
Tales From The Lot - Grateful Dead Show Experiences
Step into the world of the Grateful Dead with "Tales from the Lot." Join me as I dive deep into the heart of one of the most iconic bands in music history. In this podcast, I invite passionate Deadheads to share their firsthand experiences from the legendary Grateful Dead shows they attended.
My guests take you on a nostalgic journey to the lot scene and concerts they attended. Where the vibrant culture of fans, the music, and the mystical setlists converge. These storytellers transport you back in time, sharing the magic, camaraderie, and unique moments that defined these unforgettable concerts.
Do you have an incredible Grateful Dead story to tell? I'd love to have you on the podcast! Share your cherished memories and relive the moments that made those shows truly special. Whether it's the cosmic connection you felt with fellow fans or the legendary tunes that still make your heart sing, I want to hear from you.
Email will@talesfromthelot.org with the Grateful Dead show that holds a special place in your heart and why it means so much to you. Join me for a journey through the past and celebrate the enduring spirit of the Deadhead community.
Tune in, turn on, and keep the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive with "Tales from the Lot: A Grateful Dead Experiences" podcast.
Tales From The Lot - Grateful Dead Show Experiences
TFTL Ep18 Always Feeling Like Some '69 - 5/6/1990 - California State U. Dominguez Hills
TFTL Ep18 Always Feeling Like Some '69 - 5/6/1990 - California State U. Dominguez Hills
My guest, CP, is here from AZ to discuss seeing the Grateful Dead at Cal State on 5/6/1990, the fine wine that is the Dead's catalog, and The 48 Laws of Power.
This episode is sponsored by ShakedownTshirts.com with unique lot-style T-shirts and gifts for Grateful Dead, Phish, Zappa, Panic, and more. All US orders over $35 Ship Free. Use code "Lot20" for 20% off any order.
Tales From The Lot
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Tales From a lot episode 18 always
feeling like some 69 I got CP here to
talk five six ninety at Cal State the 48
Laws of Power and the fine wine that is
the Grateful Dead music catalog here we
go
hi welcome to Tales from the lot I'm
will my guest today is CP from Tucson
Arizona you should talk about five six
ninety at Cal State and a bunch of other
stuff too I'm sure so how's it going CP
good how you doing will awesome man
thank you so much for uh for coming on
here I really I really appreciate it of
course um so uh so let's just dig in so
like uh what what are you what were you
into prior to the Grateful Dead
musically
it was you know classic rock I I grew up
in the uh in the 70s and 80s so when I
um I think my first concert my very
first concert that I went to was Oingo
Boingo and they were really big you know
like the mid 80s and my I remember my
dad drove me and my buddies there we'd
you know dropped us off at there we were
like now leave you know and we went in I
don't remember probably 14 or 15 you
know right so that was their song huh I
know the band but what's their big song
I I can't like Dead Man's Party only a
lad I mean they're so they had so many
hits you know because it's Danny Elfman
and now he does all those movies right
so it that was that was my first
experience like kind of being out in a
in a crowd and and uh and doing that
then then we started getting into
classic rock so I went to rush
um
which a lot of palooza and you know all
those bands that were there the first
Lollapalooza back like Perry Farrell
yours uh Jane's Addiction and right and
iced tea it was pretty wild Susie and
the Banshees so you know a lot of it was
classic rock and then alternative like I
guess I don't even know what alternative
is now because I pretty much just
listened to you know this kind of music
um
but yeah that's kind of how it was yeah
in the 90s I like I I found the dead and
was just like oh I got my dead blinders
on now yeah yeah well yeah so I remember
I mean I remember hearing of the dead
and there was there was a you know a
smaller group of of guys and gals at my
high school that kind of like the dead
and they had the t-shirts and all the
stuff you know and and I didn't really I
don't know it did it really
wasn't calling to me I guess I think I
heard some music and I was like I don't
know whatever I don't know you know I
wasn't ready I guess and um then you
know then I probably heard Truckin or
Casey Jones some one of like the the
ones to draw you in you know right it
was more poppy kind of more like this
other stuff but I just remember like
when I first heard it like certainly
nothing like you know Dark Star would
have resonated at that time right
um and I wasn't really uh and I was
pretty much just a drinker you know so
in in high school we drank maybe puffed
a little bit but but mostly drinking so
I don't think I was vibrating at the
right level for uh yeah for this yet
yeah I'm right there with you as we were
