Grateful Dead concerts parking lot scenes

[einmusiker]

Anyone ever been to a GD concert? The parking lot scene can be a lot of fun. I remember going when I was a kid back in the early 90's and it was a blast. People are nice and peaceful and it's a genuine environment. Phish shows just weren't the same so I stopped after only 1. Are there any scenes nowadays similar to what the GD used to have? Are the days of peaceful partying over for good?

 

[glocke12]

My first dead show was back in 1982. I saw a few dozen shows between '82 and '89, and saw the parking low scene transition immensely in the late 80's, especially following the release of Touch of Gray. Towards the end of the 80's the scene got larger and larger, and there were many, many more people that were starting to show up just for drugs, I also started seeing more fights at this time also, many more drunks than I saw previously, etc.. It was sad to see these changes occur, even camping out at venues started to get prohibited.

Of course, there are also the heads who followed the band in the 70's and complained how different the 80's were.

I've seen phish a few times over the past ten years or so. There is simply no comparison between the dead scene and phish scene. Im not saying one is better or one is worse, they are both just completely different.

There is, was, and never will be anything like a Grateful Dead concert.

 

[einmusiker]

My first dead show was back in 1982. I saw a few dozen shows between '82 and '89, and saw the parking low scene transition immensely in the late 80's, especially following the release of Touch of Gray. Towards the end of the 80's the scene got larger and larger, and there were many, many more people that were starting to show up just for drugs, I also started seeing more fights at this time also, many more drunks than I saw previously, etc.. It was sad to see these changes occur, even camping out at venues started to get prohibited.

Of course, there are also the heads who followed the band in the 70's and complained how different the 80's were.

I've seen phish a few times over the past ten years or so. There is simply no comparison between the dead scene and phish scene. Im not saying one is better or one is worse, they are both just completely different.

There is, was, and never will be anything like a Grateful Dead concert.

kinda sad

 

[glocke12]

kinda sad

yep...if you havent seen it, check out the "Grateful Dead Movie">

 

[brunetmj]

In 1989 myself and two vietnam veteran friends went to rich stadium in buffalo Ny to see the dead. Sting was the 2nd band. One of my friends claimed we missed the 60's (early 70's) because of our military duties so we had to make up for it. I could only stand a short time inside the stadium because of 50k people was more than I could tolerate. I left early leaving my two friends inside.
I went into the parking lot and met a group of people who were partying. I had the time of my life out there and even today it remains a very fine memory .

 

[samiwas]

I've never went to a Grateful Dead show, so I don't know the exact scene. I guess it depends on what scene you're looking for. A bunch of peace-and-love hippies in drum circles, selling burritos and handmade patchouli-scented soaps, and living in their VW van with two dogs? Probably not so much anymore...I can't think of a band that has that sort of scene anymore.

However, a few bands with similar scenes, from what I have seen are:
- Widespread Panic (saw them the other night)...there was a whole section of the parking lot with people and tents off their vans...like a little flea market...selling homemade foods and goodies, and a ton of people tail-gating and partying, sharing beers and bongs...
- String Cheese Incident...they aren't touring anymore, but get together every now and then...fairly hippie scene there
- moe. ...probably not quite the same, but a fairly party-type tailgating thing at most shows.

Those are just a few I can think of.

 

[Mr. McMac]

I've been to about 10 Dead shows starting way back in 1969 at the Fillmore East in NYC. Never seen them at a place that had a parking lot. (all the shows were in manhattan) One of my favorite bands of all time...

 

[iBlue]

I've only been to 3 Dead shows, all outdoors (Shoreline being my fav) in the early 90's, and each one was a completely special and brilliant time. The parking lots were fun but of course so was being in on the grass.

 

[glocke12]

Hard to explain unless you were there...but the dead scene/parking lot scene up to the early/mid 80's was just alot more than tailgating and peace and love hippies...In the late 80's, as I mentioned before, things changed drastically. More people were showing up just to get drugs, more people than ever before were showing up who didnt have tickets, etc...


Ive been to shows by all of those bands you mentioned, and the scenes at those shows really arent the same...they are/were similar in that you have a large population gathered together partying and hanging out , but the similarity ends there. There was just a whole different type of energy at dead shows and in the parking lot that I just have not run into at any other show....I dont think it was any one thing, it was the combination of that particular subculture, the music, and the substances that people ingested while listening to that music.

I've never went to a Grateful Dead show, so I don't know the exact scene. I guess it depends on what scene you're looking for. A bunch of peace-and-love hippies in drum circles, selling burritos and handmade patchouli-scented soaps, and living in their VW van with two dogs? Probably not so much anymore...I can't think of a band that has that sort of scene anymore.

However, a few bands with similar scenes, from what I have seen are:
- Widespread Panic (saw them the other night)...there was a whole section of the parking lot with people and tents off their vans...like a little flea market...selling homemade foods and goodies, and a ton of people tail-gating and partying, sharing beers and bongs...
- String Cheese Incident...they aren't touring anymore, but get together every now and then...fairly hippie scene there
- moe. ...probably not quite the same, but a fairly party-type tailgating thing at most shows.

Those are just a few I can think of.

 

[samiwas]

Hard to explain unless you were there...but the dead scene/parking lot scene up to the early/mid 80's was just alot more than tailgating and peace and love hippies...In the late 80's, as I mentioned before, things changed drastically. More people were showing up just to get drugs, more people than ever before were showing up who didnt have tickets, etc...


Ive been to shows by all of those bands you mentioned, and the scenes at those shows really arent the same...they are/were similar in that you have a large population gathered together partying and hanging out , but the similarity ends there. There was just a whole different type of energy at dead shows and in the parking lot that I just have not run into at any other show....I dont think it was any one thing, it was the combination of that particular subculture, the music, and the substances that people ingested while listening to that music.

Yeah, I really don't think you're going to find the same thing any more. That was before the internet, before TV covered every inch of life...just a different time.

 

[glocke12]

Also, one thing alot of the younger people (late 20's to early 30's) don't realize is that there were people that followed the band around for years. I personally know one guy that had followed the band for over ten years straight, from around 1971, through the Europe 72 to tour, and Egypt until the early 80's he pretty much made his living off of dead tours.

This thread is really bringing back memories.

I remember one show some guy asked me if i wanted some hash, I said yes, and he shows me brick after brick of hash from afghanistan stamped with the symbol for the Mujahadeen....

Yeah, I really don't think you're going to find the same thing any more. That was before the internet, before TV covered every inch of life...just a different time.