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Times-Dispatch reporter Em Holter talks with Kelli Lemon about Richmond's history of canned beer.
For two nights, the bygone Summer of Love days returned to Richmond. Vehicles clad in dancing skeletons and “Cosmic Charlie” bumper stickers — many of them repping out-of-state license plates — pulled into the parking lot of the Richmond Coliseum.
By the time the venue’s security officers arrived for their first shift, the parking lot had transformed into a sea of tie-dye. When Richmond police arrived, the crowd had grown into the thousands and a “cloud of marijuana smoke” followed close behind.
Soon, they would make their way — some stumbling — into the sold-out arena to hear The Grateful Dead play out their signature psychedelic riffs and groovy baselines — or at least that was the plan.
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For many, those plans would soon sour as they found themselves instead holed up in the Richmond jail — never to hear “Little Red Rooster,” “Big River” or “Morning Dew” played live in the city ever again.
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“Police officers, some on horses, circled the Coliseum,” Frank Douglas reported in the Saturday, Nov. 2, 1985, edition of The Times-Dispatch. “Many fans also circled the Coliseum looking for tickets.”
“By the middle of Friday night, the earlier cries of ‘I need tickets’ had changed to ‘spare some money for bail,’” Douglas added.
For many Deadheads, the Nov. 1-2, 1985, Richmond Coliseum concert has gone down in Grateful Dead history as one of its most memorable. Its notoriety made popular one of the select few live recordings to be made into an album.
Its infamy among the community was possibly, in part, due to the events that transpired that evening.
While the psychedelic rock band had garnered a reputation for playing hourslong, drug-induced sets to loyal, devoted fans willing to drive hundreds of miles across state lines to witness their “magic,” the Richmond shows with the perpetual downpours in the cold autumn air and the increased police presence hell-bent on cracking down on drug use proved to be more infamous than any that tour season.
On the first night, Richmond police patrolled the parking lot and arena. The police horses were called in, and many a beer was poured into the street as they were denied access to the building for public drunkenness.
By the time frontman Jerry Garcia had opened up the show with “Dancing in the Streets,” the police department had made more than 100 arrests — a large portion drug-related.
The following evening, several thousand fans retaliated by rushing the Coliseum as they tried to get into the sold-out concert without tickets.
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But the police department was ready for the occasion with additional reinforcements — nearly double from the previous evening — calling in assistance from the sheriff’s office, which provided a number of deputies to handle lockups, fingerprinting and mugshots.
Four magistrates were on scene to write warrants and set bonds. The commonwealth’s attorney also made an appearance. The Richmond General District Court opened on Saturday and Sunday to process the more than 200 people arrested. The courthouse was unusually lively that weekend as a parade of people, along with their friends, filled the front room and spilled into the corridor outside.
The cases were almost entirely drug-related, ranging from simple marijuana possession to distribution of LSD. One man was arrested for wearing an American flag like a cape.
The chaos that ensued both nights and the subsequent fallout from the number of arrests — which led to dozens of officers clocking in overtime and cases overwhelming the city’s judicial system — ultimately led to city officials’ decision to ban The Grateful Dead from performing at any venue in the city. It would be just one of many bands — including Kiss and Metallica — to earn a “no-fly” status in Richmond.
The Grateful Dead never played in the city again — a decision that received mixed reviews from the public.
“If they don’t have any more respect for the country than that they deserved to get arrested,” a Richmond police officer told The Times-Dispatch on Sunday, Nov. 2, 1985.
“This city doesn’t deserve the Grateful Dead,” one Richmond fan told The Times-Dispatch on Sunday, July 26, 1987.
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From the Archives: More than 250 photos of concerts in Richmond
1956 Louis Armstrong
1958 Van Cliburn
1965 All American Touring Band and Chorus
1968 Paul Anka
1971 BB King
1971 BB King
1971 Duke Ellington
