YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE BERTHA! First Time Hearing Grateful Dead - Bertha Live 1989 Reaction!

[@paulprendergast3184]

Opening song from Buffalo July 4, 1989. Such a great show. Met a wonderful woman at the New Jersey Shore earlier in the weekend. We really hit if off❤. Thought we'd never see each other again. She was from Rochester NY and I'm from Toronto. Turns out we were both headed to this show in Buffalo. We've been married for 33 years!

[@magules13]

I was 5 years old here and lived a mile away. I remember seeing the dead heads in the parking lot. My parents were in the backyard that night listening to the concert.

[@paulbarber7132]

This was my first Grateful Dead concert, I was 19. Travelled all the way from North Bay Ontario 🇨🇦

[@songsfrown5941]

Congratulations. Further evidence of the universal synch beautifully and harmoniously manifesting at a Grateful Dead show! Good on you both. There truly is nothing like a Grateful Dead show.

[@Grateful_Dad_54]

Nothing on Earth like a Grateful Dead concert! ✌🏻💀

[@tommathews3964]

“that was a long instrumental section…” 🤣 You have no idea! Wait til you get hold of a 30+ minute “Dark Star”, “Morning Dew”, or “Playing in the Band”! Live Grateful Dead is definitely where it’s at! Thank goodness they allowed/encouraged tapers!! Dang near every show they ever did is recorded somewhere! Nothing like The Dead!!

[@samgreco4067]

Bertha was what they named a big old fan in the office that would vibrate across the floor and chase after people!!!

[@Stephen-nd1sx]

For years the legend was that "Bertha" was named after an old fan (an actual mechanical fan, not a fan of the music) that would jump around the Grateful Dead's office when turned on. David Dodd at the official Grateful Dead site clarified that old myth by citing an interview in which Hunter revealed that the Dead named the rambunctious fan after the song, rather than vice versa.

[@jaquestraw1]

@@Stephen-nd1sx Never heard that!

[@NebulizerChi]

Yep, Garcia always said it was about a huge walking industrial fan at GDWWHQ; Hunter, who only wrote the damn lyric, said pfff rubbish My own thought is that the lyric preceded the machine that got named in its honor and that they arrived at close to the same time, and people's memories thereby got crossed up And in any case, it is, among other things I'm sure, a metaphor for the cops ("Runnin' from your window"/"Really had to move" [which indeed they did]/"Why don't you arrest me!" etc etc etc)

[@BrianTheDeadhead]

Suburban (San Rafael) legend. The fan was named after the song. Not the song after the fan.

[@jims3114]

Thought Bertha was a hurricane 😮

[@thesecretjewishspacelaser9959]

Try China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider from Alpine Valley 1989. Great video available.

[@cevinwillson9113]

Olde Renaissance Faire venetta

[@thesecretjewishspacelaser9959]

@@cevinwillson9113 yea that’s always a great one as well. Personally I prefer the 73/74 China cats with the feelin groovy jam. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6ezlmd5etCGmKcsi=AgKzp-WOf1Sywlo4

[@thesecretjewishspacelaser9959]

@@cevinwillson9113 yes but do you honestly thing they are ready for Veneta? Note to self: the naked people in the video are now 80 years old 😂

[@milonieto]

I love that you are doing live shows. That is the best way to see them. Thanks

[@jwriter36]

Great tune from what was an epic Dead concert and great review...thanks for sharing it! ✌️🙏💙

[@allengray5748]

Wheww! I just watched the Mama's and the Papa's video and I just decided to SUBSCRIBE and 2 seconds later this YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE flashed up and ALARMED ME!! But it was this video!! 😅 AWESOME CHANNEL! Lunch break over! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎

[@barsandbarbells2022]

😂 You're definitely welcome here!

[@JB-Deadskins]

Bertha was the opener at my very first show back in 84

[@JB-Deadskins]

The two drummers allowed the band to explore polyrhythmic jams on certain songs. And was incredibly fun to watch them both, especially during the Drums section of the second set

[@jeffmace1123]

i caught em a few times in 89....it was a really good year for them.

