IF Madison Square Garden is the cathedral of rock, then the Grateful Dead are its high priests – and you might want to put an emphasis on high.
Between the band’s first show on Jan. 7, 1979, and its final gig on Oct. 19, 1994, Jerry Garcia and his band played 52 sold-out concerts for more than 1 million patrons – holding the Garden record for most concerts played by a group.
So it makes sense the band has made the list of “The 50 Greatest Moments at Madison Square Garden,” which premieres tomorrow night at 9 on the MSG Network. The hourlong documentary specials will honor five of the moments every Tuesday between now and the end of the year.
But with all the successes the Dead had at the Garden, including New Year’s Eve performances and the nine-show engagement they played in 1988, their first gig was a disaster.
Originally scheduled for Nov. 30, 1978, the Dead canceled because Garcia was ill with the flu and had a throat so raw he couldn’t speak, let alone sing.
When they finally returned, a ticket for the Sunday night show – a whopping $9.50 – treated tokers to a two-set concert that opened with “Jack Straw” and worked its way through hits including “Tennessee Jed,” “I Need a Miracle,” “Shakedown Street” and “Eyes of the World.”
Unfortunately, after a tremendous cover of “Not Fade Away” the band’s PA system glitched for “Black Peter” and “Around and Around,” marring the gig.
The sound at the 1994 final Garden gig, meanwhile, was superb. The Deadheads in attendance had no idea that in less than a year Garcia would be dead, and that their $30 ticket would be a priceless memory.
That last performance started with “Feel Like a Stranger” and then covered some of the Dead’s most-loved song including “Bertha,” “Stella Blue,” “Sugar Magnolia” and the encore “Brokedown Palace.”
The final chapter on the Dead and the Garden is laced in mystery.
More than a decade ago, the band was to be inducted into the Garden’s “Walk of Fame.” But the Dead are missing.
Not because the plaque was never made; it was. It was never installed because of the untimely death of Garcia, which postponed the ceremony. In the meantime, the plaque was lost. To this day no one at the Garden knows where the plaque is, or if a replacement will ever be installed.
If anyone does know its location, the Dead would be grateful if it was returned.
“The 50 Greatest Moments at Madison Square Garden” airs tomorrow at 9 on the MSG Network. A masquerade ball kicks off the premiere at Capitale; visit joonbug.com for details.