I don't know specifically about these people in question. They could be regulars, or maybe they're silent partners in the Sweetwater, who knows.

I do know this, at Shoreline there are private boxes, just at the back of the first level. I'm sure many of you have seen them.
Anyway, used to be, and maybe still is, that Steve Wozniak (one of the founders of Apple computer and also money behind the US festival in '82) invested in the development of Shoreline. So he had one of the best boxes, dead center. Can't say I blame them for giving him such a good place to watch a show.

Darxtar wrote:


No, it was not that way before Touch. My solution in the MTV era was to sit either behind the stage or in the upper levels. The sound was just as good and you weren't going to miss anything you hadn't seen plenty of times before.

Darxtar wrote:


you're right. some folks will in fact do that. it does suck but really you should be able to grab rail space if you truly want. that's just the nature of the game is people will line up as early as they have to. that's kind of the catch on GA shows. only thing you can personally hope is that they play all reserved venues. then you just have to try to get a good seat. i wouldn't let this be a factor in determining not going to shows anymore. rather, try to figure something else out or use the old "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

I meant that in my opinion the atmosphere was better at the shows before the album, "In the Dark", came out with the the hit song, "Touch of Grey". That's what I meant, not when they played it a Sweetwater.

My gripe is that one person, which they rotate at different shows will hold a spot in line for 20. The mass of them show up just before the doors open and they all run in. You might think that you are really up front in the line you have been standing in all day and then all of a sudden you are pushed 20 deep. This happens really fast and they do it at every show. I just think it is time to fix this. It is a travesty.

Fun experience w/ front row back in the day:

Many of us passed through the crowd w/o any pushing. Granted sometimes one would get bumped or bump, but there was always further connection, apology, hello, etc. And occasionally one would be frustrated and push on through . . . fortunately so many folks were sensitive to the pushy vibe that self-correction happened before more pushy pushy. Where it would open-up is often where I'd go. Sometimes I would like to be up front, and find myself second, or third row, usually not when the music was on. Never went for first, too much hype, false importance, and myopia. Well this one day, set break, mid-eighties, I was second row looking back for more familiar faces, and the person in front of me stepped out. I looked around, many eyes on me and the spot in front of me . . . stepped in leaned on the stage, turned around to find more space and familiar. The attention and pressure felt bizarre, for as mlewis said, the sound is never better there than 9-15 rows back where the sound was best. Never forget all the sideways glances and pointless attention as the spot opened. Fortunately the sound was pretty good everywhere, even the halls at many shows had there own good sound. Rows 1-5 in front of Bobby where reserved for folks that where comfortable w/ Bobby spewing on them during Rooster and other fountains of Bobby saliva, truly unique characters.

Oh, perhaps holding space in line for others could be limited to say four others? Seems to me one person holding a spot for many more than that is plain wrong. Just an opinion.

Iriecycle wrote:


I collected Bobby saliva and have it in a small vial. It will be available soon on e bay for anyone interested. Any of you with
a laboratory and advanced micro biology degrees might be able to clone a new Bobby! Wow, imagine new Bobby and old Bobby together on stage. Dizzying.....the possibilities

Seriously though, the best show experiences were always wherever it was very audible and there was room to move freely. As long as they were up there playing it was never necessary to be able to have a clear view of them (and still the case), because if I couldn't see them it's not too hard to envision in my mind what they look like.

wlewis wrote:


The only people who have more of an entitlement complex than west coasters is some deadheads! combining the two can sometimes produce a whole new level of depth to me, me, mine. Pushing sucks but those people are that way all the time and lucky for those of us with manners and respect for our fellow attendees we only have to put up with them some of the time. They are the ones that have to live with themselves all the time.

Dire Wolf wrote:


I never got a west coast entitlement vibe, and I've seen more shows in the bay area than any other metropolitan area.

Darxtar wrote:


Agreed.....I got a copy of the Grateful Dead movie (Blue Ray!!) for X-mas, & since it had been a long time since I'd watched it, so I popped it in last night & time-travelled back to 1974.
My first couple shows were both in the 12 months just prior to this movie, & what struck me watching it was not only how pure the band sounded back then, but the whole crowd & vibe in general. Even the 2 guys arguing in the lobby about whether the Dead filming those shows was a "ripoff of the fans"...you could just sense that underneath it all, everyone was connected at these shows by the magic of the music, & differences (& there were many!!) could be put aside for 4-5 hours to enjoy the ride together.
As to the perpetual rail-huggers ??...I say let 'em have it. My first show was "on the rail" right in front of Phil...was easy to do due to a very small General admission section.....but since then, some of my most enjoyable & most appreciated shows were taken in from afar...back where there was a little space to stretch out & take in the whole scene.

I don't wish to be misunderstood. I think that the torch Furthur still carries embodies all that was good about the magical time of change and new understanding that some of us got out of the sixties. And the Dead were truly a band beyond description. Come on Children, Come on Children, Come on clap you hands. Some us do get it and still get shown the light now and then. What do we do with that is the question. I know these people, and I hope that some of them read this board and we can have a positive discussion. They will with out a doubt know who posted this. I am not naive and think that it will make one bit of difference but I just needed to vent and get this out. Time for some football.

It is my understanding that tickets to the sweetwater shows were GIVEN to many investors and insiders way prior to any announcement was made. These insiders each had a list of VIP guests that came every night. I was told that there were about 50 tix each night for the lottery. It was more of a Sweetwater hosted party then an open market concert. I think it should have been billed as such.