Living historian of a rock band? This ain't no Rock band. I don't know what the fuck they are but if it weren't for acid, they never would have become famous. What did the grateful Dead fans say when he stopped taking drugs? Damn, this band sucks
As a teenage kid growing up in Port Chester NY...The Capitol Theater (around the corner from my family's Tavern) was Rock&Roll heaven to me. I got to attend many concerts there between 1970 and May of '73. My personal favorite was the Joe Cocker MD&E concert. I know that many of the Capitol "stage hands" and "roadies" from various bands patronized the bar in the Tavern. I'd be interested to know if any (older) members of "The Dead Family" remember the Tavern around the corner from the Capitol Theater in Port Chester. One of the Capitol stage hands invited my Dad and a bartender to listen to the Dead during a summer concert in 1970. It was 2am in the morning and in true form, the Dead were still playing...with the stage door opened due to the hot weather. So my Father (RIP) got to attend a Dead show one year before I did. When I asked him if he liked "The Dead"..His response was.."Yea...they weren't too loud..". My Dad got see Duke (Ellington), Benny Goodman, Glen Miller and Cab Calloway...so he understood the importance of "live music". I caught the Dead at the Cap during final concert during the Feb '71 week long "residency" at the ripe old age of 16. But it would be two more years before I really "got on the bus..". Looking forward to this series...subscriber to Dead.net
I was cleaning Mike Hagen's storage trailer out a couple years ago so I can put a few things in there (still there, I hope) and found his brother Johnny Hagen's stash of stuff (I have a video of it). Including a set of original Herb Greene photos of Jerry and Pigpen, and unused backstage passes, and a bunch of great stuff. Mike was prankster #0, as deep in the history as you can get, and a sweet guy. Still lives up on the hill and has rather epic stories.
That's awesome thanks for sharing would have jumped for an opportunity like that, have always been fascinated with the pranksters and the electric kool aid aid book.
You certainly were in the right place at the right time.... And it all started from being kind to a stranger. I love the Grateful Dead, and I love your stories. You sir are a legend. Peace and love always to you and yours. Long live the Grateful Dead!!!
Big Steve!! I heard about your RU-vid show just today listening to your weekly Big Steve hour. Nice to have another dose of your wit and wisdom and storytelling. Best wishes
Thanxz Big Steve my first show was 72 a Black panther benifit show I really miss Ramrod ❤ I was blessed to work.with the band in the 90s with Gino and chez Ray
First thing is Thank You! There isn't enough space to say how much I enjoy the Grateful Dead music, I can't really listen to any other music. I live out in wheat country, middle of nowhere, not to far from Pendleton. I guess really what I just wanted to say is Steve , thank you for taking us along, and remember always that I am appreciative of everything you helped with , why? Because the music has helped me so much, and as a full time biker, I know the importance of giving respect and learning from people like yourself. I enjoy listening to you man, like your style, time to smoke here first thing, and get into episode 2. I was gonna call your show, I figured I would thank you here in the comments, so yeah, thank you, have a great day !
As a 5th generation NY stagehand and a big fan of the Dead, this is amazing! I also loved the book Steve!!! Acts of kindness Change lives. I cant wait to see the next episode!
Big Steve, You had some magical shit looking over you all. You are a hell of a storyteller my friend. I am a member of I.A.T.S.E Local 16, San Francisco. A fellow Stagehand! I know you did a lot more than that though! I worked on the lighting rig and did follow spot at Oracle Park for Dead and Co's last shows. Our office knows I am a big Deadhead so they put me on that show. Jerry and the Dead get me home from work, crossing the Golden Gate every day and night! As Robert Plant once said 'Whole Lotta Love!' I could listen to you tell stories all day long! Kurt in Santa Rosa, Ca.
thanks for starting this relationship with us all, Steve! I was lucky to have lived in Menlo Park from jan '67 until june of '68; having come up from LA, and then back there after. hitchiking up the bayshore into the city, heading to the Haight and Golden Gate Park starting at the tender age of 14; whew! lots of free shows, and the Avalon and Fillmore; you're bringing back a lot of memories.... the bus came by, and I got on....
The stories of Alembic alone have me tumescent. This is such a beautiful augmentation to the radio show which already felt like a privilege to eavesdrop on. It’s so great to see and hear your stories can’t wait to get to the wall of sound. Thank you so much for making the series.
This is great! Nice one Steve for sharing your amazing stories. For someone like myself who loves the Dead and psychedelia I could sit listening to this stuff all day long lol...
