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| Loews-Warfield 1922 |
It was built as a vaudeville theater in 1922 and was named for People's Vaudeville Company co-founder David Warfield (born David Wohlfeld), who was born in San Francisco on November 28, 1866, one of Marcus Loew’s best friends and one of the first investors in the corporate empire that became Loews-MGM.
He died in June 1951, 23 years after Marcus Loew passed away.
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| It was built as a vaudeville theater, and opened as the Loews Warfield on May 13, 1922.[1] |
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| 1922 |
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| 1922 |
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| 1922 |
At one time it was the Loews Warfield and the Fox Warfield.
Architecturally, this is one of the nicest of the remaining movie palaces in San Francisco. The beautiful fan-like ceiling made the theatre look wider than it was deep and it has a beautiful classically painted mural over the proscenium. The balcony has chandeliers hanging from blue-lit coves. The marquee and verticle sign had to be taken down in the late 60's when pile drivers came through building the side supports of the BART subway. The side walks were widened and street trees added when subway construction was finished - and the new "look" forbade putting back those big marquees and verticle signs on any theatre that faced Market St. That's why they all have flat, fixed to the building plastic marquees now. Supposedly there was a speakeasy connected with the Warfield Theater under Market Street, discovered while they were building BART.(2)
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| 1930's |
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| 1948 |
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| 1948 Abbott and Costello on the marquee |
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| 1970? Black Sabbath's Evil Eye wasn't written until 1994! |
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| 1963 film |
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| 1963 film |
The Warfield was given a beautiful renovation by National General in 1969. The balcony area has chair seating.
May West was there for the premier of her film "Sextette" in the 70's. Looking a little "waxy" and seated in a big chair, she was carted across the stage to a mic by a couple of oiled up bodybuilders. They propped her up and she said in her best Westian "Thanks for commin' to my picsha" and then was carted back to the wings. The sold out crowd went wild.
In the 1970's, National General Cinemas and later Mann theaters ran it, primarily showing second-run fare.
Mike Thomas did briefly operate the Warfield in the late 1970's-early 1980's before it sold to Bill Graham. "Dawn of the Dead" was shown first-run here in May 1979. Shortly after the run of "Dawn", the Warfield became an occasional concert venue and now runs concerts full-time.
Like many historic theaters its main floor had the seats removed in the 1980s for general admission and dancing.
Bob Dylan played 14 shows at the start of his first Gospel Tour in November 1979, and again 12 shows in November 1980 during his "A Musical Retrospective Tour" at the Warfield.
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| Jerry Garcia made the Warfield a second home, performing a record 101 times there with his various side bands, when not touring with the Dead. |
3/25/80 No performance, Bill Graham, Howard Hessman, Francis Ford Coppola
Bay Area Music Awards
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| Jerry receives the Bay Area Musician Of The Year award. Unknown photographer |
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
"The marquee on the theater said it all ...
They're Not The Best At What They Do, They're The Only Ones That Do What They Do"[4]
John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin died on this date.
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| 9/25/80 Photo by Bruce Polonsky |
9/26/80 Grateful DeadPromoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger[51] and a Takamine acoustic.
9/27/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
9/29/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
First performance of Heaven Help The Fool.[54]
9/30/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/2/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
"Five of us wore gorilla suits to this show. We got a deal on the rental because it was a heat wave (in the 90s) in SF. We were going to get up and boogie in our suits if the band played "The Monkey and the Engineer" but they didn't play it."[5]
10/3/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/4/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/6/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/7/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/9/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger[56] and a Takamine acoustic.[52]
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| 10/9/80 Photo by Steve Silberman |
10/10/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
10/11/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger and a Takamine acoustic.
John Cippolina sits in.[45]
10/13/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Benefit for Economic Democracy
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger[50] and a Takamine acoustic.
10/14/80 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger[50] and a Takamine acoustic.
'The final Warfield show saw one of Bill Graham’s most inspired acts of showmanship. Returning onstage for the encore, the boys found a table set with glasses and a bottle of champagne—then the house lights came up to reveal the entire audience making a champagne toast to the band."[55]
During the Dead's Warfield run, the group played a whopping 93 different songs.[38]
11/16/80 Bob Dylan
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry sits in for To Ramona.
5/22/81 Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Kahn, Brent Mydland (No Nukes Benefit)
Norton Buffalo, Bobby Vega, Michael Hinton, Vicki Randle, Holly Near, Kate Wolf, Country Joe McDonald, Merl Saunders also performed.
