Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-ol-grateful-deadcast/id1522914723

Back in July, I blipped about being interviewed by the folks at the official Grateful Dead podcast about attending their epic Veneta, Oregon show on August 27, 1972, so the 50th anniversary is upcoming. This is a two part podcast, with the first episode airing today. I made the credits, and I get my two cents in about five minutes from the end. This podcast is really well researched and produced, and it is an excellent history of Eugene, Oregon in the 60s and 70s. This was a benefit concert to help out Springfield Creamery, makers of Nancy’s Yogurt. The owner of the creamery, Chuck Kesey, brother of the late author Ken Kesey, used his brother’s connection with the Dead to ask if they would play. They said yes, and when ticket sales did not meet the creamery’s needs, the band wrote them a check to get them solvent again.

This was our first Dead show. I was 19 then, and my beautiful girlfriend (now my beautiful wife of 49 years) was 18. It was blazing hot that day, around 104 F. Let’s just say that it was a “clothing optional” day, and I am sure there were sunburns in areas where one would not want sunburned. We stayed fully clothed. The lyric from their song sums up that day: “The bus came by and I got on, that’s where it all began.” We’re still on The Bus 50 years later. Check out the link to the podcast. Part two will air next Thursday.