After arriving in Columbus, Ohio on May 29, 1964, Garcia and Rothman play with Robby Robinson’s band which included Sid Campbell at Chet's. After the show, they went to see Reno & Smiley perform at a country music park, Frontier Ranch. While in Columbus, they jammed at the Columbus Folk Center and met Steve Gibbs through Neil Roseberg.

Gibbs recalled, “I remember when Jerry Garcia and Sandy Rothman were in Columbus. Roger Johnson, at the Columbus Folk Music Center, for a couple of weeks had been telling a bunch of us that jammed at his store on Saturdays that some bluegrass pickers from California were gonna be coming through.  Back in those days I kept a list of the music stuff that was going on. On Saturday, May 30, 1964, I headed for Roger's for the usual Saturday stuff.  I parked my car & I noticed as I crossed the street a Corvair with a couple of guys asleep inside.  I didn't think much about it and went on to the store. After a little while the two guys from the Corvair came in, and there were introductions and handshakes all around.  I don't think Rothman played but Garcia joined in the jamming on banjo and, of course, the first thing we noticed was his missing finger. “