"The band came on last, introduced by Wavy Gravy as “Captain JerryBobKreutzHart,” taking care not to call them the Grateful Dead. Brent Mydland was on board playing acoustic piano, but John Kahn remained on acoustic bass."(
"I asked Dennis McNally why Phil hadn’t played those shows, and Phil had apparently told Dennis “because no one asked me.”[6]
6/26/81 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Phil Lesh replaces John Kahn.[36]
2/16/82 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
A Benefit for 13 organizations chosen by the Grateful Dead.
2/17/82 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/29/83 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger.[49]
A Benefit for 13 organizations chosen by the Grateful Dead.
"I was in the little overhanging balcony stage left for this show, I was looking just about straight down on the band. It sounded great to me!"[27]
3/30/83 Grateful Dead
A Benefit
3/31/83 Grateful Dead
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
11/22/86 Bob Weir, Mickey Hart
Jane Dornacker Benefit
KBC Band, Todd Rundgren, The Tubes also performed.
"I do recall Carol Doda doing a striptease on stage...and thinking wow, you don't see that on the same stage as Jerry very often."[57]
11/27/87 Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents and Miller Genuine Draft.
Jerry plays an acoustic guitar made by Takamine, ca. 1985 6-string acoustic guitar, Serial Number 84111605, Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. and the electric guitar Tiger.
11/28/87 Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents and Miller Genuine Draft.
Jerry plays an acoustic guitar made by Takamine, ca. 1985 6-string acoustic guitar, Serial Number 84111605, Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. and the electric guitar Tiger.
11/29/87 Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents and Miller Genuine Draft.
Jerry plays an acoustic guitar made by Takamine, ca. 1985 6-string acoustic guitar, Serial Number 84111605, Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. and the electric guitar Tiger.
12/17/87 Bob Weir, John Kahn, Joan Baez
AIDS Benefit
Humanitas International and Bill Graham Presents
Jerry plays a 1985 Takamine EF360S guitar.
"Takamine, ca. 1985 6-string acoustic guitar, Serial Number 84111605, Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. The spruce top on the guitar exhibits some extremely light color within the grain running from back to front above and below the sound hole making it easily identifiable. With chrome hardware, red nylon and black leather guitar strap with a black leather musical note patch affixed to the strap, a few nicks and scrapes to body and head. With original black case with usual clasps and plastic handle, lined in nubby, orange polyester; case with splotches of red and pink paint, generally very worn. Includes case, Jerry's guitar strap and pick.[23]
"According to Carolyn Adams Garcia: "This instrument was a favorite one of Jerry's 'playing' guitars. He played it extensively, and it traveled with him for years. It appears with him on album covers and in photographs of shows from the mid 1980's to early 1990.
It has a very distinctive pattern in the spruce wood top that stands out in videos and photos from that time. The sides and back are rosewood. The red fabric strap with the black notes has been part of it throughout. The guitar has the marks of use and travel.
He used it for recordings, shows and while practicing at home and at the studio. He played this guitar at his Wiltern Theater appearances and during his Broadway run.
He played this guitar for many of his acoustic sets on stage in the late 1980s. It is also the guitar he most often brought home to practice on between gigs, preferring this acoustic to his electric guitars for working at home.
Jerry loved this guitar and latched onto it as a solid replacement for his old acoustic Martin Dreadnaught, which he said was too fragile to travel.
He liked the sharp twang of this Takamine's voice. Other band members and the crew actually have commented on its sharp distinctive tone. Likely this was an aspect of the built in pickup. Jerry liked that and the easy fingering of the narrow neck and the cutaway. It has sturdy construction that held up well on the road, and the original built in electronic elements that he used are there too.
There is plenty of life in this well-made guitar. It has occasionally been played, and often enjoyed and admired by our family and friends over the years since Jerry's passing, and is a treasured old friend come around for the music.
Takamine still makes this model, a testimonial to durability and desirability.
