Jerry Garcia Band
The Pavilion
Fairfax, CA
8.22.81
Fairfax is a cool little hamlet in Marin County, and the Fairfax Pavilion is in the heart of town on a hill surrounded by redwoods. The stage is about a foot high, and the intimate venue holds just a few hundred people.
My gf and I were visiting the Bay Area from NYC and a friend luckily was able to procure tickets for us to the long sold out show. This, following the amazing Garcia show we saw two days earlier at the Keystone in Berkeley convinced us that we must move to Marin County.
This gig was very special. It was a Jerry Garcia Band show and Phil Lesh sat in for John Kahn—one of just three times that happened during the summer of 1981. Phil was wearing a cool Mikio shirt.
The show was billed as Jerry Garcia’s “Birthday Benefit” for the Fairfax School District, and it featured lots of balloons and birthday cake served to everyone.
— Bob Minkin
Purchase Jerry Garcia Band photos here.
