"Cause it's always like that with the Dead, you know - it's always the whole thing." - News Journal
As we close out the 2019 Dave Pick's series, we deliver on our promise to give you the "whole thing" with the complete performance from The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 and what a show it was! An upstanding "musical eulogy" to the recently departed Pigpen, the Grateful Dead conducted a potent study in contrasts on this bittersweet night. They found easy balance between tidy jams like "They Love Each Other," "Wave That Flag," "Playing In The Band," and introspective moments on "Stella Blue," "Sing Me Back Home," and a poignant "He's Gone." It was all laid down with a discipline and a polish unheard of in any of the truly exceptional shows that had come before it. Yes, you might say, they cleaned up nice to carry on the legacy as Pig would have wanted.
Limited to 20,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 32: THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA 3/24/73 has been mastered to HDCD specs from the 7" and 10" reels by Jeffrey Norman.
GET IT WHILE YOU CAN
*Limited to 2 per order. Very limited quantity available.
JJiminMD/ way back machine
Jimi, you've seen some real great ones over the years. I never saw Fats Dommino, but I love his song Walking to New Orleans. One time when I was seeing Ray Charles someone in the audience took a photo of him durring Georgia on My Mind and he said "shit, don't go takin no photos" I don't know how he could tell. Earl Scruggs, never saw him, was fortunate enough to see Bill Monroe & Ralph Stanley. Blues guys, seen a hell of a lot of them over the years, including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, & Buddy Guy. Along with The Dead, Blues is my favorite music. I agree with you 100% that we are fortunate to have seen all the cool music that we did see, and are so lucky that so much cool music was taped and is now being released.
Bob T and past music
Hey Bob I put the pm to the test, check yours.
OK, past music easily 60's centric picks, but what about real (semi real?) past. First thought on earlier picks, Fats Domino, 50's/early sixties, might depend a lot on not so state of the art electronics. Seems a club small enough to see these guys in would to be there before they were them. (did that make sense) Maybe 1958 BB king at the Capitol downtown didn't sound so good up in the top tier. First 20-30 rows, may have been a-ok. But maybe 1951 BB was just that fat black guy, playing in the bar up the road. Amps might have sounded incredible in that environment. (BTW, I'm just pull bb dates out my ass for illustration) But most somebodies are nobodies first.
Anyhow,, I didn't see him mentioned, but could have seen a young Bruce Springsteen in Jersey bars back in 72. Southside Johnny would have been nice to see at his best.
Anyhow again, how about older stuff. Virtually all acoustic. The Glen Miller Orchestra at those California coast shows, were played over the radio. Smaller open venues for dancing, a solid 16-20 piece band. You know when those horns stood up and that blast hit, your head would explode.
It be easy to say Sinatra, but in a lot of ways I think I like older Frank. But you could see him in a Hoboken bar or with the Dorsey Orchestra or with Harry James.
Al Jolson be nice to see, maybe because I was brought up with Al in the house. They say his voice was very deep and you could feel it when he sang, but it never came through on the recordings.
Probably get boring real fast, but the impact in the day of John Philip Sousa. Image that small town park with this huge brassy sound hitting it. Must have been something.
ANYPLACE Louis Armstrong played.
So much past music!
Record store day ???
Not sure if anyone else has seen this but Wikipedia are showing an April 17th 2020 release of an LP of 08/21/68 at the Fillmore west .
*Re/ Perithecat & RSD 8/21/68 LP
The LP is the same record included in the April 2020 upcoming release of the ‘’ComicBook ‘Origins’ Boxset plus LP... A Primo Unrealsed 1968 performance , Always Grateful for 1968 Release Of anykind. Not to much in The Vault for 1968 era sadly...🙏❤️🤠
Origins Deluxe Edition LP
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (8/21/68)
Side 1
1. Dark Star (14:33)
2. St. Stephen (04:45)
Side 2
1. The Eleven> (11:07)
2. Death Don’t Have No Mercy (08:09)
...This Version Of ‘Death Don’t Have No Mercy’ is the Best imho...
