ricko@sdcc13.UUCP (Rick Ord) (07/16/85)
Ventura was not a disappointment for me, although some bitched (right-
fully so) about the LONG wait to get inside (especially Saturday). I love
outdoor general admission concerts - you can dance all around the place and
get up nice and close to see how pissed Bob Weir is at Garcia and just watch
that fat man play. It always amazes me how many notes he plays.
I felt Sunday's show was the better of the two. I was stuck in line
Saturday when they opened but now I know why so many people come to the beach
without tickets just to party because you can hear the band pretty well and
if you had a van or bus, you could see them on stage from the roof. The real
highlight of Saturday's show for me was seeing Garcia actually dancing back
and forth during the first half of U.S. Blues (encore). He had some real stage
presence. Sunday was just terrific - great rockers, great space, great drums.
I'm sure someone will post the songlists - I don't want to try from what is
left of my memory.
One thing I have to mention is Tony's Pizzaria. Anyone who doesn't
park in the parking lot or on the beach knows about Figaroa St. heading
into the fairgrounds. On the corner of this busy street are all sorts of
little gas stations, a bus depot, a so called restaurant, and this little
shack called Tony's Pizzaria. All of the places had done all sorts of things
to make the bathrooms unavailable to the concert goers except for Tony's.
There were signs around welcoming deadheads back to Ventura and offering
the use of Tony's bathrooms to all. Tony himself was out there in rare form
making sure eveyone was happy and feeling good. He gave out plastic jugs so
that we all could take jugs of water into the show. His hose and faucet were
always in use. He would check to make sure there was plenty of toilet paper
in the bathrooms. Now don't get me wrong - he was just out for a buck selling
some of the worst pizza I've ever had, but it sure tasted good after the
shows and the water jugs and bathrooms came in handy before and after the shows
and he was the only local business friendly to all. This is my fourth trip
to Ventura and he has always been this friendly.
Well, it is off to work again and time to plan the Boreal Ridge trip
in August.
Rick Ord
UCSD
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