Dave's Picks Volume 29: Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA 2/26/77

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January 23, 2019 - 9:54am

1,510 replies

clayv

Joined:
March 14, 2018

An institution in American rock music, the Grateful Dead continue to surprise the ears with new arrangements and altered styles. If their playing continues with the force that was heard in San Bernardino, the spirit of the Dead will live on. - Sun Telegram

We are more than pleased to kick off this year's Dave's Picks series with the much requested and quite spirited complete performance from Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA 2/26/77. The Swing ’77 show was a unique beast, unlike any others from this era: as the band’s first concert of the year, it bridged the gap between the new and re-emerging sound of the returning 1976 Grateful Dead and the precision excellence of the spring ’77 Dead. Debuting two of their most intricately crafted songs of the 1970s, “Terrapin Station” (to open, no less!) and “Estimated Prophet,” the Dead demonstrated right from the start of this new touring year that they were not going to be a nostalgia act; they were going to be as adventurous and ambitious as they were at any time in their career.

Join the adventure as they soar through tried and true ("Playing In The Band," "Tennessee Jed"), well-loved covers ("Mama Tried," "Samson and Delilah," "Dancing In the Street"), and epic new jams.

Rounded out with three songs from Santa Barbara, CA 2/27/77, this one was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

Dave's Picks Volume 29 is limited to 20,000 individually-numbered copies*.

*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

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April 15, 2019 - 8:51pm

#51

Lovemygirl

Joined:
April 29, 2016

*Re/ Keithfan

...Road Trips ‘The Wall Of Sound’ minus the Bonus Disc...I play it quit often! Thank you again my friend, I hope your still enjoying those major Europe 72’ shows...love it!
🙏❤️😎
April 15, 2019 - 8:48pm

#52

MDJim

Joined:
March 16, 2017

6/20/83 -The First and Most Memorable Merriweather Show

I apologize for the length of this post.. but man.. that storm.

I grew up perhaps an hour hike from Merriweather Post Pavilion.. and after getting harassed by Howard County's finest for hiding beer under my car instead of pouring it out on the curb as instructed at a Jethro Tull show a few months earlier culminating in a thorough and regretful search of my parents car and a loss of a nice pipe and some hash.. I just started walking to shows from that point forward (at least until I moved out of my parents house). I probably saw between a hundred and a hundred fifty shows there over the years.. probably about the same number of times I saw the Grateful Dead. I'm ashamed to admit now.. but I knew how to get in that place for free plus the ticket collectors were mostly people I went to high school with, so taping two stubs together and presenting an amicable grin was usually enough to gain entrance. I did buy tickets for many/most shows, certainly for all the Dead shows.. - never take unnecessary risks.

Some background.. I wouldn't compare this to one of the greatest or best shows, but it was memorable for lots of reasons. My first show was 4/19/82 at the Baltimore Civic Center (perhaps my biggest lysergic GD moment, save that for another day).. I believe I made the Capital Centre shows in the fall that same year but they weren't playing super close in the Spring so we headed South to Hampton and my first GD road trip in April for my one and only birthday show. I think I drove and I am confident we did not tell my folks we were taking the family car to partake in all kinds of shenanigans and see the Dead.. in hindsight, so dishonest. Then it was announced that they would be playing two nights in the summer for the first time at Merriweather Post, my local venue. I couldn't believe it.. That would make this run my fourth and fifth shows.. I was still quite green behind the ears.

I had friends that worked as busboys and room service at the Columbia Inn, where all the bands stayed back then that performed at Merriweather, they told stories of bands partying in the bar, tips they got (or not) and what floors they would put them in, etc.. so the night before, on whim.. we showed up and went to the bar. I could barely drive but with an older brother that looked similar, and the drinking age being 18 at the time, I had an ID and we headed past the lobby to find Phil sitting at a table by himself.. we closed the bar that night and had some passes for the next day... I have to say, he was super nice and not at all an icon or unapproachable. I do recall a few of the stories told, but the memory I left with was that I could not muster up the courage to offer anything intelligent to say and couldn't think of a decent question to ask until I was walking through the parking lot to the car at the end of the night. After a few beers, humor was flying and things seemed fine. Phil seemed happy to have a group to party with. I was so young I couldn't even order a beer correctly.. I asked for a tap beer and she brought me a tab (soda).. so she returned it and brought me a draft Budweiser.

So the next day.. a few of us walked from the neighborhood where we all lived to the show, a bit early.. I had my pass and went backstage and it was so weird.. plus early. I just couldn't handle it. I didn't know anyone except my buddy.. and it was like being in a foreign country. Nobody seemed to want anything to do with us and the band wasn't there yet.. So we decided to split before the show started, inhale a bit in safety and get to our seats, which were pretty close.. I am fairly sure we took some mushrooms too which only made it all the more weird. So the only time I ever had backstage passes, I totally wasted them. ..Perhaps for the best.

