Me and a couple of friends had been following the band on this tour since the Spectrum shows in Philadelphia. Barton Hall way basically a glorified gymnasium. About the size of an indoor basketball court. No seating. After the show we went back to the rear entrance and waited for them to come out. A light snowfall was swirling around, big billowing flakes blazed like white fireflies as they caught the parking lot lights. Two black stretch limos were idling by the door. There weren't any other fans around, just some crew and university officials. The rear doors swung open and they all tumbled out. Each one of them was carrying a black attaché case. The band had been running their own label for awhile by now and we'd bought most of our tickets for this tour mail-order through the Grateful Dead office in San Francisco. These were not the custom made tickets that would be the norm about five years later. Scalping had already become a very real problem and Dead tickets were some of the earliest concerts targeted by those creeps. The band's initial response was to contract for blocks of tickets for each show they could get them for on a tour. My friends and I had all been on the Dead's mailing list for years at this point. Bulk ticket distributors seldom sold seats for the smaller, more obscure venues. The Dead office didn't mark up the prices either. None of us were speaking up as they exited so I did: “We've got first row for Buffalo tomorrow night!" I blurted out to none of them in particular as I held them up. “Oh yeah? Lemme see them" Phil said. I handed all four to him. Bill, Keith and Donna had gotten into one of the stretches and left. Looking them over, he asked: “Did you get these from our office?" “Yeah, we did. Mail order" I responded. Phil had handed a couple of them around to Jerry and Bob. Commenting to the others, Jerry remarked: “Well at least something's working" They all chuckled. I told them what a great show this night was and, for some reason repeated that the tickets that they were holding are for the first row in Buffalo tomorrow night. Bobby said: “Let me see all those" and he gathered them up. Jerry and Phil said goodbye and piled into the limo. Bobby slid in behind them, closed the door and they started to speed off, with our tickets! We ran after them yelling for them to stop. After a few yards, the limo stopped and the rear window dropped down as we caught up. We could hear them laughing riotously as Bobby's arm emerged holding the tickets, splayed out like a hand of cards. “See you tomorrow" he said though his laughter. When they took the next night at the War Memorial, Bobby and Jerry walked over to the lip of the stage, spotted us in our seats and waived. They kinda chuckled too cause we were doing balloons full of whippets. Bobby walked over to Phil and pointed us out. He looked over and down at us, smiled and waved too.

@kensaft1523

4 жыл бұрын

Terry Tolkin What a great tale. Thanks for sharing.

@RonCollins24

2 жыл бұрын

Epic!

@doodahman2995

Жыл бұрын

Awesome story. TREMENDOUS

@deyoungparker

11 ай бұрын

Best KZread comment ever. Great story 👏

@paulferranti8536

6 ай бұрын

Excellent…..I saw a lot of shows in 77 New Haven, Springfield, Passaic, Beacon, Englishtown , many more….

I went to Cornell and I was there. I remember it as a great show, but had no idea... Years later a Deadhead friend asked was I there and gave me a tape: I specifically remembered the "take a step back" chant to the crowd; I remembered Mama Tried because it was Mother's Day, and One More Saturday Night because it was a Sat. night. And I remember coming out the side doors of Barton Hall into the snow (in May), and some stoner saying, "Wow man, the Dead made it snow!"

@jamespriest9658

Жыл бұрын

I still have my student ticket stub and the shirt I bought, it's Bertha and says Ithica 77.. my children and grandchildren have seen Dead and Co at Red Rock, Phil and Friends at the Capitol. Lots of shows at Terrapin with the friends... It all started that night that nvr happened. Living in Napa at the ripe old age of 69, just went to c David Nelson, wow.. gearing up for the family coming to town in Feb for DSO at the Warfield in SF for my big 70. Last year Bobby sat in for a bit. But it doesn't matter, I'll be with both of my families. If uve never seen DSO.. freaking do it.

This is the show you give to your friends who have never heard The Grateful Dead. I am sure it has converted thousands into Deadheads! The music never stopped...

