Jerry Garcia Band

1976-03-30 Jerry Garcia Band

Calderone Concert Hall

This was my first Garcia Band show.  My first Grateful Dead show came only a couple of months later.

Its kind of mindblowing to think that Garcia played at places like this, or like Bailey Hall at Cornell and in the Ithaca College Gym, in 75 and 76.  Perhaps hearing about that Ithaca show and other great Ithaca shows factored into my decision to go to school there in 1978.  In any event, I am grateful to have seen Jerry at theaters like the Calderone, the Palladium, and the Landmark in Syracuse. 

1977-11-27 Jerry Garcia Band

The Palladium, New York, NY

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I got tickets in advance for the early show, and was enjoying the new Cats Under the Stars album a lot. A very exciting show, Garcia’s Cats Under the Stars was kind of a big release and this seemed like an especially great tour to see, and it was a limited run due to the various Grateful Dead shows.  Jerry smiled big time while waving to the audience during How Sweet It Is.  Maria Muldaur joined Donna on vocals and seemed to want to dance all night. Jerry's chemistry with John Kahn was very special, and it was quite amazing to see it live.

We sat in the lower balcony, which was a great scene at the Palladium.   My first show at the Palladium, I convinced a friend to drive in from Queens and we parked on the street in the city, after the spending the day in Queens laughing our asses off to Jerry Lewis movies on TV.

Unlike the Grateful Dead tour that year, it was not difficult to get tickets. In fact, there is a page online about the shows that states that the late show did not even sell out.

1980-02-19 Jerry Garcia Band / Robert Hunter

Landmark Theatre

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In an excited state on the day of this show I sprained my ankle running down the stairs of my friend’s dorm. Later I hobbled into the Landmark Theatre with an ace bandage on my ankle after driving up from Ithaca.

The cover of the Program from the show has a nice illustration by Bob Zanmarchi.

I don’t know if there are any tapes of this, it would be cool to check it out.

Robert Hunter opened.

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