[@samblethen]

My first show was in 1967. The crowds back in the old days were smaller and tickets were around $3 and I once got to sit on the stage in front of Jerry Garcia

[@paulbarber7132]

Rich Stadium shows were so fun!!!⚡️🌹💀

[@collierpeoples1918]

Give Dancing In The Streets Cornell University '77 a spin, thank me later lol

[@collierpeoples1918]

@AugustWest888 couldn't agree more!!!

[@dscotthoward7467]

Phil playing his 6 string bass here. Driving the musical bus. Thanks guys!!

[@davesinclair6624]

That was a long ride from Virginia to Orchard Park. Hit Philly, then the Meadowlands and back home to RFK that summer. The band was on fire the summer of 89. The Fall was amazing too. Glad you both are enjoying the Dead. It’s pretty special when older people see people get turned on by the band, we were all there once after all. Enjoy!

[@petermilkey9408]

Bertha was a fan; an oscillating, floor standing fan in the Dead's office and they named it Bertha. It had a tendency to 'walk' around the office causing all sorts of di9straction and mayhem. Hence the line 'Bertha, don't ya come around here anymore'.

[@rhlang11]

the charisma from Jerry is huge.

[@chipjones817]

The name of Jerry's guitar is........TIGER.....good eye

[@mosheshulman8305]

Betha was a staple and often an opening song in the 70s. The story is that Bertha was the name they gave to a big fan they had.

[@jimwilcox2964]

We had a WWII surplus fork lift called Big Bertha. Big as a small dump truck and could lift just about anything

[@wiliamwidlacki7459]

You can not do enough Grateful Dead!!!! And for you next song you'll have about 10,000 to choose from.....

[@cevinwillson9113]

1000's of great songs best catalog in the business

[@shmoopa6595]

My first Dead show, good choice!

[@billlaurence7555]

My favorite show!!

[@hitchhikemike1]

Thanx great reaction! Looks like a fun show!!

[@MrBedZeppelin]

To say you had to be there is a major understatement. Glad you get to see this extraordinary band. RiP Jerry and Brett.

[@georgestevens1502]

Quintessential Jerry phrasings in the solo. Sublime.

[@garysteinert8040]

I miss Jerry

[@schmiddyfi]

I was at that concert! It was at Rich Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play (I grew up in the Buffalo area). If I remember correctly it was on the 4th of July. There were three bands on the bill: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead. The Heartbreakers pulled a double bill that day because they were also Bob Dylan's backing band. I'm pretty sure the entire show was simulcast nationwide on T.V. and radio. What an experience!

[@jamesstuart9373]

This concert had 10 maniacs open up this one in 1989. The one you are referring to was 1986. Both were great days!

[@schmiddyfi]

@@jamesstuart9373 cool, thanks! I don't even remember there being another show at Rich Stadium. Would have loved to see 10,000 Maniacs, they were fantastic!

[@normieschannel377]

Bertha was a fan, a big electric fan that kept them cool at rehearsal. But it would move around the room from vibration and sometimes it would walk right into the musicians, they’d have to stop and move it away.

[@dougleclaire9424]

Yea...they are a jam band. Hence the long jam secgtion in the middle of "Bertha" BTW..Just today: The Grateful Dead were announced to be Kennedy Centery Honorees this coming December.

[@magules13]

They opened with this on 7/4/89 in Buffalo and it was such a bop. I think this is from that concert.

[@franknehls5556]

Truckin up to Buffalo. Hey now

[@JackCerro]

At the beginning of this video, the bassist, Phil Lesh, is seen interacting with the crowd. IWT, the guy next to me had playfully called Phil out and challenged him to a fight. Fists out... old school style. Phil got the joke and played along. Fun stuff.

[@pamhunter-to4xs]

If you're ever sad, this song is the cure!!

