Three others and I drove up from the San Fernando Valley the day before NYE, we camped out in Scotts Valley at a campground in freezing weather. When we went to Winterland, we stood in line all day; I remember there was a church on a street across or maybe in the parking lot and they were all singing and rocking out to gospel music while we waited. I checked and December 31 it was a Sunday. Now we didn’t have tickets and there were four of us, not sure if it was sold out, but we waited what seemed like hours and hours, but it’s all a bit fuzzy after all these years.
As we got near the ticket window someone opened a side door and we all ran in. We just kept running. We ran up some stairs and sat in some empty balcony section overlooking the venue.
They were playing the “Animal House” movie! I was so confused. Had we snuck in to the wrong venue? I think we had done some LSD, but don’t quote me on that, again a bit fuzzy after all this time. We had waited all those hours and they were playing a movie? I remember when the Blues Brothers came on, John couldn’t hear the music, so he climbed up the front of a massive wall of speakers and put his ear to the blaring sound.
I watched the dancers, not sure what to make of it, since I’d never been to a Dead show, but it was amazing! I found a vial with some tiny pills, I think it was hits of acid, and I gave it to the people I was with. We hung out all night, and BGP served breakfast in the morning. That was my one and only Grateful Dead concert, and I have no memory of after the show.
I continued to listen to the Dead for most of my life, but then started listening to Jimmy Buffett, became a parrot head, and followed him for the last 40 years, attending over 50 concerts throughout the years. Two years ago, my best friend had an extra ticket for Dead & Company and invited me to attend. That was my second show! My husband of 2 ½ years was a Deadhead, but when Jerry passed, he stopped going to shows. I took him to a local Dead cover show in Ventura, Skulls and Roses. He had so much fun I talked him into seeing Dead & Company this year and now he is back on the bus.
~ Diana Monasterio Evans