What a gift Big Steve is for everyone. Aloha to you, Big Steve-mahalo nui for sharing your amazing stories! Grateful for this RU-vid channel. One hour every Thursday isn’t enough for the wealth of knowledge you give to us. A hui hou 🤙🏼
Thanks so much for this, love this shit! Oregon country boy myself and have a lot of pride in how these guys made the show happen. These are the real cosmic cowboys
There are so many stories I'm looking forward to hearing. Really excited about this podcast. How does Rick Turner fit into the Alembic story? Somebody posted a Macintosh 2300 amp for sale on facebook a couple of years ago, claiming it was used at Watkins Glen in '73. Turner weighed in on the pic, saying that if there were no serial numbers on it it could well be authentic, because the five that Janet Furman pulled off the line that day at Macintosh hadn't been stamped with serial numbers as yet and that had never happened at Macintosh before. The story of Janet's trip by helicopter that morning is legendary, also.
Hey Now Big Steve, that was a lot of info about the crew, and that's why we're all here. We wanna know all the "W" words, who, what, when, where, why and maybe how. No pressure, just inquiring minds. Thanks and we'll see you soon.
The Grateful Dead were a class act and there's nothing quite like them. It was an amazing time to be alive and experience the first wave of psychedelics since the Salem witch trials.
I met u big Steve in the 80 s but u didn’t like me being with Jerry ! U told me u would not let me in anymore because I made him 20 minutes late to get back on stage but y was it my fault ? I loved Jerry with all my being ! Still love him tonite at April 21,2024 !
Also love him today 5/8/ 2024 after all the years gone by ! I still cry but I think by now they r drying up on me because I can’t take much more of this not living !
Mars Hotel. 11th dream day. Do yourself a favor and look up that song and listen to it. The lyrics are hysterical. Everybody hates the fucking dead when they come to town.
You're over 50. I'm over 50. But I have decent musical tastes. Doesn't require me taking fucking acid or mushrooms to dance around like a moron for 25 minutes solos. Absolute garbage
I met my brother for the first time at 35, he lived in Livermore and wanted to show me this old abandoned race track, turned out to be Altamont, I walked around taking everything in, meeting my mom and now getting stoned with my brother at Altamont, great day. While exploring a blue belly lizard ran up my pants leg, so I am shrieking as I could feel it's little claws getting closer to my junk, I dropped my pants and chonies and was dancing around yelling when I finally got it off, my brother who I had known for less than 3 hours was on the ground laughing his ass off. When I first met my Mom and brother on the way to see the Dead for the New Years shows in 88, all I knew about her was she lived in the Bay area, on the way to the show I stopped in Livermore for some cigarettes, I saw a phone booth and looked to see if I could find her name, which I had done in many other cities and towns, this time i hit pay dirt, so I called and told her who I was and she asked where I was and told her, she said dont move and was there in 3 minutes... she lived right around the corner. If it was not for going to that show I may have never met my mom or brother. I have not thought of this for many years and am not sure why I am sharing with you but thank you for stirring up old memories with your old memories.
I’m an older Deadhead. But have gone through many sadness in my life ! To sad to go there but I’m so happy for u to have found ur family ! Grateful to ur brother who seemed to love u as u were ! ❤️🐰🐇🌹👽🪐🛸🚀✨🌙☄️⭐️🌟⚡️🗡️🩸💀☠️🫧💦💧🌊😥😢🥲sadness for who I’ve lost in my life , my soulmate Jerry Garcia who when we met the energy was so strong that we couldn’t even hug the 1 st time until we had a chance to talk + get to know eachother before the nite was over ! Then he came to my room to ask me for a match , I said I have a match for u + I had my way with him , so good it was for 10 years but I had to go but will always feel guilty rather I should of stayed but what happened had to ! 🥲😢😥💕🪭
Everyone need to sub to big steve,and even more importantly, share,only way to share this amazing knowledge of the best band that has ever been...thanks so much Steve,this is great!!!
You guys changed the history of the world in so many ways. Please tell us more of these awesome stories! Thank you. I give thanks to the universe to have been around for 14 straight years of Dead shows.
Big Steve I had binoculars and my fav thing to do was watch the crew put things together and the placement design to fit the room was fascinating. Audio you guys were tops. Hear y'all was like the quality of the sound would draw you in. The clarity was so appealing. I was 16 when I saw The Wall. I'm 67 now... Thanks for all you do
Thanks, Big Steve!! 1st show 74 Roosevelt Stadium N.J. which led to a lifetime of shows. Have my mail order tickets for the Madison Square Garden shows in 95 which sadly never happened. Saw all the different versions after Jerry passed. Fun but not the same, I miss and enjoy him every day
My old man left me in jail general population for a weekend when I was 18 to teach me a lesson and I never went back again. I was so pissed off but eventually realized the value in it. He actually did me a favor and I learned deep down to avoid the behaviors that could ever put me in that situation a 2nd time.
Fellow Queens kid here! Had my beers stolen in Astoria Park by the NYPD many times 😂Loyal listener of the Sirius show (ie- weekly Dead related therapy session) and so happy you’re doing this ..wishing you nothing but the best.. hope to see you at The Sphere /Vinetian that first week in June..
