Sunday, January 06, 2019

Garcia's College Gigs

I am fixing to submit research assistance requests to the archives of the various colleges Garcia played. Colleges and universities, bound up as they are with modernity and imbued as they are with a sense of their own importance, document themselves thoroughly. Having sniffed around a few archives already, I am hoping there are some interesting tidbits to be unearthed as, for example, with the Dead's Folsom Field gig (CU-Boulder) on 9/3/72, at which an attendee appeared to answer nature's call in the President's box, which seems to have been a factor in restricting concerts at the venue the following year.

Nothing GD here, and no GD-NRPS. When I exclude the sit-ins that go along with GD shows (e.g., with Elvin Bishop on 6/4/78 at UCSB), I come up with 106 distinct Garcia gigs at colleges and universities.

The chart below provides the over-time view. At some point, I'd like to present this as percentage of all gigs, but I don't have time right now.

Figure xx. Garcia college and university gigs, annual count
Below follows a basic list, roughly alpha by school's colloquial name.


Amherst
12/07/83         The Cage, Amherst College    JGB

Brandeis
11/14/82         Shapiro Gym, Brandeis University      JGB

Brooklyn College
04/04/75         Whitman Auditorium, Brooklyn College        LOM

Caldwell College
08/11/84         Caldwell College         JGB

Chico State
03/17/82         Acker Gymnasium, Chico State University     JGB

Cornell
10/27/75         Bailey Hall, Cornell University            JGB

CU
03/16/75         Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado    LOM
11/23/75         Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado    JGB
07/02/82         Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado    JGJK

CW Post
11/08/74         The Dome, C.W. Post College JGMS
09/16/76         The Dome, C.W. Post College JGB
12/06/77         The Dome, C.W. Post College JGB

De Anza College
10/10/75         Calvin C. Flint Center for the Performing Arts, De Anza College      JGB

Dominican College
06/06/75         Angelico Hall, Dominican College      Lesh, Lagin, Garcia, Crosby, Hart
11/15/75         Angelico Hall, Dominican College      Ned Lagin, Phil, Jerry, David Crosby, and Mickey

Duke
04/04/76         Page Auditorium, Duke University     JGB

Eastern Washington
10/27/78         Performing Arts Pavilion, Washington State College JGB

George Washington University
04/03/76         Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University    JGB
02/12/80         Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University    JGB
11/07/81         McDonough Arena, Georgetown University  JGB

Glassboro State College
02/15/81         Esby Gymnasium, Glassboro State College    JGB

Hartwick College
12/03/77         Binder Physical Education Center, Hartwick College JGB

Hofstra
11/21/77         The Playhouse, Hofstra University      JGB

Humboldt State
11/13/76         East Gym, Humboldt State University            JGB

Ithaca College
09/18/76         Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College           JGB

Kean College
02/28/80         Wilkins Theatre, Kean College         JGB
11/15/82         Wilkins Theatre, Kean College         JGB
12/13/83         Wilkins Theatre, Kean College         JGB

Lehigh
02/05/81         Stabler Arena, Lehigh University        JGB

Loyola Chicago
11/17/78         Rambler Room, Loyola University      Bob Weir & Friends

Northwestern
03/12/76         Cahn Auditorium, Northwestern University   JGB

Oberlin College
03/13/76         Finney Chapel, Oberlin College          JGB

Orange County CC
08/15/84         Orange County Community College   JGB

Penn State
12/11/77         Recreation Hall, Pennsylvania State University         JGB
11/16/84         Eisenhower Auditorium, Pennsylvania State University         JGJK

Rider College
11/08/81         Alumni Gymnasium, Rider College    JGB

Rutgers
12/04/77         The Barn, Rutgers University  JGB
02/22/80         The Barn, Rutgers University  JGB
11/10/82         Livingston Gymnasium, Rutgers University    JGB

San Diego State
05/20/89         Open Air Theater, San Diego State University           JGB

SFSU
03/03/82         Barbary Coast Room, San Francisco State University            JGB

SJSU
10/17/69         Loma Prieta Room, Student Union, San Jose State University           NRPS
04/25/92         Event Center Arena    JGB

Seton Hall
09/17/76         Walsh Auditorium, Seton Hall University       JGB

Sonoma State
11/04/73         Gymnasium, California State College Sonoma          OAITW orig 10/7/73

Southwestern College
08/02/92         Devore Field, Southwestern College  JGB

Stanford
10/03/71         Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University        JGMS
07/09/88         Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University        JGAB

SUNY Brockport
11/01/81         Tuttle North Gymnasium, State University of New York        JGB

SUNY Buffalo
01/29/72         State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo HWJG
11/30/77         Center Theater, SUNY JGB

SUNY New Paltz
11/29/77         Elting Gym, State University of New York      JGB

SUNY Oswego
02/17/80         Laker Hall, Sate University of New York (SUNY) Oswego      JGB
12/11/83         Laker Hall, Sate University of New York (SUNY) Oswego      JGB

SUNY Stony Brook
12/09/77         Gym, S.U.N.Y.  JGB
02/24/80         Pritchard Gym, S.U.N.Y.          JGB
12/04/83         Gym, S.U.N.Y.  JGB

Syracuse
01/22/72         Crouse Auditorium, Syracuse University        HWJG
02/19/80         Landmark Theatre      JGB      not on campus, but put on by Syracuse University Union Concert Board

Temple U Ambler
06/11/73         Temple Festival Theater, Temple University-Ambler            OAITW

