Doors opened at 8, we headed over about 8:30. Outside, there were groups of young hippies, old hippies, young ravers, old ravers, people who looked fucked up already, people who looked like my parents, it was an assortment of ALL kinds of people. There were people pleading for tickets, people trying to sell tickets for hundreds of dollars, people selling acid (we ALMOST dosed right off the bat just cuz this one old guy's enthusiasm was so great). It was intense. People were enthusiastic and the whole affair had a marvelous unreal feeling to it. We were lightly frisked (got my camera and drugs in) and then the evening began. We were handed little black Enit agendas (Jane's was to go on at midnight) - including a map of the civic center and what all the rooms had (drum rooms with drum circles - Steve Perkins wound up in there later, I heard - Res Fest rooms with frosty fruity beverages and snacks and things - a room up on the 4th floor serving alcohol - the lines were really long, but we went anyway and hung out with some people from New York who had seen the Hammerstein shows) - at this point, I was really more in awe of the number of freaks than anything else. Everyone was geared for this show, and many people were wearing extravagant costumes and makeup. Other rooms included a room that Ken Kesey (author "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and one of the acid rat-pack along with Timothy Leary and William Burroughes) inhabited, sitting up on a little stage in a big rocking chair, his minions handing out tabs. That's right. EVERYWHERE we went was a colorful explosion of tie-dye and day-glo and disco balls and color and light and .... I dunno man. If I wanted a taste of San Francisco, this was pretty fuckin great.

So along comes 11:30 and I'm up in the Ken Kesey room - I hunted down a particularly colorful character (old guy, long white hair down to his waist, tie-dye, really goofy eyes)- and asked him politely if he could get us anything exciting for the upcoming show. Next thing I knew I had a nice bag of shrooms, and it was time to head down to the main floor, where thousands of people (and my friends) were no doubt waiting for the experience of their lives. Goldie was still thumpin away (not my thing, but I certainly don't think he sucks - I just need to see some instruments to be excited about a live show) - then his set came to a close and the anticipation level rose (you could just totally feel it) in the huge room. The lights went out. Our little group passed the bag around and we ate our psychedelic dinner.

At this point we were on the left side of the stage, behind a mass of people, so we crept forward, through the crowds, until we could go no further, people were packed like sardines. The lights grew dim. Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters came out, wearing black hoods and robes, and just absolutely blew us away with something that sounded suspiciously like a black mass ritual (but was indeed a commentary on the assassination of John F. Kennedy), their words reverberated around the venue eerily, raising in volume and pitch - higher higher - it was terribly intense and pretty damn spooky - it was like being in the middle of "Rosemary's Baby" or something. Then, at the end, buried underneath Kesey's words which were still reverberating around the room, quietly at first, then louder, came words that sent chills up and down my spine - "Senora y Senioras ...." - and then the mushrooms kicked in. Lordie.
And then...

Ocean Size ripped open, we were shoved forward I began tripping. And everyone lost control.
Madness.

Lights flashing everywhere. Perry's insane voice echoing everywhere. Guitars. Drums. Fat bass. Everywhere. Smiling people. People losing control. Everywhere. People going UP. People going DOWN. Rubber bouncing balls. Out there - the sound of Ocean Size blending into a frenetic Aint No Right. People getting more crazy, being pulled away from my friends - lost in a sea of crazy people out to have a good time. Hand grasps my thigh from below, I look down, it's a girl, I pick her up, she smiles, her eyes are dancing, she says something I can't recall but it was full of intensity and off she goes, into the ocean of people, probably to go under again. In here - peoples voices lost in the effects "God this is crazy" - "oh my god are you okay?" "wow, this is incredible" "holy shit they sound just like they did in ..." a whirlwind of lights and sound and I am okay. I have arrived. I spin like a whirlygig and head towards the stage through the masses of bodies. I pass pockets of hardcore punks who slam me in another direction, into a crowd of "janies" - dreadlocked girls and boys with thick eye makeup. We are all smiling. I look over and see an older woman in the pit - had to be in her 50's or 60's - green stripes through hair - smiling hugely. I get pushed into a biker who I think may beat me up but he smiles and asks me if I want UP. No thanks, doing fine right here... moving on (nothing is said but this is what was conveyed) - bikers, punks, janies, freaks, old people, young people, EVERYBODY and ... we were all one at that moment, one moving mass of pleasure.
Cheesy?

No. Religious. And true.
High points: The whole fucking thing.
Okay, be more specific: (this isn't the order, i'm just calling em as they come to mind)

Ocean Size - nothing compares to the moving mass of people when Jane's appeared - the energy level
Then She Did - wow. she was UNHAPPY just as you WERE!!!!! we all screamed at each other in synch, a tribute to our troubled moms, tears in our eyes. Three Days - was orgasmic - i was lost at that point, just utterly lost Jane Says - (I wasn't even looking forward to this song, necessarily) made me cry. saw lots of others doing the same
Mountain Song - thrash world. almost lost my shoe (did lose my shoelace, had to hold my shoe on with my toes through the rest of the show) Summertime Rolls - incredible. somehow when Perry showed up in the island, surrounded by his thousands of adoring fans, I was right up there, maybe 4 rows back - I had to look straight up to see him singing - this song was fantastic
Chip Away - here's where me and the rest of the crowd was literally frothing at the mouth. I went up this time, came down, got lost amongst feet, freaked out, and somehow got back up to do it again - this song is the bomb I just knew was going to hit San Francisco.
Ted, Just Admit It - SEX IS VIOLENT!!!! mosh frenzy - i got scared during this one, had to back out of the crowd - i was totally exhausted - i was spent.
Classic Girl - classic, and a nice breather
I Would - amazingly I leaned over onto a guy at the end of the show, panting, sweat pouring off me, exhausted and in awe, and I look over to this guy next to me (while Perry's singing "I Would for You" - heartbreaking) - and it was my buddy Steve (the chances of that, upon reflection, are about 1 in 10 thousand or something quite close to that) - I took a picture of him at that moment. It was pure magic.

The show far exceeded my expectations. To any of you who think Jane's Addiction has "lost something" along the way, I offer a hearty guffaw and a slap in the head. These guys kick so much ass there's no ass left to kick.

I got a few pictures of the group on stage, a few pictures of the venue, and a few pictures of us before, during, and after. If I had a web page, I'd share. Maybe I can somehow anyway.

What an extravaganza.
What a trip.

Made the front page of the entertainment section of the San Francisco newspaper (Chronicle? can't remember)

The rest of the trip was fantastic too, but nothing will ever compare to those moments in that hot, sweaty crowd, under that canopy of madness and noise, brought to me by the most intense, incredibly talented guys around. What a fuckin show man.


Experience
By: me

During my evening, I fell over my shoes in my mind. Then as the Jane's Addiction was introduced by Ken Kesey and friends, I knew I was in for a wonderful treat. 3,4! Guys crushed, girls moanin', combat boots on top of our heads. Everyone up front was tryin to get a piece of some. Fans from above the floor told me that there was a pit of good magnitude and hit ground zero during "Stop!". A few songs later, I found myself weaving through the crowd to finally cement myself right in front of Anthony (RHCP), who was stationed at the second stage waiting for his buddies to give him a front row show. As the anticipated set winded down, I was in the middle of a tribal dance circle during the sounds of "Chip Away." Dave and Perry ended the Jane's Addiction set with an encore of "I Would For You."

© 1997 muggles