GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST
Episode: Here Comes Sunshine: Santa Barbara, 5/20/73
Release Date: May 18, 2023
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Special Guests: Michael Parrish, Jim Kernot, Sepp Donahauer, Rosie McGee, Al Franken, Bob Student, Gary Wolfing, David Lemieux

Episode Overview

This episode of the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast travels back to May 20, 1973, capturing the spirit, music, and logistical drama of the Grateful Dead’s memorable outdoor show at UCSB’s Campus Stadium in Santa Barbara. This concert—later included in the “Here Comes Sunshine 1973” box set—embodied both the sun-drenched innocence of the era and the band’s ambitious musical evolution. Hosts Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow are joined by a cast of insiders, fans, Dead family, and music professionals to relive the vibe, the planning triumphs and failures, and the resonance of the music performed that day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Here Comes Sunshine 1973” Box Set (03:34)

• Context: The Santa Barbara show is one of five previously unreleased spring 1973 concerts featured in this limited edition set, representing a transformative era for the Dead.
• David Lemieux (Archivist): “The Santa Barbara show...it's got that Southern California vibe.” (05:40)

2. The Setting: UCSB, Isla Vista, and the Vibe (04:19, 07:14)

• Atmosphere: UCSB’s stadium sits by the ocean, with Isla Vista’s student life bleeding into the concert experience.
• Michael Parrish (fan & paleontologist):

  “It was just one of those days when everything was perfect. It was a sunny day outdoors at the UCSB stadium, a little bit of a breeze off the ocean, so it wasn't too hot. And...they just played all afternoon.” (07:14)

3. The Challenge of Putting on the Show (09:10–15:57)

• Student-Driven Promotion: Jim Kernot (student concert chair) worked for over a year to navigate administration fears (security, previous concert riots, capacity limits, etc.), ultimately securing the show only 20 days ahead of the date.
• Sepp Donahauer (promoter):

  “That was never easy with the stadium because you have to deal with the campus security...The stadium was always a little more work.” (12:35)

• Grassroots Support: Student petitions and open letters demonstrate the fervor for the band.

4. Logistical & Cultural Growing Pains (17:24–18:30)

• Professionalization: Promoters worked closely with Dead crew to ensure smooth operations—good marketing, reliable stage passes, and a backstage “good scene.”
• Ticket Pricing: $4.50 (students), $5 (general public); strong student turnout, with about 15,000 attendees.

5. Arrivals & Soundcheck Stories (19:07–22:00)

• Fans Arrive: Tales of road trips, hitchhiking, and pre-show soundchecks—Phil Lesh “playing with his new toys."
• Historical Context: The Dead’s first UCSB show (1969) was a disaster—this time, the PA worked perfectly.

6. Recording the Show (22:00–24:05)

• Tapers: Recordings from Betty Cantor-Jackson and Rex “The Kid” Candelario capture the show from different audio perspectives.
• David Lemieux: “Kid’s recordings are really crystal clear as you can differentiate every sound, every instrument, every note.” (22:32)

7. Crowd & Scene Reflections (24:13–28:53)

• Fan Stories:
  • Bob Student: Transition from army life to Dead tour life; comparison of vendor numbers from early '70s to the Dead's later stadium period. (25:13)
  • Gary Wolfing (first-timer): “Never been to a rock concert before... just had the time of my life... It was just like a free for all.” (26:43)

8. Security, Community, and Culture (27:16–29:34)

• Low Drama: No major security incidents; relaxed, sun-lit, communal energy with police acting more like bystanders.

9. Celebrity Deadheads: Al Franken and Tom Davis (30:52–33:29, 40:29–43:05)

• First Show Revelation: Franken and Davis, before their SNL fame, attended their first Dead show together; the experience cemented their “enormous Deadhead” status.
• Al Franken:

  “There’s nothing like a Grateful Dead show. It’s an adventure. ...Now you’re in for a day and an evening.” (41:03)

10. Psychedelic Adventures (33:07–33:29)

• Wine & Acid: Wolfing describes discovering “about 20 pieces of water acid circling around on the bottom of the jug and...it was on from there.” (33:07)

11. Garcia’s Vocal Troubles, Cocaine Rx (34:07–39:29)

• Voice Woes: Jerry was hoarse—to the point of being nearly unable to speak pre-show.
• Sep Donahauer: “So I had to get the University of California doctor...to write a prescription for cocaine...to anesthetize his throat so he could sing.” (35:38)
• Jim Kernot: Pharmacy refusal drama, ultimately a backroom narcotic concoction saved Garcia’s voice, at least enough for the show. (37:09–38:19)
• Anecdote: “We took the rest of the bottle, poured it on a plate and let it dry in the sun and snorted it all.” (38:13)

