G.B.3: September 22nd in Grateful Ben History

09-22-87 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa. (Tue)
1: Hey Pocky Way, Althea, Rooster, Push Comes to Shove, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Ramble On Rose, Cassidy > Deal
2: Gimme Some Lovin*, China Cat> I Know You Rider> Samson> Terrapin> Drumz> Two Soldiers Jam> Wheel> Truckin> Stella Blue> Sugar Magnolia E: Baby Blue
*with Spencer Davis

09-22-88 Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. (Thu)
1: Shakedown Street, Minglewood, Candyman, BIODTL> Greatest Story, To Lay Me Down, Cassidy> Deal
2: China Cat> I Know You Rider, Tom Thumb Blues, Estimated> Eyes> Drumz> Need A Miracle> Mr. Fantasy> Hey Jude Finale> Lovelight E: Brokedown
22 beat "BIODTL"

09-22-91 Boston Garden, Boston, Ma. (Sun)
1: Shakedown, C. C. Rider> It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry, Me & My Uncle> Maggie's Farm, B. E. Women, Let It Grow
2: Samson, Iko Iko, L. L. Rain> He's Gone> Nobody's Fault But Mine> Spoonful> Drumz> Last Time> Stella Blue> Sugar Magnolia E: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
last "Nobody's Fault": 09-03-85 [450]

Well, I couldn't let the day pass without posting this day in Grateful Ben history. Fall tours were always ripe for lots of shows, depending upon the proximity of the Jewish holidays.

In 1987, I was attending the University of Maryland at College Park. Home of the Maryland Terrapins, Terps for short. Attending is kind of a loose term but I was enrolled and made it to the classes that I didn't withdraw from for failure to attend due to lots of shows. Kind of circular reasoning. I remember riding to the Philly show with John Wynn, a fellow student at Maryland. It was a solid show with Spencer Davis to open the second set. After the show, we were tired and I think that we might have stopped at the Toddle House before returning home. There was another show on 9/23.

In 1988, I travelled to New York City to see the Grateful Dead play the legendary Madison Square Garden. That was my first time seeing the Boys in NYC and they did not disappoint for the last three nights of a nine night run. I went to the show with Herb Symons, my fraternity brother from College Park. Herb had dropped out the prior year. He turned me on to some incredible music including Yes. I took him to see the Dead and he had a blast. Herb was very perceptive. He liked the way Brent Mydland, keyboardist at the time moved his shoulders and really got into the music. We were blown away by the titanic Shakedown Street - "don't tell me this town ain't got no heart, when I can hear it beat it loud." Some interesting cover tunes in the second set made this an enjoyable and somewhat different show from others of the same ilk.

Finally, the 1991 show was a decent show at the Boston Garden and the setlist looks good on paper - at least the first set and parts of the second set. But it was a decidedly mellow night and my tape deck which had fried in Marblehead the night before put a damper on the evening. I'll have to dig out the tapes and revisit the show.

More posts later - I have to catch the train back to Westchester.