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    heatherlew
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    RFK Stadium 1989 Box

    LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

    The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

    ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

    When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

    “RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

    Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

    Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

    For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

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  • possiblyMaybeAnother
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    As far as the 80s are concerned...
    The 80s were ruined by Phil Collins when he recorded Against All Odds.
  • snafu
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    @ daverock and FZ
    Welcome but be prepared. I have been listening to FZ since Sept. 1967 when John Kulberg who sat next to me in English class turned me onto him. To understand where his fetishists (his term for us diehards) are coming from will be a lot of work. Listening and reading. A warning geniuses are frequently not nice people. On top of that with today's sensibilities Frank may well offend. That said with over a hundred legitimate releases be prepared to be exposed to an incredible body of work. May I suggest starting with his Bizarre label (1968-1972) materials. Read what his former band members have to say....Aynsley Dunbar, Flo and Eddie, George Duke etc. have to say. You won't regret it
  • possiblyMaybeAnother
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    Estimated Prophet is fire
    This is a really good version of Estimated Prophet. It really builds. And that transition to Eyes. Nice stuff. Really nice stuff.
  • icecrmcnkd
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    MIDI
    Musically, the mid to late 80’s pretty much sucked.Probably catalyzed by MTV. I would attribute the suckiness of the 80’s to helping with the explosion of the Dead during that time, it wasn’t just Touch. Not everybody was embracing the 80’s sound, many wanted rock n roll. With Bonham and Moon dead, DLR left Van Halen, Waters left Floyd, the pickings were getting slim. But the Dead were Truckin’ on.....
  • icecrmcnkd
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    Genius
    Homer Simpson I rest my case....of beer... Can’t get enough of that wonderful Duff I took that advice (from one of these boards) and am playing 11-14-71.
  • Anatexis22
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    Nice package, nice sonics, solid but not spectacular shows
    I really like the sonics on this release. But you'd expect that with the 24 track recording and Jeffrey Norman's production values. The package is nicely done and I really like the fact that it's a standard size that fits well on the shelf. Two complete shows is a nice touch that makes it affordable for just about everyone. The performances are solid and include nice versions of just about every song played that was played on those two nights, but there is nothing that really knocks my socks off. Overall, I'd give them a solid B. Although good performances, it's easy to understand why it hasn't flown off the shelves. I'm sure it will eventually sell out but it may take awhile.
  • possiblyMaybeAnother
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    Let's give it up for Brent in Looks Like Rain
    Brent's playing is beautiful here. Complements the band really well. Full with lots of runs but doesn't overstep his bounds. Jerry clearly loved playing with Brent and I feel that Brent's passing played a huge role in Jerry's emotional and physical demise in the 90s. I'm not a huge fan of MIDI and neither do I like the toy-piano tones that Brent used in this period. But seriously... it was the 80s. All that stuff was new technology and fun to play with. Check out Miles Davis' Amandla. A lot of the same technology there and I find that it's aged really well even with the same ridiculous MIDI sounds.
  • JimInMD
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    The Shorts
    Reijo is onto something with his shorts comment. It was the shorts.. that should put this to bed once and for all. Now back to my regularly scheduled listening.
  • possiblyMaybeAnother
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    How about Jerry's soloing in
    How about Jerry's soloing in Hell in a Bucket? Holy cow he smokes. At some point in the early 90s it seems like Jerry stopped using overdriven tone and feedback, and his tone sounds neutered to me in those later shows. He stopped shredding; maybe it was his health and age kicking in. In this RFK box, he's still got fire. As far as the genius nomenclature goes, I reserve that for folks like Mozart and Einstein. While the folks in the Dead were practiced and proficient, I'm hesitant to label them as genius. Certain moments, perhaps, but not as a whole. Perhaps Jimi, but he as well might have simply been well practiced coupled with natural talent. The work of geniuses is uncommonly prolific, and usually beginning at a very early age: In modern music, Prince and Stevie Wonder come to my mind. Maybe there needs to be a distinction between mastery and genius. Jeff Beck is certainly a master, but is he a genius? Of the Dead members, I think Phil and Jerry were masters. All right, that ought to fan the flames a bit.
  • daverock
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    Musical genius or talented-snafu, mhammond
    Yes, I agree in principle with what you are saying. The more people who are considered to be a genius, the less it actually means. There are only one or two in any given field-though who those one or two are varies from person to person. Incidentally, I would never criticize Frank Zappa for the simple reason that I have never really listened to him much. But from what I have heard, it surprises me a bit to read that he is so highly thought of here. Of the albums I have heard, I think "We're Only In It For The Money" is great. But the others haven't really made much impact on me. Obviously something there that I haven't heard! Yet..
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RFK Stadium 1989 Box

LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

“RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

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Thanks for the warm welcome. I have listened to a bit of "without a net" and "nightfall of diamonds" but I'll try to pick them up. A lot of people are surprised that I "get it", Im just happy that you've all welcomed me in despite the age disparity. I feel privileged that I'm able to "get it" and be able to experience this community and this great music. I wrote a narrative essay and definition essay for English 101 on being a deadhead and the term "deadhead" a few weeks ago, I'm glad to be able to share it with others and try to help others have, or at least share with them the fulfilling experience I have had. Thanks again!
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Tony: I just want what's coming to me.Manny: What's coming to you, man? Tony: The world, chico, and everything in it.
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Chase - we're on the same boat, i was born in Thailand a couple of days before the 'warlock' shows in Hampton and finally got the bug in 2015. I welcome any release and so thankful for them (though i'd love a few more '79-'85!). Go see Dark Star Orchestra if you can and don't forget to say a word of thanks to Rob Eaton! or even better Dead & Company!!!
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Haven't checked in for a long while, and immediately had the Talking Heads playing in my mind, "Same as it ever was." lol Hope there has been some fun and nice chatter between the inevitable Decade Wars! FWIW, I am a wee bit disappointed, as much as the '70s are VERY well represented in official releases, that a two show box of RFK is for sale and it isn't the June '73 shows with ABB. Oh well. Wouldn't be surprised if that has a lot to do with getting premission, and sharing profits.
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...you need to call the bank! Thanks Guss.
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This is for the folks that have pre-ordered - what is the total cost including tax and shipping? Thanks...
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Maybe you are right. I'm thankful to have as much Grateful Dead as I do. I remember the old days when we got like 1 show a year released on CD. It just seems (to me anyways) that lately it's been A LOT of 70's. In the big picture it probably does balance out. Thanks for the "warning" about Dave. It made me laugh, but then I thought how messed up it would be to come home one day and find 5/7/77 or 3/16/90 missing from my laptop. I would be DEVASTATED!!! Nowadays, we all must remember...big brother very well could be watching. Peace out dogg!!!
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That’s great that you dragged your step dad along. Now drag him to a D&C show, or better yet, go without parental supervision if you can (don’t blame me if you get in trouble). It’s great that you caught the virus......there’s no going back. My advice is learn to do torrents and collect everything, starting with anything that has the name Charlie Miller associated with it.
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Comments don't get any more "deader than thou" than what you wrote Spacebrother. Let me refresh your memory. You wrote: "If so-called fans listen to that Let It Grow from the Listening Party, and still pass on this, they might as well quit listening to the Dead all together and sell or trade their collections for Kid Rock albums. That's about as lame as they are." Your words here convey the very attitude you condemned as "deader than thou". You are saying here that in order to be a real fan and not a "so called" fan, one must purchase this 1989 cd set. You go on to say we may as well stop listening to all Dead if we're not going to get this '89 set. Sounds "deader than thou" to me. You're saying here that we're not worthy enough to listen to any Grateful Dead music whatsoever simply because we don't want to buy this '89 set. And then in your conclusion, you call us all lame. Your comments that I kindy copy and pasted verbatim are about as Trumpian as can be. You even sound like him. Oh the irony. You owe us all an apology. You owe the non buyers of the '89 RFK set an apology for your deader than thou comments, and you owe the entire room an apology for your incendiary remarks that have disturbed the peace (again). And I think it goes without saying you owe all the Kid Rock fans an apology.
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....I love hearing about younger people "getting It". Be warned though, once you get It, it will be part of your life forever. (Unless you go deaf, God forbid)........edit. Kid Rock. I've heard a lot worse. I even listen to Eminem at times. Sacrilege?....
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I like the way you think.. As for going deaf, they make amplifiers that go to 11 for just such an emergency. Speaking of going deaf.. back to that Other One from Berkeley. Ooops.. wrong thread..
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....that means you were born in 2001ish. That's when my son was born. Now I feel old. It's just a number, it's just a number, it's just a number....I like the number 3. Shit. Every Dave's is a 3 disc release. Coincidence? Where's my tin foil hat....
