Blistered in the Sun

Unwrapping the Summer Package Tour

by Jesse Delaney

Philadelphia and Camden, two cities divided by the broad stroke of the Delaware River, seemed somewhat closer last week, joined by two jam bands extraordinaire. It is impossible to calculate how many artists have been influenced by The Grateful Dead or Sonic Youth, and while their styles are markedly different, their legacies as innovators are assured.

A Dead show (the discarded modifier led many, many fans to muse that "Jerry Garcia must have been the grateful one") is an event unlike any other. Deadheads from the preborn to age 73, representing 28 states and Canada, congregated in Camden to listen to music, barter their wares and swap tales from the road ("We left these two guys behind in New York because they got arrested. We said, ŒSee you later, dudes.'"). The makeshift bazaar outside the Tweeter Center resembled the marketplace of an exotic city (think Marrakesh) filled with every treasure or piece of junk imaginable, and only the tie-dyed bras weren't selling. The best deal to be had was definitely the $2 engine-block falafel-and-beer combo meal.

It's hard to faze the sunny disposition of deadheads, but a $20 parking fee made a dent. An informal poll revealed that Camden's parking is the costliest on The Dead's summer circuit. Many fans called it extortion, and it's hard to argue with them: On the surface it appears that your choice is to pay the exorbitant fee or take your chances parking on the streets (replacing a broken window or stolen car will set you back more than a couple sawbucks); however, there are alternatives. The first involves a little research and some subterfuge, but pays for itself in beer. Discount parking is offered during Camden Riversharks games -- sometimes 75 percent cheaper than concert parking. Concertgoers are denied this reduced rate, so to save yourself a gouging, you have to convince the parking attendant that you are a fanatical Riversharks fan. Wear a non-band-affiliated T-shirt (change into concert gear after parking), and sell your ruse with a loud, lusty, "Go Sharks!" Parking attendants are hypervigilant to this chicanery and even the slightest wavering or hesitation will sink the story and leave you with the hefty fee.

The second way to beat the parking fee is easier (but less funny to regale friends with over drinks). Simple addition reveals that it costs less to cross the Ben Franklin Bridge ($3), park in Philadelphia ($0 to $10) and take the ferry ($6 round trip) to the show (total $9 to $19) than to park in Camden ($20). Anyone still not convinced that Camden parking is a racket?

Inside the Tweeter, Willie Nelson gave a barn-burning performance of "On the Road Again," and The Dead gave Phish a break from the burnouts and set off a mass movement of uninhibited dancing. The medical tent was filled with mainly alcohol-related mishaps, suggesting that after 40 years everyone was finally on the same page about not taking the brown acid.

The next night the Philly shore got its taste of country-infused rock courtesy of Wilco at the open-air Festival Pier. For a band trying to break our hearts, they put on a rollicking fun show. They said good night to their fans under a sky of Pennsylvania stars. Across the river, the glowstick vendor slept soundly, having made enough money at The Dead show to pay off his mortgage and send his kids to college, and everything was groovy, man, groovy.

The Dead with Willie Nelson, June 27, Tweeter Center

Number of different state license plates: 28 (plus Ontario)

Number of VW vans: 19

Passed-out people: 12

Avg. wait in beer line: 3 min.

Avg. wait in bathroom line: men,

8 min.; women, 6 min.

Time between Dead sets: 40 buzz-killing minutes

Most original plea for money: The "Get My Brother Out of Jail" fund

Tickets: $35 and up Parking: $20

Wilco with Sonic Youth, June 28, Festival Pier

Tickets: $29.50-$35

Valet parking: $8

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