Barton Hall Recollections

[Ed Holub]

Interesting read:

http://ithaca.com/main.asp?SectionID=16&SubSectionID=56&ArticleID=11053

[sonomajon]

Interesting read:

http://ithaca.com/main.asp?SectionID=16&SubSectionID=56&ArticleID=11053

Great read...and I would agree that there was a cosmic element woven into that whole day and night...It was the only show I attended with my brother and sister..so I may be biased as well...I bought my brother and his wife tix and a hotel to this Valentines day show...Have a great time everyone attending!

[chuckvegas]

Well done. I was there with several of my college touring classmates, two weeks before graduation. Coming out after dancing, rode hard and hung up wet, I was a bit under-dressed in the flannel shirt. And what Jon said - have a good show, y'all!

[John A]

Quite a meandering article, but a great read nonetheless.

I consider the legend solidified not because the show contained a rare Dew for the era, but because it contained arguably the greatest Dew ever. No small detail.

It's funny the taper saying he likes the audience tape because he can hear his friend shouting out "during solos." NOOOOO! I'm an audience tape fanatic, but to my ears the only way to listen to 5/8/77 is the DBX corrected Betty tapes.

[Ed Holub]

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to Barton Hall until 1981. At the time, I don't think I had a copy of the famed '77 show. So it was just another tour stop for us. and yes...it is a shed.

[found]

Great read...and I would agree that there was a cosmic element woven into that whole day and night...It was the only show I attended with my brother and sister..so I may be biased as well...I bought my brother and his wife tix and a hotel to this Valentines day show...Have a great time everyone attending!

Me and my brother got tickets for Christmas. Our original plan was to drive back to NJ that night but my parents felt better if we stayed the night in ithaca, so they got us a hotel for the night (Thanks!). Can barely contain my excitement. 3 more days!!!

[anddave]

Is this a good time to retread the "show that never happened" theory?

[chuckvegas]

Is this a good time to retread the "show that never happened" theory?

I love that theory. One night a while back I actually went and listened to the songs from various shows that supposedly were patched together to "create" 5-8-77. It is to laugh.

[anddave]

One night a while back I actually went and listened to the songs from various shows that supposedly were patched together to "create" 5-8-77. It is to laugh.

You are good - it took me like 3 days just to find most of the tracks, and it is QUITE to laugh as the alleged tracks don't match very well at all.

Now, the REAL story of the CIA and that show is

[chuckvegas]

Now, the REAL story of the CIA and that show is

...that the Company dosed us all with STP and sodium pentathol at the second Palladium show and May '77 was a collective figment...

[Stealyourboognish]

This was my first Dead show I ever saw. I was 16. My brother was a student there. He got tickets for my sister and I. We spent the weekend up there. The day before the show we hung out with my brothers friends playing frisbee. That night (5-7-77) we went to see Robert Klein the comedian. He was doing his show at another venue on the campus. The next day all I could think of was going to see my first show. My brother and sister weren't that into it like I was. I was already getting very into the band in the months leading up to this date. I remember listening to the live WNEW FM broadcast of the Capitol Theatre show in Passaic the week before. My friend actually taped it with a home 8 track recorder and he made me a copy. (my first bootleg) I had about 10 of their albums and was listening and trying to learn and remember every song I could. I didn't have any live tapes of them yet, (except Capitol Theatre 4-27-77) it was still a bit before my time to even know about such a thing on a big scale.