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My recommendation is almost all releases are great. Don't be fooled that the more expensive releases on the aftermarket markets are significantly better, just more difficult to acquire due to their limited numbers. In fact, some of the general releases are usually better music quality (multitrack). If you ask 100 deadheads for what release to buy you will get 100 answers and they're all right!!! Basically this video clip explains the disease you just acquired:
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....it cannot be established enough. The world needs to know!!!
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Not true. I can quit anytime. We need a new release. Where's Norman? We are due for another summer '85. Or an 88 Greek, sweet sounding boards. Jeffrey? Any spring or fall 71 would do. Just a little '83 Santa Fe Mini Box would carry me through. 68 would put me over the top. David?? Bruce 91 anyone? Seriously, I can quit anytime. I don't even miss it. (that much). Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat because I can't remember where my old cassettes are. When I come to, I realize my cassette deck has not worked in ten years. Perhaps it's just a phase I am going through.
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Fever roll up to a hundred and fiveRoll on up Gonna roll back down One more day I find myself alive Tomorrow And a boxed set in the mail
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I've loved bands before. I've had periods of time where all I listen to is one specific band and they soon fall out of interest. I thought at first the Grateful Dead would be the same, but I was wrong. It grabbed me by the ears and pulled my life down(or rather, up), with it. I was reintroduced(when I was 2 my mom played a documentary on the dead on tv and when it was over apparently I said "I want to hear more of the beautiful music"), to the Dead in 2015 after a visit to my Uncle who was recording the Fare Thee Well shows. After leaving, I immediately started listening. I started with the studio stuff and loved it. At first, I mistakenly thought, from what I had heard, that they sucked at playing live and couldn't play outside the studio. But, as I read more and more online, I saw how much people put the emphasis on the live shows. I wanted to understand, so, I basically "made" myself listen. Entire shows from start to finish. My entire perspective was soon turned upside down. I've been stuck ever since. I may go for periods of time when I don't listen to the Dead at all, and I think "maybe this is it, maybe it's over", but then I find myself listening to 35 minute Dark Stars again and unconsciously tap my feet. I think the Grateful Dead are in my life to stay, and I don't think going deaf will be able to change anything.I only wish there were more deadheads my age, it tends to set me apart from those I'd try to be friends with, and that gets a little hard to overcome at times. I feel it's almost a blessing and a curse.
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ah.. never mind.. Bring on the hard stuff.. an April 69 Ark box? If this ships soon, I guess I can last for a few weeks.. but a two show box will not hold me over for very long. I do get what you are saying Chase.. as much as people complain about this era or those recordings.. there is no band in the land with the amount of music available as we have here. ..and each show is different. And then there are the recordings.. back to 68. It's impossible not to get lost in the archive. We all need more shows.
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Kid Rock has been taking a lot of shit here, and he should. He's no dummy. There's a lot of clever stuff on his records. I've seen him live. He boogies... good band. When they went into the chorus of the immortal Grand Funk tune and sang, "We're an American band... we're coming to your town, we'll pull your panties down, we're an American band!" I thought, shit, this IS rock and roll. It didn't last long for me, though. His first was the best. Since, he's been hanging out with Hank, Jr. and pandering to a real Southern racist Trump voter audience, dumbing everything down, hanging a Confederate flag as a backdrop behind his Airstream trailer at his live shows and just generally being kind of a prick... He's got some cool in him, but so does Ted Nugent. That's it! Bobby Ritchie (that's his name) and the Nuge should get together. They could call it "Ted Rock," or "Kid Nugent" and tour Texas nonstop. In fact, they should both move to Texxas permanently, stay there forever, and shut the fuck up.
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Don't send them to Texas, we are already over our allotted number of assholes here.
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My brother always preferred the studio albums to the live concerts-particularly "Working Mans Dead", "American Beauty", and "Wake of the Flood". He just never saw them in the same light that people who are really into them see them through. I didn't at first. I wouldn't worry too much about not knowing any Deadheads-I have been into them since 1976, and I have only ever known one other person who was what you could call a "Deadhead". Never bothered me-if you find something that speaks to you, Id stay with it...doesn't matter what everyone else is into. Although it would have been nice if my ex had liked them a little more!
