First Time Seeing The Grateful Dead (Band Edition)

Jerry Garcia on stage at Winterland, possibly on December 12, 1972, which was the night I first saw the Grateful Dead (the photo may be from December 10 or 11)

It is a common thread of Grateful Dead fandom and scholarship to formally report the first time you saw the Grateful Dead. The extraordinary detail applied to the history of the band makes that especially easy. Rather than just reflecting on a foggy memory, like "in my college gym in the early 70s," you can say "at SUNY Cortland on April 18, 1971," with certainty that the gig really happened and the date is right. Knowing when and where someone first saw the band gives us insight into their perspective on the group.

Given our level of knowledge about Grateful Dead concerts, this post will note the first time any future member of the Grateful Dead saw the band. Any conclusions you choose to draw from this information are yours to consider.

 

Bob Weir was on the Menlo School football team in the 9th grade, during the 1961-62 school year. By Spring 1965 he was attending the nearby public Menlo-Atherton High School, and played a Spring dance at Menlo School in April 1965. (The photo is from the 1962 Menlo Oak Leaves yearbook [thanks Eric Schwarz {RIP}]. Weir is front row, 5th-L. 8th grader Matthew Kelly is 4th-R, same row)

Modern scholarship has placed the very first performance of the Warlocks at an April, 1965 teenage dance at Menlo School, which had been briefly attended by Bob Weir a few years earlier. At the time, Menlo School was a private boys school, designed as a kind of feeder to nearby Stanford University. The dance would have been a "Menlo Mixer," designed to introduce eligible young Menlo boys to equally eligible young women, from girls' schools such as Castilleja. The dance would not have been open to the general public, nor even likely open to anyone attending a public school. Jerry Garcia, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann never saw the Warlocks or the Grateful Dead perform, as they were members of the band from its beginning until they left the band or until July 1995. I am not aware of Pigpen attending a Grateful Dead concert when he was physically unable to perform.

Magoo's Pizza, 639 Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park, September 1968

ROBERT HUNTER
May 1965 Magoo's Pizza, Menlo Park, CA: The Warlocks
The Warlocks first public performances were at Magoo's Pizza, at 639 Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park. Magoo's was in walking distance of Menlo School, and apparently the Wednesday night shows in May were heavily populated by Menlo students. Many Menlo students were boarders, so they would have had little to do in the evening. Menlo School also housed a college, but only for Freshmen and Sophomores (and the school insisted that it was definitely not a junior college, just a Stanford feeder). So any restrictions on the High School boarders’ activities would not have applied to the college students.

The first Magoo's show was May 5, and the Warlocks also played May 12, 19 and 26. Robert Hunter has generally alluded to seeing the Warlocks at Magoo's, but we don't know exactly which show or shows he may have seen. David Nelson and John Dawson also apparently saw the Warlocks at Magoo's. Hunter never performed on stage with the Grateful Dead, of course, but he was a member if anyone was. He did not join formally forces with the band until September, 1967, however.

Magoo's Pizza, circa 1970, 639 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park (Girl Scout Troop 19 in front)

PHIL LESH
May 26, 1965 Magoo's Pizza, Menlo Park, CA: The Warlocks
Famously, Jerry Garcia invited Phil Lesh to see The Warlocks at Magoo's. Phil drove down from Berkeley, and had a great time. Afterwards, Garcia sat down with Lesh and told him that they would be pushing out bassist Dana Morgan Jr, and invited Phil to join the Warlocks. The fact that Phil had never played electric bass, nor even guitar, was not a consideration. Garcia offered to teach him. Lesh promptly moved to Palo Alto, and Garcia, Nelson and Eric Thompson gave him enough guitar tips to get started. Lesh played at the Warlocks next gig, a one-off at Frenchy's in Hayward on June 18, 1965.

A promotional photo (probably by Paul Ryan) of The Warlocks at The In Room in Belmont, CA, September 1965. The lettering on the bass drum was by Garcia roommate Rick Shubb.

TOM CONSTANTEN
September, 1965 The In Room, Belmont, CA: The Warlocks
Tom Constanten had met Phil Lesh at UC Berkeley in the Fall of 1961. Constanten was a formally trained pianist, and both Constanten and Lesh were interested in composing modern music. As we know from Jesse Jarnow's excellent Deadcast episode on TC, Constanten had regularly driven Phil from Berkeley to Palo Alto to visit Jerry Garcia and others. So TC had been part of the underground crowd in Berkeley and Palo Alto, even though he didn't play folk music. Constanten had been a student of composition at Mills College and in Europe, before joining the Air Force to avoid the draft.

By 1965, Constanten had enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Las Vegas. He had LSD connections from the Bay Area--remember, it was still legal--and shared it with some of his more adventurous friends out in the desert. One weekend in September, he visited Phil Lesh in the Bay Area. Constanten saw the Warlocks at the In Room in Belmont. At the time, Constanten had never played rock music, so it is unlikely that he anticipated ever becoming part of his friend's ensemble. 