Because my siblings weren't that into it, I couldn't talk them into going up to Barton Hall early from my brothers house he rented, so I was like, I'll look for you at the show or I'll see you back here when its over. And that was it, I left and went up to the show by myself about 3 hours early to hang out, check out the scene and then get in line to get a good spot to go in fairly early already knowing that because it was general admission, it was going to be pretty tight. I got up there and it was pretty magical. Not because it was Cornell, but because it was my first time I saw "the scene" . Actually, it wasn't that much of a scene. Just a lot of happy folks getting ready for another show I guess. I didn't see all that much vending. Maybe one or two people selling t shirts from what I remember. It was pretty cold outside and a slight drizzle was in the air. Still though, I could feel the energy in the air. I got a good place in line and waited. When the doors finally opened, it was a slow entry through a door, then a ticket taker took my ticket and it was up a staircase and then the mad rush to the stage. I was probably one of the first couple hundred in. I ran to the stage. I managed to get a spot in the loose second row right under the turn of Keiths grand piano. I coudn't really see Keith but I had a birdseye view right down the line of everyone else to the right of me. Phil, Donna, Bob, Jerry in that order. When the lights went out and the show started, it was pretty packed down in front. I had at this point managed to secure my arm to the front row baracade. I held on pretty much for dear life for a good part of it. You might say I was being horribly smashed and a little buggeyed. I did a lot of those general admission scenes in my early days. A lot of swaying, pushed bodies up against eachother. Anyway, I kept my spot best I could and watched what I thought at the time was just the most surreal visual and sound. I was checking out Jerrys sticker on his guitar. It was so cool I thought at the time. That orange sticker saying the enemy is listening. I was trying my best to remember the setlist so I could tell my high school buddies when I got back. I knew just about every song except a couple. I remember asking someone next to me what song this was. (They Love Each Other) I did think at one point in the second set, they were playing Cosmic Charlie, but hey what do I know, thats just it, I didn't really know anything to compare or go by. I thought it sounded like that to me. I wasn't high either. That was a little before my time as well. It was all so new to me. I do remember a lot of the second set. That Scarlet/ Fire. I was familiar with that after just hearing it from the Capital show. The St Stephen was so clear to me at the time. It was unbelievable as was that forever Not Fade Away. ( it was in the transition somewhere that I believed was the Cosmic Charlie) Oh well, how green I was. I remember the Dew so clearly. I had listened to that Capital Theatre Dew a good many times that week. I was glad they had played another song I was very familiar with. And of course, the One More Saturday Night encore ehem on a Sunday night. That was weird I thought. The final memories I had from this night were, when I was walking back toward the exit, I saw for the first time the tapers, packing up there stuff. Just a couple of them here and there scattered about. Wow, I thought, that was so cool, I didn't even realize this sort of thing went on. Another learning experience. I remember hearing some people talking that they had been at like 5 or 6 shows from this tour alone. Another epiphany for me. I didn't know people were doing that too. The last thing I remember was coming out of that very hot place into the very cold snow coming down. It summed it up for me. As one of the most surreal experiences I had ever had up to that point and still to this day. I went on to see the Grateful Dead 726 more times after that. I always kept count. I don't know why. I saw the other 2 Barton Hall shows in 80 and 81. My 81 master tape still sounds great to this day. Oh, the 1981 show was also my 100th Grateful Dead show as well.

I went up to Ithaca a couple years ago for the DSO 30th anniversary of 5-8-77. That was a great ball! Thanks for that experience. I had such a good time at that.

Needless to say, I will be in attendence this Sunday. I hope they play One More Saturday Night.

[John A]

Steale,

That's an awesome story. Thanks for writing it, and thanks especially for the beautiful and vivid details.

I was about a mile away at the time (I grew up in Ithaca), although at barely 11 I was asleep in my bed. As it happens, I'm visiting my mom for a week starting Saturday, so I'll be at the Furthur some out of happenstance. It would be great to run into you and talk some Ithaca Dead!

[found]

That was a great story Stealyourboognish. I hope we get to meet up this weekend to shoot the shit and talk dead. I'll send you a PM.

[VincentPuleo]

that story was better than the article stealyourboognish

[chuckvegas]

You might say I was being horribly smashed and a little buggeyed.

Take a step back. And take another...step back.

Great telling of the tale. I assume that a little bit on down the road you did manage to get in 5 or 6 shows in a tour.