@jsngallery

6 жыл бұрын

good call, Reckoning was my introduction to them

@rsohlich1

5 жыл бұрын

It converted me a few years ago. I'm the exact same age as Jerry was at Cornell so seeing him be that happy inspires me to do more to improve myself and my lot in this life. Peace.

@terrapinflyer273

4 жыл бұрын

I think I might do this from now on. I always recommend 'The Other Ones - The Strange Remain' (since that's the album that found me in a pawn shop and got me digging for more) or 'Without A Net' (because of the epic reverb and delay effects, matched with unrivaled solid playing). But Barton '77, with it's high energy and fantastic immersion... it'll get you sweating lol.

@camd3611

4 жыл бұрын

no hampton coliseum 89 is the show to give to new heads. brent was so amazing bought a different energy

@JerryGarciaPOBox

3 жыл бұрын

11/30/73 is my introduction choice. But Cornell was in my first package of tapes when I began & yes, it was a real treat. Not my favorite era but wonderful show.

I was head usher for the show and actually sat up at the sound board. Makes my DH husband jealous every time he thinks about it!

This concert was mentioned by our guide (as a selling point?) when my daughter and I toured the campus.

i saw my first show in 66 last in 95 with some 700 or so in between, in 77 i was 24....only another head knows of the magic and depth and joy of the dead with captain trips at the helm, my favorite song was always the dew, nice video thanks

@henrydefeosr208

7 жыл бұрын

Dead and orange sunshine was a happy happy time!

@lilacrain3283

3 жыл бұрын

Have you watched Long Strange Trip on Amazon? There’s an absolutely beautiful story about the Europe 72 Dew in there told by the guy who recorded all of the shows on that tour

@JerryGarciaPOBox

3 жыл бұрын

@@henrydefeosr208 🚲 day coming up in under 2 weeks. & the high quality chefs have been resurrected! Thankfully!

I only missed this show by about 9,574 days. I’d give anything to have seen the dead with Jerry like my mom did when she was my age

My cousin would play me that bootleg when we were driving around as teenagers. Even as a kid you get it. That Scarlet / Fire (the whole set) is sacred- If you love the Dead ya get the chills every time ya hear it.

This show has become part of my musical DNA over the last 25 or so years.

This is a classic example of why you can't explain a Dead show. It's like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. Futile effort!

@camd3611

4 жыл бұрын

empty bottles that cant be filled

@sportsdadpw

4 жыл бұрын

Nicely said ! PERFECTLY EXPLAINED

@oixor387

4 жыл бұрын

Dear Liza, Dear Liza, There's Still A Hole In The Bucket And Henry Never Fixed It. :-)

@JerryGarciaPOBox

3 жыл бұрын

Yep. Kinda like trying to explain a life changing lsd trip. Language fails ...feel blessed to have seen them but even if i hadn't, just being alive to experience the brilliance. JGB 1980 is the equivalent of 72-74 GD for me. Something for everyone & every mood. ✌🏽🤙🏽 Don't forget to celebrate 🚲 day in under two weeks. 79 yrs! Thank you Mr Hoffman

@rhlang11

2 жыл бұрын

Jerry said it. They'r elike a prune danish or maybe licorice. Either way, if you like the Dead mostly likely you love them.

I've been so lucky to put my hands on the vinyl box set for just 40 bucks. One of the best pieces in my collection.

I was there and i remember waiting to get in a d it was not bright and sunnyIt was cold a raining.My brother and two other firends and a group of people were huddled under a piece of cardboard to get out of the rain.Also it was general admission so there were no chairs at allAt least where i was up front on Jerrys side against the wall by his feet.I did not move from that spot the entire concert. Including the break, afterwards i could not bend my knees for a while The snow was for real that was s absolutely true.May 8 and snowing, really snowing NOT a few flakes but heavy lake effect snowWonderful just great

45 years later and this monumental show sounds as fresh and wonderful as it did then. Though I didn't make it up to Ithaca, someone a few days later showed up at my friend's apartment with a reel to reel recording of the show. We listened to the entire show and were totally blown away.

I'm 54 , you guys make me sound old , I was right behind you , not everyone gets touched in the heart by the grateful dead

I never knew it snowed that night!

