I’d just moved to Los Angeles with several pals from the East Coast. I was 21, fresh out of college, and excited to start an adventurous new life in California. Having our collective minds blown at our first California Dead show at Winterland in October ’78, returning a few months later for the closing of Winterland was a no brainer.
Of course, since we lived in L.A., we had to see the UCLA show the night before. Resting up before our big New Year’s Eve trip never once occurred to us. While I don’t recall much from the UCLA show, other than loving it, I do recall being extremely tired when we boarded the plane to San Francisco the next day. Waiting all day in line outside Winterland didn’t faze any of us. I remember it being one long party that included a brief glimpse of Billy and Mickey cruising by in a white stretch limo.
Once inside, we headed up to seats on the side. During the show’s opening acts which included the movie “Animal House” and the New Riders and Blues Brothers, I was nodding out at times from the previous night’s lack of sleep and late-night partying. At around 10:30 p.m., we all swallowed our little piece of square paper and walked down to the floor. By 11:30, we were extremely awake, extremely close, and extremely ready for midnight and the band. As the countdown to midnight began, I recall being about 15 feet from the stage as Father Time descended upon the crowd. The “10-foot-long burning ember of marijuana” sailed right over my head so close that I could practically touch it when it landed on the stage.
At around 10:30 p.m., we all swallowed our little piece of square paper and walked down to the floor. By 11:30, we were extremely awake, extremely close, and extremely ready for midnight and the band.
Then about 2.5 seconds after hearing Aykroyd say “Happy New Years’ Ladies and Gentleman!” I heard a very large BOOM! and then was immediately engulfed by large multi-colored balloons and swarms of confetti. As the band launched into Sugar Mag, I can recall Bobby kicking balloons out of his way while he played, trying to make more room on the stage. Even Jerry was taking a swat or two at balloons with his foot. As we all yelled, laughed, and screamed with glee, with eyes, ears, and mouths wide open, a large piece of flying confetti landed squarely in the back of my very parched throat. I began choking instantly and my gleeful face quickly morphed into panic. Just as I felt I was going to choke, pass out, and sink into a sea of dancing feet, I somehow mustered up enough salvia to swallow that damn piece of confetti. As I began regaining my previously blissful state of mind, the band transitioned into my all-time favorite song, Scarlet Begonias, and the crowd began to sway as one. From that point on, through three sets of glorious music, it was nothing but wonder and joy.
After the show, around 4 a.m., I think, I don’t recall exactly what was handed out, but I do remember it being a great tasting breakfast. It still amazes me that somehow all us Deadheads in various states of consciousness were able to form a single-file line and calmly move through a makeshift buffet. When we rolled into the outdoors, I remember thinking the “sky is yellow and the sun is blue.”
We went directly to SFO and flew home to Los Angeles arriving back at our warm sunny L.A. apartment. Thoroughly spent, I went right to sleep until my alarm went off at 6:00. I thought it must have been 6:00 in the evening, but no, it was 6:00 the next morning and time for work. I literally had slept 18 straight hours!
~ Anonymous