tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post1496778802594346009..comments2024-03-16T07:13:50.487-07:00Comments on Lost Live Dead: Jerry Garcia Album Economics Spring 1978 (Tour Itinerary February 1978)Corry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-43183264781880274832012-09-06T17:32:26.715-07:002012-09-06T17:32:26.715-07:00Weir played the st. Paul Civic Center Theatre in &...Weir played the st. Paul Civic Center Theatre in '78... Not Met Center. Good show in a small theatre, which I taped...Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14657771958153524561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-58118353937575324652012-09-06T15:46:51.259-07:002012-09-06T15:46:51.259-07:00I hadn't thought of Cats Under the Stars as th...I hadn't thought of Cats Under the Stars as the turning-point, but it's very true that up til the late '70s Garcia was perfectly happy to spend hours & hours in the studio working on projects, from Aoxomoxoa to the Dead Movie to Cats. It's safe to say that after 1980, very much the reverse was true. <br /><br />I think I see it as more of an extended sinking-in that album success (a "hit record") was just not going to happen, after numerous attempts. The Dead went through 3 different producers in the late '70s trying to hit the right formula - Mickey Hart later summed it up well: "That music is not what I call Grateful Dead. It was produced by twits and plumbers; it was a shame and a travesty." <br /><br />It's also possible that as Garcia got older, he just got tired of being in the studio working on albums. The success of In the Dark didn't exactly inspire the Dead to devote their time to more album followups. By the '90s Garcia couldn't bear to do any studio work except with Grisman (which was much less intensive). It was, in short, not fun anymore to submit himself to that discipline.<br /><br />There are a couple other things to consider as well. At just what point did the Dead's live earnings make record sales irrelevant? It must have happened already well before 1987, and I'm wondering if it happened before 1980. (Paradoxically, the Dead might have done financially better if they'd released no albums in the late '70s - it worked in the '80s!) <br />At least by the '80s, the Dead decided it made more sense to just add a few shows (or bigger venues) to the tour rather than spend more time in the studio. <br /><br />(Just looking in terms of number of shows per year, there's a turning-point in the early '80s: over 80 shows in '80 and '81, which then drops to 60-some in '82-84. The Dead did not want to tour TOO much! Interestingly, the volume of Garcia Band shows peaks in '81-83; but that band had never been tied to record sales.)<br /><br />Also, somewhere around that time I assume Garcia's self-narcoticization put a big brake on his ambitions.Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-26233828378311222592012-09-06T15:34:18.077-07:002012-09-06T15:34:18.077-07:00Ted, thanks. I stand corrected. In general, rock b...Ted, thanks. I stand corrected. In general, rock bands tended not to play the cold states during the cold months, but I guess by 1978 things had evolved, in Madison at least. I note that the Winter bands were mostly road dogs like the Dead: Foghat, Willie and REO were always on tour (not so sure about Dr. Hook). <br /><br />Now, the summer and fall shows don't surprise me, given that it was a big University town, but its interesting to hear that Madison got its share in the Winter as well.Corry342https://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-87448189940398667972012-09-06T15:30:37.756-07:002012-09-06T15:30:37.756-07:00"I also think that not too many bands came th..."I also think that not too many bands came through Madison in the Winter," <br />Not so fast! Dane County Coliseum was a destination for big rock acts in 1978... Foghat, Dr. Hook, Willie Nelson and REO Speedwagon all played there within days (or a few weeks) of the Dead in 1978. Later in 1978 Bruce Springstein and Queen would play there in June and again in Nov/Dec. Within a few weeks in Nov. of 1978 Bruce, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, the Moody Blues and Queen ALL played at Dane County Coliseum.<br />Tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01442319894983489827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-52863817653661002042012-09-06T13:56:51.479-07:002012-09-06T13:56:51.479-07:00And THIS is why I love your posts so much. I have...And THIS is why I love your posts so much. I have all of these dates written down on a piece of paper somewhere, but it is so nice to have someone "connect the dots" and provide such a nice narrative framework to put it all into context. Many thanks!Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06664588728878867539noreply@blogger.com