I don't think you can talk about the show without talking about the storm. Growing up there.. the only time I recall it raining harder was during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. This is the only time I recall the highway on the way in (Route 29) flooding and being shut down like it did that night. The storm was biblical and it wasn't just rain. It thundered and lightninged for hours that night and I believe lightning hit the lightning rod at the venue or perhaps the shed itself at least once (during He's Gone, Truckin' and perhaps one other time), but that's probably impossible to verify. You can hear it on the tapes though including the PA going in and out several times.

So the performance aside, there was other energy and stimulus going on that night.

The setlist was fairly standard for the day.. my second Peggy-O, second Truckin', second China>Rider. The first set was pretty standard, but things started to get weird by The Music Never Stopped.. I forget exactly when the started and ended and then started again, but I think t had had rained in the first set and the beginning of TMNS, then the sun came out for a bit during this song, then set break.. then big cumulonimbus clouds, then it started getting spooky dark as the setbreak came to an end. ..and then things really got weird. In hindsight, we should have starting building an ark.

The second set started with China>Rider>Sampson>He's Gone>Truckin'>Drums. By the transition in China>Rider, everyone was getting soaked and the rain entered the pavilion area as it was raining sideways. I had to pee as Sampson started and by then people were body sliding down the lawn and everyone was so soaked that it just didn't matter anymore. Soaked to the bone, you couldn't get more wet.. When I got back to our seats, the heavens opened up and the lightning started and it went from weird to downright scary. The people working at the venue sought shelter, anarchy ensued and there was a mad rush from the lawn to the pavilion area. Everyone got squashed and became bug eyed.. and safety became a big concern. We got pushed forward and what row you sat in mattered less than the need to create more room inside, under the shelter. By He's Gone, there became a general feeling of insecurity and helplessness, just as I began to peak. Lightning struck the shed and the power went out.. but the weirdest thing of all, the band was just as freaked as we were, but the they kept playing on. I swear Phil and Jerry were playing power chords in sync with the thunder and lightning. By the time Space ended, we got a rare Bob Star (one of three times played).. during Sugar Magnolia I think Bobby got shocked and put down his guitar and took his mike to a strange part of the stage and started wailing into the mike.

There was no encore and no soundboards exist.

So what to 20k tripping, soaked, disoriented hippies do when the show ends? The deluge had stopped but it continued to rain. There was a tiny creek between the venue and the parking lot, usually a trickle like you see on a water fountain.. it was flooded way over the banks and to make matters worse had washed away the foot bridges, so you really couldn't safely walk to the parking lot, but people managed.. the lawn was so eroded both from the rain but more from people doing mudslides down it that at dawn, they had to bring in heavy machinery and rebuild the lawn as there was another show that next night. After they Dead left.. they really went to town and had to do a total rebuild of the lawn area, changing the contour forever.. lots of heavy machinery. They spent the day off to rebuild it with different contours to the format we have to this day.

When we walked home, still tripping.. we could not go the way we came, it was not passable. So we went an alternate route. Getting over the highway, which was still flooded.. we held hands as the current was strong and waded in waste deep water eventually getting to other side and about an hour later to mom and dads house. Some quick showers, then post show activities until the sun came up then sleep.. only to do it again the next day on a reformatted lawn with straw and new sod. They played Looks Like Rain that next day and you can imagine the crowd reaction.

So back to the show.. Yea.. I sort of remember 6/20/83. It was the weirdest, highest energy GD show I ever saw. Not the best, but certainly one of the most memorable. I saw every GD/JGB show played there but this was perhaps the most fun. Thanks for jarring my memory.
April 15, 2019 - 8:22pm

#53

KeithFan2112

Joined:
August 6, 2014

Unbelievable

They say the oakwood interior of the cathedral was built in the year 1200, requiring trees that would have been 400 years old, thus sprouting out of the ground in the 8 or 9th centuries. Hard to believe.

Bob t - thanks for the heads up on One From The Vault release date. I could use a change from the E72 binge. I did manage to get in 6/14/76 and 12/26/69 today, both on the Rolling Stone top 20.

Lovemygirl - I don't recall which ones you sold me, I'm thinking Tivoli II, Lille France, and maybe one of the Lyceum shows? Lotta weed in between ;-) I don't remember what I sent you, refresh my memory. My memory is outstanding on everything until I was 25, and then past 3 weeks. But everything in between is shit.
April 15, 2019 - 6:53pm

#54

MDJim

Joined:
March 16, 2017

6/20/83

Holy Smokes.. yes, I was there. It was biblical, as much or more from the storm then from the music.. but it all combined for a complete sensory overload.