[sonomajon]

This was my first Dead show I ever saw. I was 16. My brother was a student there. He got tickets for my sister and I. We spent the weekend up there. The day before the show we hung out with my brothers friends playing frisbee. That night (5-7-77) we went to see Robert Klein the comedian. He was doing his show at another venue on the campus. The next day all I could think of was going to see my first show. My brother and sister weren't that into it like I was. I was already getting very into the band in the months leading up to this date. I remember listening to the live WNEW FM broadcast of the Capitol Theatre show in Passaic the week before. My friend actually taped it with a home 8 track recorder and he made me a copy. (my first bootleg) I had about 10 of their albums and was listening and trying to learn and remember every song I could. I didn't have any live tapes of them yet, (except Capitol Theatre 4-27-77) it was still a bit before my time to even know about such a thing on a big scale.

Because my siblings weren't that into it, I couldn't talk them into going up to Barton Hall early from my brothers house he rented, so I was like, I'll look for you at the show or I'll see you back here when its over. And that was it, I left and went up to the show by myself about 3 hours early to hang out, check out the scene and then get in line to get a good spot to go in fairly early already knowing that because it was general admission, it was going to be pretty tight. I got up there and it was pretty magical. Not because it was Cornell, but because it was my first time I saw "the scene" . Actually, it wasn't that much of a scene. Just a lot of happy folks getting ready for another show I guess. I didn't see all that much vending. Maybe one or two people selling t shirts from what I remember. It was pretty cold outside and a slight drizzle was in the air. Still though, I could feel the energy in the air. I got a good place in line and waited. When the doors finally opened, it was a slow entry through a door, then a ticket taker took my ticket and it was up a staircase and then the mad rush to the stage. I was probably one of the first couple hundred in. I ran to the stage. I managed to get a spot in the loose second row right under the turn of Keiths grand piano. I coudn't really see Keith but I had a birdseye view right down the line of everyone else to the right of me. Phil, Donna, Bob, Jerry in that order. When the lights went out and the show started, it was pretty packed down in front. I had at this point managed to secure my arm to the front row baracade. I held on pretty much for dear life for a good part of it. You might say I was being horribly smashed and a little buggeyed. I did a lot of those general admission scenes in my early days. A lot of swaying, pushed bodies up against eachother. Anyway, I kept my spot best I could and watched what I thought at the time was just the most surreal visual and sound. I was checking out Jerrys sticker on his guitar. It was so cool I thought at the time. That orange sticker saying the enemy is listening. I was trying my best to remember the setlist so I could tell my high school buddies when I got back. I knew just about every song except a couple. I remember asking someone next to me what song this was. (They Love Each Other) I did think at one point in the second set, they were playing Cosmic Charlie, but hey what do I know, thats just it, I didn't really know anything to compare or go by. I thought it sounded like that to me. I wasn't high either. That was a little before my time as well. It was all so new to me. I do remember a lot of the second set. That Scarlet/ Fire. I was familiar with that after just hearing it from the Capital show. The St Stephen was so clear to me at the time. It was unbelievable as was that forever Not Fade Away. ( it was in the transition somewhere that I believed was the Cosmic Charlie) Oh well, how green I was. I remember the Dew so clearly. I had listened to that Capital Theatre Dew a good many times that week. I was glad they had played another song I was very familiar with. And of course, the One More Saturday Night encore ehem on a Sunday night. That was weird I thought. The final memories I had from this night were, when I was walking back toward the exit, I saw for the first time the tapers, packing up there stuff. Just a couple of them here and there scattered about. Wow, I thought, that was so cool, I didn't even realize this sort of thing went on. Another learning experience. I remember hearing some people talking that they had been at like 5 or 6 shows from this tour alone. Another epiphany for me. I didn't know people were doing that too. The last thing I remember was coming out of that very hot place into the very cold snow coming down. It summed it up for me. As one of the most surreal experiences I had ever had up to that point and still to this day. I went on to see the Grateful Dead 726 more times after that. I always kept count. I don't know why. I saw the other 2 Barton Hall shows in 80 and 81. My 81 master tape still sounds great to this day. Oh, the 1981 show was also my 100th Grateful Dead show as well.

I went up to Ithaca a couple years ago for the DSO 30th anniversary of 5-8-77. That was a great ball! Thanks for that experience. I had such a good time at that.

Needless to say, I will be in attendence this Sunday. I hope they play One More Saturday Night.

American culture...personal stories...love it...thanks for sharing!

[sonomajon]

Barton Hall live on Sirius this Sunday....

http://www.sirius.com/gratefuldead

[arm]

I got loads of Barton Hall stories. Here's one: from 2003 - 2005, Cornell's president was Jeffrey Lehman. He was graduated from Cornell in 1977 and is the university's only president who is also an alum. He went on to clerk in the U.S. Supreme Court and serve as the Dean of the Michigan Law School. When he became Cornell's president, some of the local press - - naturally - - wanted to know if Mr. Class of '77, attended the show. Yes, he did! Amazing! I had the chance to meet him and asked him more specifically what he recalled about the show...the setlist...the crowd...his level of "perception", etc. Oops. Turns out he worked for the Concert Commission and spent the whole show selling candy bars in the lobby. (The entrance lobby is actually two staircases below the floor of the hall.) His memories? Zilch. Did I mention that he was a math major? Just sayin'

[Herdygerdy]

Thanks for the great read, Stealie!! I loved it!!

[chuckvegas]

I got loads of Barton Hall stories. Here's one: from 2003 - 2005, Cornell's president was Jeffrey Lehman. He was graduated from Cornell in 1977 and is the university's only president who is also an alum. He went on to clerk in the U.S. Supreme Court and serve as the Dean of the Michigan Law School. When he became Cornell's president, some of the local press - - naturally - - wanted to know if Mr. Class of '77, attended the show. Yes, he did! Amazing! I had the chance to meet him and asked him more specifically what he recalled about the show...the setlist...the crowd...his level of "perception", etc. Oops. Turns out he worked for the Concert Commission and spent the whole show selling candy bars in the lobby. (The entrance lobby is actually two staircases below the floor of the hall.) His memories? Zilch. Did I mention that he was a math major? Just sayin'

Well, I was '77 too, though certainly not Cornell. I'd say his professional career certainly went a lot better than mine, but I got a better show than he did. I wasn't a math major.

[Herdygerdy]

The only math I was good at in school was calculating grams, ounces, and lbs...

[chuckvegas]

The only math I was good at in school was calculating grams, ounces, and lbs...

Gotta love the metric system. It can be so precise.

[jfolks]

Stealyourboognish: glad to see you on here! love the name! finally, im not the only starhead who also loves ween!

of course there's also this (from the movie Conspiracy Theory):

Jerry Fletcher: You know why the Grateful Dead are always on tour? Beacause they're all British agents, intelligence agents. They're spies. Jerry Garcia himself has a 00 rating, just like James Bond.

Alice: Jerry Garcia is dead!

Jerry Fletcher: That's what they want you to think!

[Stealyourboognish]

Ween at the Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ May 20th. Goes on sale at noon in just 3 hours EST. Very psyched!

oops, I should've put this in other bands... sorry charlie

[Guest ignatz]

This was my first Dead show I ever saw. I was 16. My brother was a student there. He got tickets for my sister and I. We spent the weekend up there. The day before the show we hung out with my brothers friends playing frisbee. That night (5-7-77) we went to see Robert Klein the comedian. He was doing his show at another venue on the campus. The next day all I could think of was going to see my first show. My brother and sister weren't that into it like I was. I was already getting very into the band in the months leading up to this date. I remember listening to the live WNEW FM broadcast of the Capitol Theatre show in Passaic the week before. My friend actually taped it with a home 8 track recorder and he made me a copy. (my first bootleg) I had about 10 of their albums and was listening and trying to learn and remember every song I could. I didn't have any live tapes of them yet, (except Capitol Theatre 4-27-77) it was still a bit before my time to even know about such a thing on a big scale.

