tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post3283361925338756008..comments2024-03-26T23:10:34.814-07:00Comments on Grateful Dead Sources: April 3, 1970: Fieldhouse, University of Cincinnati, OHLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-59066263999463468052020-05-30T03:04:03.949-07:002020-05-30T03:04:03.949-07:00Thanks! Will check it out!Thanks! Will check it out!Timhorpohttp://www.hotmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-42817224444109668102020-05-23T05:05:34.387-07:002020-05-23T05:05:34.387-07:00Glad to be able to contribute. If anyone is intere...Glad to be able to contribute. If anyone is interested, I spearheaded a project to get the entire "Independent Eye" digitized 5 months ago. That is available here: https://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll17/search/searchterm/Independent%20Eye%20/field/title/mode/exact/conn/and/order/title/ad/ascMarkNeeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05920470820993987356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-6752463864071725242020-05-22T20:55:28.452-07:002020-05-22T20:55:28.452-07:00Thanks for all the local info! Thanks for all the local info! Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-17453054846004433132020-05-22T20:12:43.357-07:002020-05-22T20:12:43.357-07:00I do not believe that Tarbell was the official the...I do not believe that Tarbell was the official the promoter for this show, though he likely had a hand in it due to his connections. He had booked the Dead's first trip to Cincinnati (the infamous Hyde Park Teen Center show in '68). He then owned & operated a legendary venue in Cincinnati called the Ludlow Garage, directly modeled after a trip to San Francisco and making connections with sound engineers and staff at such venues like the Fillmore.<br /><br />Though this isn't officially confirmed, I believe the show was organized by a couple named Bernd and Barb Baierschmidt. They ran a counterculture bookstore in downtown Cincinnati. True music tastemakers, the basement of the store featured the rarest LPs of any store in town, including plenty of British imports (rare at the time). A long story, but Bernd actually helped put out an Velvet Underground bootleg LP. Anecdotally, customers had referred to them as their "Dead mentors". Tickets for this show were available at their bookstore (confirmed on one of the gig posters).<br /><br />The previous UC "Spring Arts Festivals" featured concerts as eclectic as The Fugs, the Charles Lloyd Quartet, and Son House. The Dead show, while technically a part of that festival, was treated much more as a big standalone show despite the school connection, and was obviously heavily promoted. Not many people actually attended that previous '68 show, so in many ways this was practically a new Cincinnati debut. <br /><br />Ken Babbs has a local connection. He graduated from Miami University (40 minutes from Cinci). As recently as 2011, he had returned to the area to screen the "Magic Trip" documentary. One commenter in a local group claims that the Pranksters played the surf track "Pipeline" at the show. <br /><br />The Lemon Pipers were a bit of an odd fit as an opener, but local and beloved here. They had a no. 1 single (Green Tambourine) that carried them to a brief stint of cross-country tours and even national TV appearances. They were a great rock band, though constantly battled for creative freedom with their label (Buddah) who wanted to manufacture a "bubblegum pop" sound like labelmates Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Co. This indifference led to a quick demise for the Pipers. Their first record shows their envisioned sound, even including an 11-minute closing jam.MarkNeeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05920470820993987356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-70920291825445631942020-05-22T18:41:15.475-07:002020-05-22T18:41:15.475-07:00The Independent Eye was a radical underground news...The Independent Eye was a radical underground newspaper in Cincinnati, focusing mostly on political & activist news. But among their music coverage was this fine review of the Dead's show. Like the other newspaper reviews, the Dead are glowingly praised as a great rock band (the opening bands, not so much), and the whole environment of the show is lovingly recalled. <br />In fact, all the reviewers were struck by the pleasant atmosphere and social gatherings in the Fieldhouse - apparently this was a huge change from the normal concert environment there. The Dead alone weren't responsible: the other reviews note that for this show, the seats were taken out of the Fieldhouse leaving the floor open, making it more conducive to dancing, "good feelings," and a "happy audience." <br />The promoter was supposedly Jim Tarbell (though his name isn't in the ads or reviews) - evidently he knew what he was doing. I'm not certain of his involvement with this show, though; it was part of the UC Spring Arts Festival, and was arranged by the university's Pop Concert Committee.<br />Ken Kesey was there as well (and prominently listed in the ads), although no reviews mention him or the Pranksters doing anything onstage; perhaps they were hanging out with friends in the Hog Farm. <br />It is a little ironic that Santana tapes were being played before the Dead came on! His first album was already a bigger hit than the Dead would ever achieve. Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com