I wrote something on this a couple times over the years.. but I think I was too shy to share details, or perhaps too lazy to try and remember it all and it put to paper.

Just getting home, if I have some time once I get settled I will try and put my arms around it..
April 15, 2019 - 6:17pm

#55

Angry Jack Straw

Joined:
October 2, 2012

Our Lady

Such sad news.

Not just an architectural marvel, but one of the most important structures in the history of mankind.

My deepest sympathies to the people of France.
April 15, 2019 - 5:58pm

#56

nappyrags

Joined:
January 24, 2013

Hey Stone Jack Baller...

I too just got my notice that the CD issue of the Warfield performances will be in my grubby paws in a few weeks...I tried at first on a couple of record shop websites that do online ordering of what is left of the merchandise on Sunday but no luck...I went to Amazon and Bingo! i feel like I won the jackpot considering how many copies are on Ebay for over a $100 a pop...can't wait...meant to say that the nearest record shop to me is over three hours away...at least it's all downhill but still...
April 15, 2019 - 5:56pm

#57

bob t

Joined:
November 21, 2007

One from the Vault Anniversary 8/13/75, released 28 years ago

Did anyone just see the post on facebook from the Dead about this. Released 4/15/91, 28 years ago..... This changed everything if you were trading tapes back then!!! Everyone had this show, either FM, or the bootleg called Make Believe BallRoom.. But now we had a legit release!! It really did change everything... It took away i have 1000 hours of tapes and only want to deal with someone who had the same amount and started to level the field..... Sorry to rant but I was in that era... bob t

Edit my first copy of this were two cassettes!!! Didn't get the CD's because wasn't a fan yet!!!
April 15, 2019 - 5:23pm

#58

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

Fire

Hopefully no lives were lost or people injured-doesn't seem to be much in the news about that. The only thing I could find was that one firefighter had been burned. Pretty remarkable.
April 15, 2019 - 5:07pm

#59

Exile On Main St.

Joined:
August 10, 2018

Sounds to me

like we have a false prophet among us.
April 15, 2019 - 4:22pm

#60

Lovemygirl

Joined:
April 29, 2016

*RE/ Trainwreck, Keithfan & Paris

...first I’d like to make a statement about the horror in Paris today, a sad day in my soul, so much lost turning to dust & rubble, my prayers are with Paris’, May the songs of old play on in heart & soul. 🙏❤️😢
...Trainwreck, you asked me about my last post and by what I mean by “treasure trove” is a new batch of tapes have been recently found. 😉 I’ll share more info when I can. ‘Exciting News For Me’, I love new and unheard recordings of all bands, the Grateful Dead more so now in my life than my past with the likes of ‘Elvis’ & ‘Beatles’ Records lol ...Plus Some confirmed dates for new Dead releases/product...😌
...Keithfan, hope all is well as always. What three shows did I send you from the ‘Europe 72’ boxset, i can’t remember, but I do remember them being Primo Shows ! 😎 and the Primo Show you sent me, love it! 🙏❤️😎
Off to dinner, have a grateful evening everyone...

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

An institution in American rock music, the Grateful Dead continue to surprise the ears with new arrangements and altered styles. If their playing continues with the force that was heard in San Bernardino, the spirit of the Dead will live on. - Sun Telegram

We are more than pleased to kick off this year's Dave's Picks series with the much requested and quite spirited complete performance from Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA 2/26/77. The Swing ’77 show was a unique beast, unlike any others from this era: as the band’s first concert of the year, it bridged the gap between the new and re-emerging sound of the returning 1976 Grateful Dead and the precision excellence of the spring ’77 Dead. Debuting two of their most intricately crafted songs of the 1970s, “Terrapin Station” (to open, no less!) and “Estimated Prophet,” the Dead demonstrated right from the start of this new touring year that they were not going to be a nostalgia act; they were going to be as adventurous and ambitious as they were at any time in their career.

Join the adventure as they soar through tried and true ("Playing In The Band," "Tennessee Jed"), well-loved covers ("Mama Tried," "Samson and Delilah," "Dancing In the Street"), and epic new jams.

Rounded out with three songs from Santa Barbara, CA 2/27/77, this one was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson and has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman.

Dave's Picks Volume 29 is limited to 20,000 individually-numbered copies*.

*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.

Anniversary Alert

Whoa - at work here now, looked down at my calendar. February 18th....date looks important. Someone's birthday I know? No...hmmm.
Wait - yes - not sure if anyone mentioned it yet - 48 years today....Mickey Hart's last show before taking his personal hiatus from the band. Also the start of a the historic 6 show Capital Theater run. First of several new songs played. Wharf Rat for sure on the 18th (and it's a doozy, "river" lyric notwithstanding). Also the night that Dark Star included Beautiful Jam. Tried looking up the other new songs played but boss coming. Did find this cool link:

http://www.thecapitoltheatre.com/2018/02/18/6-of-the-most-legendary-gra…

Of course!