UC Berkeley
07/23/69         Bear's Lair, UC Berkeley         NRPS
08/01/69         Bear's Lair, UC Berkeley         NRPS
08/01/69         Bear's Lair, UC Berkeley         NRPS
01/19/70         Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley           NRPS
06/21/70         Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley           NRPS
01/19/74         Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley           JGMS
08/30/87         Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley   JGB
07/10/88         Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley   JGB
08/26/89         Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley   JGB
08/05/90         Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley   JGB

UC Davis
08/30/74         Freeborn Hall, UC Davis         JGMS
11/12/76         Freeborn Hall, UC Davis         JGB
08/07/81         Freeborn Hall, UC Davis         JGB

UCLA
04/16/93         Pauley Pavilion, UCLA JGB
04/17/93         Pauley Pavilion, UCLA JGB

UCSB
02/05/77         Campbell Hall, UC Santa Barbara      JGB

U Illinois Chicago
08/18/84         UIC Pavilion, University of Illinois, Chicago    JGB

U of Iowa
10/20/73         Fieldhouse, University of Iowa            JGMS   CXL

U Maryland
11/06/82         Ritchie Coliseum, University of Maryland      JGB

UMass Amherst
02/20/80         Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, University of Massachusetts JGB

U Nevada
02/21/87         Lawlor Events Center, Univ. of Nevada          JGB

U of New Haven
02/16/80         Charger Gymnasium, University of New Haven         JGB

U of Oregon
12/15/74         EMU Ballroom, University of Oregon            LOM

University of San Francisco
10/31/74         University of San Francisco, War Memorial Gymnasium      JGMS

U Vermont
11/14/81         Patrick Gymnasium, University of Vermont   JGB

Villanova
01/23/72         Villanova Field House, Villanova University   HWJG

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
11/15/74         Alden Memorial Auditorium, Worcester Polytechnic Institute          JGMS

Yale
10/22/75         Woolsey Hall, Yale University JGB

21 comments:

  1. Thanks for putting this together. Interesting that after banning the Dead at the Greek in 1989 which was written about around the US, Cal let Jerry play there again in 1990.

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  2. Interesting list!
    There's quite a spike of college gigs in the mid-'70s, declining in the '80s. In lieu of analysis, I wonder if this college binge from '74-84 is due more to the smaller venues, assured college-age audiences, campus demand, or all three... Did Garcia's manager have any intentional Dead-style policy of college bookings to increase Garcia's audience, or did they head to colleges because a Dead-friendly audience was already there?
    Outside of California, there doesn't seem to be a lot of overlap with the colleges the Dead played.

    I'm also curious about the '67 spike on the chart. My eyes may be failing, but I didn't spot any '67 shows on the list.

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  3. 1967 is an anomaly, probably doesn't belong, and is possibly mistaken: it shows the two jam sessions allegedly occurring at Monterey Peninsula College on 6/17 and 6/18 on the margins of the Monterey Pop Festival.

    I don't think there are any other jam sessions like this in the data, which might be another reason for not including them, even if they did happen.

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  4. I enjoyed looking at this list. I went to three shows here:
    11/07/81 McDonough Arena, Georgetown University JGB
    11/06/82 Ritchie Coliseum, University of Maryland JGB
    12/13/83 Wilkins Theatre, Keane College JGB

    Here are a few notes from those three shows, all which seemed normal and not fitting any distinct pattern that I could see at the time.
    11/7/81 - Garcia changed his shoes after the first number to what looked lke cowboy boots. Weird. Patrick Ewing and teammates entered the gym through a side entrance dressed like they were going to practice. Our seats were right above the door so we had a good view. they looked at the swirling mass and smoke and Ewing literally scratched his head and they left.

    11/06/82 This was a tiny gym with dorm rooms above it. Among the smallest places I saw Jerry on the East Coast. Virtually no security.

    12/13/83 - An early and late show. Rick Danko opened both,a nd Richard manuel came out for the second show with Danko. This place is also pretty small. As the show closed, my friends wanted to saw goodbye to the band who they met on tour. We ran around the back and when the band came out, y firends were talking to them. I was pretty young and dumb and since I didn't know them, I just hung back next to a school bus. I saw the back door open and Jerry took his overcoat off a coat stand and picked up his briefcase from a card table and made it out to the bus, which happened to be the school bus I was standing next too. Nobody else around. Seemed like a guy going home after his shift was done, but smiling.

    I realize this may not add anything but thought I would share.

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  5. On the contrary, these recollections are awesome. Thank you for sharing!

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  6. Great. One last thing I noticed about this list. JGB played Stabler Arena at Lehigh Univ 8 months before the Dead did. I am not sure if there is any college venue where that happened.

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  7. Which is massively disproportionate, i.e., colleges are disproportionately likely to have seen Garcia first, then the GD. 6/11 "Garcia first, then GD" gigs were colleges.

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  8. And, BTW, thank you, thank you, thank you librarians! I have already gotten so many helpful replies.

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  9. 1/29/72 was actually at the Century Theatre in Buffalo, not on campus.

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  10. Your list has 57 colleges where Jerry performed without the GD....I count 91 with the GD totaling 148 colleges.

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  11. Pretty cool. For a long while it was a key part of the whole economy, as Corry has helped me to understand.

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  12. You should add 11/22/70. Middlesex County College Gym. NJ. I was there. I passed a joint to Jerry Garcia.

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  13. This list does not include GD or NRPS-GD gigs, which is what that was, I think. I assume Jerry took the J ... any other recollections?

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  14. Yes he took it. It must have been ok, as we never got it back. You’re right- it’s was NRPS/GD show, so I guess it’s not relevant to your research. The show was unusual, as there wasn’t a real stage, maybe just a low platform about six inches above the floor. No chairs upfront, we sat on the floor.

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