Stub Memories: Grateful Dead 09/17/1991

In contrast to some of my other stub memories indulgences, I don’t have to play history detective with this show. It was a memorable gig.

In the fall of sophomore year, a pal of mine was dating someone he had met that summer on Nantucket. She was a serious Dead Head. Like on tour kind of Head.

Her family was also loaded. I can’t remember why.

Now, this turned out to have some ancillary benefits for the friends of her boyfriend, because in the fall of 1991, her loaded parents and my buddy’s parents were kind enough to treat everyone to box seats at Madison Square Garden for a Dead show.

So we all moseyed down to NYC. The night of the gig, which interestingly was a Tuesday, I remember an unfortunate incident occurring as we walked up to the Garden. An absolutely irate cab driver was yelling at a bunch of Dead Head types, who had just gotten out his cab. I guess they had stiffed him on the tip or something. The cabbie ran around to the back of the car, unscrewed the antenna that was attached there, and brandished it at the poor folk. They coughed up some cash, I think saying something like “Ok, ok, ok, ok!” Yeesh. Road rage.

Anyway, inside the show, I remember thoroughly enjoying the box seats. There was free food and booze. Sure, it was a little awkward with the parents and everything, and maybe not the coolest way to take in a Dead show, but that didn’t particularly bother me.

Unfortunately, it did bother my friends, and a decision was made that the gig would be more fun out in the crowd. So we ventured out.

The only other thing I remember about this show was thinking that Bruce Hornsby was a great addition to the band. When they played Iko, the opener, Bruce rocked an accordion!

Here’s the set list, courtesy of Dead.net:

Iko Iko
Greatest Story Ever Told
Althea
Little Red Rooster
Loser
Baby Blue
Brown Eyed Women
Picasso Moon

Box of Rain
Cold Rain and Snow
Samson and Delilah
Eyes of the World
drums
space
This Could Be the Last Time
Black Peter
Throwin’ Stones
Not Fade Away

U.S. Blues