I just realised that Help>Slip>Franklin is played on a broken-down old spaceship. Of course, most of it's invisible or in the fourth physical dimension so we can't see it. And here are Donna and the boys, cranking away on broken cogs and twisting smashed up gauges. Not a song at all, but the whirring of a grumpy old spacecraft trying to start up again. Must've crashed here some time ago.

2/18/71 Capitol Theatre - New Songs Played

5 new songs debuted at this show:
1. Bertha (they sound like they had been playing this for months; Jerry tears into it from the 1st note)
2. Loser
3. Greatest Story Ever Told (also the 1st pairing with JBG)
4. Wharf Rat (in a unique 1st set 'Dark Star' sandwich)
5. Playing In The Band

2/19/71 (official release) saw the debut of:
1. Bird Song
2. Deal

This was a great run for the band.

Port Chester Run

Keith Fan thank you!!! I had these shows for years in not so great sound quality. Recently got upgraded, but with Pacific Northwest and DaP 28 and 29, had not had a chance to listen to them. Today is the perfect day to start. My recollection from the Three From The Vault liner notes is that it was recorded on the multi-track. Maybe this will finally see the light of day. I know I ain't getting younger, so Dave Lemieux start looking for an artist and unveil this thing in 2019!! For the sake of continuity we'll need to include the slight overlap that Three From the Vault owners will experience (who imagine is all of us) . Really, does anyone not own TFV?

I broke out a spatula to clear the snow....

....I love the song Cold Rain & Snow. But in reality, I hate the physical product. I don't know how y'all do it. It's pretty yeah, but screw that.
....edit. my subwoofer went to the great gig in the sky. Shopping for a replacement. Thoughts?

High Vguy will forgive sober Vguy later...

....but for now.
https://youtu.be/2liD7pahHN4

Thoughts on a new Subwoofer?

Bend over and go big...

One last bit of advice, receipt = evidence. As your attorney, I advise you to burn or flush the receipt immediately.

Subwoofer thoughts

I have heard great things about SVS. The 1000 series is supposed to be the best in the $500 price range, but you can certainly spend more. The 3000 series looks like it might be able to blow your house off the foundation, and if you have $1,400 to spend would be a great choice. I own the SVS book shelves and they are great. I’ve been thinking about the 1000 series sub but have not pulled the trigger yet. I don’t even take the chance of hiding the receipt. It’s either cash or the paperless auto pay Best Buy credit card for me. If your wife is an audiophile, you’re screwed anyways, she will notice the difference right away!

https://www.svsound.com/pages/subwoofers#1000-series

Edit: Actually only $999 for the 3000 series...wow, still out of my budget for a sub

Morning Rockers!

You're welcome Darkstar.

Casey Jane's word of caution at Best Buy. I bought a pair of headphones 3 weeks ago and they fell apart. Because it was longer than 14 days, they won't exchange it or refund it, they're making me deal directly with JBL audio. JBL wants me to pay for shipping. The $30 headphones I bought for an 8 year old, so the shipping loan is going to cost me 50% of what I paid for the product. Bottom line, they have different warranties for different products, make sure you understand your warranty completely before buying from those filthy scoundrels.

I never have time to listen to a whole Grateful Dead show in one sitting., so I am getting a head start on the yearly pilgrimage to Europe 72. I have delved into the opening show this morning, April 7th 1972 at the Wembley Empire Pool. I think this is an underrated show. It is so every one of the ones that suffers greatly from Godchaux's piano being silenced. One of my favorite greatest stories Ever Told, you get not one but two cool clear water while you can never tells. Also one of my favorite other ones, which interpolate El Paso and Wharf rat. Captcha kicking my ass this morning. Have a great day

GD night at Detroit Red Wings 3/14

Get a jersey with ticket package.
Here’s the jersey.
https://nhl.bamcontent.com/images/photos/304370688/768x537/cut.jpg

Onkyo subwoofer

Mine has 2 dials on the back so that you can get Phil just exactly perfect.
And the price won’t break the bank.

Keithfan...

You said: "I never have time to listen to a whole Grateful Dead show in one sitting."

I say: "Get your priorities in order - make the time. You know it makes sense!". 😂

Tossing Keithfan a Lifeline

I have a few ideas that might increase your Grateful Dead listening time. I have tested the suggestions below myself and they all work quite well.

