The Grateful Dead are easily the band that I have seen the most after Jethro Tull. The first time that I ever saw them was at the Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida. I didn't know anything about their shows in 1977, I didn't know that they did a forty-five minute break.
At one of the three Hampton, Va. shows that I went to, I dosed on a small amount of acid. It was really funny, during the break between first set and second set, the audience turned into stockbrokers on Wall Street. I also had one of those great cosmic experiences where I and two friends (Jeff and Joe) had this uniting eye contact on a set of stairs.
The greatest show that I had ever seen by The Greatful Dead was in 1980 in Gainesville, Florida. They hit what is known as the X-Factor, the band and the audience become one. Every second of that show rocked with the Gods and showed just how textured the Grateful Dead could be. From that second on I was a Grateful Dead fan (Not a Deadhead totally, but at least half Dead.)
The first time I saw the Greatful Dead was in the Hollywood Sportatorium in 1977 and I didn't know anything about their shows. I was especially thrown off by the forty-five minute break between sets(I got use to it later.) This was the Terrapin Station Tour and they did a whole "Terrapin" at that show. This show is now a Dick's Pick Vol. 3 disc.
In the late 90's I saw Ratdog at the University of Florida Bandshell. They were great, Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman and friends. They did a chilling version of "Touch of Grey".