talking uh right before we started here
we're right about the same age so yeah
same boat with you I was you know I was
definitely not doing much other than
drinking some Miller Genuine Draft or
something yeah
yeah elicited to some uh some classic
rock which you know my local station
would sometimes play Truckin I remember
yeah and then I remember later on after
I found the band realizing oh that song
that kept playing that I always liked
right that's okay yeah it's funny
because I think that that happened a lot
with me where it was like oh I didn't
realize that was the debt you know I
think when Touch of Gray came out
although wouldn't it Touch of Gray come
out it was midnight was it late 87 or 88
87 or 88 I think so that came out and
then they were sort of more you know
mainstream-ish because they were on the
radio more
um but but still it just didn't really
it was like whatever you know they had
some hits just like all the other bands
pretty much back then you know you'd
listen to the because you're on the
radio like it's it's so the musical
experience is so different now and then
also you know being a a deadhead it's
also different in that you know you kind
of focus on that catalog and and the
live music
um
well
it's a good time to be alive though if
you're deadhead because I mean you
really every show
every show is at your fingertips like
yeah if you're feeling like some 69 you
can go get yourself some 69. always if
you want some 69. yeah I I had just to
reiterate that and then you know if
you're feeling like some 89 or even some
Cal State six five six ninety right at
your fingertips like today like yeah
I think the first there's the one you
have to pay for I can't remember what
it's called and I don't know if we're
allowed to say it on here but that you
know an app debt is it nugs or
yeah yeah nugs and I had that and I
thought that was cool but I I couldn't
find my show on there and this is a
while you know a while back when it was
kind of newer and then then somebody
showed me re-listen
and I was like holy moly what why didn't
somebody tell me about this and then
he's like I am telling you about it you
know but no and then somebody else
earlier and uh then I found my show
right I was like oh I found omega's
Hills
and when I played it
I played it without looking at the set
list because I wanted to just listen and
I'm like holy [ __ ] I I can't believe I
got this as my first show you know like
I had no idea and I'd add
like
I mean I appreciated it because it was
the first time that we had that I ever
took LSD
but
I didn't really know a lot of the songs
right like it's so winter like I
remember Terrapin playing
and you know the clouds are doing their
thing they're swirling and and um and uh
just like what what oh my what is this
you know like and it was like boom I
mean that was it I was hooked from
Terrapin like it was just like I can't
believe this this is like a you know
it's like a mat it's like an orchestra
or something you're just going how are
they doing that how is a band doing that
and then like when they were you know
when they were going from one song into
another you know I was like did they
just like fade into another you know I'm
like you know trying to figure it all
out and and then you know obviously
with the help of um The increased
serotonin and all that it was pretty
wild
yeah right there with you that was the
first time I'd ever done and looking at
the set list I see there's a a few
similar songs like my my first show
opened up with a half step also but uh I
also noticed there's a standing on the
moon at your first show which that's the
song like I had a great time I as you
same as you I wasn't real into it before
I got there but my buddy sort of
convinced me to go and I yeah and I took
a little LSD and and it turned into a
great thing from from note one of half
step but standing on the moon uh just
the lyrics of it and uh and just what it
was about you know you know it may not
have been a situation that I've been in
or or whatever but but I understand the
lyrics and and the heaviness of how they
present that song and every other song
too uh yeah but that's that's where I
just really got the storytelling this
happens uh with the Grateful Dead was in
that was standing on the moon yeah I
didn't like
I don't remember standing I don't
remember it from the show like I
remember Terrapin and then it went into
drums and I like laid on the ground and
you know I think I zoned out and got
back up around when throwing stones came
on and I hadn't even heard throwing
stones you know so I was like what you
know and everybody's doing you know
dancing and doing the thing and and and
I was just like this is the most amazing
thing ever right like this is just
unbelievable
and then love light I was like this what
what's this you know and I didn't know
any of the names of the songs and and I
was just like I was just hooked like it
was they got me you know
and uh how quickly were you on to to see
in other shows after that
so this is