_________________________________

- Tell everyone you know you won Powerball or MegaMillions. People will be too busy being nice to you to notice all you do is listen to the GD. This is especially true of bosses and coworkers, trust me they won't expect much from you and aren't even thinking about the possibility that they will need to fire you.

- Fake Alzheimer's. You should be able to sneak in a couple weeks of nonstop musical bliss until people start to figure out they've been had.

- Set up a leash / wire / zipline system for the kids in the back yard and angle the TV out the back window so they can see it from the zipline area. Tune in to Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. Send your wife on a weekend getaway to the Spa, thinking Palm Springs or somewhere nice and warm (and hopefully far away). Don't forget to leave food and water bowls out for the kids (very important).

- Convince everyone you are insane. They will give you all the peace and space you need.

- Fake your own death. This, too, will give you all the time you need for a couple weeks or so and you can get caught up on your listening..

I am sure the good folks here have ideas and can help. A mind is a terrible thing to waste not listening to enough Good Ole Grateful Dead.

Some great ideas

I got a real chuckle out of the Strategic Dead Listening program. Thanks for the ideas Jimbo, and for the motivation Simonrob.

I've been having some really weird dreams lately. I think because I've been getting up at 2 or 3 in the morning for work the past month, it's interrupting my REM sleep, which is when we dream. So I think I'm just remembering my dreams now, where on a normal night I don't remember dreaming about anything ever. Not since I was a kid anyway. Anyway I go to sleep with a dead playing every night, usually dark stars and bird songs and China cats. When I woke up this morning I had a dream that I was just floating through space high on nitrous, listening to the Dead. And I felt really high on nitrous, even though it was just a dream. The brain is powerful thing. I could FEEL it. But it got me to thinking - that wouldn't be a bad way to spend eternity - floating through space high as a kite or the Grateful Dead as the soundtrack. Sign me up.

Wharf Rat 12/2/73. Very high mark's on Heady Version. People are calling it the best ever. It's good, yeah, but the best? I better go listen again.

Check out...

10/18/74

:)))

10/18, Pick the year

That whole Winterland '74 run is stellar. Too bad they couldn't figure out a way to release the complete recordings.. or perhaps one day they will.

Been on a GD terror lately.. I guess I had a little free time.

The last few releases are simply killer and deserve (and get) repeat listens. Holy Cow.. Dave is on a roll. I have not given up on the '76 Capitol and the PNW 73/74 box. Oh.. and my first two listens of the swing were fungal enhanced. Wow, what a great show.. but it took another two listens for the significance to sink in.

What a great year to enjoy the Grateful Dead.

First best Sugaree's....

....now Keithfan throws best Wharf Rats into the ring. Nashville's 4.22.78 take comes to mind instantly.
Regarding dreams, they say weed inhibits REM sleep. Sativa? Maybe. Indica? Not so much. I do notice that when I do take a break, dreams are more vivid. Especially the falling ones. I have those, and I hate them....so I smoke some weed.

Sugaree's / Wharf Rats

I hope this list does not expand.. at a certain point I will begin competing against myself.

As for dreams.. I know one thing for certain.. alcohol ruins dreams (and sleep in general). I wish weed was legal when I was younger.. and more acceptable. I would have drank less, smoked (or eaten) more and been both happier and healthier.

Just my opinion.. I could be wrong.

As for the best Slipknot!'s ever..

Primal Dead

Going in a completely different direction, I listened to the 10/22/67 Winterland show this morning-the bonus disc released with Anthem last year. The Cryptical-Other One is amazing! Its light years away from anything I know of as rock n' roll, but it has the same energy and power-Jerry's guitar makes it, but the double drums and swirling organ add to the delirium. Also has the original lyrics.

Glancing at the spines of the Daves Picks released so far, it seems there hasn't been one from this period-late 1967 to mid 1969. The 1969 ones that have been released were from later in the year, when they were gradually moving away form this intense jamming to include more country based material. Not saying they haven't been good choices, but it would be great if we had an early show later in the year.

*Daverock

...I concur with everything you wrote!...
Would love some early Dead!!! One of my favorites time period in the Grateful Dead career. I’m feeling a release in the near future ;)

Spring Cleaning Sealed Vol 27, 28 ,29

Doing spring cleaning and have three sealed Picks. Vol 27, Vol 28, Vol 29
Selling at my cost plus shipping

early GD

66
67
68

as Jefferson Airplane sez: "new worlds to gain"

hey captcha:

"where's that confounded bridge?"

trout mask indica

a strain that should be created

"my smile smile smile is stuck"

Local show just announced!....

https://www.jambase.com/article/phil-lesh-friends-las-vegas-hard-rock-t…
....not a huge fan of The Joint, but beggars can't be choosers.

Or As Grace Slick Said:

'We're doing things that haven't got a name yet.'

