It has been thirty years since the July 4 Grateful Dead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Bob Dylan concert outside of Buffalo, NY. I traveled a long way with two friends to get to that show and have subsequently met a bunch of people from my neck of the woods who also went.
I have many crystal clear memories from that event while other moments have faded. For example, although I have absolutely no memory of this twenty minute drum solo, I can totally recall—in all their sartorial splendour—each and every piece of clothing that the members of the Dead wore:
Actually, in hindsight, many questions linger about the overall fashion of that day (along with a few answers) including:
- Bob Dylan wore that iconic, red shirt that states unequivocally: “This is Buffalo; July 4, 1986.” But what kind of material was it made from? I don’t know, but I think it’s probably mentioned in the Bible.
- Was Stan Lynch a fan of Miami Vice?
- I live in Canada and over the years have done a lot of work outdoors in the freezing cold; other than that scenario, can anyone describe a solid, practical use for fingerless gloves?
- Did Tom Petty’s jeans make his bum look flat?
- Did Mr. Dylan’s outfit clash with his backing-vocal group?
- Was that one of those “radical”, PLO scarves? No.
- What happened to my shirt that day? I have no idea.
- What type of footwear, exactly, was Bob Weir wearing with his shorts and socks ensemble? CHECK ONE: a. Shoes b. Sneakers c. Slippers
A reviewer from Pittsburgh seemed to enjoy the event. (Clearly, he didn’t have to cross the border 45 minutes after it was over.)
This archive is a reflection back on an interesting and independent day.
“Who ordered these pants, man?”
Truckin' Off to Buffalo: 30 Years 
I was there that day. I drove up from eastern Long Island in a small Mazda pickup with my Great Dane in the back. I remember it was something like 9 hours, but the highway experience was a blast! with all the deadheads flowing at the rest areas we stopped at along the way. My boyfriend was a big DH, but I had never seen them and secretly more excited about seeing Dylan. We paid a farmer $15 to park and camp in his field. It was my first time doing LSD and opium, and overall a fabulous experience. I enjoyed it so much that I called in sick to work and drove straight down to DC to see their next show at RFK Stadium 3 days later. What a contrast *that* was. We pitched our tent next to the truck i the parking lot, dosed up, and went into the show. When we came out, ambulances were driving through the lot with megaphones demanding we take down our tents and leave. Of course we got lost somewhere in DC trying to get back on the interstate, and had to drive through some pretty sketchy areas tripping our faces off. Good times.
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