Sunday, September 11, 2016

Grateful Dead Co-Billings

Based on a discussion at Lossless Legs, I generated my own list of openers for the GD. This isn't really openers, so much as acts that were co-billed. In many cases, GD was opening for someone else. But given my Garciacentrism, and various technical limitations, this was the easiest way for me to generate a rough-and-ready list.

Additions, corrections, etc. welcomed!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16_atDKQStYhseTEFUZldfJx2gM5dh0qC-iK7czKG4W8/edit?usp=sharing

21 comments:

  1. Interesting to see how Steve MIller opened for them in 1966 and again in 1992, while Chuck Berry did in 1967 and again in 1995

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  2. This is an excellent resource, valuable to scholars everywhere.

    Although, to be clear, it only includes musical acts and not chimp acts (Nov 21 '70 and Aug 6 '76).

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  3. April 22-24 '66, an additional opening act was a Berkeley band called The Answer (pals with Loading Zone). "Celebrity Drop Ins" isn't really an "act"

    Michael J Brody opened on Jan 23 '70, but not Jan 24

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    Replies
    1. Also, The Sun And The Moon, September Morn, Pilfredge Sump and opened.

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    2. The Sun And The Moon, September Morn, Pilfredge Sump and opened both Jan 23 and Jan 24, add Brody on Jan 23.

      Dave Torbert probably the bass player for The Sun And The Moon, at some point I will find an excuse to blather on for at least 2000 words on this vital topic (since "who played bass for the New Riders" is a never-ending source of fascination for me)

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  4. Oct 2 69, Boston Tea Party, Doc and Merle Watson instead of Bonzo Dog Band? Wow.

    I'd love to hear Doc's version of "Can Blue Men Sing The Whites," but I guess that's ThoughtsOnTheDead territory.

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  5. A few additions: The Band opened on 8/1/73 and 10/20/84. The Allman Brothers opened (and sat in) on 6/10/73.

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    Replies
    1. The Band was Jul 31 and Aug 1 '73. Jun 9 '73 was Allman Bros/Wet Willie (Jun 10 was Allmans/Sahm)

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  6. Interesting. One minor correction: Los Lobos opened on 7/10/89 not the Neville Brothers. The Neville's sat in from Drums through Knockin.

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  7. Fun stuff. I believe Traffic opened on 6/24-26/94 in Las Vegas.

    Looks like 8/14-15/71 are repeated on the list, with the duplicates placing BCT in Austin.

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    Replies
    1. Traffic did open the 94 Vegas shows for sure

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  8. Some 1979 errors
    Feb 17 79 Oakland no opening acts (lists Aaron Neville and America)
    Aug 4 and 5 79 Oakland no opening acts (lists Charlie Daniels Band)
    Dec 31 79 Oakland Flying Karamazov opened, do not know about David Olson (I was there, and on time, and do not recall him)

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  9. More '79
    June 30 '79 Portland international Raceway GD/McGuinn Clark and Hillman/David Bromberg Band

    My take on this subject is here
    http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2013/02/opened-twice-for-grateful-dead.html
    But it could not be organized in a less useful fashion for crosschecking your spreadsheet

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  10. Sorry, I think it was Richard Olson with a 60 piece orchestra and The Flying Karamazov Brothers also.

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  11. NRPS opened 8/24/72 and 8/27/72 according to their website, but not 8/25/72

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    Replies
    1. So interesting. Betty taped the 8/25/72 NRPS set, so it happened.

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  12. Bid on a limited-edition watercolor artwork painted by Jerry Garcia to fight hunger! http://bit.ly/2dTfPXm

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