WATKINS GLEN

For the past five years my wife and I have gone up to lake Seneca to stay with my cousins. Like myself, my cousin married a Buffalo girl. He, also being from the New York City area, has spent a lot of time in the car driving to visit the in-laws. The major difference between our two trips, is that my cousin did most of his trips before 390 linked route 17 to i90. Since he didn't have that road, they choose route 14 to cut up on, and so they would cut up through Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake. They fantasized about buying something on the lake. They eventually bought property and built their own place. We've utilized their generosity with visits every summer.

Thank God for iPods. The first time I went up there, I remember scrambling through my iPod when I drove through Watkins Glen. The Summer Jam in 1973 was running through my head. How could it not. I remember it wasn't in my iPod and all weekend I was pissed that I had taken it off a month or so earlier. Coming home I transferred it back and rocked out to the "Bird Song," "Jam/Wharf Rat," "China/Rider," and the "Eyes."
The following year and the subsequent years before leaving, I would make sure that the iPod included 7/27 and 7/28. On the drive to and fro, I always listen to the shows. So now anytime I listen to the show I think of hiking up the Glen, waterskiing on Seneca, and ice cream at Mac's. The one consolation about that first trip without 7/28/73 was on my wife's trip to the Windmill, I found a pair of Steal Your Face pajama pants for $5.

Here is 7/27 and 7/28 and the REST of the show. I will be listening to the show today as I participate in a bike ride around Keuka lake. Its a benefit ride for diabetes, a disease that effects my sister in-law. It's a 44 mile ride around the Y shaped Finger Lake.
You'll remember that Jerry slipped into a diabetic coma in 1986, from which he woke from sober and unable to play guitar.

7/27/73; Promised, Sugaree, Mexicali, Bird Song, Big River, Jed

II Half Step, My Uncle, Jam, Wharf Rat, Around

7/28/73; Bertha, BIODTL, BE Women, Mexicali, Box of Rain, HC Sunshine, LL Rain, Row Jimmy, Straw, Deal, Playin'

II Around, Loose Lucy, Big River, He's Gone, Truckin', Nobody's Jam, El Paso, China Cat, Rider, Stella, Eyes, Sugar Mags E Sing Me E2 NFA Mountain Jam, JBG

Yes, it was one of those hot hot days in Upstate New York. Humidity was through the roof and relief came in the form of thunder showers, which you'll notice in the "Box," "Sunshine," "LL Rain" combo of songs. It should be noted that this is the last "Box" until 1986. Phil gave up singing lead until '86 despite the fact that he had two songs on their next album. 

Levon Helm wrote about a thunder shower that rolled through during The Band's set causing them to stop playing. During the shower, Garth climbed behind the keys and started riffing. As the music built, the rain slowed down, and The Band picked back up their instruments to hammer the crowd with "Chest Fever."

This is the only performance the Grateful Dead did of "Mountain Jam" a song derived from Donovan's zen song "There is a Mountain." The chorus that is recognizable in the jam is "First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is."

On this "Mountain Jam" the Allman's, the Dead, and members of The Band are all sharing the stage. This Jam was a staple of the Allman Brother's concerts. Ironically the inspiration for the "Jam" comes from a guitar quoted by Garcia at the end of "Alligator" on the Grateful Dead studio album "Anthem From The Sun." At the end of the song Garcia plays an instrumental quote of "There is a Mountain" on his guitar for about 8-10 seconds. The Allman's took that "Jam" and made it epic, like this version on 7/28/73.

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