06/xx/67 Cafe au Go-Go, New York, NY
Like Walter, I too saw my first Grateful Dead concert at the now
long-defunct Cafe au Go Go in June of 1967. I can also recall having to
order a non alcoholic beverage as part of the cover charge (I think my
ticket cost $3.50 and the drink cost $2.00). I must admit, the names of
those drinks were rather intriguing! Prior to the band taking the stage, I
ordered an ice cream soda called The Trip. My friend Jerry( no, not Garcia),
ordered another ice cream soda called LSD. Not to be outdone, our other
friend, Julie, ordered a plain cherry soda named Panama Red. So there we
sat, sipping liquid "psychedelia" through straws admiring the cozy
atmosphere of this East Village basement club. The walls were unpainted red
brick sparsely covered with drapes and pictures and the room held perhaps
150 people. That night we were fortunate to have seats that were no more
than twenty feet from the stage. I was dressed to kill replete with a
paisley shirt, red corduroy jeans, "beatle boots" and love beads around my
neck.
The opening act was a solo performer who, as I recall, tried to be like Bob
Dylan... you know... the acoustic guitar and the harmonica brace which he
had to keep adjusting. We all got through the set and waited for the Dead to
take the stage. Having bought their first album only weeks before, I was
floored by Morning Dew and Voila Lee Blues and silently hoped they would
play these tunes which, if my memory still works, they did. I also had to
check out these guys with strange names like Pigpen and Captain Trips!! I
mean, we were from New York, where strange things were (and still are)
commonplace. I'll tell you...a great time was had by all that night, some
thirty-one years ago.
I also saw the Jefferson Airplane there, perhaps in 1968, but I can't be
sure when. The opening band was a great bunch of guys from Canada called the
Paupers. Later on, in the seventies, Richie Havens owned the venue but by
then, the Fillmore East had taken most of the customers. The club eventually
became just another folk venue and the Village had far too many. So the Cafe
au Go Go passed on into history. However, one can still find vestiges of the
club. It was located on the south side of Bleeker Street just west of La
Guardia Place about fifty feet from the southwest corner of the
intersection. Look for a corner building with pillars and you will notice
some shops situated below street level. One shop sells used CD's. Go in and
you will see the brick walls I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, they have
been painted. This is history my friends... the Grateful Dead played there!
Carl Jaslo
(
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