Because my siblings weren't that into it, I couldn't talk them into going up to Barton Hall early from my brothers house he rented, so I was like, I'll look for you at the show or I'll see you back here when its over. And that was it, I left and went up to the show by myself about 3 hours early to hang out, check out the scene and then get in line to get a good spot to go in fairly early already knowing that because it was general admission, it was going to be pretty tight. I got up there and it was pretty magical. Not because it was Cornell, but because it was my first time I saw "the scene" . Actually, it wasn't that much of a scene. Just a lot of happy folks getting ready for another show I guess. I didn't see all that much vending. Maybe one or two people selling t shirts from what I remember. It was pretty cold outside and a slight drizzle was in the air. Still though, I could feel the energy in the air. I got a good place in line and waited. When the doors finally opened, it was a slow entry through a door, then a ticket taker took my ticket and it was up a staircase and then the mad rush to the stage. I was probably one of the first couple hundred in. I ran to the stage. I managed to get a spot in the loose second row right under the turn of Keiths grand piano. I coudn't really see Keith but I had a birdseye view right down the line of everyone else to the right of me. Phil, Donna, Bob, Jerry in that order. When the lights went out and the show started, it was pretty packed down in front. I had at this point managed to secure my arm to the front row baracade. I held on pretty much for dear life for a good part of it. You might say I was being horribly smashed and a little buggeyed. I did a lot of those general admission scenes in my early days. A lot of swaying, pushed bodies up against eachother. Anyway, I kept my spot best I could and watched what I thought at the time was just the most surreal visual and sound. I was checking out Jerrys sticker on his guitar. It was so cool I thought at the time. That orange sticker saying the enemy is listening. I was trying my best to remember the setlist so I could tell my high school buddies when I got back. I knew just about every song except a couple. I remember asking someone next to me what song this was. (They Love Each Other) I did think at one point in the second set, they were playing Cosmic Charlie, but hey what do I know, thats just it, I didn't really know anything to compare or go by. I thought it sounded like that to me. I wasn't high either. That was a little before my time as well. It was all so new to me. I do remember a lot of the second set. That Scarlet/ Fire. I was familiar with that after just hearing it from the Capital show. The St Stephen was so clear to me at the time. It was unbelievable as was that forever Not Fade Away. ( it was in the transition somewhere that I believed was the Cosmic Charlie) Oh well, how green I was. I remember the Dew so clearly. I had listened to that Capital Theatre Dew a good many times that week. I was glad they had played another song I was very familiar with. And of course, the One More Saturday Night encore ehem on a Sunday night. That was weird I thought. The final memories I had from this night were, when I was walking back toward the exit, I saw for the first time the tapers, packing up there stuff. Just a couple of them here and there scattered about. Wow, I thought, that was so cool, I didn't even realize this sort of thing went on. Another learning experience. I remember hearing some people talking that they had been at like 5 or 6 shows from this tour alone. Another epiphany for me. I didn't know people were doing that too. The last thing I remember was coming out of that very hot place into the very cold snow coming down. It summed it up for me. As one of the most surreal experiences I had ever had up to that point and still to this day. I went on to see the Grateful Dead 726 more times after that. I always kept count. I don't know why. I saw the other 2 Barton Hall shows in 80 and 81. My 81 master tape still sounds great to this day. Oh, the 1981 show was also my 100th Grateful Dead show as well.

I went up to Ithaca a couple years ago for the DSO 30th anniversary of 5-8-77. That was a great ball! Thanks for that experience. I had such a good time at that.

Needless to say, I will be in attendence this Sunday. I hope they play One More Saturday Night.

John B is that you? sure does sound like your pedigree.if so drop me a line