Gordon Hensley’s 1977–1995 Grateful Dead Show List
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While doing research for an ongoing personal project, the time finally came to tabulate the hard number of Grateful Dead shows I attended — no more guessing or approximating.
Through an archived ticket stub review, personal recollection and some reconnoitering over the past year with tour friends from long ago, the following comprehensive list has been reconstructed.
The show count is 181 — with the high water mark of 31 shows coast to coast in 1981 while ostensibly a student at George Washington University in DC.
People ask: “How was it possible to recall your shows?” It’s not that hard if you invest the time, and still have dozens of ticket stubs from which to reconstruct tours. I feel highly-confident 181 is accurate.
I attended just one show in 1992 at DC’s RFK Stadium while working for President George H.W. Bush — couldn’t find a ticket, and didn’t get in. This hometown slap in the face was a bad omen, I thought, for November’s election outcome versus Bill Clinton. Indeed.
As the list denotes, there are a handful of other shows in which I was unable to secure a ticket, or otherwise get into the venue, by any means.
Also denoted are the handful of shows backstage, and the still fewer times I found my way w/ friends to the band’s local hotel ‘hospitality suite’ for post-show activities.
For historical reference, this list also includes a handful of Jerry Garcia Band and Jerry Garcia/John Kahn acoustic performances — but are not counted among the 181 total Grateful Dead shows.
1977
5/7 — Boston Garden, Boston, MA
9/3 — Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ
12/2 — Jerry Garcia Band (JGB)/Orpheum, Boston, MA
1978
3/14 — JGB/Music Hall, Boston, MA
5/11 — Civic Center, Springfield, MA
9/2 — Meadowlands, Rutherford, NJ
1979
5/12 — U.Mass, Amherst
9/4— Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
9/5 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
9/6 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
10/25 — Coliseum, New Haven, CT (Backstage)
10/28 — Cape Cod Coliseum, S. Yarmouth, MA
11/2 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
11/4 — Civic Center, Providence, RI
11/5 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11/6 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11/8 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
11/30 — Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
12/1 — Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
1980
2/12 — JGB/George Wash Univ, Washington, DC
2/15 — JGB/Orpheum, Boston, MA
2/16 — JGB/Univ. of New Haven, New Haven, MA
2/26 — JGB/Ocean State Theater, Providence, RI
5/2 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
5/4 — Civic Center, Baltimore, MD
5/7 — Barton Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY
5/10 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
5/11 — Memorial Coliseum, Portland, ME
5/12 — Boston Garden, Boston, MA
8/29 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
8/30 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
8/31 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
9/6 — Fairgrounds, Lewiston, ME
10/31 — Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
1981
2/4 — JGB/Warner Theater, Washington, DC
2/6 — JGB/Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA
3/5 — Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
3/6 — Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
3/7 — Cole Field House, Univ. of Md, College Park, MD
3/9 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
3/10 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
3/12 — Boston Garden, Boston, MA
3/13 — Boston Garden, Boston, MA
3/14 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/30 — Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
5/1 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
5/4 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
5/5 — Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY (Didn’t get in — no tickets)
5/6 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
5/8 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
5/9 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
5/11 — Coliseum, New Haven, CT
5/12 — Coliseum, New Haven, CT
5/13 — Civic Center, Providence, RI
5/15 — Rutgers Univ. Piscataway, NJ (Didn’t get in — no tickets)
8/27 — Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA
8/28 — Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA
8/30 — Compton Terrace, Phoenix, AZ
8/31 — Aladdin Theater, Las Vegas, NV
9/26 — War Memorial, Buffalo, NY
9/27 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
10/31 — JGB/Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA
11/3 — JGB/Painter’s Mill, Owing’s Mill, MD
11/7 — JGB/McDonough Arena, Georgetown Univ., Washington, DC (Hospitality Suite: The Watergate)
11/10 — JGB/Palladium, New York, NY
1982
3/13 — Centennial Arena, Reno, NV
4/2 — Cameron Indoor Arena, Duke Univ., Durham, NC
4/3 — The Scope, Norfolk, VA
4/5 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
4/6 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
4/8 — Onondaga Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
4/9 — War Memorial, Rochester, NY
4/11 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
4/12 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
4/14 — Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY
4/15 — Civic Center, Providence, RI
4/17 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/18 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/19 — Civic Center, Baltimore, MD
6/26 — Jerry Garcia/John Kahn, Warner Theater, Washington, DC
7/31 — Manor Downs, Austin, TX
8/1 — Zoo Amphitheater, Oklahoma City, OK
8/7 — Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI
8/8 — Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI
9/14 — Univ. of VA, Charlottesville, VA
9/15 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD (Backstage + hospitality suite at Beltway Marriott)
9/17 — Civic Center, Portland, ME (Backstage)
9/18 — Boston Garden, Boston, MA (Hospitality suite at Parker House)