100% agree
I am far more thankful for the shows I caught than those I missed. Stones, Who, Floyd, ABB, Little Feat, The Band.
Lots of great shows (and stories) in there.
Sometimes you just got lucky. 95 was a wretched year, but I wouldn't trade seeing Visions of Johanna in Philly for anything.
Jim is completely correct. I rarely go to large venues anymore. Smaller barns are the deal. I don't care who you see, any show at the Capitol is worth the effort.
Some of the best shows I have attended were in small theaters/clubs. Mark Knopfler, Cowboy Junkies, Bruce Cockburn, David Bromberg, Papa John Creach, Bobby Hebb, Big Head Todd, Bruce Hornsby, Neil Young, King Crimson. And whole bunches of others. Hell, even the DMB was great as the opening act before they went all pop and stuff.
Born Lucky
Yes, I am also grateful for having seen and heard so many amazing musicians and bands over the last 48 years. Most of the big names of the 70s rock world, and many bluesman and 50s rock n'rollers who were still ( and in the case of Buddy Guy, still are), going despite being quite elderly. I think Memphis Slim was the one I saw who went back the furthest...and Larkin Poe are probably the most contemporary blues band I have seen.
So.... lucky to have seen so many, and also to be still able to go to gigs, too. I was talking to a youngish guy a few weeks ago, and he told me the band he would most like to see live was the Australian Pink Floyd. Yes...we are lucky indeed.
Good news about that 1968 RSD release, too.
Time Machine Concerts.
December 22,1808. Beethoven debuts his 5th and 6th symphonies and his 4th piano concerto in a 4 hour marathon concert.
September 9, 1958. Miles Davis Sextet (John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans) and The Duke Ellington Orchestra are headliners at a concert celebrating the Columbia Records jazz division.
November 2-3, 1961. John Coltrane quartet with Eric Dolphy at the Village Vanguard.
June 16-18, 1967. Monterey Pop Festival.
Good Choices
Plus.. everyone knows Beethoven always had lots of really good mushrooms..
Small venues
I saw No Doubt in a bar in the fall of 1995. I think the cost was $10 or less.
There was a small two screen movie theater that got converted to a concert venue in the late 80’s. Between 88-93 I saw there B. B. King, The Guess Who (twice I think), Blue Oyster Cult, Thrill Kill Cult, Blues Traveler, Phish, and possibly a few others that I don’t remember. Pretty sure I saw Roger McGuinn there too, probably in 91 when I also saw him open for GD 6-22-91.
But I like big venues too.
Saw all 9 GD shows at Soldier Field and then made it back for all 3 FTW. Never been to a football game there.....
At Pontiac Silverdome I saw:
Bowie 87
Who 89
Stones 89
Floyd 94 both nights (floor seats, DSOTM the 2nd night)
Big venues can be fun too.
*re/ Small Venues & Past Bands/Performers
.... I saw Nirvana at maxwells in Hoboken New Jersey , a venue that is now closed down. Saw Pearl Jam at the LimeLight in NYC.
The roseland ballroom was a small venue where I saw many great shows before closing as well. I saw The Rolling Stones at roseland , 🙏❤️😎
The eww factor...
My "little glass friend" fell and broke last evening after years of companionship. C'est la vie.
But...the clod i found inside the main chamber...
Naaaaasty. Sure gave me pause.
I wish i could/would have been at...
Bowie
Zappa
At least one more Motorhead
Pink Floyd
and that Santana set at Woodstock
Big vs. Small
I had my fun at big venues and festivals too.. but those days are behind me.
Perhaps my coolest small venue thing was seeing Widespread at a place in Baltimore call Max's in Fells Point. My date was a cutie that went to school with and knew all of them.. so we did dinner at Bertha's before hand and partied a good bit before, during and after. This was way before they were big.. there was probably 40 or 50 people there.