I can't say those were the exact words…though the sentiment applied to both JA & GD.

Primal Dead

Very much agree that a 66 to early 69 show is long overdue. That said with aoxomoxoa’s 50th on the horizon we may get something special there!

*Primal Dead release...

...Yup :)
“Paradise awaits”...’Help On the Way’... ;)

Isn't Dave's 30 considered a primal Dead release?....

....I lean towards yes.

Re: Primal

I have been begging for a good 68 since.. forever.

Is DaP 30 Primal?

I suggest an experiment.. get a room full of people.. half will take some good acid, the other half, the control group, will be given a placebo. Then we can listen to DaP 30 and vote if it is primal.

I volunteer to be in the out of control group.

Dave’s 30 Primal?

I’m with you Vguy...anything with an early and late show has to be considered primal...correct?

Also curious Vguy, what you are thinking about the sub purchase...keep us in the loop?

Today’s listening: Daves 26 Hill Auditorium Show

Sub purchase CaseyJanes?....

....you mean the Dave's subscription? Schwing is already in my top five. Dave's 30 looks delicious. Happy camper here.
Forecast shows snow again tonight. One of the reasons I live here is so I don't have to deal with that shit. 😖

Snow is fun

(expecting big pushback on that).. but it is big fun.

Run Me Out In The Cold Rain and Snow.

Now marrying me a wife, she's been trouble all my life, NOT fun.

Snow

Yes, I am sure snow in Vegas sucks.

Be thankful you don't live in MN. We have so much snow here I have no where left to put it.

Did have time to listen to the May 77 show at the St.Paul Civic Center again today. What a show, probably one of my top five Jack Straw and Peggy-Os.

More snow on the way.

It's snowing....

....I'm good as long as I don't need to scrape my windshield. I spendt four years in snow country. That was three years and 51 weeks too long.

Mornin'

So much good stuff here. Where to even begin.

Been on a good "winter show" listening regimen lately. Keeping up with exact anniversaries is a challenge --- but I can at least match the seasons.

Last 5:
1-22-78 (Dave's 23).
I had given this a cursory listen when it first showed up, then kind of forgot about it. I pulled it out again for two solid, at home, uninterrupted listens. I gotta say I didn't *love* it. I remember folks raving about this one when it came out. It was good, sure, but didn't blow my mind. That 'close encounters' part (which I'm sure was cool AF if you were there at the time) is really subtle, I missed it the first time entirely. Overall, I think I like the July 78 box better, which just goes to show how high the bar is for Dead releases.

2-2-70 from Dave's 6: I wanted to "warm up" for the Fillmore East 70 run, and this was perfect. Its crazy to think that two days earlier they were sitting in jail in New Orleans. Heavy on the newer folksy stuff, with a great Hard to Handle, and an above replacement level Dark Star. I set up my beanbag chair right in front of my downstairs speakers, closed my eyes, and enjoyed a blissful ride through the transitive nightfall right up until the dog needed to inform me that the mailman was coming to try to kill us, once again. Why I usually try to save Dark Stars for afterhours.

Speaking of . . .
2-13-70. If there's a more intense 90 minutes of Dead than the Dark Star / TOO / Lovelight that ends this show, I'd like to hear to hear it. This one got a properly enhanced uninterrupted headphones listen which restored my faith in the universe. One of the all time legendarily famous Dark Stars for a reason. The whole show is solid, too. I meticulously spliced together the show in proper order from Dick's 4, Bear's choice, and the "leftovers" which are available on Midnight Cafe. Its the only way I'm going to listen to it from now on. Same with:

2-14-70. This Dark Star isn't as mind bending, but it was early in the 1st set and they clearly were still coming down from the night before. The 2nd, mostly acoustic, set and the final set, which is the bulk of Dick's 4 is fantastic. The folk / rock dichotomy is really coming into focus here. What other band could pull off both styles so well?

2-12-70. I actually listened to this before the 13th and 14th. There's a really nice sounding copy on Midnight Cafe. It was suprisingly good, for a set that naturally gets overshadowed by the next two days.

Anyway I've bored you all enough with my ramblings, time to do a deep dive into Port Chester 71. I did not remember that tidbit about the 18th being Mickey's last show (for awhile) and all of the song debuts in that run. See ya on the other side.

Primal Dead again

I always think of it a referring to the period from late 1967 to mid 1969, when a massive proportion of the shows featured jamming as featured on Anthem and Live Dead. This period seemed to end towards the latter part of 1969, with the introduction of the Working Mans songs and traditional ones in the same vein. They obviously still featured the primal approach-and Deads 30 looks like a great example-5/2/70 is another one-but they seemed to be edging away into something new. By the Portchester 1971 run, it had gone completely, it my ears.