"It was a beautiful thing." If only they'd played Cold Rain and Snow it would have fit the after show weather and played out their greater connection to the universe as a whole.

I remember the first time listewning to the tape to the 2nd set and it was this awful audience tape tha sounded like a pillow was hung over the microphone. Yet, the music simply FLOWED out of the tape player and straight into my heart. The Dancin' set closer was a sign of what was to come. One of the quintisential Dead shows to have in the archive. Love to all.

Undeniably the best dew ever

7 people need to listen to Dancin' in the Streets.

@scottieruck

4 жыл бұрын

Haha. It’s 15 now.

@johnfaz7110

3 жыл бұрын

Make it 16

@neillbaxter9613

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaaa

@perryleduc1954

3 жыл бұрын

17 now

Every fan has their favorite era and songs. For fans who were there at the time, The Grateful Dead during 1969-72 were absolutely amazing with so much energy and cohesiveness it's astounding. Pigpen had a lot to do with that and it is obvious listening to the tapes and seeing the videos that exist of that period. The songs were brand new and evolving quickly. The Good Ol' Grateful Dead.

this reminds me of when i was in college and saw The Warlocks shows. All the deadheads knew each other on campus. Buddy a mine handed me a ticket for the show. Next day head from out from greensboro. Get in line for general admission. Got third row. Lights go down joints are fired up. Feel like a stranger POW

Happy Cornell Day! 5/8/24

All the folks are in their 60's and 70's now. Time flies

Best Dew ever.......

@sjeanmacleod

6 жыл бұрын

Almost tied with Europe '72 for me.

Im crying now

Beautifully done This fan doc had my emotions rolling from goosebumps to deep emotional love.

I was there. It was the end of my Freshman year at Cornell, and my first Dead concert. The woman in the film talks about folding chairs, but that is totally wrong. We all sat on the floor, or stood for most of it. At one point, just after the "short break" the band took, Weir did his standard plea to get everyone to take "a step back, and another step back, and another step back," to enable those who were up front, from getting totally crushed. That doesn't work with folding chairs! I fell in love with that music that night, but most of us had no idea how stellar a performance we had just witnessed. They came back to Barton Hall for another show two years later, but it wasn't quite the same. Garcia seemed to be struggling a bit, and it seems I remember that the Godchauxs were gone, and Brent Mydland was on keyboards.

@martinanderson312

5 жыл бұрын

But it sure looks like people in the first row or two at least are sitting in chairs! Around 3:50 when she mentions them.

My friend, David Gross, is the fellow with both tickets.

I love that one of the first images in the video is the steps of New Haven, MY first show 3 nights before Cornell. Yes it all changed that spring for many of us.

I really liked this! My friends and I could to tell you some stories of our first shows in the 90's. Even a Dew. I like the fresh perspective of this show told from fans rather than folks that worked for the Dead. That's something that really caught my attention because I've never seen you guys go in that angle, and the artwork looked really nice too. Well the artwork always looks good! I probably won't buy this because I've heard that show so many times throughout the years. It's like the most traded tape back in the day, and I probably don't need to go there. Peace!

It's a beautiful thing.

ahhh the much-ballyhooed May of 77! ballyhoo ballyhoo BALLYHHOOOOOO WOOOOO! Changed my life even though I wasn't alive to witness it. thankee!

That Scarlet/Fire was unbelievable.

Nice photos of the New Haven Coliseum!

I still have my student ticket. I went to Cornell because I fell in love with Ithica, it was an honest to God hippie town. I was a sophomore when the dead didn't come to town. Baaaahhhh. It didn't snow either. The show that never happened changed my life. I'm still on the bus. The Music Never Stops and neither does the DH community.

@Ddrhl

Жыл бұрын

And you didn't know the city is "IthAca" not "IthIca"?

There. Thank you.

Ithaca is gorges.

@namcat53

Жыл бұрын

It has some gorges.

Saw Springfield and New Haven that tour. Had a ticket to Boston and Barton but went to DC instead that weekend. Tapers back then made sure you didn't miss anything. I had a cassette a few days later.

