Our major ticket hub was an apartment in the Haight with a wall chart, with all who were assigned a ticket box office there to wait for sales to begin. I was part of a subset of that operation with a few that were waiting in a small number of Central Valley box offices. I had to work and left my fate in the hands that were gathering what they could. All in all, everyone got a ticket! Kudos to Marc, Karen and Scott who lived in that apartment on Cole.
Needless to say, we were all excited. I made my stand on the sidewalk, around the corner just before the curb cut for a drive-in door. We had other friends nearer the main door, but I felt that I needed to pay my dues and got comfortable on some foam and a sleeping bag. After all, this was the last night that I could do so at Post and Steiner, waiting for The Show.
We secured our balcony seats, the Dark Star banner was to our right. It gave me some time to walk around the old barn, just one more time.
I remember being fed warm soup by Bill and BGP. That really hit the spot on a chilly morning. We all shoved our bed rolls into my car and got back in line to wait for the door to open. I remember that mom and pop store up the block that was the only store around. What a scene! As the day rolled on, we took turns getting cleaned up at apartments in the Haight. Then as the sun was setting, the doors opened.
We secured our balcony seats, the Dark Star banner was to our right. It gave me some time to walk around the old barn, just one more time. My first show at Winterland was BB King, Albert King, and Malo; I saw some great shows there. That first show in high school was shared with Marc Francis, who also sat in that balcony row this night. Full Circle, eh? I enjoyed looking at all the hangings on the balcony of the greats that played Winterland. The halls were buzzing like a Southern summer night with fireflies in the air. Winterland was the S.F. place to be that night as I passed Herb Caen in the hallway, with Franken and Davis and a bit about auctioning Jerry’s finger for Jerry’s Kids.
After a blistering Blues Brothers set, well, it happened. While distributing electrical enhancement, a fellow Deadhead spilled a small vile of said enhancement all over my head. Knowing that I had under an hour, I packed my camera safely away, got comfortable for the ride and right about New Year’s as Bill flew over my head, well, the night REALLY got under way!
Sadly, no one song really sticks out — but THE COLORS! Brokedown Palace really seemed to have deep meaning as this was the last night for live music in that hall. Spinning dancers weaving in and out of the notes of Scarlet will always be in my Winterland memories, plus Fire on the Mountain and Winterland seem to go hand in hand as they did so this night. When the last notes echoed out the door, so did we, with a bag full of goodies to greet the day, literally! Somehow, I purchased a Blue Rose T-shirt that made it home with me that night.
Music is a big part of my life and we were losing our meeting hall that night. I was an emotional train wreck, but had to gather myself. Most of our group was heading for the Marin Headlands to watch the day begin. I had to get a few people back to the Valley, and yet, as I got on the Bay Bridge, I felt I was going the wrong way. I have no idea how I navigated the valley tule fog, but I made it. That was a trip using GPS before it was invented, if you know what I mean.
~Preston Stedman