History Documented: Recordings of The Grateful Dead and Phish at Wesleyan

, by Andrew Dermont, Blargus Editor

When Red & Black Calling Society’s most seasoned phone jockey Erik Underwood ’09 dialed David Boeri ’71 for a yearly donation, he didn’t expect the devoted CSS alum to email him an audio link of The Grateful Dead’s 1970 Foss Hill performance. As Boeri put it, “Not the best audio quality, but history documented.” Jam band buffs will also find a recording of Phish’s 1990 show by searching “Wesleyan” here.

About Andrew Dermont

Andrew Dermont organized the overhaul of the Argus website. He is now the Blargus Editor and oversees the publication of all online-specific content.

14 Comments

  3. Ed McKeon

    The Dead file is great – especially the recorded conversations you can hear between songs. I found this in the NY Times:

    April 10, 2009 9:40 pm

    Link
    I am not a Deadhead nor have I ever claimed to be one. But circumstances were such in the Spring of 1970 that a classmate at Wesleyan and myself soon became caught up in one of the momentous moments in the school’s history.

    The recent incursion into Cambodia and then Kent St massacre soon after galvanized students across the country. All that and more culminated in The Strike In May, The Dead were playing in the East and, as noted by readers who attended, the Binghampton gig was one of their best.

    I was Chairman of Student Events Committee. A classmate told me he was close to The Dead’s manager or someone in the band. They were very tuned into what was happening and wanted to do something special. Wesleyan was the right place.

    “How much will that cost?”, I asked, knowing full well our budget had already been blown. “Nothing… They’ll place for free!”

    I thought, why not? This would be a perfect way to go out. We had a dusk-to-dawn concert planned at the foot of Foss Hill and had lined up some great talent. Plus, our own funky and famous Gamelan players would be playing forever, sort of a sedative, when the high-pitched bands stepped down and in contrast, Wesleyan’s world class Indian sitarist-in-residence and his cohorts would be going bonkers on tablas and pakhawaji. This was going to be our own Woodstock

    Word about the concert and The Dead coming to Wes never got out until a day or so before the concert. If it had, Wesleyan would have looked like Yasgar’s farm. The Dead came and they played and the place was really excited and turned on. The concert became a paradigm for most of us. Certainly, all the anger, frustration and anxiety over Vietnam had pre-occupied our lives for years seemed to come to a head that May. The tension that had built up in all of us was vented both on stage and in the audience. More mellow than crazy. It was real ’60’s.

    1970 must have been monumental for The Dead and their fans. Deadheads may claim to have been at or heard the best of The Dead but unless they were at Wesleyan that night on Foss Hill in May, 1970, they haven’t been There. And, it didn’t cost a dime!

  9. Joshy Phat Smokes

    The Dead links are up, but where are the Phish shows? I seem to remember from Pharmer’s Almanac, Phish never playing Wesleyan…..Did they really play here?

  10. Joshy Phat Smokes

    Ah. I stand corrected. Phish did play Wesleyan in 1990. Pretty sick set too. A Sloth, Mikes > Hydrogen > Weekapaug and a Tube all make the set look particularly crunchy….

    If they played Wes now days, there would be needles, glowsticks, tortillas, water jugs, and empty beer bottles all over the lawn…..Not a purty sight….

  14. David Mittleman '93

    Phish sure did play, I was there. Was it really ’90, I remember it being a year or two later? Anyhow, it was outside, at Foss Hill. It was overcast that day, it might have even rained some before the show. I don’t think there were many people there, 75 to 100 max. Phish was still little known at the time; I think that only their 1st album was out at the time. I do recall having a great time. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

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