Way before my time started seeing the grateful dead in the early 80s but definitely know what there talking about cool video 📹 ✌️🍄🇺🇲

🌹🎸Feliz Cumpleaños Jerry 🎸🌹🤙🏽🌏

You know.... a lot of things to work out......

saw this played at this years meetup at the movies!

May 1977--arguably the 4 greatest shows that the Dead ever did. I was fortunate to have attended the New Haven show, which unfortunately was fraught with technical issues and I think the reason why the show wasn't longer. It was still an incredible show.

@bluesriot2

Жыл бұрын

arguably

Top show

The Cornell show gets a lot of recognition but it was just one of many great shows on the 77 tours..The nights previous and following were also stellar shows..My favourites are the Winterland June 77 run: 3 great shows that equal Cornell in quality and energy..

@666les8

7 жыл бұрын

Danny...just cause you were on the west Coast,don't Bogart Cornell.

@djaminc

7 жыл бұрын

I love the Cornell show,still listen to it..I was just pointing out that the Band played many Great shows on the 77 tours that dont get nearly as much attention..It is a very strong show though.

@AnthonyKalamut

6 жыл бұрын

Toronto's Seneca College 11/02/77 was my first show... MOST UNDERRATED SHOW. Oddly how it's been added in both to Dicks and Daves Picks.

@will.a.benjamin

6 жыл бұрын

Agreed, objectively calling one single Dead show the "best" is pretty ridiculous. Cornell is great yeah, but it's a bit overrated.

@thomasgarbellotto2135

Жыл бұрын

@@djaminc Agreed. Cornell was a great show. I'll never understand why it gets as much hype as it does. Englishtown smoked it from start to finish. Period. Maybe people like the Cornell setlist more. The Dew was great. It gets too much hype, tas well. It was just the longest. 4/27/77 was much better.

Imagine your first show being Cornell ‘77….

I was at the Forum show the following month and I can say with authority that the Cornell show was at least 6.37% better.

Fucking bad ass man! I wish I would of had the chance to see them just once!!

@rodney2812

7 жыл бұрын

Hit your closest cover band and recognize that the music will always be there...even when the band no longer plays. The music never stops

@eyeforlife

7 жыл бұрын

watch for JRAD, Joe Russo's Almost Dead. Late 60s intensity, but with the whole repertoire to draw from. My fave of the current crop; they definitely get it. (caveat: none of the cover bands can do the ballads with the heart/soul that the Dead did...)

Got my Cornell Vinyl coming soon hopefully i get it by the 5th so i can listen to it on the day! I'd like to know what the vinyls look like but i guess it'll be a surprise when it comes im cool either way Everyone has heard this concert loads of times before but you've got to have Cornell dont ya?!

That,is Soo nice listening too music,ah is very powerful and polite Soo help mom,aDads too, yeah love mother or even father, Earth

I forgot to mention, this kinda blows it for Bob and Steve Parish, both of them claim that this show never took place!

I've been listening to the Dead since 1976, have had ~100 bootlegs, and have heard recordings of SO many shows. The Cornell show, to me, is o.k., there are far better examples of all the songs...so I am at a loss as to why this show, in particular, gets so much much love, It's by no means a bad show, but I don't hear the inspiration and magic moments that are why I love the Grateful Dead.

@campion10

2 ай бұрын

My guess would be that because it was from that earliest run of Betty boards and traded so widely, it was most people’s first stellar soundboard tape. One’s first true love occupies a special place in the heart.

Travis bean goat

@direwolf6234

3 жыл бұрын

goats love beans...

My uncle was at this show

This wasn't supposed to be a comprehensive documentary or anything, just some words and photos from people who were there. It was just fine, I'd never heard or seen any of it. It's like a long television commercial for the album. But more interesting.

The TLEO solo, eye watering every time. I've been a guitar player for 50 yrs. now and still haven't heard anything as moving. Unless of course, the second slide solo from RJ.

This is what DSO played at Wanee '17. Thank you.

