This press conference at the N.Y. Hilton hotel was arranged for college media and sandwiched between the Dead’s Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum shows.
I was able to wangle a pass for this and was delighted to see the whole band there except for Donna.
Rock Scully was the moderator. Once the band got settled, Jerry promptly lit up a joint and the conference began.
At one point, one of the tape decks on the dais made a noticeably loud “click,” indicating that a tape flip was needed. Jerry, Mickey, and Billy all reached at the same time to flip the tape.
— Bob Minkin