Grateful Dead New Years Eve 12-31-85

[rlnunix]

It's telling of the atmosphere that with all those people on the floor, we managed to move out of the way when the cake was coming through. :-)

[markamiller100]

I remember hearing this live on the air. A grate trip to radioland.

[trapperdan]

I still have this tape....may just break it out for tonight! Happy 2012 everyone!

[TaperTomStrizak1959]

Best New Year wishes to all!!! Thax for posting!

[catcheez]

I was there ...

[ottawanderer]

Good luck in 2012, everyone! :-)

[chingchangchongfly]

I was at this show, too. I was on three hits of white blotter. I thought the balloons were planets and I was Satan

[jackstraw61]

I was at this show too, it was my 24th birthday. We thought the heads were the Beatles...we had no clue. But it was big fun. Kesey is out of control. NYE '81 was more epic.

[mclearyb]

Kesey took his usual dosage and was ridiculous.....Bill Walton and Father Guido Sarducci were therefore "the straight men".......probably Kesey's funniest claim is "I see John Lennon over there"......the halftime and second half of the show were broadcast live (for free) starting at around 2:00 a.m. east coast time on the then fledgling USA network.....looking at the video now the commercials are entertaining as well....

[cruzinbutterfly]

My birthday show! Thanks Joe V. 4 turning it on! Luv ya 4 eva & more!!

Samira :)

[Dancintank]

its fdrrrrr

[buddyiodine]

I was at this show... I remember somebody there watching it in TV, just like at a ball game, some big B&W crt. No iphones back then man. Overall it wasn't much "more" than a regular show, maybe three or four more tunes at the end. Best part was the Touch of Grey opener.

Kesey does the absolute same BS in 10/31/90. What a gasbag.

Interesting how the Dead resented doing New Years' so much they gave it up as soon as they possibly could.

[abitaamber1]

@buddyiodine Resented it? Absolutely false. They gave it up because they couldn't bear to continue to do it without Bill Graham.

[RGrupp67]

Ken Kesey is not right. Its a representation of the U.S.S. Merrimac!!!! Is that Rasputin or Frank Zappa?

[mikeydaustin]

Jerry had the king tone mojo. I sure miss him. Close your eyes and its almost like we were back there again.

[immortalraven17]

I want whatever kesey is on

[NYRomanista]

Outstanding, vintage. "Alive, forever."

[tgilbo]

UBIQUITUS = Riders of A Silver Wage = $7.40 wow back to the MicroBus.

we would recycle fossil fuels to keep that baby running...

No; ken thats clorox not draino.....

= Humans are yeast in my bagle; acid free gurt with fruit on the bottom

[booblies]

OMG THIS IS A RIOT!!!

[mythtree]

To ALL those who have gone before, and ever yet to come; memories, music, magic every one!

has it been 25 years?

[scarletb58]

have a grateful new year. (~);-}

[acidinurmind]

lol, great night, so many balloons 

[charfman84]

holy shit these announcers are annoying

[97baja454]

Yep. How cool was that on cable TV. I think it went to pay per view a couple of years later.

[ironmaiden0112]

bob is sooooooooooooooooooo on here, he is IN the zone\

[Kronicc313]

@ironmaiden0112 ahahahah yeah totaly dude i think he had a little kiss from aliceD

[womenrsmarter420]

wow incredible ty.....

[prophetdude2]

Hilariously Great

But who's Guido Sarducci?

i thought he was a fictional character...

[97baja454]

@prophetdude2

Guido Sarducci was on Saturday Night Live

[shmoopatties]

Well, my buddy on facebook posted a update of "that'sa not'a eric clapton" and I had to find this clip. I can still quote Kesey's rant word for word. Phrases from it like the above and "He's got FDR!" became catch phrases used, well, up to today! My favorite part is how long it takes them to figure out the giant heads are the members of the band. "It's a representation of the USS Merrimac!"

[HippieBuddah]

Happy New Year, damn hippies ;)

[krispysmurf]

Happy New Year 8)

[gyrobutt]

And Rasputin....Rasputin is here!

[bobdylande]

I remember the simulcast Jerry was backstage baking cookies or somethinglike that I think I recall

Father Guido Sarcoucci was interviewing him. Does anyone else remember this or am I dreaming?

[fentonjames]

you are correct.

[fentonjames]

i think it was on the USA network on cable.

[se4nhealy]

kesey sounds like every adult from south park lolzz

[1959seeburg222]

I think I attended this show. Yep. I just checked my ticket stub collection and I was definately there. I'm pretty sure I had a blast. Thank goodness for the video memories.