[@mackdeen7021]

Yes. Almost all the dead lyrics are for interpretation. Means different things to all of us.

[@EricWalker-p7e]

They’re poetry

[@edwardrutledge2765]

They were the quintessential live concert band. A friend joked at a New England concert “oh look…Jerry moved!” Great fun.

[@ricky4214]

i read Bertha is the cycle of life and death, they had seen some people pass away and it was basically saying they were fed up with the death part of the cycle of life and death

[@rickgarcia239]

You just had to be there and I was lucky starting in 1983 and never stopped... That music gets way down deep into your ilium... That sound coming through the P.A. honestly it was a fumigation of positivity for me... Many people could say that... As far as talent and skill in playing you can ask someone who actually plays music and they will tell you what I know... These guys were very skilled and improvised... They didn't really rehearse maybe a run through of a few things but they had intuition to know where everybody was going most of the time and kept together well while putting in their own licks.... If there was a mess up, it was okay and forgiven by everyone because the best was yet to come... I could go on and on... Nice to see smiles on faces of the Reactors who are not so familiar perhaps... Thank you...

[@cosmonaut9942]

The Dead were all about psychedelia. They are the OG jam band. To get a good idea of the psychedelia that made them listen to Dark Star on "Live Dead."

[@miltonslocum8957]

Enjoyed the song and your reaction. And yeah, Bertha isn't a name you hear much anymore. There's a song from back in 75 called The Bertha Butt Boogie by the Jimmy Castor Bunch. It reached No. 16 on the US pop chart, 22 on the R&B chart and was a top 40 hit in Canada. Yes, Canada!😊

[@TrianglesAndCircles]

Jerry's kids knew how to move. I was one. Still am but getting slower like Jack Straw. 😊

[@pb68slab18]

First Further Fest, open air concert in NJ, middle of Hurricane Bertha, pouring rain, Bobby came out and opened with BERTHA!

[@jamesm654]

Wow. I was at this very concert! No shit lol. 10,000 Maniacs opened for them. First and last time I ever smoked opium. Man, was I waisted lol

[@tomboedeker8479]

You guys have really thoughtful and attentive observations about the music you are listening to.

[@michaelbrantl5543]

Very crisp thanks

[@EricWalker-p7e]

“Lot of people there” Yeah, it’s the Buffalo Bills stadium. By the mid 80s they were selling out stadiums/arenas/amphitheaters all across the country. Their shows typically lasted around 3+ hours. And EVERYONE (including ushers/security) was dancing pretty much the entire time.

[@jamessomers8808]

Bertha, Nassau, Colosseum, opener, 1990? I think. I was there, they did Casey Jones that night, which they never do. Maybe once a decade.

[@robertgrosek1124]

This song was never recorded in the studio. Bertha was what they named a large industrial floor fan that vibrated across the floor Clearly perceived as a threat and I imagine LSD was involved in the altered state perceptions

[@bintheredonethat]

There's nothing like a Grateful Dead concert. That's the truth. Back in the day I worked so many Dead shows I lost count. At the first one, back stage, my boss at the time told me not to eat the spaghetti. Their caterers were cooking that night. Owsley Stanley, the so called Acid King, was there too. My boss pointed him out. My boss had been "dosed" at one of there shows before. Started tripping during the settlement of the money for the show. Just a little behind the scenes stuff. Partied with Bob Weir at a bar in Negril Jamaica after we did a festival in Montego Bay. No drugs, just booze. Well, some ganja around but I didn't indulge in that stuff. ;O)

[@tommathews3964]

“That was a long instrumental section…” You have no idea! 😂 You need a good “Eyes of The World”, “Morning Dew”, “Dark Star”, “Stella Blue”, or “The Other One”! Those can go on for quite some time!

[@gregrodriguez5697]

There not just the best at what they do.There the only ones that do what they do!

[@marksabottke338]

The Beach balls are often brought by fans who are deaf, they hug the balls to enjoy the musical vibrations hitting their body.