9/20 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (Backstage)
1983
4/9 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
4/10 — Coliseum, Morgantown, WVA
4/16 — Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Hospitality Suite: Meridian Hotel, 56th Street, NYC)
4/17 — Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (Hospitality Suite: Meridian Hotel, 56th Street, NYC)
4/20 — Civic Center, Providence, RI
4/22 — Coliseum, New Haven, CT
4/23 — Coliseum, New Haven, CT
4/25 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
4/26 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
6/20 — Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
10/8 — Coliseum, Richmond, VA
10/9 — Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
10/11 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
10/12 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
10/14 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
10/15 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
10/20 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
10/21 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
1984
6/24 — S.P.A.C., Saratoga, NY
10/5 — Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
10/6 — Coliseum, Richmond, VA
11/18 — Garcia/Kahn, Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
11/20 — Garcia/Kahn, D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
1985
3/21 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/22 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
6/27 — S.P.A.C., Saratoga, NY
6/30 — Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/1 — Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
10/31 — Coliseum, Columbia, SC
11/1 — Coliseum, Richmond, VA
1986
3/20 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/21 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/23 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
3/24 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
3/25 — Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
4/3 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
7/6 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
7/7 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
1987
3/22 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/23 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/24 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
4/2 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
4/3 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
4/4 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
7/4 — Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, MA (Didn’t get in — no tickets)
7/10 — JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
7/12 — Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
10/31 — JGB/Lunt-Fontanne Theater, New York, NY
1988
3/24 — Omni, Atlanta, GA
3/26 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/27 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/28 — Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
3/30 — Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
3/31 — Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
4/1 — Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
4/3 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/4 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/5 — Civic Center, Hartford, CT
4/7 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
4/8 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
4/9 — Centrum, Worcester, MA
7/2 — Oxford, ME
7/3 — Oxford, ME
9/20 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
9/22 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
9/24 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
1989
7/7 — JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
7/9 — Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
7/10 — Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
7/12 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
7/13 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
1990
3/14 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/15 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/16 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
7/4 — Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
1991
3/20 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/21 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/23 — Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
3/24 — Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY
1992
6/20 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC (Didn’t get in — no tickets)
1993
3/16 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/17 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/18 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD
3/20 — Omni, Atlanta, GA
3/21 — Omni, Atlanta, GA
3/22 — Omni, Atlanta, GA
3/24 — U.N.C Chapel Hill, NC
3/31 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
4/1 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
4/2 — Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
6/25 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
6/26 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
11/18 — JGB/Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA
11/19 — JGB/Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1994
4/1 — Omni, Atlanta, GA
7/2 — Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA
7/3 — Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA
7/16 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
7/17 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
8/3 — Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
8/4 — Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
10/15 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
10/17 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
10/19 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
1995
1/14 — JGB/Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
4/1 — Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN
6/24 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
6/25 — RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
6/30 — Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
*****