A lot of what I think of as primal shows were also one set shows-many of the great shows form 1968 look as though they were one set only.

*RSD 2019

...For all you Vinyl lovers.

...’The Grateful Dead’ – The Warfield Theatre, San Fransico... ; )

...also ‘Janis Joplin’ “Live at Woodstock Performance... love it!!! :)

Primal

I see what you mean, Dave. I guess I look at it more like a sliding scale. Clearly the 4/18/70 acoustic show is not primal, and they were sprinkling this element into their electric shows.. but take 5/2/70 as an example. They did an acoustic set this show but the electric set, to me, achieves lift off. They still had some rocket fuel left in them, but it was a transitional period..

I am a big fan of early, primal dead. The problem I have with it.. is the amount of energy it takes to listen to it. In other words.. I truly love it, but I usually don't go there unless I have the time, energy and focus to absorb it. Fortunately.. this occurs somewhat frequently.

Nice thread though.. I do think we are due something old at some point. Perhaps the 50th of Aoxomoxoa will give us another visit to that era.

On a related note, I had a recent listen to parts of Dicks Picks 22 - February 23 and 24, 1968, at the Kings Beach Bowl, Kings Beach CA (Lake Tahoe). What a daring piece of music.. at various points it still gives me the chills. What I wouldn't give to go back in time and take a trip into that bowling ally on those two days. Unbelievable stuff...

For Duane Allman fans

Not sure if this has been posted here yet, but Real Gone Music has the Skydog Duane Allman 14 LP box set for $199, down from $499...yes, $300 discount!

Snow is fun?

Hold on a second...what kinda snow are we talking about here? Not really my style anymore but I did go sledding yesterday....first time in years!

Subs----subscription, sub sandwich, sub woofer....I'm not the one who brought it up :-)

Primal Dead - I'm with you DaveRock on the primal up to 69, but stick to my guns on most of the late shows. The upcoming Dave's 30 for example ends with a 29 minute Dark Star, then St. Stephen, 12 minute Eleven, and then a 23 minute Lovelight.....If that's not primal then I don't know what is? I have not listened to it yet (saving myself for the official release) but I can't wait!

Love My Girl....can you send a link to the RSD GD announcement for April 2019?.....Google is failing me!

78 Box Set - Supposed to be delivered today along with the 16 oz Bolt Etched Glasses!! Is Noon too early for IPA?

2-27-69 vinyl spinning now

Subs...

I brought up a sub sandwich once. It was neither a pleasant experience nor a pretty sight.

primal dead

I think I read somewhere Dick Latvala once referred to 10-11-77 Norman as primal dead. Go figure.

Buenos Dias Rockeros!

Channeling my inner Doc. Hope your doing well and still lurking about...

Finally have a chance to say how-do to all our wonderful brothers and sisters here in dead land. Speaking of sisters, have we heard anything from hippy chick since she jumped the pond?
So many good topics lately, but no time etc. Murphy’s law, great posts = no time, have time = meh posts lol.

PRIMAL: I’m sorta with Dave; feel like 1970 was a big pivotal year for the boys. Like he said the obvious effects on the live shows due to the new material they were producing did seem to elimate the “primal” element.
Yes they still could bring the big jams i.e., 72-74 Dark Stars etc, but they became more few and far between, or the focus became more on the “songs” that imho sorta culminated after the hiatus, which is why that’s not one of my favorite eras....
I dig Jim’s comment on all that energy etc. they were much more balls to the walls, full on almost metal like. Between all that energy and the thin biting or even distorted guitars we have had great fun over the years with civilians because they often don’t sound anything like the dead most folks are accustomed to. I remeber being at high school parties where us dead heads and the metalers were always not allowed inside with the jocks and preppies just like in that movie THE STONED AGE. Hee-hee, but the keg was always outside so we were good!
But anyways, we would be out there with the metalers who mostly hated the dead (only cause they were supposed to) and we’d put on first album or anthem, or occasionally someone might have some old live stuff (hard to come by back then) and they’d love that shit, at least until they found out it was the dead, then they’d have to put that negative front on.....high school, man we were ALL so dumb lol.

78; personally this is nearer the bottom of the spectrum as far as years go personally, but as I always say, there’s good stuff from every year/era etc imho.....so that’s why I’m not so big on that July box, but I do really dig that 1-28-78 Dave’s. It’s so funny how different our tastes/perspectives are here. That was one of things I miss that I really loved back in the day; arguing/discussing the shows or shows in the car after a show on the way back home or on to the next one...

