tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post2237547717456789129..comments2024-03-16T07:13:50.487-07:00Comments on Lost Live Dead: 2119 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA: The Keystone BerkeleyCorry342http://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-17164504781251696972023-08-19T21:27:27.979-07:002023-08-19T21:27:27.979-07:00Oops. I forgot I am "Anonymous." Sorry...Oops. I forgot I am "Anonymous." Sorry. This is Ray againAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-38252621823824445082023-08-19T21:25:27.336-07:002023-08-19T21:25:27.336-07:00I did not start going to the Keystone in Berkeley ...I did not start going to the Keystone in Berkeley until I was transferred to Mare Island January 1979. It was open until after I shipped out to Indonesia on January 1983. I used to try to live down there, buying used records from Rasputins, hanging out in People's Park and then hitting a late show at the Keystone, or maybe Berkeley Square if we felt hardcore.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-55524415609798507672023-08-19T20:22:05.388-07:002023-08-19T20:22:05.388-07:00I thought there was a fire marshal sign in the cor...I thought there was a fire marshal sign in the corner that said something like the max capacity of this space is 215 or 245 people. Am I misremembering? Thanks,<br /> RayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-34601273322726429582023-08-14T15:24:40.609-07:002023-08-14T15:24:40.609-07:00Hi Katy from '83.Hi Katy from '83.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-78560864126067510442022-12-26T09:00:01.956-08:002022-12-26T09:00:01.956-08:00I easily attended more than 20 Garcia Band shows a...I easily attended more than 20 Garcia Band shows at Keystone Berkeley, plus a few more in SF and Palo Alto. Most were in the years 1978-1982. I got 86ed from the Berkeley venue for about two months because I unscrewed a light bulb near the back of the club. It was such a chill place to see Jerry and every other band I saw there--Spirit, Tower of Power, Albert King, John Mayall with Mick Taylor, the list goes on and on....I remember a show a couple weeks before the direct action to shut down the Diablo Canyon Nuke PLant. The Dead were pretty involved in supporting the Nuclear Freeze movement In California and the anti-nuke movement in general. Jerry came out of the room called backstage and began walking toward the stage, smiling and carrying a guitar. as people said hi and he smiled back, I said No Nukes. Jerry laughed and said NO Nukes, then high-fived me. No big deal, but it's a story.......I got busted along with a couple other thousand people at the protest that September (right after the Greek shows, in fact). While we sat in a detention center near where Tim Leary busted out of prison in 1970, Wavy Gravy and Jackson Browne organized a talent show....life was interestingjronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15172075883673700355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-33391712158243741102021-11-05T16:12:21.254-07:002021-11-05T16:12:21.254-07:00Jay, thanks for weighing in. The Keystone Berkeley...Jay, thanks for weighing in. The Keystone Berkeley was a remarkable place, in retrospect, hard to imagine Garcia (and other local rock stars) just hanging out on the corner of Shattuck and University.<br /><br />Everyone has a different story about what food and drink was sold at the Keystone. They are probably all true, but at different times.Corry342https://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-13884960591022290122021-11-05T16:07:15.690-07:002021-11-05T16:07:15.690-07:00Just saw this post and it brought back memories. ...Just saw this post and it brought back memories. I moved to Berkeley in '78 and was a regular at the Keystone, starting with JGB with Keith and Donna, through Reconstruction and future JGB iterations. And lots of other bands as well. There was a shelf or counter running along the wall to the right of the stage as you looked at it, and because the stage was so small the shelf went right up to the stage and about the same level. I would sit on the shelf right in front of Jerry, literally six feet away, and sometimes it seemed he was looking right at me as he soloed, but actually it was that vacant expression as his mind was on the music and whatever. In hindsight I'm not proud of sneaking in, but I was young and poor: The Keystone would stamp your hand as you entered so that could leave and re-enter, and they only had two or three different stamps. (One was Felix the Cat.) An artist friend copied the images in reverse and we would have them on paper in our pockets; when we arrived we'd see what stamp they were using that night and ink up the paper with a sharpie, lick our hand and transfer the image! I'm also not proud of sneaking in beer but when we had a big group of friends we'd sneak in Anchor Steams (bc they served Anchor Steam at the bar, contrary to comments that they just had cheap beer). I remember one night, we kept going outside to bring in more beers, and the empties were piling up on the shelf I mentioned, under our coats. When we were leaving and the house lights came up, we picked up our coats and the bouncer saw all the empties and said "next time we gonna search you real good." Yes, the stage was up not e street side of the room and "backstage" was a room in the back, past the bar, by the restrooms. Often the door was open and as you walked into the bathroom you could see the band right there inside, like the photo inside the Live at Keystone album. Keith liked to play the pinball machine next the bathroom door and I hung out with him a little bit one night, trading games and chatting. Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11559515852578160363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-88899710576061015942019-07-20T07:01:07.126-07:002019-07-20T07:01:07.126-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.haider alihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16504388050194663443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-9320456134865592202015-12-05T15:22:27.424-08:002015-12-05T15:22:27.424-08:00I lived in Berkeley and Oakland throughout the ent...I lived in Berkeley and Oakland throughout the entire period that the Keystone Berkeley, so the dates are not in doubt.<br /><br />The Keystone Berkeley was open until March 1984. 2119 Berkeley was then remodeled into retail space (a Thrifty Jr). Freddie Herrera had a new space on Adeline and Shattuck (near the Ashby BART station), but it never opened. Herrera said that there were permit issues with the city of Berkely, so that story you heard fits in.Corry342https://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-2370936240791722712015-12-05T14:48:40.359-08:002015-12-05T14:48:40.359-08:00There are some inaccuracies about the dates of the...There are some inaccuracies about the dates of the Keystone Berkeley. I was living there at the time and I feel certain that 1979 was the last year that the club was open, it closed sometime after the autumn season that year. By 1980 the clubs space was being remodeled into retail space. I did not hear that the Keystone was relocated to another space away from downtown. I was told that it was closed down altogether. I remember attending the Halloween party that year in 1979. It was a fun time. It was a large space inside and a large stage. It was a shame they had to close it down. I had heard also that the city of Berkeley had changed its ordinances and would not permit a rock club to be centered in the middle of downtown. It was what I heard - nothing official.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725760610283371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-77677094666588330112015-08-08T01:26:48.540-07:002015-08-08T01:26:48.540-07:00Yes, as I remember it, a very cool venue. I like s...Yes, as I remember it, a very cool venue. I like simple sorta dingy joints as long as they are friendly to newcomers. The kind of place that generates a look when you loudly kick a stool by accident but that same look is quickly followed by a smile and a nod.<br />A coworker and I rode our motorcycles from the South Bay to see JGB play at Keystone Berkeley in..?..'86 I think it was. Should have attended more of those but midweek is tough to do.<br />I can still see Jerry pausing between tunes to turn aside and take a toke from a joint he had smoldering on an amp or cabinet of some kind. My mind recorded and shelved that moment for a good reason.:)<br />My god the most luscious sound came from that band. <br />A sort of thick yet loose and wavy liquid sound that seems to be closely related to a perfectly blended fresh berry smoothie on a hot summer morn.<br /><br />On the return trip my companion and I were both pulled over ON the Bay Bridge by CHP on the premise of his bike having a faulty tail light.<br />All was well after they inspected, found nothing and bid us a good, safe ride home.<br />All the while I can hear Jerrys' fingers coaxing that special sound of his through those strings..!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01078795617862071518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-65924833755760635372014-08-09T12:24:56.702-07:002014-08-09T12:24:56.702-07:00Per a commenter above: there was a regular size st...Per a commenter above: there was a regular size stage, about four feet or whatever. There was a pole near the front of the stage though, a beam as it were. Hammy guitarists like randy hansen would love to do slide guitar on it. Overall, a dark, smelly place- ie, heaven for Garcia and JGB fan-types. I remember seeing Joe Satriani's band (The Squares!) there, and many other local punk, new wave and metal acts. And always getting my drink-ticket coke, of course. Sigh, memories. The parking lot scene out back... etc...!John Burgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698337934776118748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-27879473018896014672014-04-23T18:02:42.542-07:002014-04-23T18:02:42.542-07:00Saw Jerry Garcia Band there once in 1980 or 79... ...Saw Jerry Garcia Band there once in 1980 or 79... it was very good. I think Steppenwolf played there in 80.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01124299273271380192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-15726857373523435492013-11-13T09:23:05.386-08:002013-11-13T09:23:05.386-08:00fyi, I just came across this contact sheet of &quo...fyi, I just came across this contact sheet of "Musicians and Bay Area notables" at the GDAO archive site -- including (in the lower left) a couple of pics of Freddie Herrera. It looks to be from 3/23/75 perhaps?