We have kept it since 1990 when Jerry stopped using it for shows and kept it at home. Just having it has helped us deal with his absence over time."[23]
2/6/88 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/4/88 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/5/88 Jerry Garcia Band
Howard Wales sits in for Don't Let Go.[28]
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
12/1/89 Jerry Garcia Band
Clarence Clemons sits in for the entire show.[29]
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Oren David Green employed by VIP Security, most likely funded by a Bill Graham organization of one sort or another is hired to prevent taping at the Warfield.(37)
"The lights dim, Jerry's on, is the deck? Deck's rolling. I'm bracing the micas right under my nose. I scrupulously monitor my entire peripheral vision. All of a sudden, a bust is going down behind us. Tom is tapping me furiously and Rick blocks himself on my right should. Five minutes later Bill Graham brushed against our mic veil! The show continues…We met Oren at the end of the night. I hope he had fun listening to the dummy blank tape."[46]
12/2/89 Jerry Garcia Band
Clarence Clemons sits in for the entire show.[30]
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/2/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/3/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/4/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/1/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/2/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/13/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/14/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/15/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
6/12/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents
"This night Oren was there and he caught the other three digtal tapers in the house, not to mention numerous analog tapes."[44]
6/13/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
"Oren was again there yet it didn't seem as though he showed his face to the crowd until the second set."[44]
8/7/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
8/8/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
8/9/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
11/20/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
11/21/90 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Pack of Wolves opened.
1/29/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/30/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/31/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Tiger.[
2/2/91 David Grisman (rehearsal)
"We're just trying to get into the groove- we're not actually playing", says the Jerryman.
"Grisman: We're gonna play a new original tune that Jerry and I wrote together. Sort of a synthesis of our two styles. The Dead and the Dawg styles. This is called Grateful Dawg.....or Dawgful Dead."[19]
"As I walked onto the set of “The Thrill Is Gone,” I came to the realization that I was really going to direct a Jerry Garcia/David Grisman music video. The modern San Francisco club had become a 1940′s speak easy thanks to the great set design of Danny ColAngelo.
The connection between my Grateful Dead family and the Grisman Dawgs had gone way back. Now Gillian Grisman and I were partners in a film company. We’d played together as kids, and now they needed a video for the Garcia/Grisman album. As my best friend’s father, Francis Coppola, had always told me, “Steal from the best.”
I used my best friend Gio Coppola’s montages from his dad’s flick, The Cotton Club for inspiration. Having worked with Garcia before I knew he had no love of spending endless time on a film set. Jerry’s health had already caused a month’s delay and some feared he might not have a lot to give toward this project. The first time I passed he and David joking with each other on their way to the set, I knew Jerry was going to be up for it.
The day started by shooting some bar and “filler” scenes. With each set-up I was getting more comfortable directing the crew, yet I was nervous about having enough time to get all of the footage we needed of the band performing the song. As we tried the first few takes, I realized Jerry had never heard the way David had edited his solo. Once he got that down, all I was nervous about was that Jerry would find out I was responsible for the HORRIBLY OUT OF TIME CLAPPING used to cue the song’s start.
Of course shots that were supposed to get done fast took a long time and vice versa. Taking advantage of the time Jerry and David were on the set, we shot their scenes first. Watching the band run through “The Thrill Is Gone” I got the feeling just seeing Garcia in a gangster suit and tie would be worth the price of admission! Throughout the day Jerry never lost his sense of humor, even when Gillian repeatedly asked for his pants to be fitted. “I’d never do this for the Grateful Dead,” Garcia remarked at one point.
While the crew set up for the exterior shots, the musicians swapped jokes with Ricky Jay, a man who has mastered the art of using cards as weapons. A light rain fell as I walked through the sidewalk shots with David, Jerry and cameraman ColAngelo. My attention was so focused on the set that it took me a while to notice that people were gathering across the street in front of a wall where someone had spray painted GRATEFUL DEAD in large letters.
It never dawned on us that shooting a video with Jerry Garcia on a major San Francisco street would draw attention. Between takes Jerry commented that he’d been on this street all his life. First, as a kid, he was a bouncer for a local night club. Throughout the following years he played thousands of gigs at that same club, which was across the street from where we were shooting, “and I’m still fuckin’ on Market Street!”
Around 1 a.m. we completed the shots needed for the video’s opening and closing and I said goodnight to David and Jerry. Having all of their scenes in the can made me more relaxed, until I saw the weary gang of extras that had been waiting all day to start shooting."[22]
"Ripple-I"m convinced this was written as a prayer. I read somewhere that JG didn't love playing it live most of the time -- felt it was too sacred to be performed loosely. If that's not true, I'd rather not be disillusioned."[25]
2/3/91 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Martin D-28 or Gibson Super 400 guitar.
"Grisman: ...formed our own styles because Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, said the best thing you can do if you learn how to play bluegrass is then go out and get your own style. So Jerry, he started the Dead style of music. He's a pioneer in that.
