It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Grateful Dead, July 16th and 17th, 1994, RFK Satdium, Washington, DC

      Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying the incredible jams Phish is tossing off with little or no effort this summer. With 2 weeks between the Mann shows and the Merriweather/Southern swing of awesomeness I have coming up, it is time to take a quick break from the boys from Vermont to look back, and I mean way back. While Phish was finishing up the summer tour where Phish became Phish (thanks to Dave Stienberg for that great little line), I was going to see my boys at RFK stadium. So here it is, the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium in Washington DC, July 16^th and 17^th, 1994.
      This was the 5^th summer in a row of seeing the Dead at RFK and I had it down pat now. This was also the first summer where my mind was fully enlightened and experimentation was the rule of the day. So, due to me pushing the limits of my conscience, details aren't gonna be as plentiful as before. I do know we camped for these shows, and that's about it. Myself and my usual crew went down along with a few of W's friends from college.

07-16-94 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Sat)
1: Cold Rain> Picasso Moon, Lazy River Road, El Paso@, Shoe Fits, Ramble On, Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Promised
2: China Cat> I Know You Rider, Samba, Estimated> Crazy Fingers> Drumz> Last Time> Stella Blue> Saturday Night E: Liberty

Traffic opened

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/7/16

Note: The above website is safe, despite what your anti virus says

      A solid first set although If the Show Fits is a song that should have been left of the shelf. The second set started off right but Samba and Crazy Fingers were rather slow. Jerry missed his cue for the first verse of Stella Blue, which looking back should have been a flag that he wasn't taking care of himself. 

07-17-94 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Sun)
1: Bucket> Bertha, Wang Dang Doodle, So Many Roads, Tom Thumb Blues, B. T. Wind@, Don't Ease
2: Victim> Eyes> Samson> He's Gone> Drumz> Way To Go> SOTM> Lovelight E: Brokedown

Traffic opened

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/7/17

       I must give a shout out to Traffic. This has been the only time I've been able to see Steve Winwood live, and both nights they did not disappoint. This was also during the final match of the World Cup. My friend of Italian decent manged to find a black and white television using an old school analog antenna to watch the game. Brazil ended up winning, beating Italy, which Steve Winwood brought up during his set.
      Another friend of a friend was there, and although the word didn't exist, he was definitely a “bro”. Juiced up, with pecs that looked like they needed scaffolding just to stay up, he kept repeating the word “Brazil”over and over again until it ceased to be a word. Only highlight I can remember is during Samson. It was raining but right as Jerry went into his solo, the skies really opened up and the crowd goes apeshit. You can hear it on the audience tapes. Glad to see Jerry still had a little bit of magic left to affect the weather.
      So there you have it. Only 3 more 20 Years Later entries for the good ole Grateful Dead and I hope I see most of you at Merriweather for Phish next weekend.



Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll