Tracks
Introduction by John Scher
Bertha --> [8:36]
He's Gone --> [14:19] |
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Liner Notes:Concert Attendance Takes Planning Grateful Dead Fan is Happy, Satisfied Editor's Note: Press correspondent Martha Megill, a college student, was one of the thousands of youths in the audience at the Grateful Dead concert Saturday in Old Bridge Township. Her personal account follows. By MARTHA MEGILL I bought my $10 ticket for the Grateful Dead concert about a month ago and waited eagerly to hear and see one of the top rock bands in the United States. By Sept. 3, the day of the concert, the event had been widely publicized. The news stories told of road problems, security problems and, in essence, the problems that 100,000 young rock fans were to cause. Some of the concert-goers began to descend upon Old Bridge Township Friday. They wanted to make sure they were at the gate when it opened at 6 a.m. Saturday. But like many others, I preferred to spend Friday night at home. So my sister and I left our house at 10 a.m. Saturday, armed with beach towels, light jackets and a cooler filled with sandwiches, beer and soda. We dressed for the hot, humid day in shorts and sleeveless tops and, after an easy drive, got to Englishtown about 11 a.m. We pulled into a parking lot at the first sign of a crowd and followed a couple of groups of walkers. We soon discovered we were about three miles from Raceway Park. No matter. We were in a good mood and besides, walking is good exercise. As we passed through a residential area, a group of five or six people near us decided to rest. They sat on the edge of a lawn and within seconds a woman in the house started screaming obscenities, telling them to leave. Everyone laughed good-naturedly, and the group immediately rose and resumed walking. Someone shouted "Go with the flow, lady", and we all chuckled again. As we neared Raceway Park, the crowd thickened considerably but everyone walked at a good, steady pace. Cars and vans, a number of them from out of state, lined both sides of the street and many of their occupants lingered, not yet ready to make the trek up to the concert site. Several residents allowed people to park on their lawns for $3 or so. T-shirts portraying the New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Marshall Tucker Band, and the Grateful Dead, all due to perform, were being sold for $6 apiece. A large crowd was picnicking peacefully in a field just outside the entrance gate. It was noon, and we decided we'd go right in and get situated but discovered the security officials were checking all coolers. No cans, be they beer, soda or punch, were allowed inside. We were astounded. On this hot, humid day, they were going to take our beverages? We finished off a couple cans and put the rest in the pockets of my raincoat. We entered the park about 12:30 p.m. and within minutes saw a few friends. They had spent the night in a van and had entered the park at 6 a.m. when the gate opened. We settled right behind them despite the outcries of several guys behind us who joked that we were taking their front porch. The sun was hot and many persons were sprawled on blankets and towels, relaxing as if they were on the beach. Most of the guys had their shirts off. Several times throughout the afternoon, we dunked their shirts in the coolers filled with melting ice cubes and squeezed them out over our heads. A guy behind me had a water pistol and he refreshed us with an occasional stream on our necks. To the surprise and approval of us all, the New Riders began to play at 1:30 p.m., one half-hour ahead of schedule. They played for an hour or so. After an hour's intermission, the Marshall Tucker Band performed for a comparable length of time. For those of us farther then halfway back from the stage, the two bands were barely audible. Rows of portable johns were continuously in use and I'd guess the average wait in line was less than 10 minutes. My first trip there was early in the afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised to find them clean and orderly. My second trip was several hours later and conditions had deteriorated significantly. I did go again. By 6 p.m. the air had cooled slightly, and a nice breeze helped many sunburned backs. The clouds had broken up, eliminating the threat of rain, and we all were relaxed and happy. It was time for the Dead. They came on stage to a standing ovation, their skull logo hung behind them, and the crowd clapped approvingly. Their opening song proved to be no louder than the previous music, and those of us toward the back immediately began a resounding chant. Through the next several songs, the sound improved gradually with each increase of volume bringing a round of applause. By the last set the sound was great, and we were ready for the highlight of the entire day, when the Grateful Dead played "Truckin'." The whole crowd rose for that song, clapping and dancing. One hundred thousand people were ecstatic. The Dead played a lengthy version of the lively tune, and the audience roared with each additional verse. After "Truckin'," the Dead left the stage but within minutes returned for an encore. By this time, people were readying for their departure. Many were heading for the exits. When the song ended, the Grateful Dead left the stage and 100,000 people left Raceway Park as quickly and quietly as 100,000 people could. Like a few others, my sister and I had difficulty retracing our three-mile hike in the dark. We asked several police officers along the way for assistance. They were very friendly and helpful. We probably walked six miles before finding our car. But we laughed, we sure did a lot of "Truckin'." I had been at this massive rock concert scene for over 12 hours. I did not see the Hell's Angels. I did not see any violence. I saw only one injury. A minor one, a cut foot, though I know there were more. But I agree wholeheartedly with the many bumper stickers I saw. "There Ain't Nothin' Like A Grateful Dead Concert." Because Saturday at Raceway Park 100,000 young adults got together to relax, hear some excellent music and have a real good time. Asbury Park Press 9/6/77
People of Earth... Greetings from the great beyond. I am contacting you at this time to assure you that all is well and to let you know that Dick's Picks shall continue in my absence just as before. My plans for future releases are well known to my teammates and they have sworn with their blood to remain true to the cause. I hope this release will alleviate any doubts concerning my posthumous powers. The Archivist formerly known as Dick
CAVEAT EMPTOR This release was digitally mastered directly from the original tapes. It is a snapshot of history, not a modern professional recording, and may therefore exhibit some minor technical anomalies and the unavoidable effects of the ravages of time. |
Credits:Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia: Lead Guitar, Vocals Recorded by: Betty Cantor-Jackson
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