I'm I'm a junior like I mean I got home
you know we got home fairly late like
and then
and somebody from our group apparently
went there were there were a bunch of
like notables at this show like a lot
like the all the like you know
um
I don't like I want to say Casey but I
don't know if it was Keys it was it was
either kisi or Timothy Leary and I don't
know if one of them was dead and I'm
doing this wrong or whatever but one of
those guys was there and and ended up
like a couple of my buddies like ended
up somewhere with like their group and
they had like a a tank in their place
and like a whole they had a whole
experience we went home like we went out
and tried to eat which you know that was
fairly difficult to power a burger down
uh and I remember we went to this place
in in Pasadena that was like
like more of more of a like gang banger
hangout and we're in our tight eyes and
you know the only ones in tie-dye's in
the place and and we just it was it was
crazy tripping and then we forced this
food down went home and I couldn't sleep
you know how you can't sleep and and the
fan was singing like it was like
replaying the concert the whole time
while I was trying to nod off eventually
fell asleep
but that was why I remember coming over
my first day June I was like I was not
ready to sleep at all just replaying
from from pulling into the parking lot
you know yes all the way through yeah
yeah like the what an experience that
was you know yeah and the anticipation
of holy [ __ ] when can I work out doing
that again right yeah and so I don't
know if the next one was a dead show but
I did go to I went to so between
between this you know that show and then
when Jerry died
um I went to a good amount of Dead shows
like mostly in Vegas like I'd go to all
the Vegas ones all the Phoenix ones and
then maybe somewhere you know some in
California and then we'd go to uh Jerry
band and we'd go to Bob and Rob and I
really like Bob and Rob that was a lot
of fun yeah it was wild
just those two guys doing that you know
like that was
that was something I had a few tapes and
and I I played them all the time uh a
big fan of Bob and Rob but I never get a
chance to see him and I did you go to
any Jerry band
no not no no oh man it was like it was a
whole different thing like it was just
ah you know it was just
you know he's playing so much Dylan and
it was just it was just phenomenal like
the those shows and that was a lot of
the Motown goodness of that too with the
yeah with the background singers so
soulful
yeah I love Jerry and I my favorite
Jerry is in Jerry Garcia band I mean
he's great in the dead too but there's
just something about the soul uh that
goes on in jgb between him and Melvin
and and just all yeah it was so so solid
and like just like you'd be at such
peace we went to one like I don't know
it was at a beach it was like somewhere
like maybe it was Ventura
once they've entered maybe it was
Ventura I don't know it was it was at
some beach and um it was phenomenal and
we we did that one then Jerry's we went
on Jerry's 50th we were at Irvine
Meadows
and
um one of my one of my but well I went
with my two two buddies uh this guy
Jared this guy John and John had this
really cool like it had the wood
the Wood Pipe and then it had like this
granite and and he said well in the
parking lot we we ate a bunch of
mushrooms and then we had we also had
LSD I don't know what the thinking was
behind that but this is you know
Early College thinking and then we got
in and he pulled that pipe out and he
had like a you know half ounce or an
ounce he had a ton and and he said we
are gonna Smoke 50 bowls for Jerry's
50th birthday today and we I I mean if
we didn't hit it we were damn close but
you know it was a wild it was a wild
long day and but the wow yeah it was
amazing that was a good time speaking of
the day I was going to ask you about
that Cal State show was that was that an
early show because I noticed when they
were playing feel like a stranger
they're talking about it's a it's going
to be a long long crazy afternoon yeah
it was dead it was like a game early
show yeah we got there like it I mean we
got there in the morning like we were we
were there in the morning like drinking
and then
I think 10 or 11 we probably took the
you know
little tabs and then
um
so there were two there was my buddy
Dave who drove and and he's like
I drove to Canada with him he's really
cool dude he lives in Nicaragua now like
that makes chocolate and Nicaragua like
just typical you know path of the dead
head does something yeah and um
this other guy Brian and Brian hadn't
ever done it either and he he was like
same boat hadn't ever been to a dead
show hadn't ever taken you know Austin
and uh
I feel so weird saying it on here so I
say it real fast like it is it the same
as saying it this is a safe space
it was in the past so it's okay right
and it's all hypothetical anyway because
yeah it doesn't exist so no no it's all
simulation it is
um
yeah and so Brian Brian and I were
