I loved going to Winterland to see the Dead, and I saw them a few times there before it finally closed. The first time was in ’75 for the sort of reunion show (the Bob Fried Benefit) that happened. I was with my older brother David and was a junior in high school.
For the closing night, I remember going up with my then ‘boyfriend’, Thad, and a few other friends. We met there the day before to get in line for the last show. The line was already around the corner from the entry doors, maybe about 20 people?
There was this guy that was always, always first in line. He had reddish hair, always in a ponytail, and a reddish beard. I never knew his name, but over the following years he got friendly with my younger brother Richie and me, and would say hi and chat.
Richie and I were notorious for being almost first in line in the years that followed. Anyway, the red-headed guy was first in line, sitting on the sidewalk with some blankets, etc. Anyone who went to Bay Area shows should remember him.
Another guy I remember there, and at most shows, was ‘Tex’. He was a character. Tall, long brown ponytail and beard. He was there, as usual, cruising through the crowd selling his “There Is Nothing Like a Grateful Dead Concert” bumper stickers, with the skull and roses. I still have a couple of those. He would dance around, singing. I remember him well. He was a happy-go-lucky dude.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were playing the night before closing, and we could hear the show from outside; that was great. We just spent the night, curled in blankets listening to the sounds inside, and the sounds of the growing crowd outside, which went on all night, people singing, playing cassettes of older shows, playing Frisbee back and forth across the street.
We watched early in the morning, or maybe really late that night, while the workers changed the letters on the marquee, as everyone cheered, to Grateful Dead, Blues Brothers, NPRS! I knew the lineup, but didn’t know who the Blues Brothers were. At the time, I didn’t have a TV, and hadn’t been aware of them. As I recall, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd pretty much blew the socks off everyone, including me.
One of my favorite memories of that night was the ticket taker, the slight, older black gentleman who chanted “Have your ticket out and ready! Have your ticket out and ready” with a big grin, laughing as we slapped him five going through. He was delightful. Girls in swirly dresses and sandals would give him hugs and kiss his cheek; everyone loved his energy.
I don’t remember the show that much, to be honest, blame it on, well, you know, but we rushed up to grab our favorite seats, as close to front row center balcony as possible. I think we got the balcony rail that night. Most people rushed for the stage. I was always a ‘balcony’ girl. There were those brothers that juggled, Karamazov or something? They came out for a little while to entertain as we waited.
Was that the night of the joints in red envelopes? I still have mine in its envelope. Bill Graham flew down from the rafters on a big joint at midnight, playing Father Time and tossing out joints, everyone with their arms and hands way up in the air, catching the zillions of balloons coming down, so much color and the balloons popping, and the Dead playing; I remember the euphoric feeling more than anything else. The Dead were ‘on’ that night. It was a long night with three sets, and it was light out when we left the show, I remember that. The experience was a once in a lifetime event.
~ Janelle Gistelli