12. Onstage, Three Sets, and a Unique Musical Era (41:43–43:05, 45:51–60:52)

• Unique Set Length: Three full sets (rare; only four times in ’73).
  • Michael Parrish: “Three sets of Grateful Dead music...that was pretty much it for the year.” (41:43)
• Stage/Sound Details: Cutting-edge for its time—aligned with technological innovations leading toward 1974’s Wall of Sound.
• Alembic Report: Ocean breeze and speaker beam direction affect outdoor sound; technical notes on PA “blow away.” (47:00–47:45)

13. Setlists, Jams, and Musical Progression (45:51–60:05)

• Song Evolution: “Here Comes Sunshine,” “Eyes of the World,” “China Doll,” and more—freshly road-tested and sparkling.
  • Michael Parrish: “...the new batch of songs. It just seemed like an entirely new thing for the dead.” (51:24)
• Jam Sequences: “Truckin’” > “The Other One,” improvisational explorations, new transitions.
• Garcia’s Ballads: Ballad slot rotation—“Comes a Time,” “Stella Blue,” “China Doll” (57:02–59:40)
• Set Closer: Weir’s “Race Is On,” wild jams, and a “lovely afternoon.” (60:07–60:52)

14. The Impact and Aftermath (60:45–67:47)

• Financials: $22,980 net to the Dead ($156K modern equivalent).
• Careers Launched:
  • Kernot: Six years of concert promotions at UCSB and a pivotal role in turning the venue into a West Coast live music hub. (61:21–62:24)
  • Franken & Davis: Dead shows as creative fuel for writing and for their future SNL careers.
    • Al Franken: “I did a lot of thinking at these things...But you feel connected to these people, certainly, but also...You just go, oh, I wish humanity could be like this.” (64:06)
• Legacy: For attendees, the Santa Barbara show became a sun-drenched memory—a “holy grail” in tape trading lore until decades later.

15. Taper Culture and the Santa Barbara "Holy Grail" Tape (50:45–67:58)

• Tape Trading: Michael Parrish shares the slow progression of tape trading, the distribution bottlenecks, and the excitement when Santa Barbara’s audience tapes finally circulated in the '80s.
  • “For many attendees, for many years, the Santa Barbara show was nothing more than a gloriously remembered Sunday afternoon in the sun.” (67:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was just one of those days when everything was perfect.”
  —Michael Parrish (07:14)
• “So I had to get the University of California doctor...to write a prescription for cocaine...to anesthetize his throat so he could sing.”
  —Sepp Donahauer (35:38)
• “We took the rest of the bottle, poured it on a plate and let it dry in the sun and snorted it all.”
  —Sepp Donahauer (38:13)
• “There’s nothing like a Grateful Dead show. It’s an adventure. ...Now you’re in for a day and an evening.”
  —Al Franken (41:03)
• “You just go, oh, I wish humanity could be like this.”
  —Al Franken (64:06)
• “That was the start of my going on summer tour with the Grateful Dead.”
  —Bob Student (68:18)

Key Timestamps

• 03:34 — Introduction to UCSB and the Santa Barbara concert
• 05:40 — David Lemieux on the “Southern California vibe”
• 07:14 — Michael Parrish recalls perfect atmosphere
• 09:10–15:57 — The ordeal of booking and confirming the stadium show
• 19:07 — Michael Parrish’s arrival & Phil Lesh’s soundcheck
• 22:00–24:05 — Overview of tape sources and audio quality
• 24:45–28:53 — Fan stories from the scene
• 30:52–33:29 — Al Franken and Tom Davis: First Dead show
• 33:07 — Gary Wolfing’s psychedelic jug of wine
• 34:07–39:29 — Garcia's voice problems, the cocaine prescription saga
• 41:43 — “Three sets of Grateful Dead music...”
• 47:00–47:45 — Alembic notes on wind’s effect on the sound system
• 50:45–51:24 — Michael Parrish on tape trading and new Dead songs
• 60:45–62:24 — The concert’s outcome and its transformative effect on UCSB’s music scene
• 64:06 — Al Franken on concert creativity and community
• 67:47 — Santa Barbara as “holy grail” tape for years

Conclusion

This episode vividly reconstructs a sun-kissed day in Grateful Dead history, exploring not just the transcendent music of May 20, 1973, but also the logistics, the community, the personalities, and the way this show rippled outward into personal lives and concert history. The Dead’s magic was as much about the scene and the evolving culture of fans and professionals as it was about music—a theme the Santa Barbara show exemplifies through its music, mythology, and enduring legend.