The frog's expression in this artwork has always bothered me. Can't exactly say why. The frog on the steal your face lily pad was in reference to an age-old Angel's Camp tradition, the yearly Calaveras Frog Jump.Needless to say, we weren't there for the frog jump. The weather was blazing hot, especially coming from climate-controlled Santa Cruz county. Many fine friends were in attendance. My first husband and I took a little family road trip, with our two small kids in tow. Checked into our air-co hotel in Sonora the day before and off we all went to the show on Saturday.
We headed straight for the shady spot, where lots of families were hanging out. It was a mellow afternoon for my little family. Because the rules were always different when the kids were along. This meant shade, water, and kiddie earplugs, among other things. My boy had already been to about 5 shows, so he was easily acclimated. Baby girl needed to be held and danced-with. A lot. I happily obliged her.
The line-up was cool. The Grateful Dead did not typically have opening acts on the west coast. 'Mister Dave' Lindley and El Rayo X were a blast. Carlos tore it up(of course)-then played a few songs with The Dead. 'Midnight Hour' cooks. The Dead's setlist from that day follows this blathering, and I embedded the set below that. Chills, listening to it. Nothing new there.
So, back to 1987... We headed back to our hotel and lay low for the night. Apparently, we missed the big excitement in Angel's Camp. A lost deadhead girl climbed through someone's cabin window and went to sleep. The cabin owners came home and found her there. Like some trippin' Goldilocks. That summer was the beginning of the end of our excellent scene. The secret was out. Drunken frat dudes had arrived. I had already noticed the difference at Laguna Seca and the Greek that summer. Our little subculture was heading for extinction. It sure was good while it lasted though.
A year later, my husband and I were headed for a divorce. It too was good while it lasted. I've mentioned before that I always had a far easier time being a mother than a wife.
Grateful Dead~August 22, 1987
| 1:Touch of Gray>Little Red Rooster, Tons Of Steel, Friend of the Devil, Brother Esau, Tennessee Jed,When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl*, Midnight Hour* 2: Hell in a Bucket, When Push Comes To Shove,Estimated Prophet> Eyes of the World> Drumz>The Other One> GDTRFB> Throwing Stones> Lovelight Encore: U. S. Blues |
Grateful Dead/Calaveras County Fairgrounds/Saturday, August 22nd, 1987
11 comments:
One of my favorite all time Scarlet/ Fires was from this show.
I remember big balloons as well...
August '87 ... Girlfriend and I took our puppy to the Sonoma coast and on the way home at dinner she became my fiancee. Twenty plus years later, we're headed to Burning Man which I hear the drunken frat dudes have tried to ruin. Some things don't change. But some things do. Aren't memories a trip? Never stop making them.
I missed out on being a Deadhead but my husband was one (before I met him). So I always have his memories.
This was wonderful weekend! I agree Lee the Scar->Fire was a good one and also the NFA->Brokedown double encore.
This was my second interaction with Bill Graham, both involving litter. he was cruising around on a dirt bike handing out trash bags and stopped to talk with us for a few minutes. The first time was at the Greek when he blessed out this guy for dropping some trash on the ground, saying, "Do you do that in your house?" I told him "right on" and he gave me a grumpy nod and said "I don't know what the fuck is wrong with people."
I also remember seeing Bill Walton be-bopping along, head and shoulders above the masses.
Excellent songs. I had already moved south by then, not going to shows at that point...I remember that I was totally stunned when I first heard people say there were frat dudes at Dead shows! (I thought, this must be that hit song.)
And soon, Ann Coulter would follow! (((shudders)))
Who knows, you might have even run into Brian and just don't remember!! He was there; he did most of summer tour '87. This was the year b/f we met. He said he skipped Park City, but he did the Colorado shows, Tempe & Mountain Aire. We scored the Telluride 8/15 & 16/87 poster from the Psychedelic Shoppe, in 1989.
I was poking around my basement stereo this evening, when I noticed the old cassette of this very Santana set, sitting in a stack on the tape deck.
Guess it's time for a listen.
The summer of 1987 was excellent! I caught the Alpine Valley run! I do remember that the scene was definitely on an edge with their newfound popularity.
Correction, please. The last "Schoolgirl" was played on June 25, 1992 at Soldier Field in Chicago with Steve Miller and James Cotton. I was there!
joe~i do believe that 'last' referred to the last time it was played BEFORE 1987. which was 17 years before 8/22/87. good lookin' out, though-like always! :)
Ah, I see.
Post a Comment