[@frankgarcia1]

I was at this show as well as this entire summer tour. Center on the floor halfway back to the soundboard from the stage.

[@redrum482]

Hey Now! Great show. NFA

[@RichardDickson-to7zg]

Samantha, fun fact. Tiger was purchased by Jim Irsay for $957,500. I believe Warren Haynes is the only one to play in public during the symphonic concert series honoring Jerry but I couldn't swear to it.

[@Soundhypno]

John Mayer played it with Dead and Co.

[@RichardDickson-to7zg]

That could well be.@@Soundhypno

[@Soundhypno]

“Bertha” has long suffered from what now seems to be a piece of disinformation, which might fall into the “never trust a prankster” category. From an interview cited by Alex Allan in the deadsongs conference on the WELL: Interviewer: What about Bertha? Is it true she was a fan? An electrical fan? RH: No, this was after the fact. I don't know where that story ... I think they started calling this fan in the office that would run around and try and catch everyone and cut their fingers off. They started calling it Bertha. But no, this is not true. Bertha, I think, is probably some vaguer connotation of birth, death and reincarnation. Cycle of existences, some kind of such nonsense like that. I wouldn't be surprised, but then again, it might not be. I don't remember. OK, so Hunter alludes, in this brief and fairly vague snippet of interview conversation, to an entirely different possibility. “Birth (‘Bertha’ pun), death, and reincarnation.” This is one of those songs that can be listened to, and interpreted, and second-guessed at so many levels that it’s almost ridiculous. I’ve read a fairly convincing argument that the song is really a reference to Lady Chatterly’s Lover, by D.H. Lawrence. And there is a large amount of speculation about what the lines “dressed myself in green, went down unto the sea” might “mean.” So many traditions, so much folklore, about the color green! But here’s Hunter, lending credence to one of the most obscure alternate hearings for a lyric that I know of. The couplet is “Ran into a rain-storm / Ducked into a bar door.” Many people, over the years, have mentioned to me that they have heard this in a couple of alternate ways. I myself also heard “Ducked back into Novato,” which is a town about 10 miles south of where I live which was, for awhile, home to the band. In fact, oddly enough, and contrary to every other published source, the dead.net lyrics page itself (link at the top of this post) cites the line that way. So maybe that’s got some merit. However, the hearing that fits with Hunter’s somewhat lackadaisical statement about reincarnation is the version that reads: “ducked back into a bardo.” A bardo! This is a concept from Tibetan Buddhism that there is an intermediate state between two existences, a space between incarnations. Between lives. In this hearing of the line, the entire song becomes transformed into the adventure of a soul on its way to a new life. Rather than get too deep into that, I’ll just offer it up for consideration. Say it is actually a bar door that the singer ducks into. Then the song is about someone on the run from someone’s window-what could the singer have been doing at someone’s window, in a rainstorm, in unfamiliar territory (“run smack into a tree”)? Again-kind of an interesting scenario, with a multitude of stories spinning out in every direction.

[@peterreist2882]

Brent and Jerry so happy together 🥹

[@carlos_herrera]

This was a fine performance but the original release on their 1971 live album is the canon version IMO, and arguably one of the most underrated classic rock tracks of all time.

[@Gravitywell57]

Nice one! The two drummers Bill and Mickey used to synchronize their heartbeats back stage before the show to give it their all! Always Live, Always Dead. Anything from 1977 would be awesome guys, perhaps Estimated Prophet? You might be ready for that.

[@Rick-or2kq]

At Woodstock Santana was performing on Acid Jerry Garcia had given them. Santana himself said that the fret board had become a snake, he was just trying to hold on to it, lol.

[@donalddix4375]

Live Dead is the best Dead. Two Drummers - look up Drums. Preformed by the Bill and Micky ever show for years during the 80's and the 90's

[@markr.108]

Hi this Kevin. Dark Star Vanata Oregon

[@evanbest5971]

Bertha was the name on a noisy fan in their recording room

[@umpdaddy1]

I remember reading that Bertha was the most played song in their concert career. Somebody has complied all of the set list from all of their live shows. Also, Bertha is track one of the self titled album also known as Skull and Roses, which is my favorite Dead album.