Garcia: David, he started dawg music. Grisman: So now, the last time we got together we were playing bluegrass. Now we are trying to fuse our styles. So we have a new tune tha's kind of a combination of Dead and Dawg. Or as we call it Grateful Dawg." Also, before Dawg's Waltz, Grisman says, "This next number is a real quiet waltz.
Imagine yourself in a Parisian cafe in 1902." At this point, Jerry bursts out laughing and mutters something like "Yeah, right!". [20]
2/28/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/1/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/2/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/19/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
"I remember my first show there...as I was walking out, this old hippie who looked like he was from Lord of the Rings came up to me - looked me in the eyes and said "I bet that was the best twenty bucks you ever spent." Then, he melted away into the crowd. Damn, was that dude right!"[25]
4/20/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/21/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
5/22/91 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
5/23/91 Jerry Garcia Band
""I was on the floor, Jerry breaks into Everybody Needs Somebody - the place explodes and smiles all around. The california blond beauty who was working the floor - leaves her post and starts dancing with us. It was like Jerry put her in a trance and she let the music take her over. I never seen anything like that - one of my greatest concert moments. This was my first trip out west and everything people said about the Warfield was 100% true. I heard that magic happens there and Jerry comes out after the show in the back and waves goodbye - well, he did. I'm smiling right now just think about it."[25]
12/7/91 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 or a Martin D-28 guitar.
12/8/91 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 or a Martin D-28 guitar. He and Grisman also both play a banjo for Sweet Sunny South. After Red Rockin Chair Grisman mentions "Mr. Garcia on 12 string guitar" right after that.
12/9/91 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 or Martin D-28guitar.
"Garcia's contribution is as lead vocalist and rhythm player but this is clearly a team effort with stand-up bassist, Kim Kerwin and fiddle and percussionist Joe Craven adding their virtuosity more as equals to Garcia and Grisman than as accompanying sidemen.
During their second set, Garcia and Grisman, seated in easy chairs, proceeded to perform several duets that has Garcia foot-tapping a beat while he alternated between 6 and 12 string guitar and banjo."[42]
4/29/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/30/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
The night of the Rodney King Riot.
"Riot police surrounding the theatre, gunshots in the streets and an announcement from the stage warning us "Don't leave the theatre". Every song played had some theme related to the riots. I'll never forget the raw energy of that show. Great set list too with the super rare Throw Out The Lifeline, a very appropriate first set nugget as was Struggling Man."[8]
5/1/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
5/2/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
5/3/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Bob Dylan was backstage but did not perform.[31]
5/5/92 Bob Dylan
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry sits in for Cat's In The Well and Idiot Wind.[32]
5/7/92 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 guitar.
5/8/92 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 guitar and a Gibson Mastertone banjo duet with Grisman.
5/9/92 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 guitar.
5/10/92 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 guitar.
5/11/92 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Alvarez Yairi DY99 guitar and an unknown banjo.
"This was a great Garcia/Grisman show. Wonderful performances of Rosalie McFall, Louis Collins, Wind and Rain, FOTD, Stealin' (a nice treat; my first one), and Sittin' In Limbo. But the biggest surprise was the encore, when they hauled out the novelty song I'm My Own Grandpa (a song I first heard on Dr. Demento's (Barry Hansen) radio show over 20 years ago-a version by a duo named Lonzo and Oscar). It was so out of the blue I couldn't believe it at first. The crowd loved it. A perfect way to end one of the best acoustic shows ever."[33]
8/6/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
8/7/92 Jerry Garcia Band
This show was canceled.
8/8/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
This show was canceled.
12/19/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
12/21/92 Jerry Garcia Band
Mojo Hana opened.
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/28/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/29/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/30/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/25/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/26/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/27/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/23/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays the guitar Rosebud.[
" We used to usher these shows and get cut loose with a couple of free drink tickets around the second song of the second set.....what a time. What a place."[24]
4/24/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/25/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
10/5/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
10/6/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
10/7/93 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/12/94 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Martin D-28 or Gibson Super 400 guitar.