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Bickering and passive aggressive political comments. Goodbye.
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....and the Lightning, and the Penguins, and the Senators, and......every team in the Eastern Conference, wait, make that the whole NHL, except the Red Wings. Let’s go Red Wings!!! :) :) :)
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17 years 2 months
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Just got a shipping confirmation, but it was for DaP 24 which arrived a week ago........Lolololol
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8 years 6 months
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Just got the same thing, I was really hoping it was a super early shipping notice for the RFK box... No dice jim rice!
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14 years
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Same here. Maybe somebody hit the wrong button.
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Love Austin, TX been there several times. Best line ever, from a cabbie, he says, "the only thing wrong with Austin is it's surrounded by Texas!"
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17 years 4 months
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I done filled it in! I guess it has some value to someone, somewhere. They took the trouble to set it up, so I took the trouble to give them some data.
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13 years 1 month
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but I think you really have to count Bruce to make it a dozen. Technically, Dana Morgan Jr (Warlocks only) should count as well for a baker's dozen. Hunter & Barlow should be considered as well. I like to think of it as 15 members. A fine fifteen.
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9 years 5 months
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I hope it's UPS and UPS My Choice lets me know its on the way. Let's get Dr Rhino to do the unboxing. Wow me Rhino. Is there anyone home at Rhino headquarters, like Jim Morrison said "WAKE UP"
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....all this talk of Dave's Damn Picks made me forget there's a couple of '89 shows heading our way. Seeing as how '89 was the year I saw them the most (11?), let's get that banner flying high! Like kayakguy said, "wow me Rhino!"....
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As far as I am aware, I have the same number of holes as most other guys I’m luckily not yet lame (but my back gives me trouble sometimes) I have a lovingly compiled GD collection with some deliberate gaps in the 80s and 90s department I feel I am just too old to start over with this Kid Rock character (whoever he is). But the Grateful Dead changed my life in 1972 and that seems to have worked out for me so far Can I have a pass please.
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Weird.. isn't it. It seems they could have tried a bit more to wow us. I enjoy Dave's seaside distractions, updated listening parties and the listening specials they sometimes do on SiriusXM. I also like the occasional Dr. Rhino's box unveilings and whatever hype on the product, restoration and mastering process they can give. This box and the July 78 box seem to have gotten the oh, whatever.. go team try. I thought the recordings for both this and July 78 were spectacular.. I thought the box layout and concept for July 78 was great and I have no idea what this one will look and feel like.
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15 years 1 month
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Whoops.
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11 years 4 months
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Can't wait, but I agree with Jim - why is this not being promoted as the date approaches? Unwrapping video, Facebook/email promotions....
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Just got the new Dylan Bootleg Series (deluxe edition). The packaging was very nice, the cds were held in firmly but removable without fear of breakage of cd or holder. Both books were nicely bound with very nice covers. Even the box has a nice feel to it. I'm still ripping and labeling all the cuts, but very nice. The intro piece written by Penn Gillette was very nice. Glad I got the box.
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Shipping notice received!
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8 years 3 months
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My fingers are crossed that this is being shipped via UPS and not the usual UPS -> USPS process.
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8 years 6 months
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USPS or UPS? just wondering... while refreshing my inbox
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17 years 2 months
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Since I get my notifications a week after the item arrives, I am hoping for UPS also because with UPS My Choice, I would be notified when the package is a couple of days out.
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