27-December-1977

[Rudi]

I went to America 1977-78. I stayed in Baltimore for a couple of months before heading west via Trailways to San Francisco. Had an interesting stop in Albuquerque along the way.

I stayed in the Chinese YMCA in SF. I got sick and couldn't get treatment despite having med insurance. Lucky I got well again! Saw 2 shows at Winterland Arena 27-28-December

This is one of them https://archive.org/details/gd77-12-27.sbd.cotsman.19288.sbeok.shnf

It was LOUD! Every bone in my body was resonating. Check out 'Brown Eyed Women', and if you have the belly for it, 'Estimated Prophet'.

 

Eventually I traveled back to New York by the northern route in winter (Lots of snow & overturned trucks) before coming home again.

[Rudi]

On 17 June 2016 at 7:59 PM, tunesmithth said:

Very cool Mr. Rudi !  

Compared to many, I've done little traveling. Strange as it may sound, once I get past my 20's, I had little or no craving to travel...not extensively anyway.

BTW I had an interesting experience about 50 miles outside of Albuquerque in 1975. Ran out of gas about 3 AM, coming from LA....van had a broken gas gauge, long story....best left for another time.

 

So the Dead were loud, eh? Interesting! Don't know that I would pegged them as being a particularly loud live act. I recall hearing Deep Purple (circa 76-77) at the old Kiel Auditorium, which was essentially a huge concrete box. They were loud....damn, they were loud! LOL Good times!

 

Tom

 

When you listen to the recordings it doesn't sound like it would be loud. It's very deceptive. I saw Deep Purple in 1970 and yeah they are loud also. Now I know there is a massive difference in the acoustic of Winterland Arena and Portsmouth Guildhall, but... There is a massive difference in what you can hear. Purples sound is so high gain that at that volume you can't hear the notes (I was 16 with pretty good hearing then). The Dead are just as loud, but the cleaner sound enables you to hear everything.