Jump to content

It was 20 years ago today...


Tyler

Recommended Posts

FLASHBACK : JUNE 15, 1992

In June 1992, just a few months before my 21st birthday, I flew home from Germany on my first leave after more than 18 grueling months serving as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army Infantry.

After one long continuous grind from Ft. Benning, GA for Infantry and Airborne training to over a year with the 502nd Infantry, U.S. Army Berlin Brigade, including a combat assignment on the northern Iraqi border in '91, I was ready for a break.

The occasion was my brother's HS graduation, but making sure to get the most I could out of a precious few weeks of stateside leave we caught three shows between June 14 and 20, two at Giants Stadium and then RFK.

The second show of this little mini-tour was June 15th, Monday night in lovely East Rutherford. (Back in Germany that same day was the first Berlin Air Show since the 1930's. Frankly, they could have told me that a UFO had been unveiled and I wouldn't, to this day, trade anything for the experiences I had and the memories I still have of that day seeing the Dead).

The Heads were in full crazy, as expected.

Here's the Stadium before the show:

100401_Giants_Stadium-300x225.jpg

And after:

StadiumDemolition1-300x200.jpg

Of course, I kid.

Steve Miller Band opened the shows on that tour. New respect was had for the Space Wrangler's blues chops and Norton Buffalo's scorching harp riffs after a pretty rockin' warm up set.

Our seats were somewhere in the ozone layer section, so towards the end of Steve Miller we (along with a streaming hoard) basically vaulted over the lower seating section wall 15-feet down onto the field and ended up in the 20th or so row for the whole show.

The band got off to a slow start, but the 2nd set was outright ethereal, with a feeling like the air was swirling cosmic syrup...this as a stone sober Army grunt only just beginning to discover their full body of work, 6 years into listening but still struggling to tap into the vast underground well of live recordings.

Certainly the performance was nothing any picky purist or era-snob wouldn't summarily dismiss the same as any other show from their later years, warts and all. But the magic that was present there at creation in that moment, beyond just the music, was unforgettable. I truly felt at times like Jerry's crystal clear notes, after completely permeating the air in that stadium, were floating up into eternity.

The So Many Roads is perhaps one of the finest ever, leading right into a beautiful, nearly-flawless Terrapin. Jerry sang both with shattering soul and emotion, even with his voice strained and fading after so many years. (If you clink the links to listen, they are from the recording I think best captured the ambience and beauty....from the audience.)

Anyhow, I ramble. (I wrote a longer reminisence here). Just wanted to share the joy 20 years on. What a blessing to have been able to see them play, no matter when or where, whether many times or few or even just one...

Anyone else here go to this show?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

I was there .... if you look close I am the driving the bulldozer ... :huh:

anywho .... was a Bertha involved or was that the next summer ??

I shall answer my own question ... .just looked it up... it was the next summer .... giddy freaking up !

loved me some Giants stadium ....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Forum MVP

Great Roads...I've always loved it, especially the solo. Something about it always struck me. It's so much more understated than the 9/18/94 Shoreline version (Roads doesn't have many great solos, but that one is known as the best--by both AP and Reuters), but this Giants version hits something that is special.

Great story and write up Tyler.

As per your last question, I never admit to going to any particular Grateful Dead show....sorry.

My older brother (who is my lawyer) cautioned me against this a long time ago and, for some reason I'm not entirely sure about, I've stuck to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...