SLLEEP/WEED/DREAMS; I basically don’t dream, or at least don’t recall dreaming unless I’m on the wagon (like if I have surgery coming up I’ll stop for a few weeks) and man when I do I’m exhausted all the time from all that dreaming!
Usually at first it’s all weird wild stuff too so I wake up exhausted. Funny Vguy describes indica effects totally opposite of my experiences....I like it right before bed cause it knocks me out and releases all the stress energy I’ve built up all day, where the sativa, especially a good Durban poison is like breakfast of champions in the AM. Really agreed with Jim about Weed versus alcohol; if only it was legal then and more importantly if only the culture was enlightened to the real realities etc. Weed is so over taxed and regulated especially compared to Booze and smokes, he’ll even nasty prescription drugs are more widely excepted? Yeah, huge cultural deficiency there imo.
But again, just love all the different perspectives here.

SNOW; of course it’s all relative. I remeber the first time we were in Vegas doing merch on Ziggy Marley tour February 96 I believe it was and I had driven all night from Hell A. I dont recall it was snowing but I think it had a little and many hours later they were still scraping up the carnage off the interstate etc..Coming from Southern Canada (Buffalo) we were sorta amused that such a little snow had caused so much havoc. Another time I took the bus from NY to Tennessee, 82 I think, got dropped off at the bus station in chrotchfester after a Bobby and the Midnights show and same thing, we’re in Kentucky and they had a dusting. So we’re stuck in some podunk little town and I overhear the station master and driver talking how we might have to delay etc, and I just couldn’t help but start laughing, which of course offended them until I offered to drive the bus which pissed then off more until I told them where I was from.
Well they still didn’t like me but at least they understood why I was laughing at the situation. It’s all relative.
Fast forward many years to now we live in the Rockies and average 300-400 inches a year! Few years back we received over 500”. Yeah I know, what we’re we thinking! But hey, the summers are awesome 😉

DAVES 29; man I’m digging this one. I think because like many of you have stated it’s like a hybrid 76/77 monster. Sorta a 76 on steroids. I’ve really been digging the 76 stuff I’ve had access to, partly as I’ve mentioned because of the nostalgia it’s awakened. I forgot from my early days how much I liked 76. Sometimes a bit limp or too laid back but generally nice...

Well folks should probably get back to work but miss hanging out with the cool kids. Hopefully I’ll have more time soon, as we’ll finally be moving into our new house tomorrow. Man what a long strange trip that has been, most significantly, all my stuff has been packed up for over six months so no music server!! The Horror! Been relegated to a Blu-ray player and a tv leaning up against a wall for limited cd tunes...yee-gads, talk about withdrawals, major bummer.
Wife giving me mucho shit about how I’m more excited to get my server back and all that GOGD then I am about the new house! Gotta love being a totally full on fucked for life Dead Head......think AA....my names Pedro, and I’m a dead head 😎
Anywho stay warm folks and if you get confused just listen to the music play!

#302 in Germany

Picked it up this afternoon at costumers. No additonal taxes.
CDs looks fine but actually no time to check them.
Will sort it out later.
Gar-see-ya
JJ

New Ears

Got mine here in the UK a few days ago... this is quite a surprise! I didn't really think I needed an upgrade to 26/2 and thought I might have the "buyer's remorse" that I sometimes get with official releases, but I'm definitely hearing this with new ears today!

It's much twangier than I recall.

#6268 of the 78 Box has arrived....

Looks so nice, I don't even want to open it....have it sitting on the shelf next to my unopened Warlocks set, fermenting nicely....thank God for Digital, but I am itching to see the inside and read the notes. Will be a nice 4th of July celebration!

Bolt etched glasses are sweet! In the freezer chillin!! Could be a little thicker, but still look great. Slightly concerned about the Stealie Logo on the bottom....looks almost stickerish....no dishwasher for sure.....

I'm on to Jimi Hendrix: Blues on vinyl....very nice follow up to primal Dead!!!

Awesome release

Hi all,

I don't post much but I really enjoy the conversations (mostly) that happens here. I get a lot of enjoyment with all the interesting things people suggest to check out, and just the clear enthusiasm for the band, which I share 100%.

I just gotta say wow this is a great release. I finished my second listen during the last few nights and I love this release. It is now easily one of my favorite releases. I love the energy the band has, the intricate weaving of the different instruments, and how sweet the mix is. I know I will go back to this show many times. Thanks to all for making it happen.

nitecat

RIP - Peter Tork

Just saw that Peter Tork passed, so sorry to hear. Loved The Monkees as a show as a kid, big influence in me getting into music. Rest in Peace My Friend.

Bummed Phil is waiting a few days to visit VGuy in Vegas after I leave. Vince - want to hit Steely Dan on Saturday when I get there?

Nice catch on SkyDog LP box Cousin- gonna pass, but looks like a sweet deal.

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081227924317

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