@kevindelaney5440

6 жыл бұрын

DSO jacks off to the dead. they also have orgies with eachother and compliment each other on how well they play the parts of each band member. DSO is a secret BDSM collective

@cjnav7832

3 жыл бұрын

Long live the Wannee!

spring 1977 shows, aren't they all good? pretty much?

I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s film of this show. Why wouldn’t there be?

That was my 4th birthday. Lived in Big Flats, less than 50 miles southwest of Ithaca. And yes, I did not go. Because I couldn't. My 4 year old brain wasn't allowed to decode what a Grateful Dead was. And my parents were/are ultra-squares, despite owning an LP copy of "Surrealistic Pillow." They didn't get it.

Suh-weet!

4:28 , "Thanks Mom!"

This is the same show that some people think (or would talk conspiratorially) that never really happened, right?

@Bcrawlspace

7 жыл бұрын

Yep, Bob says it was a CIA experiment, nobody was there it was all in their minds.

@frateroiram_5706

5 жыл бұрын

@@Bcrawlspace Apparently Cornell University is an MK Ultra Institution : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Jolyon_West look under the MK ULTRA section

What did bob mean when he said the cornell show never happened

what is that hollow necked guitar Jerry is playing in the photos ?

@klaussmith

7 жыл бұрын

One of his 2 Travis Beans played in 76 & 77

@wiscotim100

3 жыл бұрын

TB 1000s starting in 76' as Wolf was being modified..in 77' TB500 modified ..he gets that amazing Jamacian steel drum sound going with this one..especially during Fires

I think the Dead were probably excellent in the earlier years, i.e. from 1965-1977. I saw them a number of times in the late 1980s and it was good-but nowhere near as good as the bootlegs from earlier times. Also in the late 1980s concerts the deadheads, or the concertgoers in general were not cool. It became exclusive, a clique, like 'hip-materialists' and a lot of rip-off artists lurking selling fake acid, lawlessness, etc. Even Garcia and Weir complained about the bad scene at the later shows, and said they'd cancel concerts unless attendees would stop causing so much trouble.

Where is “Cornel”?

Grateful Dead were CIA informants. Uncle Sam hiding out in a rock and roll band.

Great show. But Englishtown blew it away.

IMvHO:Some of the best music of the 2nd Millennium! We should make the footage a 3d 360 virtual reality experience... You were already stretching those 2-d photos out. We could go take scans of the room in NY if it is till the same... Call #VTVR

#Weirhere 2020

Wiow his first show.....a morning Dew......Englishtown 777 aint chopped liver either.....

Let me say first that I LOVE the Grateful Dead. However, something about this mini doc feels off. Like they hired some actors and had them read cue cards. Building hype for the official release of this show a couple years ago. Idk, js...✌

I thought the Dead played Egypt in '78. 😐

O.k., the special thing about that show is what exactly..?

@michaeltylerable

Жыл бұрын

You have ears right? You're able to hear right? If you answered yes to both of these questions then LISTEN TO THE DAMN SHOW AND ANSWER YOUR OWN QUESTION!

I love this show but any show from 74 or 78 easily beats Cornell, IMO.

@richardrybinski2320

4 жыл бұрын

bold statement but...ok

@michaelworse6034

2 жыл бұрын

Oh , I’d say the ‘75 shows from February’75 until march ‘76 , nine p.m were the best , but only if they have happened during full moon 🌕

Love the show. This clip is not to my taste.

I thought this show never happened? Or it was the first use of holograms combined with lsd or something

Amazon has it cheaper than Dead.net

@direwolf6234

3 жыл бұрын

don't send money to bezos....

third comment

Boomers had it the absolute easiest. Getting to experience this live for 7 dollars including gas is a crime against humanity. They should never be allowed to complain about anything ever again.

Wait a minute. There’s pictures of chairs. And they talked about getting smashed... Cornell never happened

Love Cornell '77 & for a longtime it was in my top 3. Not so much anymore. I think the high quality tapes that circulated gave it a boost. 72, 73, 74 all have better performances. The band was so much better w/just Billy. I have plenty of respect/love for Mickey but I just don't think he brought much to the band. Great Dew but compared w/11-30-73 it doesn't hold a candle. And an opener at that

The show NEVER happened, Never. Bob weir will tell you this.

