It turns out the the neighborhood we are moving to, Naglee Park, had quite an active scene back in the 60’s. The Grateful Dead’s first show took place 12/4/65 in Big Nig’s house in Naglee Park.
One of my soon to be neighbors in SanJo has been recalling the local pyschedelic scene back then.
He writes:
In the 70’s the Hog Farm had several different Downtown SJ addresses…I
stayed for several days at a house on S 13th and another on S 16th, (where
the bus was parked being fixed ,as always) , in the Fall of ’71, one of a
string of homes from Oregon to New Mexico, all the way East to NYC and up to
northern…extreme northern…Canada was across the back fence…Vermont. A
network of literally thousands of people, if a bus broke down or someone got
popped or hurt, anywhere, the Hog Farm had a friend who would drive the 50
miles, put us up, help us fix it…if you had a phone you could always call
Louie or someone who could call Louie and he would get out the “Book” and
make some calls. Lawyers, doctors, mechanics, moms, ex-girlfriends as well
as musicians, artists, publishers, promoters, loan sharks, famed chefs with
fancy restaurants, actors and actresses, writers, filmmakers…everybody was
in the “Book” and help was on the way. Of course you were in the “Book” also
and would get your calls as well…
As to the SJ Acid Test…we were told by those older and wiser that the 16th
St. house was the “house”, where the Tests took place, one, I was told, of
many (I will remind all that Friday comes once a week) weekly
occurrences…, so we tested it also, just to be sure the vibes were still
right…Of course the legend says house the Dead lived in was on S. 12th…
Also a couple of houses in LG, Neal Cassaday’s and the spot on HWY 17, just
past Glenwood, where a small church is now shuttered…lots of Acid
Tests…after Wolfe and 60’s the perception of it all changed, into some
party or somethin’, too bad…so sad… I was on Haight St. after Garcia’s
“Funeral”, hordes of teensomethings in tie dye with candles in vigil, three
decades later. Long strange something, that’s for sure…alas the true
History will have to be written by investigating police records, ’cause them
that was there, they forgot the addresses…as I did.
I am planning to move to S. 16th Street…wonder which house they’re referring to?
It turns out the the neighborhood we are moving to, Naglee Park, had quite an active scene back in the 60’s. The Grateful Dead’s first show took place 12/4/65 in Big Nig’s house in Naglee Park.
One of my soon to be neighbors in SanJo has been recalling the local pyschedelic scene back then.
He writes:
In the 70’s the Hog Farm had several different Downtown SJ addresses…I
stayed for several days at a house on S 13th and another on S 16th, (where
the bus was parked being fixed ,as always) , in the Fall of ’71, one of a
string of homes from Oregon to New Mexico, all the way East to NYC and up to
northern…extreme northern…Canada was across the back fence…Vermont. A
network of literally thousands of people, if a bus broke down or someone got
popped or hurt, anywhere, the Hog Farm had a friend who would drive the 50
miles, put us up, help us fix it…if you had a phone you could always call
Louie or someone who could call Louie and he would get out the “Book” and
make some calls. Lawyers, doctors, mechanics, moms, ex-girlfriends as well
as musicians, artists, publishers, promoters, loan sharks, famed chefs with
fancy restaurants, actors and actresses, writers, filmmakers…everybody was
in the “Book” and help was on the way. Of course you were in the “Book” also
and would get your calls as well…
As to the SJ Acid Test…we were told by those older and wiser that the 16th
St. house was the “house”, where the Tests took place, one, I was told, of
many (I will remind all that Friday comes once a week) weekly
occurrences…, so we tested it also, just to be sure the vibes were still
right…Of course the legend says house the Dead lived in was on S. 12th…
Also a couple of houses in LG, Neal Cassaday’s and the spot on HWY 17, just
past Glenwood, where a small church is now shuttered…lots of Acid
Tests…after Wolfe and 60’s the perception of it all changed, into some
party or somethin’, too bad…so sad… I was on Haight St. after Garcia’s
“Funeral”, hordes of teensomethings in tie dye with candles in vigil, three
decades later. Long strange something, that’s for sure…alas the true
History will have to be written by investigating police records, ’cause them
that was there, they forgot the addresses…as I did.
I am planning to move to S. 16th Street…wonder which house they’re referring to?