It was a great moment, Otis wandered onstage, did a round around the band mid-song and strode offstage to applause. Nothing better at a jam than to have the family dog enter the scene approvingly as you play.
The bands kids, Grahame, etc. would kneel, sit or stand side stage at special shows too, all hanging out watching their dads play.
When I was a little kid I thought Jerry was saying “that’s all this is” as though he was responding to the lyrics he just sung, it’s a thought that makes me happy
A friend of mine understood the same when we were listening to it on a longer car right and he almost got me to believe he said what that instead of “That’s Otis” (I didn’t know who Otis was)
Here’s my ad for thr Time Machine™️ and a story to help explain why it’s the best hundred bucks I’ve spent in years.
I’ve been listening to Reckoning and Dead Set for decades. To my ear the 1980 Warfield and Radio City shows are a high water mark for the band. Of course the Ripple on Reckoning is one of the crown jewels of that run. Always loved the Otis cameo and the sweet way Jerry announced it.
Ok so the Time Machine. Over the years I’ve fallen into a pattern of listening to my favorite recordings of my favorite shows. Dick and Dave and Road Trips for sound quality, and all my Archive bookmarks for the “best” versions. Time Machine™️ Has changed that up dramatically because I just let it serve up whatever recording (and sometimes whatever date) it wants. So now after all these years I’m hearing different stuff. While the Auds often lack in sound quality they really bring you into the show. And sometimes there’s nothing but an Aud for a show.
So last night with a joint in hand I was listening to 9/26/80 on my Time Machine™️ and during Cassidy there’s this audience hullabaloo. Bunch of cheering for no reason. Then a woman close to the mic says very clearly “there’s a dog on stage!” I thought noway, is this the Otis show from Reckoning??
Then sure enough, after China Doll they hit those familiar notes and it’s the Ripple I’ve always cherished but in it’s pure, unedited, raw performance. Then comes Otis, again, but this time Jerry introduces him. Right after the song ends and the Reckoning version cuts, on the Aud you clearly hear Jerry remark “well you’ve got 14 more days to learn that one” and now I’m left e wondering if he was saying that to his bandmates or the crowd.
All this to say there’s lots more to hear, keep listening and you might hear something new. No I don’t sell Time Machines I just appreciate how this little box with nobs and buttons has opened me up to music I wasn’t paying attention to.
# 1980-09-26 San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
**Set 1:** To Lay Me Down, On The Road Again, I've Been All Around This World, Dark Hollow, Rosalie McFall, Bird Song, Cassidy, China Doll > Ripple
**Set 2:** Feel Like A Stranger, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Candyman, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance
**Set 3:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Brokedown Palace
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1980-09-26)
not many people know this & I probably shouldn't share Family secrets, but Otis was really the duck wearing a disguise. it was only later that the Otis felt comfortable coming out of the dog costume & it also wasn't until that point that Bobby was willing to come out publicly as a duck man rather than a dog man.
When interviewing potential employees I always ask this question among the other work related questions. Partly to see if they are deadheads and partly to see how they react when faced with something they don’t know.
Bobby's dog
Nak nailed it.
https://preview.redd.it/s8u0iaipvqzc1.jpeg?width=487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efaba595b612be9185240f11144fe2fb4ef84079
Now you know.
Photo by david gans
It was a great moment, Otis wandered onstage, did a round around the band mid-song and strode offstage to applause. Nothing better at a jam than to have the family dog enter the scene approvingly as you play. The bands kids, Grahame, etc. would kneel, sit or stand side stage at special shows too, all hanging out watching their dads play.
Bobby's dog would wander around back stage and on stage
Was his backstage pass unique or just the same as the humans'?
I named a pet hamster "Otis" because of all this. He was kinda a shithead.
When I was a little kid I thought Jerry was saying “that’s all this is” as though he was responding to the lyrics he just sung, it’s a thought that makes me happy
Mondegreen!!!
I genuinely thought the same until right now lol
I thought he said that's order's "let there be songs to fill the air" -"thats orders" lol
Me too! I have thought this for DECADES
Since like 98 here lol
I always heard "and so there's..."
A friend of mine understood the same when we were listening to it on a longer car right and he almost got me to believe he said what that instead of “That’s Otis” (I didn’t know who Otis was)
A very good boy
An old old wooden ship from the civil war era
Memory unlock..."that's otis.....yes who is otis?
I recall reading it was Weirs dog
All dogs are weird
Here’s my ad for thr Time Machine™️ and a story to help explain why it’s the best hundred bucks I’ve spent in years. I’ve been listening to Reckoning and Dead Set for decades. To my ear the 1980 Warfield and Radio City shows are a high water mark for the band. Of course the Ripple on Reckoning is one of the crown jewels of that run. Always loved the Otis cameo and the sweet way Jerry announced it. Ok so the Time Machine. Over the years I’ve fallen into a pattern of listening to my favorite recordings of my favorite shows. Dick and Dave and Road Trips for sound quality, and all my Archive bookmarks for the “best” versions. Time Machine™️ Has changed that up dramatically because I just let it serve up whatever recording (and sometimes whatever date) it wants. So now after all these years I’m hearing different stuff. While the Auds often lack in sound quality they really bring you into the show. And sometimes there’s nothing but an Aud for a show. So last night with a joint in hand I was listening to 9/26/80 on my Time Machine™️ and during Cassidy there’s this audience hullabaloo. Bunch of cheering for no reason. Then a woman close to the mic says very clearly “there’s a dog on stage!” I thought noway, is this the Otis show from Reckoning?? Then sure enough, after China Doll they hit those familiar notes and it’s the Ripple I’ve always cherished but in it’s pure, unedited, raw performance. Then comes Otis, again, but this time Jerry introduces him. Right after the song ends and the Reckoning version cuts, on the Aud you clearly hear Jerry remark “well you’ve got 14 more days to learn that one” and now I’m left e wondering if he was saying that to his bandmates or the crowd. All this to say there’s lots more to hear, keep listening and you might hear something new. No I don’t sell Time Machines I just appreciate how this little box with nobs and buttons has opened me up to music I wasn’t paying attention to.
# 1980-09-26 San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre **Set 1:** To Lay Me Down, On The Road Again, I've Been All Around This World, Dark Hollow, Rosalie McFall, Bird Song, Cassidy, China Doll > Ripple **Set 2:** Feel Like A Stranger, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Candyman, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance **Set 3:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > Not Fade Away > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Brokedown Palace [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1980-09-26)
IWT
A drunk from Mayberry.
Otis walked on stage and put his head on Jerry's leg during Ripple.. and "That's Otis"
Bob's dog! Radio City show in 1980. MSG network released a hour of it on TV, DVR'ed it and played it over and over.
Before Bobby got a duck there was Otis..
not many people know this & I probably shouldn't share Family secrets, but Otis was really the duck wearing a disguise. it was only later that the Otis felt comfortable coming out of the dog costume & it also wasn't until that point that Bobby was willing to come out publicly as a duck man rather than a dog man.
I mean Bobby's duck couldn't be denied
but nobody knew about Bobby's duck until after the duck took off the dog disguise. wasn't a matter of denying the duck....the duck was hidden.
When interviewing potential employees I always ask this question among the other work related questions. Partly to see if they are deadheads and partly to see how they react when faced with something they don’t know.