[cabinbowman]

HE"S GOT FDR!!! HE"S GOT FDR!!!

[striperjoe29]

o the humanity!!!!!,,,,,,,,,white people duck!!

[luv1another03]

Wish they would have piped these guys into the coliseum as this was going down. To classic!.

[dougcow]

i remember listening to this as it happened...some kind of simulcast across the nation...i was laughing my ass off.

[SoundGardenX]

Kesey is annoying in this video, I know he took a bunch of acid and what not but dude chill out.

[shenaniganz420]

FRANK ZAPPA ITS FRANK ZAPPA NO WAIT... ITS ERIC CLAPTON THATS ERIC CLAPTON... lol ken should no who it is haha notice how he says nothing once the music kicks in im sure he got lost in it... i know i would of

[bluescommander]

Did he seriously just say "Just you and I?"

[bluescommander]

Just how wasted is Ken Kesey in this one?

[shenaniganz420]

rofl.... ken casey... THINGS ARE JUMPING OUT... IS THAT ERIC CLAPTON THATS ERIC CLAPTON

[unclejohn78]

thanks for posting this.

but can bob weir be any gayer with that little head flip he does?

[AthenaOfArgos]

I think the head flip is kinda sexy. But check out the dilated pupils!!

[shenaniganz420]

oh thats ken kesey nvm the last comment that i know what hes up to

[shenaniganz420]

lol notice how the one announcer is like freaking the hell out... i dont think he is drunk i think he is on sum of that grateful dead shit if you get my drift rofl amazing though!

[muckstar23]

jerry wobbles but he dont fall down

[myhungryhippo]

oh father time :( we'll miss u

[darkstarjbt]

I love this, circumstances wiped out my dead collection, 80+shows before jerry left us, I was bummed, but there is dead everywhere I LOVE IT

[CRACKtakular]

lol bill graham always doing some entrance every new year or something right

[Altoonasuks]

Thanks for this gem, mcleary o from fenerio.

Nice how the new DVD cleans original footage.

I don't know about anybody else, these youtube DEAD videos are the best thing on internet...gotta be heaven....

[Altoonasuks]

..."dreamin'"...The Grateful Dead...NewYearsEve...to me it all equals A GRATE time for all

"it's FDR"

This must be heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cwazycat]

It seemed good, but they needed more balloons.....

[cjmatson11]

ITS FDR...ITS FDR!!!!!!!!!

[mrfish60035]

sorry to hear that karmbros :(

[karmbros]

I was on the floor, and here is what I remember and wish I could forget: before the cake came out, they crushed all of the people in the floor into one side, to make way for this giant cake of death. For 20 minutes or more, I was crushed against a 1,000 sweaty people, without any ability to move even a quarter of an inch. Sort of like being buried alive. I nearly passed out and I thought for sure I was going to die. The drugs didn't help. This was the worst New Years of my life.

[greateststory72]

that's nuts man

[mclearyb]

for a moment there i think i was back there in 86 taping the show and watching the broadcast [IMPORTANT] on the television.................eve­ryone but me was asleep by then it seemed

[mclearyb]

uh and my son ......he likes the dead......and phish and DMb and an incredibly eclectic alternative array of music on this computer as i type it is uh...

[mclearyb]

and i taped the show on casstte from radio and videotaped the USA show but poor quality really as it was in 6 hr mode [the commercials now seem really weird during the halftime].....converted vid to DVD 2007 so preserved prety well now gave as new years gift 2008 to my bro's

[mclearyb]

GUYS too many caps ? i was posting i watched this in 1986 3 am EST kesey was in an altered state of some kind father guido was the straight man but uh

[Mr1d8]

a brief moment of pure unadulterated happiness!

[mellllllllllllll]

was i there or did i just hallucinate it?

[deitrich23]

Ahhhhhhh, wish I could be back there under those balloons...

[meatazzsandwich]

wow. very cool. i was there also. took a freakin greyhound from rochester ny to oakland, ca for these shows.

[Saukkomies]

I too was there! I was close enough to the stage to get Bobby's spit on me! When the cake came out, we all became one massive single organism with multiple tentacle arms and eyeballs - all worshipping the moveable temple with those characters on it! A girl next to me caught one of Bill Graham's roses, and I gave her a kiss when the balloons came down! It was so amazing! Only Kesey can approximate its description.

[mase5701]

too bad i was only a few months old for this show otherwise i wouldve been there.

[REB8ON3691]

I was there! The idea was that these huge "Dead-heads" came out and danced out in the audience for the rest of the show! It was coool.

