Hear 10,000 Maniacs Bassist Steve Gustafson Share Memories Of Jerry Garcia Encounter From ‘Truckin Up To Buffalo’ Show In 1989

Atlanta DJ Tim Andrews of WSB Radio welcomed founding 10,000 Maniacs bassist Steve Gustafson as the featured guest on the latest episode of his The Popcast podcast. Gustafson told the tale of the night 10,000 Maniacs opened for the Grateful Dead on July 4, 1989 at Rich Stadium near Buffalo including his encounter with Jerry Garcia.

10,000 Maniacs performed in front of 50,000 people by Gustafson’s estimation at a show documented on the Grateful Dead’s 2005 concert film/live archival album Truckin’ Up To Buffalo. “That was fun, we got to meet Garcia,” Gustafson recalled. “He was going through one of his rehab stages where he couldn’t leave the stage. He couldn’t leave the stage because he’d get into drugs. And when we’re talking drugs, we’re talking opiates and narcotics.

“They built behind his guitar rigs they built this scaffolding. They built this little tent, this rectangular three-sided covered … not a box but … he’s sitting in there on a stool with a table and an ashtray and a cup of coffee and a cigarette and a joint, playing his guitar,” Gustafson continued. “He was on stage during our soundcheck, which we started at … I don’t know … noon or one or whatever it was. So he watched our soundcheck and [10,000 Maniacs keyboardist] Dennis [Drew] and I were giddy. Then, after soundcheck he sort of wandered out on stage and sort of just stood there. We walked over to him shook his band and we said hi. I asked him if we could have our picture taken and he said, ‘well yeah, but will it hurt?’ I said ‘no, I don’t think so.'”

At one point during 10,000 Maniacs’ set Steve Gustafson had the opportunity to smoke pot with Jerry. “During our set it was just [10,000 Maniacs guitarist] Rob [Buck] and [vocalist] Natalie [Merchant] doing ‘Dust Bowl Days,’ so we go back and smoke a joint with Garcia during the song. And he says ‘hey, your weed is better than our weed man!'” The experience took on extra emphasis to Gustafson as a longtime Grateful Dead fan.

Stream the whole episode (the Dead portion starts around the 22-minute mark) and watch 10,000 Maniacs’ set from July 4, 1989 below: