Grateful Dead

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The Garden was absolutely packed, it seemed most people from the top level snuck down to the lower level and moving freely about was absolutely impossible. The Dead walk on stage and open the show while the house lights remain on. The Minglewood is one of the most intense versions I have ever heard. The show continues with an intensity that is unsurpased and all the while the house lights remain on. Somewhere near the end of the first set, the lights finally go down to a thunderous applause. Set 2 starts with the lights down, but the light show is kept minimal with only two purple spot lights illuminating the band. If you are ever fortunate enough to hear this rendition of China/Rider, most would agree it was long and intense. Not as refined as the Europe 72 version, but far more explosive. I think after Ramble On, Bobby makes an announcement about too many people have left the cheap seats and the Fire Marshall will turn the house lights back on if people don't leave the floor area. One minute into Terrapin, the house lights came on and remained on for the duration of the show. The drum solo was also different when Mickey and Bill invited some Hells Angels to play in the Beast. The late 70's version of NFA was a great time of jamming the beat for a few minutes building it up to the opening lyric. The show continues with great intensity and even I was a bit let down when it came to the encore, the show never lost its steam. After the band left the stage, most people stayed in the venue and were screaming for MORE for a good 10 minutes until a member of the road crew made announcement that the band had left the arena and thanked everyone for a great 3 night run. This was my favorite of all 37 shows I saw.

INTENSE....is the best way to describe this show. The crowd was wild. During drums......it got REALLY loud and a Harley Davidison was started up and reved-up behind the "Beast"

and though hadnt snuck to the floor the crowds in the aisles was the thickest i had ever been, best friends girl friends bro passes out for a second gettin stiffled, and moved back up not too far but much easier to breath and to dance, and within a couple minutes spike was up lots of water and danced the rest of the night he never partied or drank just the crowd and smoke so thick got to him and the HARlEY DAVIDSON SCREAMING THROUGH the halls of the Garden during drums i used to think of that every time bobby sang this in later years cause when he's chargin his chopper up and down your carpeted halls you will think me by contast quite proper nevermind how i stumble and fall

Wow...I took a train up from South Jersey for this show. Got tickets on the floor through a friend of mine who knew a politician that was a Deadhead. Reading everyone else's comments brought back memories that I had forgotten. I defintely remember the house lights on a lot. I also remember too many people being on the lower level and basically being pushed out of my seat. But of course, the music was the important thing and it was great! The China/Rider was amazing. This was my one and only Garden show, as I spent most of my Dead shows in the Spectrum.

During the drum solo we kept looking at one another becuase we would have sworn that we heard a motorcycle. And then on our way out, there behind the drum kits was Steve Parrish's Harley! Unbelievable. It fit right in beautifully. Who woulda thought.

look at that pre-drums list. Shazam!

I was right behind the stage for this show. At the beginning of the jam after China Cat, Weir's amp blew up, leaving Phil and Jerry to go their own way for a while (which is why it was a longer version, as noted in another comment). Bobby freaked out and the crew scrambled to get a spare up and running as soon as they could. And yes, an Angel drove his chopper up to the drum area during drums and they mic'ed it up.

Really fun show! I was also at 9/4. These were my first Althea, China-Rider, Sailor/Saint, and Dire Wolf.