“This is a real old building, made out of wood. The only thing I’m really worried about is, ya know when everybody lights matches at the end of the show? Well, this could all come down. Let’s yell our heads off and have a great time, but… cool it on the fire?”
Ah yes, that would be the Philly Civic Center this young gentleman is speaking of in the above Grateful Dead bootleg, dating back to August of 1974. Built in the early ‘30s, it was already a mess in the ‘70s, and would be demo’d in the ‘90s. But what a run it had: The Beatles! The Stones! LBJ! Megadeth!
LISTEN TO THE SHOWS HERE AND HERE ON ARCHIVE.ORG
In any case, the Civic is about to get a nice little momentum in the form of Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol. 31, a 4-CD set compiling three shows: 8/4 and /5, Philadelphia Civic Center and 8/6/74, Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ. According to Real Gone Music, who’s releasing the set:
"This Dick’s Picks volume captures the Dead right in the thick of the legendary 1974 Wall of Sound tour and only two months away from leaving the road for a year-and-a-half hiatus. The Wall of Sound was, of course, the massive sound system designed by Owsley “Bear” Stanley that was so meticulously constructed that, for example, each string of Phil Lesh’s bass had its own speaker (and was so daunting to transport and assemble that it was dismantled after the tour).”
We don’t know about all that, but it sure is good to hear that ol’ Philly wood.