[@mikelind8607]

No. It's not. Numerous songs played a larger number of times than Bertha. Examples would be Playing in the Band and Me and My Uncle just to name two

[@oldstudent2587]

Big Bertha was the name of a howitzer used in World War I. That's where the association of "big" with "Bertha" comes from.

[@jeffmartin1026]

There is a fun GD cover band named BERTHA - they have really caught the spark.

[@schreds]

to say the DEAD are clearly a live band is probably the greatest understatement of the yr ,, earlier shows and recordings are probably greater representation of the band and for sure one of the shortest versions of this song ,,

[@billlaurence7555]

You need to watch the whole show and react. It only gets better!

[@alanharvey5850]

What a band!

[@midnightrambler7716]

Los Lobos does a great version of this.

[@pb68slab18]

Yep!

[@kevinullsperger1940]

BERTHA Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By: Jerry Garcia I had a hard run, runnin' from your window. I was all night running, running, Lord I wonder if you care, I had a run in, run around, and run down. Run around the corner, corner, Lord run smack in to a tree. I had to move, really had to move, That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees, Bertha don't you come around here anymore. Dressed myself in green, I went down unto the sea. Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines . I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin', fallin', I turned around to see, Heard a voice al callin', Lord you was commin' after me. I had to move, really had to move, That's why if you please, I am on my bendin knees, Bertha don't you come around here anymore. Ran into a rainstorm, I ducked back into Novato. It's all night pourin', pourin', pourin', Lord but not a drop on me. Test me, test me, Test me, test me, test me, Why don't you arrest me? Throw me in to the jailhouse, Lord until the sun goes down, 'till it goes down. I had to move, really had to move, That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees, Bertha don't you come around here anymore. I had to move, really had to move, That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees, Bertha don't you come around here anymore.

[@uosuaq]

I prefer the 70's sound(s), especially 1977. It's worth checking out, even if there's a lot less on video. 5/8/77 is legendary, but 7/27/72 (which does have a good video) is also a classic. I mean, prefer what you want, just know the Dead weren't always a bunch of old guys playing stadiums.

[@Ingleborough111]

Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines named his planes after groups. He drew the line at The Greatful Dead.

[@pamhunter-to4xs]

Rip Jerry. Bertha a fave.!!

[@artsatzger2086]

I go to shows to hear bands play music. when I go to a dead show I watch the music play the band. Listen to China cat sunflower into I know you rider from Europe 72.

[@franknehls5556]

Welcome to the family. Groove it or lose it.

[@tmwsiy7158]

Sad point to think of….Jerry was only like 47 in this video. Loved him…but dammit I wish he didn’t drown himself in addiction

[@PaulLevine-ih3pf]

Big Bertha is the name of a golf club

[@wowplayer7986]

The fact you CAN'T hear two drummers IS the magic!! (~)};-》

[@Tijuanabill]

The OG Jam Band. That was a short instrumental, actually. Sometimes they might go on for 20 minutes in one.

[@davidgehoski1306]

Robert Hunter wrote original lyrics but Jerry really dug Bob Dylan. Have noticed Jerry is missing a finger on his right hand.

[@rickc661]

Ahhh. note the Deads expensive , detailed attempt to improve Concert Sound for their Fans, as shown by the 'Grateful Dead movie ' of about 1974. discontinued because of the massive expense, but they tried. hard. of course by this time, they're worn out , a decade down the hill. TRY utube 'Morning Dew' from the 1974 movie. the song has a fun history.

[@patrickhenry4675]

Bertha was a popular name around 1900. That means when the Grateful Dead members were growing up the 40's they probably knew a lot of adults named Bertha, Mothers, Aunts and Grandmothers for example.