having a like when it came on you know
like
especially the first time like it came
on and I remember distinctly like
somebody walking along with the tie-dye
and like you know it turned on like the
the tie-dye was alive like the lights
turned on it was doing its thing and I
was like I like you know we were playing
like cats with the Frisbee or something
and I like it
I saw this tied and I'm like wait what
what the hell is what's going on you
know like they're like oh yeah they must
you know the tie dyes are on now you
know and it was like holy crap and
that's when it took off and then like
shortly thereafter
like somebody with the Frisbee had hit
some guy it hit this guy in the nose and
like you got a bloody nose and started
squirting everywhere and like I didn't
think anything of it you know but this
guy Brian like he saw it and it like
he he lost it and so he like you know I
guess you'd call it bad trip right like
he just was like
like he was comatose the entire time
like we had to walk him in to get him to
the blanket then it was like he had a
blanket over his head like he was just I
just wanted to you know was that it was
like and I would go try to help him and
then my buddy Dave's like no you have to
stay away from him
he's he's okay don't worry about him you
need to take care of yourself and just
focus on the show you know yeah let him
write it out and I'm like okay you know
you're like listen to your the expert
that's one year older than you know
yeah but um yeah poor guy he said I
remember every the next time next day
he's like I'm never having that again
and I was like oh man it was great yeah
so that's terrible yeah bummer
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[Music]
and we went to about we went to a lot of
Vega shows so and probably was like
there's a couple guys I could get on
here that would be interesting and fun
to hear from
um I would love to yeah yeah yeah yeah
you've got my email send them on over
Vegas Thomas and Max Center or something
is that Sam Boyd silver bull oh yeah
yeah that's right that's right they
might have played at Thomas and Mack at
some point but I was always at the
silver bowl we'd go stay at Sam's Town
in Henderson and then silver bowl is
right there well pretty close you know
like you could take a cab they didn't
have Uber obviously
I don't know if anybody if the younger
listeners know what a cab is but I need
to take a cab you would you would go to
a phone booth and call a cab and yes
they don't know what any of those things
are
using a quarter
yeah yeah and I would look it up in the
back yeah all these things right like
they got out of it yeah
hmm
they um I I one show that I really
remember well was Dave Matthews opened
and I remember like who's Dave Matt you
know at that time was like who's this
guy and like he really got the crowd
going like it was it was a lot of fun
like he opened and did a really good job
uh there was it was like and then it
started pouring rain
uh so it was like one of those shows
where you're down on the floor of this
place just getting soaked the whole time
thunder lightning it was crazy and they
they didn't
they didn't like call it off or I mean
there was like lightning like a crazy
thunder and then um so anybody that was
there you know at this at this
particular one would remember because at
the it was the um
The Encore it was either The Encore the
end of the first set Was Here Comes
sunshine and they hadn't played here
comes sunshine and I don't know you know
the older guys who are now probably 90
are saying or like they haven't played
that in 27 years you know it was like
some big deal whatever it was 20 years
or 15 years I don't know but that was
cool and it was like as they were
playing it the rain stopped the you know
the clouds open the sun was like it's
just like how did they do that you know
maybe they're magic like that I remember
when they did start playing that song
again everybody was helping you know me
with the that was a sign that they were
going to start bringing back a whole
bunch of old stuff because yeah it was
like
so long yeah between when they they
started playing that one again and then
you know eventually we did get unbroken
chain and yeah and a few other things
yeah that that hadn't been played in a
while no all right did you keep going
all the way up through 95 and yeah I
mean we yeah uh I think the last show
was
it was either Vegas or or Phoenix like
we'd go to Compton Terrace and then I
think that they they might have played a
desert sky it was called Desert Sky but
then I don't know what it's called now
but that sounds familiar Compton Terrace
was like
was like you know just
a dirty Amphitheater like it was like
some you know like some seats and then
like just this dirt like it was like a
parking lot like dirt parking lot but
that was the grass right
and people would just die just had a it
had like a chain link fence like that's
all it had was it chain link fence and
yet people you know as soon as it got