Fav dead venue was the Greek.. only got there once, but what a nice place to see the dead.
If I could go back in time.. I'd have to agree with mhammond and put Monterrey Pop where you get Hendrix, Janis and The Who, plus the Dead with Pigpen. I don't know about the rest.. perhaps I would blow it off and smoke a fatty with Da Vinci and hope he doesn't make a pass at me. Maybe hang out with JC for a bit and keep Hitler from getting a hold of that brown acid and be sure to make it back by daylight.
Roll Over Beethoven
Mhammond, I think the debut of both Beethoven's famous 5th, and magisterial 6th (the Pastoral) wins. That's amazing to think two of his biggest and most diverse works debuted the same night. And the 6th debuted before the 5th, which was obviously a second set symphony. The 6th is more like Here Comes Sunshine, it can open a show. The 5th is The Other One steamrolling over you in the middle of the second set. 12/22/1808 should be added to all music nerds internal calendar of important dates!
Small venues....
....saw Slayer and Poison at small halls in Vegas. Circa 84 and 85 respectively. Max Cap 375ish. Good shows.
Another good one. Dio @ The Huntridge in Vegas '89ish.
The roof caved in during a rainstorm. Postponed for three days. Ronnie came out and kicked our asses!!
Pat travers
Snortin whiskey. This would have been a great band to see back in the day.
Pat Travers and small venues
Hey Carlo, I saw Pat Travers at an old movie theater converted into a concert hall back during the "Boom boom, out go the lights" days, always liked the double attack of Pat Travers and Pat Thrall, snortin' whiskey and drinkin' cocaine indeed. I was working at a record store back in the early 80's in Fla and Pat Travers lived in Longwood, a short distance away from the store. One day, he walked in, he was looking over the blues and old rock lp's and picked out a Johnny Winter blues record and came up to pay for it. I recognized him and pulled out Crash and Burn from the bin and had him sign it. He liked to cruse small record stores looking for treasure. Nice guy, very humble and very shy.
My best shows have also been at small venues or bars, caught Crack the sky at a bar, caught Cactus at the aforementioned old movie house, caught DSO in a bar before they got big, caught Traffic in a 1000 seat place back in the early 70's when they were still around and big. Saw Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush at the same movie house. Saw Aerosmith at a bar before they were even known. Jethro Tull at a house of blues, Yes at the same house of blues, Joe Walsh at the same place too..... Saw the Stones in a small venue in 75 and the Police at Tomorrowland at Disney. Caught Ratdog at several small venues in the 90's, man, I miss that band, they were the closest thing to the Dead back in the day. I have a small treasure chest that is full of old ticket stubs, one day I will go thru them and maybe post some pics if I can figure out how to do that. :)
First post of the new year so Happy New Year all you deadheads out there. Pretty heavy 50 year anniversary this year, 1970 was a pivotal year in ending the Vietnam War. 50th anniversary of the Kent state killings this year. Lets not ever go down that path again. Janis and Jimi 50th anniversary of their passing too. Heavy times for sure.
Small venues great shows
I saw Elizabeth Cotton at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley, very small bar. At the original Freight & Salvage over in Berkeley, I saw John Fahey , Peter Rowen, David Nelson & Frank Wakefield ( I taped that show), this was a super small place. One of the cool things about The Freight & Salvage , there is a great bbq joint right down street called Everett & Jones, 2am right after the show we would go down there and eat some of the best bbq on the planet. Saw B.B. King at The Saddle Rack in San Jose . Saw Jerry Garcia at the Keystone in Palo Alto a bunch of times. Of course, saw The Grateful Dead at The Warfield & Orpheum theatres up in S.F. quite a few times. The Warfield held over 2000 people, the Orpheum under 2000 people, so they were way larger then the places I mentioned above, but still smaller then The Greek Theatre & Frost Ampiteater , where I also saw the Dead play a bunch of times.
Small Venues......