[BetePete]

to each his own.

[cosmogrow]

Wish I was there...

Happy New Year!!!

[Tennesseejedi22]

The other guy is father Quido Sarduchi (my bad with the spelling) from Sat. Night live.

I want what Keseys on!

[rainbowpagun]

the only way too spend New Years Eve

[Rockaboogie27]

haha! who the hell is that screaming the commentation in the begining??

[muckstar23]

ken kesey-

[chalchuit]

I will never forget this one! Here is your flame proof skeleton suit now we lead you to a secret area at the back of the arena where Dr Volmok and the Klystron project awaits. Here is your little Saturn with streamers wave it. Here is your bucket of roses, throw them and this fire extinguisher is to use in case the big head catches on fire.

The big curtain peels back and away we go... see me touch down at minute 4

[ibm650]

Great shot of Bill Graham around 9:27!

[apsperling]

I remember this show like it was yesterday. I was there and one of the tapers at that. This was wild and soo stoned and dropping acid. wow what a show.

[floydsvoid]

Dunno bout you, but Ken Kesey sounded a little fucked up.

Have to admit, went to about 40 Dead concerts in the 70's and 80's and to this day I can't recall a single song they played.

For those that can, I suggest you weren't really there.

[dp11issosweet]

your a loser...they werent there if they chose to focus on the music and remember those experiences that are so meaningfull to some people, not just another night to get wasted

[floydsvoid]

My bad. This was a paraphrase of the famous quote "If you remember the Sixties you probably weren't there".

Did you attend any of their concerts back then? Even if you went in straight you'd probably get a buzz from the second-hand smoke. I guarantee you Jerry was about as fucked up as anybody in the house.

There's a joke that their music probably sucked if you weren't wasted. Your loss.

[TATSUFAN]

LOVE THE BALLOON DROP

[WEIR4EVER]

Go!

Belt it out Bob!

that's right!!!!

Wait wait wait!!!

I need somebody to help me NOW!

[WEIR4EVER]

Come on light me now!

Come on strike me now!

Gotta hear me now......

My Lightnin' too

Rope a Fire 'round my heart

Come on come on

It's my lightnin' too!

C I AINT LYIN'

I need a doctor NOW!!!

[coyote023]

I need a double dose in any case

[WEIR4EVER]

God yes! Can't get enough!

Been on Youtube no-stop for 4 days (with food n sleep breaks!)

I am just checking this GREAT Dark Star from 78, great footage...

Man, it's near 2 AM where I live....

Been at it since 11AM yesterday

[coyote023]

you need to get the closing of winterland it is out on dvd it is killer. I am a little bit of a snob so do not take this the wrong way the dark star>other one is a little short the other music leading up to it is freaking excellant you should get it.the audio as well as the video is pretty near perfect.

[WEIR4EVER]

You are right of course; I saw that a while agoooooo (long time)

You know what I loved about that?

Mister John Cipollina. I saw him w/ the Dead many times he stood back too much. At the closing on Winterland he really shines, on NFA.

[coyote023]

the last time i saw john cippollina play with the dead was in Easton Pennsylvania on 5/7/79

[WEIR4EVER]

I didn't see him until later, from 81 through .... May 29th 1989

off and on

Amazing guy.

[WEIR4EVER]

I remember the times on the floor!

There was so MUCH noise and SO MANY ballons

we usually couldn't tell what they were playin'

or HEAR 'em for the first 3 minutes of the song!

Never ever had as much fun on N.Y.E. than

with "The Boys"!

man oh man oh friend of mine

WATCHING NON STOP VIDEOS FOR 2 WEEKS HAS ME TURNING

INTO A REGULAR MANIAC AGAIN!

Heeeeeeee HA!

[WEIR4EVER]

AAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh !

All these new year shoes of old.....

Sometimes I want to WEEP!

[coyote023]

kesey is just a little excited you know how those people from oregon can be..ha ha ha

[WEIR4EVER]

I never get excited!

[Mr1d8]

I WAS THERE! IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!

[stepalone0]

What a Party!! Happy New Year!!!

[jdwilkins2000]

What a hoot, thanks muchly for posting this, brings back memories of a much more fun time.

Peace,

Jim

[peaceonearth108]

Happy New Year!!!Peace and Blessings to all!!!

[daveebner]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I have been trying to find this for years after hearing the original many years ago on New Years Eve. I have only heard audio before and the video adds much to Ken Keaseys excitment. He delivers one of the great commentaries in broadcast history. Nobody can explain it like he can! I am crying form laughing so hard. Thanks again.