<br /><br />http://www.gdao.org/items/show/826728Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11628132999021385676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-20484771712661947442013-11-02T14:02:10.548-07:002013-11-02T14:02:10.548-07:00What was the name of the next door(?) hole in the ...What was the name of the next door(?) hole in the wall that served incredible Thai food '83-'84)? I think it later moved across the street? Does it still exist?ccartonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10158922227853789531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-57959842338446620502013-05-04T18:19:29.912-07:002013-05-04T18:19:29.912-07:00I remember it all very well. I was security when t...I remember it all very well. I was security when they changed from the New Monk to Keystone. I use to park my Purple Chopper in the back room so it was safe. I remember Jerry and the Dead with Tom Fogerty from Creedance popping in and having an impromptu concerts. We would close the doors and everyone who was already there viewed a Grateful Dead concert. It was great times working there. Bringing back a lot of great memories. My name was Duke, I was a BIG biker.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16838741897012816207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-58388712580606133122012-12-03T12:47:51.340-08:002012-12-03T12:47:51.340-08:00I rember you were friends with Angel and Ellen who...I rember you were friends with Angel and Ellen who worked there when Paul was the bartender and how about those party in the room behindthe bar if walls could speek.Swedehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06726606378757840002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-22047163888144280182012-11-13T17:23:46.522-08:002012-11-13T17:23:46.522-08:00Nadja, what a great comment. Is it really true tha...Nadja, what a great comment. Is it really true that Keystone Berkeley qualified as a "restaurant"--thus preserving the right to sell beer--because they served popcorn? That is so awesome.<br />Corry342https://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-6925021774574500582012-11-13T17:12:43.462-08:002012-11-13T17:12:43.462-08:00We never watered down the beer!! Miller Lite was j...We never watered down the beer!! Miller Lite was just crap! And, btw, the only "food" we served was popcorn. What a blast it was!Nadjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05324731009841217144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-84882251149117669472012-10-30T05:42:10.721-07:002012-10-30T05:42:10.721-07:00"Skunk Cabbage with Vassar Clements and Weste..."Skunk Cabbage with Vassar Clements and Western Union. <br />Sunday March 3rd, 1974."<br /><br /> i want to hear that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01765198604396629787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-80998914411116354222012-10-26T21:14:49.173-07:002012-10-26T21:14:49.173-07:00Brule, it's extremely interesting to find eyew...Brule, it's extremely interesting to find eyewitnesses. Do you recall who played drums?<br />Corry342https://www.blogger.com/profile/08049035074121231425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-6358637959930356582012-10-26T20:43:01.633-07:002012-10-26T20:43:01.633-07:00My friend Steve, girl friend (now wife) Janet and ...My friend Steve, girl friend (now wife) Janet and I were there for the June 1971 gig with Saunders and Tom Fogerty, the weekend the Fillmore West closed.Brule Lakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18064595420011193426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-86456374334365759672012-09-02T15:35:21.293-07:002012-09-02T15:35:21.293-07:00jonp, I assume you mean you saw Old And In The Way...jonp, I assume you mean you saw Old And In The Way in Portland in May of 1973? I'd certainly love to hear more about that show, which seems particularly obscure. For example ... was there a fiddle player?Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-88823118822754588292012-08-28T22:48:24.077-07:002012-08-28T22:48:24.077-07:00Very interesting to push some of the cobwebs away ...Very interesting to push some of the cobwebs away from my experience at Keystone in Berkeley around 1979. It was so much fun to have such a casual place with such exceptional music! As I recall, the stage was low to nonexistent? When I saw Jerry with David Grissman in Portland, it cemented my interest in his particular jamming style on non-Dead stuff, so Keystone was heaven on earth even though the beer was weak.jonphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551835858347026292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493557313410969282.post-20241266911871843602012-03-18T06:43:39.496-07:002012-03-18T06:43:39.496-07:00415 total with Freddie Herrera (Keystone Korner + ...415 total with Freddie Herrera (Keystone Korner + 2119 University + Keystone Palo Alto + The Stone)Fate Musichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648291938690043423noreply@blogger.com