…...Are always more special for me. 5 of my faves:
XTC at Gaston Hall(A Georgetown U. lecture hall)-Jan.1980
Billy Joel at The Bayou(famous DC club long since destroyed)-during "Songs In The Attic" recordings for LP-July '80
Frank Zappa at Painters Mill Music Fair(2500 seat "in the round" venue)-Nov.'81
Prince at Warner Theater(2,000 seat old time Theater)-Nov. '81
The Cars(also at Painters Mill-just as 1st LP was released, they opened)-June '78
Oh, can't forget The Ramones At Martin's West in Woodlawn MD, (a popular Wedding Venue!!-all those chandeliers!!)-Summer '78
Small venues - missed shows
Vguy, I saw Slayer during the South of Heaven tour in a small theater in Mountain View...pretty wild, last time they booked a metal show there.
Roy Orbison at the Old Waldorf in SF in '82, terrific show in a very small club; the original Byrds at the Boarding House in SF, superb show in a 400 seater or so.
Saw BB King in '69 at the Olympia in Paris, Fats Domino in Paris in 73, Bill Haley & the Comets also in 73. Made 11 of the 15 1980 Warfield shows, and a slew of Jerry shows at Keystone Berkeley, Palo Alto and SF
Sadly, I did not go to the Last Waltz because of ticket price($25)
shows wish list and regrets
Shows or tours that if I could use the way back machine:
1. Grateful Dead 11/8/69 Fillmore Auditorium-- actually, just drop me in San Francisco in this time frame for one month so I could see so many amazing shows. I bet Hendrix played.
2. Muddy Waters anytime in the 1950s, preferably in a Chicago blues club
3. Rolling Stones 1972 tour of America
4. Miles Davis c. 1958 with John Coltrane-- so many amazing albums with that quintet.
5. Talking Heads Stop Making Sense tour
6. Derek and the Dominoes, 1971
Regrets
1. Tom Petty-- so many chances to see, but I never pulled the trigger. I bought the four cd Live Anthology about 6 months ago and have been regretting this miss ever since. That anthology rocks.
2. The Who 1989 reunion tour. That summer I did the Dead shows and Rolling Stones at Alpine, I just couldn't do The Who, too. Never have gotten to see them and without Entwistle, why bother.
3. I should have gone to more GD shows in 89 and 90, plus I never did see them indoors. I should have gone to some of those Rosemont Horizon shows or MECCA in spring 89. Alas...
4. I saw Clapton many times from 1988-98, but that 1998 tour sucked and I never gave him another chance. I should have gone to one of the shows on the 2006/07 tour with Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall III. That was the tour I wanted out of him when I was a full-blown EC-Head in the mid-90s. Resurrected some Dominoes stuff that he hadn't played since 1971.
Overall, not many regrets in the 30+ years of concerts. Generally, I have gone to shows that I wanted to attend. Big venue, small venue-- it is all good. Of course, a club or small venue is preferred, but once a band hits it big, forget the small venues. Loved seeing some of the older blues guys in small clubs in the 1990s-- saw Buddy Guy at a now-defunct club in Madison, WI in early 1991 that blew us away; Otis Rush at a tiny blues club in Milwaukee in 1998; and one of the best shows I have ever seen, Luther Allison at the Rave in Milwaukee 1998. Ratdog in the early 2000s at the Kalamazoo State Theater was the most intimate spot I have seen any Dead members and that show cooked.
Estimated Eyes and Kalamazoo
I have that show, great quality, if you want.
Big and Small....
Sometimes you get shown the light.....
So many shows, so little memory left, lol
From the biggest, Woodstock 94, where I worked the first few days at the original site, then up to Saugerties late Saturday night; Aerosmith, Allman Bros, Santana, Traffic, Jimmy Cliff. Dylan, breifly from afar, and same with Metalica. Still, to this day, after 42 years of concert going, the power and magnitude of that weekend blows me away!
