Jerry
looks like he just kind ofrolled out of bed Because I was
basically in the front row forthat one because I was general
(08:00):
admission.
And there I am and we see theshow.
And then in the first set, allof a sudden you know I'm in the
front there and Phil goes up tothe mic which I didn't realize
was such a big thing and hestarts singing Tom Thumb blues,
you know, and the whole placejust erupts.
And that was funny.
Now I mean, I'm just kind ofgiving you a whole scattered
(08:20):
thing.
When I do these stories.
They're very, you know, beenbeginning to and there's a
middle, ever beginning, a middleand end to each one of these
stories.
That has some fun stuff.
I'm just kind of put on thespot here.
It's trying to make y'all laugh.
But yeah, I mean the thing is,one of these things about trying
to make this interesting is notjust make it so mundane where
(08:42):
it's like Okay, I'm in a parkinglot and then I'm going to the
show.
You know there's a lot of stuffI bring in your relationships
and girlfriends and all myfriends.
I have a whole Characters thatcome in and out, but it's me
basically Going to a GratefulDead concert and who I go with
who and what stories are goingon around the whole thing and
stuff like that.
And as time goes on, you knowlife happens.
(09:02):
You know we're all kids when westarted out, but then you know
life starts knocking on the door.
What are you gonna do with yourlife?
You can't just keep doing this,you know, and that comes into
play as well.
That's why I think this isimportant book, because it
really shows what it's like Tobe such a fan of the Grateful
Dead.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Right, we talk about that coming of age, and so this
book goes up to 87.
Yeah, you kept seeing showspost 87, I presume.
Well, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I did in fact 1988.
I saw probably the most.
I think I saw 35 shows thatyear, so I know I couldn't.
If I went into another chapterI'd be another hundred pages, so
you know I you know, and mybrother Colin.
You know I started writing it,writing this book in 2006, and,
you know, I put it down, didn'tknow what I would do with it.
I contacted Relics magazine.
They ran a few stories, but itjust kind of sat there and so,
(09:52):
as it built over time, you knowit, it grew, you know, and I
just didn't know what to do withit.
And here here I am now and I'vedecided to put it out.
And my brother Colin said, youknow, I said, well, maybe I
should go into 88, 88.
He said that that's enough.
I think you're good here, youknow, because it's 43 shows and
it's a lot of different stories.
So the next book will be 1988,1989 and 1990 is my plan, you
(10:16):
know, and I'm about two-thirdsof the way done and I'm gonna go
all the way up through Europe.
I did go to Europe, and youknow.
So I went to a lot of breakoutshows too, because the warlocks,
you know.
So I mean, I'm a guy who wentto a lot of shows and I'm gonna
tell you all about.
You know, I'm gonna tell youwhat the weather was like and
what the traffic when the gasprices were, you know, and
(10:37):
you're gonna feel like you'rethere and I wrote it in the
first person and I wrote it, youknow, as if you know your
Present tense.
Also, I wrote it in the presenttense, so you're gonna seem
like you know you're not talkingabout the past.
Right as you're happening, it'shappening and you're on the
trail, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Tangle.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Free, tangle Free.
It's the only way to be TangleFree.
Tangle Free made just for thedready.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Are you tired of the daily dreadlock drama?
The everyday struggle of tryingto make your hair behave can be
as futile as nailing Jell-O toa tree.
Well, heady Lott Products LLChas a solution for you,
introducing the Tangle FreeDreadlocks Hairbrush.
The Tangle Free DreadlocksHairbrush is here to put an end
(11:33):
to the madness.
Say goodbye to the daily tangleand hello to smooth, flowing
dreadlocks.
With this magical brush, it'slike having a personal dreadlock
whisperer right in your hand.
With just one stroke, you'llhave the dreamy dreadlocks
you've always wanted, minus thecircus act.
So why wrestle with your hairwhen you can dance with it?
Say goodbye to the morningdreadlock disaster with Tangle
(11:54):
Free Dreadlocks Hairbrush.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Tangle Free, tangle Free.
It's the only way to be.
Tangle Free, Tangle Free madejust for the dready.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Get your Tangle Free Dreadlocks, hairbrush wherever
Heady Items are sold.
Right, speaking of that warlockshow, you had mentioned that
and so, as I was getting readyfor this, I put that on and had
forgotten that.
That's like one of thosecassettes that I had worn out
(12:32):
From the moment that I feel likea stranger hits.
I was listening to 10, 9, 89and I was like why am I so
familiar with this?
And then I realized it's theone from Without a Net.
It's like I don't even know whatthat's going to happen.
But that whole show, andespecially when they hit the
Dark Star and you just hear thecrowd erupt for like three
minutes, it's just louder crowdthan it is music.
(12:54):
Those moments like that arejust.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Oh, it was unbelievable.
I went down there with $120 onme with two friends of mine.
They were tapers, so that wasmore like a solo show for me
because they were the firstpeople in the door that night
and we had gotten down there onthe Sunday morning and tickets
were still on sale.
They had a little trailer there.
So we actually bought thetickets for the ninth show, but
(13:18):
the tickets for the Sunday nightshow they did help slip flat
Franklin's.
I went to paint $60, which backthen was unheard of, but I
thought something was up and Ibetter buy it from my friend
Lisa.
She came up with an extraticket and I was in the front
row for that and they startedhelping on the way and I knew
this is going down.
And then the next night I wentright back to my right in front
of Phil Lesh on the rail andwhen they went into Dark Star it
(13:41):
just blew everybody's mind.
And then they did.
You know, death don't have nomercy and addicts in my life.
