17 Aug
Englishtown ‘77
by Rick Angeloni, Pennington, NJ
September 3, 1977…30 years to the day…this coming Labor Day Monday of 2007. The last of the great free, open air concerts of the 60s and 70s — before big arena rock venues — took place in the small town of Englishtown, NJ. The all day and night event brought together the The Marshall Tucker Band, New Riders of the Purple Stage and The (good ol’) Grateful Dead!! On the heels of Watkins Glen and Woodstock, Englishtown was a beautiful and peaceful experience. People helping each other through the NJ heat and humidity sharing everything and anything. When evening broke cool air moved in and the Dead took the stage for a night of revelry. What a way to see your first Dead show!!
Ah yes I remember it well. My buddy and I hitchiked our way form Kutztown, Pa (where we were in college) w/ tickets, and actually met up w/ the guy who had out tix in the mass of humanity. It was alos memorable for me becuase I got to help Keith Haring (who grew up in K-town) sell his t-shirts (still have my stained, tattered and torn shirt). He was a big Dead Head. If I remember NRPS and Marshall Tucker played also.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:40 pm