It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Grateful Dead, Live at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA, June 30th 1995

       Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying this soggy Fourth of July weekend and celebration of all things Grateful Dead. The first night of Chicago exceeded all my expectations. But my mind drifts back to another last time, the last time I saw Jerry G and the boys perform. So here it is, my most bittersweet look back, It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Grateful Dead, Live at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA, June 30^th, 1995.
       I saw the second night of RFK. You can read about that here http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2015/06/it-was-20-years-ago-today-grateful-dead.html
and only had one more show left just a short 5 hour drive across the state. I had finished up at Penn State in May and had a friend from school Jeff living in Pittsburgh proper. We were going to stay at his apartment because he lived a scant 5 minute walk from 3 Rivers Stadium. We got there early which ended up being the best idea ever as the traffic became a nightmare. The local news described it as the worst Pittsburgh had ever seen. I had friends who had to turn around at the Breezewood interchange because one of their friends left his ticket in Hanover. They got caught in it and nearly missed the opener.
        On the way to the venue we stumbled upon the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. They had a bus outside that was covered in various nick nacks over every square inch of this vehicle. I can't emphasize how much stuff was on this bus.

06/30/95 (Fri)  Three Rivers Stadium - Pittsburgh, PA 

Set 1: Hell In A Bucket, West L.A. Fadeaway, Take Me To The River, Candyman, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song, Promised Land
Set 2: Rain, Box Of Rain, Samba In The Rain, Looks Like Rain > Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > I Need A Miracle > Standing On the Moon, E:Gloria

You can stream it here

http://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1995/6/30

 

     It was incredibly hot and humid that day. We started the show off on the field, specifically in the bullpen area. We made it in for the hometown opening act Rusted Root. They had to be geeked beyond belief, opening for the Dead in the Steel City. The first set was nothing special. Take Me to the River was a great choice, given the confluence of the three rivers.

       At some point we made our way up to the third level of the stadium well before the second set. This proved to be the second best decision of the night, as the skies opened up and let loose the mother of all downpours. It rained for a good chunk of the set break and most of the second set, hence all the “rain” songs before Drumz. Jerry sounded much better IMO than at RFK. Gloria was a great choice for an encore as I had never seen it and it is a primordial example of pure rock and roll.

        We walked back to my buddy's apartment. There were a lot of people staying there. Most were going on to Deer Creek. More than a few stayed up all night. We found some space out on the balcony and slept there, resting up for there drive back home.

       The next few days the chaos at Deer Creek would be all over the news. The band would be forced to address the knuckle heads. But I already was ordering my tickets for a fall tour unencumbered by the obligations of school. If I only knew then what I know now.....

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll