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Corry342

@corry342.bsky.social

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Lost and underserved Grateful Dead history http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/

June (Dec 26 2015-Jul 29 2026) on her favorite bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, calm and pretty forever. Safe travels, much love.
The SF Chronicle ad for The Matrix on Sunday, August 29 1965, likely the first ad in which Jefferson Airplane had been promoted. The Matrix, in the Marina District at 3138 Fillmore, was owned by Marty Balin and partners, and had opened on August 13.
The infamous Wild West Festival, planned for Kezar Stadium and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on August 22-24, 1969, had been canceled with much rancor. Many of the bands played three days and nights of gigs at the Family Dog on The Great Highway and Fillmore West to help make up the losses already incurred. Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver and Country Joe & The Fish played the benefits. Janis Joplin, Sly Stone, Steve Miller and Santana did not. The Grateful Dead were in the Northwest, and played an extra gig there instead of flying back.
Stanford Daily article (July 4) about the Palo Alto Be-In on July 2 1967, with the Grateful Dead and others.
Kingfish played the tiny Miramar Beach Inn in Half Moon Bay, south of SF, on July 25 1977, to warm up for their European tour.
An ad from the July 3 1974 Newsday for the "Long Island Summer Festival" at tiny Islip Speedway in W. Islip, NY on July 7 '74. Headliners were Richie Havens and Roger McGuinn. By calling it a "Festival," the panicked locals insisted on a daytime event, terrified of a Watkins Glen-type blowout.
An ad for the Yardbirds playing at Santa Catalina's Ballroom on Tuesday, August 23, 1966 (Santa Ana Register Aug 15). Leave San Pedro pier at 6:30, back by 2am. $10. Keith Relf-vocals, Jeff Beck and Chris Dreja on guitars, Jimmy Page on bass, Jim McCarty-drums.
The Trip was at 8752 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. It had been a jazz club called The Crescendo, but Elmer Valentine (of the Whisky A-Go-Go) took it over and made it into a rock club in Fall '65. It was open for less than a year but very influential.
Big Swing Face by the Buddy Rich Big Band, released on Pacific Jazz Records in 1967
The Grateful Dead's first performance in the Central Valley was at the Stockton Ballroom in Stockton, CA, June 7-9, 1966
9895 W Colfax, Lakewood, CA, the site of Don Edwards' Guitar City. Jerry Garcia bought a ZBD10 pedal steel guitar there on April 13 or 14, 1969
A dancer at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, circa 1964 (via Alison Martino's Vintage LA page)
Twiggy's single Here I Go Again, written by Joe McDonald (from the Country Joe & The Fish 1969 album Here We Go Again), was a hit for Twiggy in 1976. It would reach the Top 20 in the UK.
Toe Fat debut album, 1970 (UK EMI), with Ken Hensley on guitar
Keystone Berkeley ad for the SF Chronicle on Sunday, November 14, 1976. Phil Lesh and Tooloos open for the Sons Of Champlin on that night.
A flyer for Too Loose Ta Truck (as Touloos Ta Truck), with Phil Lesh, playing Berkeley's Long Branch on Wednesday May 26, 1976
The Pendleton Armory, in Pendleton, OR in Umatilla County in the 1970s It is now the Pendleton Civic Center. Bob Weir and Kingfish played the Armory on May 13, 1975. Grateful Dead roadies Larry (Ramrod) Shurtleff and Mike Hagen were from Pendleton, and Dead roadie and Kingfish road manager Rex Jackson (for whom the Rex Foundation was named) was from nearby Hermiston, OR.
Kingfish, featuring Bob Weir and Dave Torbert (ex-NRPS, spelled "Torbit" in the ad) played the Pendleton Armory on Tuesday May 13 1975. The ad is from the Pendleton Eastern Oregonian newspaper. According to an eyewitness, there was no stage and there were about 100 people there.
A San Francisco Examiner ad (from Sep 8 '74) promoting Bill Graham's new Tuesday night series. 3 local bands for $2 at the big Winterland ballroom. The first night (Sep 24 '74) included a guest appearance by the newly-configured Jefferson Starship. Earthquake, Link Wray and The Rubinoos were local nightclub headliners.
The Grateful Dead on stage at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre for the first time, October 1, 1967. Mickey Hart had jammed with them the night before (in SF) but was not on stage. Note only six amps on the backline, two PA amps, and Pigpen's Leslie amp.
North County Times (Oceanside, CA) Blade-Tribune, July 19, 1976, reporting on the July 18 1976 Yes/Frampton concert
Nashville resident Peter Frampton's plaque at the Music City Walk Of Fame, in the Nashville Music Garden at 121 S 4th St (photo: me)
Leon Russell headlined the first rock show at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on July 9, 1972. Poco and JJ Cale opened.
The Marin County Line 1977 New Riders came to their end on March 19, 1978, in, of all places, Panama Red's in Champaign, IL. Buddy Cage and Stephen Love left the band
Jerry Garcia played on two unreleased Peter Rowan demos recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito on August 21, 1973. The Dead were recording Wake Of The Flood at the time. Warners financed the demo. Bill Kreutzmann, John Kahn and David Grisman played on the demos, and Chris and Lorin Rowan sang. 4 other tracks from the demo were on Rowan's 1979 album Texican Badman, released in Italy.
A ticket stub for the Grateful Dead at Springfield Civic Center on March 28 1973, promoted by Concept Entertainment, which was likely NY promoter Howard Stein. Stein presented some Dead shows in the '70s, but did not continue with them.
Stadium Pizza, in Jersey City, NJ in 2012. The shopping mall is on the site of Roosevelt Stadium, where Jackie Robinson, Rickey Henderson and the Grateful Dead once played.
The famous 2.5 mile tri-oval speedway at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA did not open until July 1971. However, there had been racing there since the mid-60s. This Modified event on a smaller oval was held July 19, 1970.
Jerry Garcia and Kingfish played El Camino Park in downtown Palo Alto on June 8 '75. The Dead had played a Be-In there on July 2, 1967. Although a successful show, it was the last live music at El Camino Park.
Tret Fure's debut album on MCA/UNI, produced by bassist Buell Neidlinger
An ad in the Oct 12 UNC Daily Tar Heel for a New Riders show at Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 20, 1973
Albert Lee at El Vaquero Winery, Corralitos, CA June 15 2025
KMPX-fm regularly broadcast live shows from the Boarding House, usually the Wednesday night early show. Almost none of the tapes survive. Since acts were booked Tuesday-Friday, the idea was that fans could hear the music and decided to attend later in the week. This listing from Feb 23 72 features Merry Clayton and Billy Roberts (note the NHL game broadcast on KPFA).
David Nelson Band at Felton Music Hall May 8 2025. Drummer Wally Ingram behind a seated Nelson
Bill Graham's 3rd Mime Troupe benefit at the Fillmore on January 14, 1966 included the Grateful Dead, which Bill advertised as "Formerly The Warlocks"
Quicksilver Messenger Service, already a Fillmore headliner, played the tiny 250 seat New Orleans House in Berkeley on Oct 6-7 '67. Apparently in return for the Tues and Wed booking, the club booked numerous other acts from their West-Pole Agency Congress of Wonders, Freedom Highway, Ace Of Cups etc)
The Los Angeles Free Press ad for the Whisky A-Go-Go from June 30 '72. Uriah Heep was kicking off their tour behind Demons & Wizards. Head Hands & Feet featured guitarist Albert Lee. Hugh Masakela had recorded a live album at the Whisky in '67, and John Mayall would record a live album there shortly.
Donna Godchaux singing in front of the Keith & Donna band, Winterland, October 4, 1975. A video of their entire set can be seen on YouTube.
Jefferson Airplane opened their 1972 tour with a show at a minor league football stadium in Hartford, CT, on August 10. The August 5 Hartford Courant had a (supposed) picture of Grace Slick to promote the show.
The May 6, 1970 edition of The Tech, MIT's campus paper, listed the schedule for the student mass actions to protest the Kent State killings on May 4. They noted that at 2pm, there would NOT be a free concert by the Grateful Dead. The Dead played Kresge Plaza at MIT that afternoon. Other bands could have played anywhere in the country, but they didn't.
A flyer for a concert featuring Country Joe & The Fish and The Youngbloods on July 16 1967. The concert was in the tiny town of Canyon, just over the hill from Berkeley. Most Berkeley residents do not even know that Canyon exists, which its residents prefer.
An SF examiner listing for Country Joe, the New Riders, Grootna and Stoneground at the Friends & Relations Hall, 660 Great Highway on June 3, 1971
Manresa Beach, near Watsonville, April 27 2024
Lee Michaels, Melvyn Q Watchpocket and the Justice League played a new rock venue at 1845 Alcatraz Ave in Berkeley on January 27 & 28, 1967
Eyewitness Scott R's handwritten set list for Set 1 of the Grateful Dead show at Tulsa Pavilion on February 6 1979. The '79 Tulsa show is the latest Grateful Dead show for which there is no tape whatsoever.
Marvin Boxley (l) playing harmonica with the Grateful Dead at the Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park, January 14, 1967
A flyer for the Bill Quarry (TNT) presentation of Eric Burdon and The Animals at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on March 25, 1967. This was the 2nd rock concert at the Coliseum Arena. Sly and The Family Stone did not perform.
Elvin Bishop Group, early 1970. (L-R) Bishop, Jo Baker (vcls), Applejack (harmonica), John Chambers (dr), Stephen Miller (kb), Kip Mackerlein (bs).
A flyer for one of the first rock shows at New Orleans House, 1505 San Pablo Ave (at Hopkins) in Berkeley. Notes From Underground played most of the week (Jan 11-12 and 18-19, 1967).
Jerry Garcia and Chesley Millikin, sometime in the 90s, probably. Location unknown.
A poster for the Grateful Dead and Country Joe & The Fish at Pauley Ballroom at UC Berkeley, on Friday, December 2 '66. The venue was in the Student Union building and held about 1000.
A flyer for The Grateful Dead and Sacramento's Working Class (later Sanpaku) at Kings Beach Bowl, North Lake Tahoe, CA July 12-13 1968
A flyer for Homer's Warehouse in Palo Alto. The Garcia/Saunders shows on May 4-5 '73 were broadcast on Stanford's KZSU-fm (the tape is lost, but we have Betty boards anyway).
Hayward Daily Review ad for Frenchy's (29027 Mission Blvd-Hayward), Friday June 18 '65. Phil Lesh made his live debut with the Warlocks. The band was fired afterwards. The Warlocks were not advertised.
The New Riders headline a Columbia Records show at the Ahmanson Theater in LA on May 1, 1973. Opening the show are label-mates Bruce Springsteen and Dr. Hook.
The Troy Times Record of Aug 25 '73 describes the NRPS concert the night before at Lebanon Valley Speedway
Palo Alto Keystone ad (Sf Chronicle Oct 2 1977). Bill Kirchen and The Moonlighters played one of the first KFAT broadcasts from the Keystone
SF Chronicle listing for the Keystone in Palo Alto, August 8 1977. Contrary to popular memory, the name of the club was "Keystone" not "Keystone Palo Alto."