08-04-1971
Terminal Island Correctional Facility
San Pedro, California
On July 21, 1970, a judge determined that Owsley was a flight risk because of his arrest when the Dead were “set up like a bowling pin” in New Orleans back in January. Consequently, the authorities revoked Bear’s bail from his 1967 lab bust in Orinda, California, and he was promptly sent to jail. In time, the Dead arranged to play a show at the federal prison he was at down in the port of San Pedro in Los Angeles. On the day of the concert in the prison library, the band made sure everyone – prisoners and guards – got dosed after the latter failed to look inside any of their gear. Security was so lax that Bear even helped the roadies set up the sound system.
As you can see, the Dead opened, appropriately, with Truckin’. And most of the rest of the set seems chosen (or is that just typical of Dead playlists?) particularly for the prison setting, from the “throw me in the jailhouse” of Bertha to just the second ever Sugaree and its plaintive plea to not be implicated. Given the circumstances, the show was limited to two hours, precluding any drawn out jams in the single set format. The Lovelight closer is a bit of a trip as Pigpen struggles to work up the single sex audience (and we struggle to hear him on the soundboard).
Today’s Dead of the Day:
Other August 4th Shows and Recordings:
- 1967 – O'Keefe Center – Toronto, Ontario
- 1974 – Philadelphia Civic Center – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1976 – Roosevelt Stadium – Jersey City, New Jersey
- 1979 – Oakland Auditorium Arena – Oakland, California
- 1982 – Kiel Auditorium – St. Louis, Missouri
- 1989 – Cal Expo Amphitheater – Sacramento, California
- 1994 – Giants Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey
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