In Fall, 1967, Constanten would join the Grateful Dead in the studio, creating some piano effects. By this time, he had played a few fill-in gigs with a Las Vegas rock group called The Demons, but only as a bassist. Nonetheless TC was invited to join the Dead as their organ player in late 1968, relegating Pigpen to singing and playing congas. After a few guest appearances, Constanten would join the group permanently on November 23, 1968, in Oxford, OH, a few days after finishing his Air Force commitments.

MICKEY HART
September 30, 1967 Straight Theater, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Sons Of Champlin
Mickey Hart had a chance meeting with Bill Kreutzmann at a Count Basie show at the Fillmore Auditorium, likely on August 20 or 21, 1967. The pair, along with Hart pal and student Mike Hinton, played drums and talked percussion around the city that night, and agreed to meet up (I discussed this sequence of events in detail in another post). Hart was invited to drop in on a Dead rehearsal, but couldn't find the location. There were some more crossed wires, but Hart managed to get to the Straight Theater on Saturday, September 30, 1967.

After watching the first set, Hart was invited to sit in with the band for the second set. Hart did so, and was immediately asked to join the Grateful Dead. Mythology aside, Hart did not actually appear again with the group until November (there is a photograph of the band performing on October 1, and there is only one drum kit). Nonetheless, Hart's journey from seeing the band to appearing on stage with them was the shortest, even though Phil Lesh appeared more quickly as an established member of the band.

VINCE WELNICK
March 8, 1970 Star Theater, Phoenix, AZ: Grateful Dead/Roxy
In 1970, Phoenix was not at all the major metropolitan area it has become in this century. The Star Theater, also known as the Travel Lodge Theater in The Round, was a 3000-seat venue with the stage in the center of the hall. The Grateful Dead, in the midst of recording Workingman's Dead, had played Saturday night in Santa Monica and then Sunday night in Phoenix. The opening act in Phoenix was the Elektra Records band Roxy, featuring old pal Bob Segarini from the Family Tree.

At the time, Vince Welnick was in a blues-rock band called The Beans, one of the most popular bands in the Phoenix area. Welnick attended the Star Theater show as a fan. About six months later, The Beans would move to the Bay Area, where they would struggle to get heard in the thriving San Francisco scene. On January 20, 1972, The Beans opened for Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders at the Lion's Share. By March 1972, The Beans would change their name to The Tubes, and go on to great infamy, although they didn't really make any money. Nearly two decades later, after playing with Todd Rundgren and other artists, Welnick was invited to audition with the Grateful Dead, and took over the keyboard chair from the late Brent Mydland. Welnick debuted on September 7, 1990 in Richfield, OH.

KEITH GODCHAUX
August 17, 18 or 19, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/New Riders of The Purple Sage
In Jesse Jarnow's exceptional Deadcast episode "Enter Keith Godchaux," Donna Godchaux describes seeing the Grateful Dead with Keith at Winterland on October 5, 1970 (see below). At this time, Donna (then Donna Thatcher) and Keith had mutual friends, but had not met. She said that Keith had already seen the Grateful Dead. Keith lived in Berkeley that Summer, and I am assuming that he saw the Dead at one or more of their Fillmore West shows on August 17, 18 or 19, 1970. It's also possible he saw one of the shows at The Euphoria (aka Pepperland) in San Rafael, on July 14 or 16, 1970. Given that Keith grew up in the Bay Area, it's also possible he could have seen the Grateful Dead even earlier.

Although Donna herself does not know for sure, the implication is that Keith had discovered the Grateful Dead relatively recently. Given that he lived in Berkeley, that points towards having seen the band at Fillmore West in August. Thanks to Donna, by September 1971 Keith would be rehearsing with the Grateful Dead for his October 19, 1971 debut with the band in Minneapolis.

DONNA GODCHAUX
October 5, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Jefferson Airplane/Grateful Dead/Quicksilver Messenger Service/Hot Tuna/New Riders of The Purple Sage
Donna Thatcher and Keith Godchaux attended a Grateful Dead concert on Monday, October 5, 1970. They fell in love, got married and a year later they would join the Grateful Dead. Donna was invited to join the band at the same time as Keith, but chose to hang back and let him establish himself first. She sang on one song on December 31, 1971, participated in the studio sessions for Ace in Winter 1972, and joined the band on stage full time at the Academy Of Music in Manhattan on March 21, 1972. She would remain in the band until Keith and Donna's final appearance on February 17, 1979 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

The October 4 and 5, 1970 Winterland shows were not Bill Graham Presents events. Graham's chief lieutenant, Paul Barratta, had taken over the lease at Winterland, much to Graham's displeasure. He also paid bands more than Graham would pay them at Fillmore West. Although the Dead personally liked Bill, they were perfectly willing to work with his competitors. Barratta was squeezed out of business by early 1971, and Graham took over booking Winterland again. He wasn't happy with any of the bands, but Graham needed the Grateful Dead as much as they needed him, so the whole episode was largely erased from all future recountings of the Dead/Graham saga.

 

Teenage Bruce Hornsby on the Fender Rhodes, playing in Bobby Octane and The Hi-Test Kids somewhere around Earlysville, VA in the Summer of 74 (also Bobby Hornsby (bass) and his future wife Ann (vocals))

BRUCE HORNSBY
March 26, 1973 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD: Grateful Dead
19-year old Williamsburg HS graduate Bruce Hornsby has often recounted how he saw the Grateful Dead at William & Mary University in Virginia on September 11 & 12, 1973. At the time, Hornsby was studying music at the University of Richmond.  The Grateful Dead played two nights at William & Mary. At the end of the show, the band announced from the stage that they would be playing a second night, and that the chairs would be removed so that everyone could dance. To all of the fans there, including Hornsby, this was a magical benediction--a great concert followed by an entire concert as an encore the next evening. Hornsby has told this story in interviews a number of times.

In Jesse Jarnow's Deadcast on "Stella Blue," however, a detailed Hornsby interview revealed an unknown twist. College student Hornsby indeed saw the Dead both nights at William & Mary, and it made him a Deadhead for life (among other things, at least). Yet it turns out it wasn't the first time that Hornsby saw the Dead. While still in High School, Hornsby had gone with his brother to see the Grateful Dead at Capital Center outside of Washington, DC, on March 26, 1973 [update 20241018: A Commenter pointed out that the Dead didn't play Cap Center on Mar 26 '73, but rather Baltimore Civic Center]. They were good enough that he went back the next semester when they played in Williamsburg, near his hometown, and it was the Williamsburg shows where Hornsby "got on the bus."

The Grateful Dead Summer 1973 newsletter listed two dates for William & Mary, even though only one was advertised. The second (General Admission) show was announced from the state after the first night.

As for the William & Mary show, of course, the second night had been planned in advance, but that was not revealed to the fans. Why it was handled in this way remains a mystery, since both dates were included the Deadheads newsletter. Bands will often book two nights and not sell tickets to the second night until the first night is mostly sold out, but it's very odd to not even announce the show until the day before. My suspicion is that the University was anxious about the General Admission requirement, and the Dead were adamant, and the compromise was that the first night had to go off successfully.

In early 1974, Hornsby would join a band run by his older brother Robert, called Bobby Octane and The Hi-Test Kids. The band played fraternity parties in and around the University of Virginia for the next year or two, mainly covering Grateful Dead songs. Hornsby went on to an extensive and largely successful career in Los Angeles, and later a substantial solo career which is still ongoing. 

Hornsby has described seeing the Grateful Dead at William & Mary, but has never mentioned that two horn players (Martin Fierro and Joe Ellis) joined in for some numbers, an unprecedented and essentially unique feature of the September 1973 tour. It's not clear whether he didn't notice or didn't recall. 

After meeting the band in 1987, Hornsby had jammed with the Dead on stage a few times. In August 1990, at a McDonald's in Walnut Creek (likely on N. California Blvd), prior to a Hornsby concert at Concord Pavilion, Jerry Garcia asked him to join the Grateful Dead to replace Brent Mydland. Hornsby turned down the offer. He did agree to help the Dead in any way he could, however, and thus became an adjunct member for the next 18 months or so.

BRENT MYDLAND
December 31, 1978 Winterland, San Francisco, CA: Grateful Dead/Blues Brothers/New Riders of The Purple Sage
Brent Mydland was from Brentwood, CA, near Antioch, although he ended up graduating High School in Concord, having been kicked out of his Brentwood high school (Liberty HS) for having long hair. He played in various local ensembles, before ending up touring with the Batdorf & Rodney duo in 1974 and '75, thanks to his friendship with bassist Rick Carlos. Afterwards, Brent made a forgettable album with the group Silver (which included John Batdorf). In late 1977, Carlos once again invited Brent to audition, this time for the Bob Weir Band, supporting Weir's new album Heaven Help The Fool. Brent toured with Weir in 1978.

The Jerry Garcia Band and The Bob Weir Band made a brief tour of the Pacific Northwest on the last weekend of October 1978. Garcia heard Brent play with Weir, and later said to Bob, "this guy might work." The Dead were unhappy with Keith Godchaux, and Keith and Donna's marriage was struggling, and it was clear, if unspoken, that a replacement would have to be found for both of them. Life would be easier for the Dead if a single performer could cover both the keyboards and the harmony singing. 

Sometime prior to New Year's, Weir had let Brent know that there might be some opportunity for him in the Grateful Dead. Keith and Donna Godchaux were also members of the Jerry Garcia Band, but they had booked no dates after November 3, 1978, clear sign in retrospect that change was afoot. Things were no doubt complicated by the fact that some late November Dead dates were canceled due to Garcia's illness, and had to be made up in January of 1979. Nonetheless, Brent and his girlfriend were invited to see the Grateful Dead at the gigantic party that closed down Winterland for the final time. I was there, too, and in fact the music wasn't that great, and the show wasn't really that well run, but if you were backstage wondering if this was a band you might join, those things probably didn't matter.

We are really in Thoughts On The Dead territory here, and we need Time Sheath technology that is not yet available to us. Yet I cannot help but wonder if some sort of Artificial Intelligence Facial Recognition software cannot be applied to any backstage footage, outtakes and all, to see if we can identify Brent peering into his own future.