[@davidboivin7996]

If you like the Dead, you would enjoy Phish. Many of their Live performances are pretty cool.

[@fredeerickbays]

even Janis had a story about that fan By the way I am Bobby's age Been a Deadhead since 1972 Saw them paly over 351 time That was when i lost count in '80 Stop going to shows when they stop the gen admin ones Saw them a few times after that in the large stadiums but not many By the way they played all kinds of venues from little theaters that held but a few hundred Like the Golden Area in SD in '80 to the over 125,000 in I thin it was 81 it might have been 82 at Saratoga> I could go look it up but I will leave that to u my reader. Yes u r getting homework form a comment on UT

[@evanbest5971]

You don’t have to copy right check most if any GD songs

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Great choice. Maybe try some earlier stuff. Good reaction

[@girthbloodstool339]

You might have listened to a Bertha from the 70's, when they were good.

[@bluebird3281]

People swear by the dead playing live, but they were really high and having a great time when they saw them. Studio dead is very, very good don't be afraid to react to studio versions if you want.

[@wildmouse5888]

The studio work is interesting, but many of the songs are a pale imitation of what they would become after being played live many times. That is why the 'In the Dark' album has such a strong sound; most of the songs had been played live for years.

[@cevinwillson9113]

Live Dead only

[@jackson9282]

Bertha was an large obsessed fan who stalked Jerry early on. If you listen to the words knowing that, the lyrics are just genius. "I had a hard run, running from your window".

[@fractal_nature]

Wrong dude. It was about a literal industrial sized fan they had in their offices. When you turned it on, it went way too fast and bounced on its stand around the room.

[@hankc1208]

are these 2 musicians ?

[@johnharkness7114]

They're makin soup

[@robertgrosek1124]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmOkdXhmebqYg5Ysi=T5VovEFatNWO3OfW This is the quintessential version. Never played better than in the first year 71. It morphed and got longer and different but as a live rock and roll song never better than in 71

[@Kevin041357]

One guy is a percussionist and the other is the drummer.

[@larrywest42]

I recall a funny video interview with the two (maybe from the Grateful Dead Movie???) where: Mickey: I'm not a drummer, I'm a percussionist! Mickey: _manages to flub a percussive flourish_ Bill: He *wishes he was* a drummer. ---- Of course, Mickey has had an active career as a percussionist with several albums: Planet Drum (etc.) and playing with the Global Drum Project. And Billy and The Kids may be playing concerts this year ... they have a video or videos of a Hawaii set with Billy Strings and others, here on KZbin.

[@mikelind8607]

Why do you clip the song and end it a few seconds before it actually does? Just wondering.

[@bobschenkel7921]

Mike, the answer is, they are impatient millenials. It just goes with the times.

[@mikelind8607]

@@bobschenkel7921 touche Bob. Well said. Sleep well my friend

[@kevinullsperger1940]

It came "pre- clipped" cuz they go right into the next song without break

[@mikelind8607]

@kevinullsperger1940 he clearly ended the video on his own several seconds prior to its actual ending. I've seen the actual video via the live series they put out and he cut the video before it ended

[@barsandbarbells2022]

When we record content we create a playlist and we don't want the video to move into the next one in the list.

[@cosmonaut9942]

The keyboard player would be dead within a year of this show. The same fate as all of their keyboard players over the years.

[@georgedilligaf8570]

They sold out Madison Square Garden 9 nights in a row in 1991

[@jondeur2686]

You listened to the wrong version. Try this one instead. The bass line is incredible and Garcia just tears it up with his guitar solo. Recorded at the legendary Fillmore East in 1970. THIS version is so much hotter kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJK8l3RtqcuHZ8ksi=BaVyagi9YvYTq2Tc

[@Stevie8654]

Ugh. I hate when I see one of these and then notice it’s 80s/90s. That era of Dead does very little for me

[@GregHinz-jt6nq]

Hey noobs

[@andyrobinson339]

That "analysis" was incredibly lame.