dark it's like people are hopping that
thing
and then a desert sky hopped at one time
that was a big wall
but I wouldn't do that now you know it
was different different values
Yeah well yeah of course yeah I I
considered doing it but I know I never
did that and I was at that Deer Creek
show too when uh everybody started
busting the gate down and coming through
yeah that was tough day you know the
part about being young is that's where
you learn about the bad the bad choices
that you make or the you know choices
that's right you have to make those bad
choices in order to make good choices
later
to learn and plus the good choices look
so much better after you've made those
bad choices
what's the deal with that what's the
deal
all right
so all right so before we wrap up I like
to also ask about uh is there anything
that's been on your radar as far as like
maybe a new band or some book you read
or something that that really you were
like wow that's that's profound well I
stumbled upon this podcast
very profound no doubt yeah and look at
now I own a dark star shirt
and it's like you know Shakedown
t-shirts yeah did we talk we I don't
know if we do we talk about this on here
where we were talking about Trucking oh
yeah that's how we yeah how I found it
but it's like you know to get to the
point I think it's a couple year stretch
to get to the point where you're
listening and liking Dark Star right
like dark star and the other one and you
know like those are the tougher ones to
enjoy I think you know they're not the
ones I can grab you right it's like they
don't have any more right it's like once
you've okay I've gone through everything
I need more and then you're like oh I
get it you know like with fish like if
you if you play the whole
what's that you know the whole story I
don't know what it's called I can't
remember what it's called his master's
game hinge thing yeah game hinge thing
you know I think that's kind of it's
funny I think it's pretty cool but
you're probably not gonna be pulled into
fish by listening to that you're gonna
be like what the hell is this right so
like some of it is is like a uh like a
wine right like it needs to age a little
bit or do you need to age a little bit
maybe
yeah that's part of it too yeah just
being the right right space and ready
for it yeah so I like I got a bunch of
shirts and I think they're awesome so
that's that's pretty cool
oh yeah love that what else
um
yeah I don't know books I I mean I buy
so many books but mostly business books
like marketing stuff
um you know we got marketers on here man
lay it on us
what lay it on lay it on we got
marketers listening to this show right
keep their people right now maybe
everybody's heard of this this was
called you know dude who's driving in
your car right now on the way to work
who's working in marketing this is for
you
I don't know I just thought it was
interesting it's called
um 48 Laws of Power
and it's it's really cool
I mean this guy's kind of you know I
guess he's a little controversial
because the subject matters can be
controversial but it's like these laws
and then he it's really interesting
because he'll ex he'll explain it and
then categorize that thing and then or
he'll have the judgment on it like so
like here law number two
never put too much trust in friends
learn how to use enemies and this is all
as it relates to business right so
judgment be wary of friends they'll
betray you more quickly for they are
easily aroused to Envy they're also
become spoiled and tyrannical but hire a
former enemy and he will be more loyal
than a friend because he has more to
prove in fact you have more to fear from
friends than from enemies if you have no
enemies find a way to make them and then
he like then he ex then he gives
examples like like uh midnight Century
uh Michael III assumed the Throne of
Byzantine Empire and he'll explain like
using this well and then and what
happens and then not using it well and
what happens but using history to
explain it so it's pretty cool like I I
thought it was like they're interesting
Concepts you know I don't know that
maybe everyone is actually a law but you
know it's an interesting read
my podcast which I'm not going to talk
about because of the things I've said
um
I uh I'm actually doing 48 episodes on
the 48 Laws so I'm doing one for each
episode
okay okay yeah interesting just talk
about it because it is interesting you
know and you know like the you do the
thing and you learned something right
like it's fun to do the podcast because
you actually learn things from doing it
from the people you meet so I'm sure for
sure yeah yeah that's that's why I asked
that question because I I I'll people
turn me on to all kinds of interesting
things all the time yeah all right cool
all right CP thank you so much for being
on the show I appreciate you coming on
telling your story it's been fun thank
you for having me it's an honor
ah ah thank you so much all right until
next time I need to go because I want to
go get a t-shirt