@cannella617

Жыл бұрын

certified lsd moment

If you have been to a dead show, and know real deadheads you show be able to tell there is something off about these "concert attendees". Am I alone in this?!?

@jahnsahn7695

6 жыл бұрын

No. You're not. A dude gave me a CD of that show about 13 years ago and I was eager to listen to a show from around that time because those were the years my love for the Dead was most intense. In '77 I was 18, living a normal life, seeing the Dead every time they came to Chicago, and working, getting wasted, and listening to their music the rest of the year while I waited for them to come back to town. 1977 was the fourth time I had seen them and every time was magical but I know what you're saying about this clip. It's like watching interviews with people who claim they've been abducted by aliens. I fucking relished every show and felt sorry for all my classmates who had no idea what they were missing but the shows weren't life changing. Just a typical, magical Dead show like all three nights the following year when they played the Uptown Theater. Anyway, I listened to the CD and thought cool, but nothing super special. The shows I remembered in Chicago were way better. Now I come to find that this Cornell show is considered to be one of their finest live performances. Well La-Di-Fucking-Da. I'm so happy for them. But I have one question. Did they go see Neil Young and Crazy Horse in '78 for the Rust Never Sleeps tour? Now THAT was life changing. The last great Dead show I attended was in 1980. Didn't see em again until '85 and to be quite frank, it sucked, so I was done. And besides, I could always throw Europe '72 into the tape deck and relive those glory years, which I did quite often. When I wasn't going to see Neil and the Horse, that is. Forty years and 12 Crazy Horse shows later I'm still catching them whenever they go on tour while all the old Dead Heads are paying hundreds to go see a GD cover band. (pun intended). It's pretty difficult trying to get excited about watching someone playing Jerry's part in the band, I don't care who it is. In 2015 while my friends and family were literally paying thousands to see Fare Thee Well, I paid $75 to go see David Nelson and Buddy Cage three nights in a row in a nice intimate room. Buddy ain't Jerry but he showed up for the gig and he was fucking amazing. (No disrespect JG RIP) Your right Ian, there is something off about these mopes and it has nothing to do with mind control. They're just dweebs. See you later. I'm going to go look for my ticket stubs so I can prove I saw the Dead back in the day. Think they're worth anything?

@chrispruiett9370

6 жыл бұрын

jahnsahn76 You sound like you got issues man. And Bobby, Micky and Bill are still playing kick ass shows as Dead and Co., with Mayer doing a fine job. Can't please everybody but he can play and does not try to be some Jerry clone. I'm paying 45 to go see them in Raleigh next month. Basically all bands have overpriced tickets especially if you want to get close. You seem to be a whiner. Good luck finding those stubs snob lol.

Cornell is a great show, yeah, but it's still overrated. There are plenty of other stellar shows just from 1977...May and October '77 are amazing months alone. I don't believe anyone can objectively point out one single "best" Dead show...it's not possible for a band with such a huge reputation.

@mohammedguketlov5619

3 жыл бұрын

Englishtown stands right up there with it

actors

Snow? In May??? Hmmmm.......

@will_ta5571

3 жыл бұрын

Was Cocain falling from the sky?

Did someone have some shrooms or acid? I hope so.

@vx1320

2 жыл бұрын

Ofc they did

@vernal6944

2 жыл бұрын

Just the entire audience, as usual.

Personally i think its a bit overrated..good energy yes..but there were shows in the laye 73 run thay to me ate better

the show that never (really happened) happened ~ search google

There is nothing more cringe-worthy or obnoxious than watching or listening to DeadHeads talk about the Dead. I should know. I attended 357 GD shows and over 200 Phil and Friends shows. We brag (see above), we think what we witnessed was the most important event to ever take place, we try to top one another by EPIC shows we attended or the BEST version of a song ever played. Watching these earnest Deadheads go on about Cornell (an overrated show by any standard) is laughable at best.

what is the story on the guitar? Jerry is playing never seen that one.

Lol boomers