1/13/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/4/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
"One night during a late winter run he was playing the Warfield and he was visibly crying tears of joy. For those of you who know the Warfield you know it's small and you can see everything. He sang "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down" and brought the whole crowd into a weeping frenzy. It was like we were all sharing this special moment and he as much a participant as us."[21]
2/5/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/6/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/9/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/18/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
"I found a ticket quickly out front for $15, met up with some friends from the mountains and smoked a bowl of Washington kind bud. I was real stoned plus two drinks inside me and danced happily thru the whole first set with some cool people on the floor right in front of a column of speakers but out of view of Jerry himself. There was lots of room though, which, at the packed Warfield, is a rare commodity. The sound is loud and good.
Break time with sweat and more sweat, another drink, another bowl and a new spot on "Phil's side" in the midst of spinners & freaks whom all seem nice enough and stoned too. Now you just sit & wait for the music which eventually comes after a long time.
Second set boom. the spinners around me are, well naturally they're spinning wildly and their longhair slaps me in the face forcing me to dance a bit harder until I'm in a frenzy to the winding beat. It's hot as hell and I'm tired and I still have to go on, harder faster lighter, it's crazy and iIm slam inside the guts of this beast jumping pumping grinding down the beat which plows into the crowd pushing us into each other, off each other and into the person next to us. Finally the band wraps it up, last song and the lights are up. A lot more sweat and looped people trying to find their jacket or birks or bong and seeing friends who say "See you at Shoreline" smiling and out into the rough pavement of market street. Those less fortunate hock their wares and the bums grunt and thrust their empty Burger King cups in front of the exiting heads.The walk back home to North Beach is quick as I rocket forth with the show's energy. The smile never goes away."[34]
4/19/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/20/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/25/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/26/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/27/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
"Jerry was playing yet another run of shows at the Warfield and I had tickets to a couple, with an invitation to a very cool private party at the Fillmore in between.
BGP had just finished retro-fitting the Fillmore, which had been dark for almost five years due to damage from the '89 earthquake, and were re-opening the epic old hall with a run of 17 or so shows in a row. In the classic BGP way they put on a killer party featuring the Neville Brothers the night before the official re-opening - an opening that has continued unbroken to this day (HOORAY!!), and I was really looking forward to it.
I had been feeling a weird little pain in my gut for a few days leading up to the party but it was no big whoop... until I got to the Fillmore, when it became a brutal stabbing pain that had me doubled over.
I ended up in the ER that night getting dosed with morphine (HOORAY!!) and certain I was going to die (and hoping for it at that point).
I was also certain that I wasn't going to the Jerry show the next night, despite having dead center front row balcony seats (the best seats in the Bay Area), but thanks to the miracle of modern medicine the pain went away (I was told it was likely a kidney stone but one was never found) so feeling better after a good night's sleep I figured what the hell, GO TO THE SHOW!
Being much relieved at feeling better so quickly and being with a good old friend (and being sorta' stupid) I indulged a bit too much before the show (ah my Jagermeister days) and got a bit hammered. I then began to have what I would describe as an anxiety attack during the 1st set.
"What the hell am I DOING??? I was flat on my back ER just a few hours ago!!! I'm KILLING myself!!! This has all got to STOP!!!"
I began freaking out, my mind & heart racing/shaking with cold sweats/the whole deal, thinking I HAD to leave, but I didn't want to bum out my friend who was having the time of his life in those amazing seats, so I told myself, "Self, you've been here before - CALM DOWN!"
Fortunately I DID calm down as the indulgements calmed down and I began feeling better during the break so I didn't say anything to my friend, but I was shook up and was just looking to get through the set and get home.
Jerry and his band took the stage for the 2nd set and began with Shining Star, a song I had not to that point been crazy about, especially as a set opener, but almost immediately the words were ringing in my head about "being right here where you are, 'till my dying day" and suddenly I was totally relaxed and TOTALLY in the groove with Jerry.
Overall it's an excellent version of Shining Star but I doubt that it's the greatest version ever, but the ending, where the band brings it down and the crowd begins singing the words was the best I ever heard. The crowd was singing as one to Jerry, and he GOT it that night big-time and he just kept that part going longer than usual. A very clear connection between the crowd & Jerry developed and everyone knew it; it was a truly amazing moment - intimate, special, emotional.
I'll never forget how that song and that entire set afterward became a total love-fest between the crowd and Jerry, and what a powerful night it was for me personally.
I've had a lot of emotional times with Jerry and the boys, and I continue to, but that night and that song was the most emotional moment I've ever had with him or them.
I am proud to say I was wiping tears out of my eyes that night after realizing that I was fine and was right where I wanted to be, and would continue to be, until my dying day.