After they played that and thelights went on, I was literally
in tears, and I wasn't the onlyone.
There was a lot of people justlike weeping and crying and it
was just that really was amazing, it really was.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
I got to say yeah, I have no doubt.
I mean, as I was listening toit, I was thinking, man, this is
like maybe the best show of thelate 80s.
Oh yeah, I remember doing GoodLove and I'm like I didn't break
.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I was only 20 something at the time, but I
felt like I was going to heartattack.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, no doubt.
I mean they're just in and outof playing in the band and like
just from beginning to end.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Oh, yeah, that was really special and it was just
nobody knew.
In fact I was on the Sundayshows out there looking for a
ticket on like an off ramp froma highway and I'm out there.
My friend Roy was like about100 yards in front of me.
He got a ticket.
He comes walking back, passesme and then a cop pulls off the
overpass, pulls me over.
I have to get in the back seatof the car and she writes me up
(14:46):
some.
I don't know if she even wroteme a ticket, but all she's told
me was we didn't even know theseconcerts were happening until
the other day.
You know, even the cops werefull.
They had no idea we were coming.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
And that was the whole purpose that I from.
I did a little research andrecently about this and and I've
evidently the reason they wentby the warlocks is because the
city didn't want the gratefuldad Like no, we don't.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
What yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
it's with it the whole Carnival atmosphere and so
yeah, what happened in a fewyears before?
I think you know it didn't help, I think right, and so, yeah,
they did it as the warlocks andthen I guess they only sold
tickets locally and it was onsale just a few days before the
thing sort of the whole thingwas bootstrap underground, yeah
yeah, I mean my friend BobHester, he's the one who told me
(15:30):
about it.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
He said, well, my couple of my friends are going
there, tapers, and I kind ofknew them.
But you know, I was like, yeah,I'll go.
I mean, it's just a completely.
We drove all the way down therejust on a whim really, but a
lot of other people did, andonce they played that first show
, everyone was on the phonecalling their friends.
You better get down here, youknow.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Yeah, and for those who don't know, warlocks were
what the grateful dead werecalled Originally, before they
were called the great right andit went by formally.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
The warlocks is what was on the ticket stub right,
right, right, right.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
What?
Do you know why they changedfrom the warlocks originally?
Was it just?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I heard it was another band was called that.
There was another band calledthe warlocks, so they had to
change it or wanted to change it.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Yeah, back then.
Yeah, it was good change, Ithink yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, absolutely I Mean.
When I first started the book Iwas gonna call it.
It must have been the roses.
You know, that was my workingtitle for the longest time.
And my brother, colin, onceagain says well, what does that
mean?
And I try to explain.
Well, you know, I did this, allthis crazy stuff because it
must have been the roses orsomething and but then I just
went with, you know, the oldgrateful dead tour tales, you
(16:38):
know, which is tells you exactlywhat it is.
But a lot of people getconfused, thinking it's a bunch
of different people's storiesbecause they have this other
book deadhead stories out.
So but this is really just mystory, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Gotcha, gotcha, you get it on Amazon and that's what
I did.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I just went on Amazon itself published it
myself.
So it's all me and all the allthe publicity.
Whatever I'm doing is just, youknow, word-of-mouth, I, you
know, I you probably sawsomething on Facebook I posted,
you know, and that's what I do.
You know, and I've been postingsome reviews.
I've gotten and that's gottensome good responses.
I mean, my book was the numberlike 15 place book this weekend
(17:15):
in Music, history and criticism.
I was surprised, you know, butI'm, I'm up there, you know, in,
yeah, as far as popularity goesfor sure.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah well, so I'll put the link in the show notes,
so anybody out there who doeswant to go check it out They'll
be able to yeah, yeah.
Just go straight to Amazon,where it's at.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, I'd appreciate it, you know sure, yeah, how
long ago.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
so what you published it in August, is that right?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I published it in August of 22.
Okay.
I had a different cover and itwas actually a.
Again, my brother Collins, he'sa graphic artist and he he
gives me this cover.
It turns out to be an albumcover of the Grateful Dead from
19, 2015 that I didn't knowabout, and and then they shut me
down and he took it off, youknow, after a few months, and
(18:00):
then I just kind of put the bookback on.
You went out this, this picturehere, which I drew myself, and,
no, there was no saleswhatsoever and I was kind of
even just gonna just give up.
And then my brother said youknow why don't you put that
picture?
You did you know what cherrywith it?
You know that doodle, basically.
And so I did that and add anowhere.
All the sudden, I'm sellingbooks.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Wouldn't you know it?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
It's crazy but yeah, it's that picture, did it and
it's.
It's a cool little doodle.
I did it work and took me fiveminutes, but it wound up being
the cover of my book.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Yeah, I agree with you, as I was scrolling through
Amazon and I was like oh, what'sthat picture?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah, yeah, and if you really look close it's very.
It's just a bunch of boxes thatturn into Jerry.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Unfortunately, at this point in the episode we had
some technical difficulties.
We were sort of able to recoverfor a few minutes, but this is
definitely going to be ashortened episode because of
that.
I want to thank you very muchfor coming on and sharing your
story and sharing Just.
You know about your, yourpassion for the Grateful Dead
(19:09):
and and I'm glad that you knowthat you're you're doing what
you're doing To to keep thesestories alive and to keep you
know, to let other people knowthat that we had a really great
time back when we Know we don'twant to let that we don't want
to let the stories pass or beforgotten exactly.
(19:31):
Alright.
Thank you, George.
Thank you Alright.
Take care, take care.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!