CONTROVERSY OVER ‘DEADHEADS’ : Most Arrested at Grateful Dead Concerts Were From Southland, Irvine Police Say

Most of those arrested in and around the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre during the Grateful Dead concerts April 28-30 were Southern California residents, according to information released by Irvine police.

The question had been raised whether the trouble was caused by “Deadheads,” the name given to fans who follow the rock band from city to city, or by locals. Tom Evans of Mendocino, a longtime Dead follower, argued after a series of arrests outside the amphitheater Saturday night that “the band never has any trouble until it gets to Southern California, and then the yuppie kids in places like Orange County start acting up, and everybody blames it on the Deadheads.” Evans had not been arrested.

Of 91 arrested, 26 were from Los Angeles; 19 from Orange County; 9 from San Diego County; 6 from Ventura County; 5 from Riverside County and 2 from San Bernardino County, making a total of 74% of those arrested from Southern California. Of the others, 10 were from the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California, 12 came from out of state and two were transients.

Charges stemmed from alleged narcotics violations and from alleged assaults and other charges relating to disturbances Saturday night when about 100 people without tickets sat down in the middle of Irvine Center Drive and refused to disburse.

The 74% of those arrested from Southern California was a little lower than average, according to Dennis McNally, publicist for the Grateful Dead. “About 90% of those who get arrested tend to be local people attracted to our little circus,” McNally said in a telephone interview.

Deadheads usually get their tickets by mail through the group’s network, and rarely are shut out of concerts, McNally said.

Before the concert, several city officials said they hoped the Dead would not come to Irvine, and added that they hope the group will not return. Irvine Meadows promoters are expected to meet with city officials to discuss the matter this week.

Tim Ryan, 34, of Costa Mesa, who said he has been going to Dead concerts for 20 years and has seen every concert at Irvine Meadows, said: “I feel like I’m caught in the middle between grandstanding politicians and kids who really don’t care about the music.”