There is an audio of that Shining Star. You can't really hear how loud & clear the crowd was singing as one and you can't feel what the room felt like during that part, but it's there and it was real, and you can hear how Jerry just lets it keep going. I wish we could see his face, but all these years later I can still see his smile and how much he was digging it. Time flies. I sure do miss Jerry."[16]
5/4/94 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Martin D-28 or Gibson Super 400 guitar.
5/5/94 David Grisman
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry plays a Martin D-28 or Gibson Super 400 guitar.
8/12/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
8/13/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
8/14/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
9/1/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
9/2/94 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
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| 9/2/94 Photo by Stephen Dorian Miner |
1/13/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
""Getting the gear in to tape these shows was difficult, but we found ways around that. The harder part was not getting busted during the show, because they knew that everyone wanted to tape from the drink rail, so they knew where to look. One of the head security guys was so hard-core he wore a DAT tape on a chain around his neck, just to show us he was not fucking around. Between the JGB and Garcia/Grisman, I went to almost 80 shows at the Warfield from '89-'95. That was the smartest thing I've ever done in my life, no doubt. The caliber of music we saw there was unmatched. There was a big difference in seeing the JGB there as opposed to one of the big, soulless venues: Philly, Meadowlands, Oakland Coliseum, take your pick.
It always blew me away that the Dead would play Giants Stadium to 80,000 people or whatever it held, then the next month we would be seeing Garcia at the Warfield, which many times was not sold out. I felt very lucky."[18]
1/14/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
1/15/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
2/10/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
This show was canceled. Rescheduled for 2/13/95.
The 8pm show was postponed at 8:45pm. Jerry hurt his hand while on vacation.(35)
"The official story is that he got stung by a jellyfish while diving in Bonaire. When we got to the venue that night to go to the show, I was struck by a very strange feeling that all was not well. We were on the corner of 6th and Market, in the middle of tons of heads, and I looked at my wife and said, "We are selling our tickets, something's wrong, we're not going in." This was not something I would ever consider doing normally, as the Warfield was the home gig and we loved the place, and seeing Jerry there. She just kind of looked at me, and seeing I was shaken and dead serious, she said ok. We sold the tickets within moments and went somewhere for dinner.
The next day my friend called and said "where the hell were you guys? Did you hear what happened? There was no show last night, they let us all in, everyone was waiting for the show to start as normal, and finally they came out and said Jerry is sick, the show is canceled."[18]
2/11/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
This show was canceled due to Jerry's hand injury.
2/12/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
This show was canceled due to Jerry's hand injury.
2/13/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Rescheduled from 2/10/95 due to Jerry's hand injury.
3/4/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
3/5/95 Jerry Garcia Band
"You could have heard a pin drop in between Jerry singing, it was extremely intimate."[17]
4/14/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/15/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/21/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/22/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
4/23/95 Jerry Garcia Band
Promoter Bill Graham Presents.
Jerry and Bob Weir attended a show by the Gypsy Kings at the Warfield in San Francisco. Bill Kreutzmann was there as well, on March 15th, 1989.[39]
On Novenber 16, 1993, Jerry attended a Los Lobos show here. Blair Jackson mentions a Los Lobos show at the Warfield in San Francisco. I sat just to the right of the right-hand aisle; Garcia was a row behind me just to the left of the same aisle. I chatted with him before the Los Lobos set. I asked him whether the lyric in "Lady with a Fan" says "shed light" or "share light," and he said that people should hear it however they like: "I'm just the singer, man!"[40]
"I represented Jerry Garcia and the Jerry Garcia Band (dba Concensus Reality, Inc.) in a lawsuit filed by a tenant at the Warfield. This guy sued BGP, the Warfield Bldg. and JGB for creating a nuisance that interfered with his "quiet enjoyment" of his office when the band played. Never got to meet Jerry, but I would have been a pretty solid witness for the plaintiff."[41]
Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
1.)^gorchoff-fey,ellen, A Note On Speakeasys, http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=1331&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=prohibition&submitted2=TRUE&topic
2.)^Joel Selvin (2008-07-03). "Battle of the Bay Area concert promoters". San Francisco Chronicle.
4.)^stevenerwiz, comments, 2011-07-16, http://www.dead.net/show/september-25-1980
5.)^Radon Denada, comments, 2007-06-24, http://www.dead.net/show/october-2-1980
6.)^Arnold, Corry, http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2009/07/may-22-1981-fox-warfield-theatre-san.html
7.)^larrygoldmith, comments, 2010-09-25, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1186
8.)^Jahk2 from philzone, comments, http://thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2016
9.)^lostmemory, comments, 2005-10-03, http://cinematreasures.org/comments?page=2&theater_id=1186
10.)^Melnick, Ross, comments, 2004-03-23, http://cinematreasures.org/comments?page=3&theater_id=1186
11.)^Harris, Warren G., comments, 2004-03-23, http://cinematreasures.org/comments?page=3&theater_id=1186
12.)^stevenj, comments, 2004-03-22, http://cinematreasures.org/comments?page=3&theater_id=1186
13.)^bruceanthony, comments, 2003-11-07, http://cinematreasures.org/comments?page=3&theater_id=1186
14.)^Murphy, Harry, 2002-02-06, http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=007v0S
15.)^Paddock, Bruce, 2003-04-16, http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=007v0S
16.)^Newberry,Lance, Other Stuff, 2013-04-28, http://www.philzone.org/
17.)^stranger, comments, 2013-11-26, http://ratdog.org/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=314156
18.)^HighOnTam, comments, 2013-11-29, http://ratdog.org/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=314156&start=20
19.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1996
20.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1998
21.)^chinacat72, comments, 2005-01-19, http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/3644004
22.)^Kreutzmann, Justin, Garcia/Grisman’s “The Thrill Is Gone”, 2005-11-29, http://blogcritics.org/garciagrismans-the-thrill-is-gone/
23.)^Bonham's, http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20158/lot/3021/?page_anchor=MR1_results_per_page%3D500%26MR1_module_instance_reference%3D1
24.)^Sparky Jabrones, comments, 2013-0=10, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR3pM9gc3-Q
25.)^smartalek180, comments, 2013-03, http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=cP_2dupIRIw
26.)^Help's On The Way, comments, 2014-02-19, Other Stuff, http://www.philzone.org/
27.)^Sarvesh, comments, 2008-09-01, https://archive.org/details/gd83-03-29.sennheiser.dodd.11262.sbeok.shnf
28.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1907
29.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1921
30.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1922
31.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2021
32.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2022
33.)^Fountain, Joe T., comments, http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2019
34.)^Unknown Anonymous, comments, http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2075
35.)^http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/2098
36.)^1981-06-26, http://www.thejerrysite.com/shows/show/1543
37.)^Buik, Marcus, 1990-02-13, Taping Journal.
38.)^Brandelius, Jerilyn Lee, Grateful Dead Family Album, pg. 201.
39.)^Jerry Garcia Concert Attendance, 2013-08-09, http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2013/08/jerry-garcia-concert-attendance-1961-90.html
40.)^Shields, Andrew, 2013-08-26, Jerry Garcia Concert Attendance, 2013-08-09, http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2013/08/jerry-garcia-concert-attendance-1961-90.html
41.)^jonestown, comments, 2013-03-20, So who met Jerry?, http://forums.phishhook.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=890987
42.)^Juanis, JC, 1992, BayArea Bits, Relix 19, 2 (April), pg. 46.
43.)^McDonough, Jack, New Venues Blooming, 1979-04-14, Billboard Vol. 91, No. 15, pg. 41-42.
44.)^Unknown taper story.
45.)^Arnold, Corry, The Golden Road, 1986-summer, pg. 32.
46.)^Unknown taper's notes, 1989-12-01, Joseph Jupille Archives.
47.)^Call, Clayton, photographer, 1991-01-31.
48.)^Miner, Stephen, photographer, 1994-09-02.
49.)^Eisenberg, Joel, photographer, 1983-03-29.
50.)^Blakesburg, Jay, photographer, 1980-10-13, 14.
51.)^Blakesburg, Jay, photographer, 1980-09-26.
52.)^Stone, CJ, photographer, 1980-10-09.
53.)^Angus, Harry,
54.)^Jackson, Blair; McNally, Dennis; Peters, Stephen; Wills, Chuck, Grateful Dead - The Illustrated Trip, pg. 254.
55.)^Jackson, Blair; McNally, Dennis; Peters, Stephen; Wills, Chuck, Grateful Dead - The Illustrated Trip, pg. 255.
56.)^Stone, Chris, photographer, 1980-10-09, https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjstone707/8308660457/in/photostream/
57.)^dgale, comments, 2010-01-11, http://www.shnflac.net/forum.php?action=viewtopic&topicid=10351&page=3