1971 Maybelle Carter
1972 Jefferson Airplane
1974 Cherry Blossom Music Festival
1974 Cherry Blossom Music Festival
1974 Cherry Blossom Music Festival
1974 Cherry Blossom Music Festival
1974 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
1975 Pat Benatar
1976 Elvis Presley
1976 Elvis Presley
1979 The Jacksons
1982 Pat Benatar
1983 Ramones
1983 Sonny Rollins
1984 Ricky Skaggs
1988 Def Leppard and Tesla
1988 Festival Park
1988 Prince
1988 Prince
1988 Prince
1988 Van Halen
1989 Chuck Berry
1994 Frank Sinatra
1994 Frank Sinatra
1995 Bruce Hornsby
1995 REM
1996 k.d. lang
1996 k.d. lang
1997 KISS
1997 KISS
1997 KISS
1997 KISS
1998 Aretha Franklin
1998 Tori Amos
1998 Tori Amos
1999 Alanis Morissette
1999 Alanis Morissette
1999 Sting
1999 Sting
2000 Ben Harper
2000 Dixie Chicks
2000 Hanson
2000 Hanson
2000 Hanson
2000 Jackson Browne
2000 John Prine
2000 KISS
2001 Aaron Carter
2001 Aaron Carter
2001 Don Henley
2001 Fighting Gravity
2001 Fighting Gravity
2001 Jill Scott
2001 Jill Scott
2001 Jim Brickman and Donny Osmond
2001 Jonny Lang
2001 Luther Vandross
2001 Luther Vandross
2001 Neville Brothers
2001 Neville Brothers
2001 Pat Benatar
2001 Pat Benatar
2001 Pat Benatar
2001 Shawn Colvin
2002 Barry Manilow
2002 Barry Manilow
2002 Cheap Trick
2002 Mannheim Steamroller
2002 Mary J. Blige
2002 Mary J. Blige
2002 REO Speedwagon
2002 Styx
2002 Styx
2002 Sugar Ray
2003 50 Cent
2003 50 Cent
2003 BB King
2003 Bruce Springsteen
2003 Bruce Springsteen
2003 Cher
2003 Cher
2003 Cher
2003 Eagles
2003 Hall & Oates
2003 Hall & Oates
2003 Jason Mraz
2003 Jason Mraz
2003 Kenny Loggins
2003 Kenny Loggins
2003 Lyle Lovett
2003 Melissa Etheridge
2003 Nickel Creek
2003 Rick Springfield 2003
2003 The Donnas
2003 Wynonna Judd
2004 Alice Cooper
2004 Anthony Hamilton
2004 BET Hip-Hop Festival
2004 Bette Midler
2004 Heart
2004 Heart
2004 Huey Lewis
2004 Huey Lewis
2004 Ruben Studdard
2004 Ruben Studdard
2005 Avail
2005 Avail
2005 Bruce Springsteen
2005 Bruce Springsteen
2005 Foreigner
2005 George Strait
2005 Gretchen Wilson
2005 Gretchen Wilson
2005 Lynyrd Skynyrd
2005 The Wailers
2005 The Wailers
2005 Wallflowers
2005 Wallflowers
2006 All American Rejects
2006 All American Rejects
2006 Ashlee Simpson
2006 Ashlee Simpson
2006 Barenaked Ladies
2006 Barenaked Ladies
2006 Black Crowes
2006 Chris Brown
2006 Chris Brown
2006 Michael Buble
2006 Michael Buble
2006 My Chemical Romance
2006 My Chemical Romance
2006 Ne-Yo
2006 Train
2007 Chris Brown
2007 Chris Brown
2007 Chris Brown
2007 Daughtry
2007 Daughtry
2007 Derek Trucks Band
2007 Derek Trucks Band
2007 Elliott Yamin
2007 Elliott Yamin
2007 Keith Urban
2007 Mary J. Blige
2007 Sugarland
2007 Sugarland
2007 Taylor Hicks
2008 Bruce Springsteen
2008 Bruce Springsteen
2008 Dave Matthews
2008 Dave Matthews
2008 Jonas Brothers
2009 All American Rejects
2009 All American Rejects
2009 All American Rejects
2009 Charlie Daniels
2009 Charlie Daniels
2009 Chris Brown
2009 Chris Brown
2009 Lady Gaga
2009 Lady Gaga
2009 Lady Gaga
2009 Lady Gaga
2009 New Kids on the Block
2010 Kingsfest
2010 Kodo Drummers
2010 Kodo Drummers
2010 Night Ranger
2011 Ben Folds
2011 Patti Labelle and John Gordon
2011 Paul Simon
2011 Paul Simon
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Richmond Jazz Festival
2011 Rodney Atkins
2011 Rodney Atkins
2012 Elton John
2012 Elton John
2012 Elton John
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Folk Festival
2012 Richmond Jazz Festival
2012 Richmond Jazz Festival
2013 Barry Manilow
2013 Barry Manilow
2013 BB King
2013 Carrie Undewood
2013 Carrie Undewood
2013 Jason Mraz
2013 k.d. lang and Jason Mraz
2013 Richmond Jazz Festival
Jazz at the Fountain
2013 Robbin Thompson
2014 Crosby, Stills and Nash
2014 Crosby, Stills and Nash
2014 Elliott Yamin
2014 Elliott Yamin
2014 Elliott Yamin
2014 Foo Fighters
2014 Foo Fighters
2014 Infamous Stringdusters
2014 James Taylor
2014 James Taylor
2014 Jordan Knight
2014 Richmond Jazz Festival
2014 Richmond Jazz Festival
2015 Billy Idol
2015 Folk Festival
2015 Folk Festival
2015 Foreigner
2015 Foreigner
2015 Jazz Festival
2016 Al Jarreau
2016 Al Jarreau
2016 Bonnie Raitt
2016 Bonnie Raitt
2016 Garth Brooks
2016 Garth Brooks
2016 Herbie Hancock
2016 Herbie Hancock
2016 KISS
2016 Lil Wayne
2016 Lil Wayne
2016 Willie Nelson
2016 Willie Nelson
2017 Barrett Baber
2017 Gordon Lightfoot
2017 Lucy Dacus
2017 Lucy Dacus
2017 Lucy Dacus
2018 Country Fest
2018 Country Fest
2018 Country Fest
2018 Folk Festival
2015 Folk Festival
Em Holter (804) 649-6178
eholter@timesdispatch.com
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Em Holter
Richmond and Neighbors Reporter
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