Grateful Dead—Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA, May 29, 1971

53 years ago on this date, the Dead headlined an evening of music at Winterland with NRPS, local Marin band RJ Fox, and the Canadian acoustic trio James & The Good Bros. The performance will forever be known as the acid punch show for the 35-gallon garbage can full of lysergic spiked water that made its way through the backstage doorway and into the venue. The band, as they so often did, facilely acclimated to the setting, and performed unfazed by the Bear’s psychotropic offering.

The tape opens with a solid take on Truckin.’ It’s possibly the first version where the big outro peaks are starting to become apparent. Truckin’ drops into a quick drum solo, followed by a gorgeous Other One > Wharf Rat pairing. It’s clear that the Other One has already found another dimension with a purposeful disassembly before the first verse and surprising grooves and deviations throughout. A rocking Sugar Magnolia > Deal combination is next. The altered crowd chants for St. Stephen. Off-mic, Garcia: “Who’s gonna tell ‘em no? Lesh: “Let’s all yell 1, 2, 3…” Instead, they roll out an old favorite—Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away—to close things out.

The San Francisco Examiner ran a piece entitled “Witness Saw Nudes in Winterland Crowd,” the following day:

The nudes frolicked and the cops couldn't get near enough to make a pinch. And if Winterland loses its entertainment license, there will be no traditional Ice Follies opening here, a variety of witnesses told a police permit hearing officer yesterday. Patrolman Loyd Yeargain said he personally viewed two female nudes and three unclothed males before the bandstand of the rock dance held May 29 in the jam-packed auditorium at Post and Steiner Streets. There was another nude male with a bloodied head staggering outside the auditorium, Yeargain added. The patrolman also said his investigation had turned up the 35-gallon "trash can" filled with LSD-spiked water, which led to the arrest of nine young people and the hospitalization of 40 more for narcotics abuse. It was that mass ingestion of LSD that led to yesterday's hearing before Deputy Police Chief Donald Scott on whether the department should revoke the entertainment permit of the vintage auditorium.

The impromptu Acid Test at Winterland really pissed off the fuzz, including SF Police Chief Snooky Nelder. Word is that Chief Nelder was after Bill Graham's ass as a result of the "electric water" incident. No matter what your opinion of Bill Graham is, it seems clear that he shouldn’t have been punished for someone else's idea of a good time. In the end, no charges were ever brought against good ‘ol Bill, and he got to keep his license.

Sit back, relax, pour yourself a glass of punch, and queue this beauty up.

Bob Matthews Tape