...to small ones, opening up for Del McCourey at 4 eagle ranch, opening up and playing after set for DSO at State Bridge, seeing Garcia, Sitting cross legged on the floor, so close to Jerry we could of touched him, in the tiny Gym at Brockport SUNY 81, the Radiators at the Chance in Poughkeepsie, Winston Marsalis, Jorma, Bromberg, Chuck Mangione, Go Ahead and others at the Tralf in Buffalo, Many years VIP at Rocky Grass and Folks fest, and other, even smaller Blugrass feats. The Allman Brothers and Weir at the original, idyllic, tiny Darian Lake Amphitheatre, Al Dimiola in a small cafeteria at UB, Return to Forever, JGB, the ABB and my first Dead show at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre. Many small venues while doing merch with Ziggy Marley and the Band in the 90s.....one that really stands out is the Band at the Party tent in downtown Rochester in summer of 84, first row, tripping. After, the crowd wouldn’t stop, even after the crew started to tear down, so they ended up coming back out several times! One of the best shows I ever had the pleasure!
Hundreds, thousands? of small gigs playing or crewing. Played gigs on a raft down the Colorado, and on top of resorts via snowcat and gondola, including Marti Gras for the worlds highest Craw fish boil atop Vail Mountain....(that fucker was cold!)
Yeeshk, no wonder I’m tired 😉
I’m not sure I could list them all if I tried? But one things for sure, none of it was like seeing the GOGD on one of “those” nights. especially hangin with Lee Esdee in the front row on the rail joking around with the boys etc! Phew, still gives me shivers...
Dave Interview & Checking In
....just came across this in my inbox and thought I would share:
https://jambands.com/features/2020/01/07/ready-or-not-david-lemieuxs-ex…
Hope everyone is enjoying the New Year. On this end, 2019 ended as I thought it might, with the passing of my dad a week prior to Christmas who had a valiant battle with stage 4 cancer over the past 15 months. It was a difficult time but it was also positive in that family was all together for the end of the year and able to all pull together in a quietly shared strength. Each day is a new day, and my dad is somewhere free and having fun in his celestial gardens.
I am working to envision a bright outlook for 2020 all things considered - trying to keep focus on the things that matter but trying to enjoy each and every day as best as I can despite the world's relentless adversity. Coming here on a daily basis helps to ease my soul, as Jerry might sing.
Be Well Everyone.
Sixtus
Losses
Sixtus, you and the family have my sympathy and my empathy. Lost my mom in 2001, my dad in 2007. Funny, but no matter how old I get, I am still my parents' kid. I never stop feeling like an orphan. A good quote I read once stated-"My mother taught me everything I need to know, except how to live without her". :(
Peace and Love to all
Whole foods cream
I'm at whole foods in Framingham and they are playing 'born under a bad sign'. I can't believe it.
synchronicity
I had an interesting one last week.
For some reason, I started looking up info/images on Ventura County Fairgrounds (site of my first GD show)
I saw a note that Jimi Hendrix played there in 70 (i think)
ok
so the next day I go to MoPop (a music/pop culture museum) here in Seattle
They have a specific reference to Jimi playing that show in...Ventura.
It was interesting to me, at least.
State Theater, Kzoo
In 92 saw Blues Traveler there in the spring and Phish in December.
First time for both bands, won the BT tix on the radio for answering a Beatles trivia question which I only knew the answer to because a friend who loved Beatles and Dylan was always telling me trivia.
Condolences Sixti Clan.
May the Force be with you.
Small venues and no-name bands.....
Some bar bands can turn out to be a lot of fun.
It just takes a few drinks....
2020
Sorry for your loss Sixtus. Losing a parent or loved one is no fun. All my best to you and your family.
Thanks for the link to the Dave L interview. Interesting read.
Think how lucky we are that Cutler recorded 3 tours from 89 to 90 for Without a Net in multi track. That is the summer of 89, the fall 89 and Spring 90.
A huge chunk of shows from those tours have been released, but we have some left for sure.
He also mentions how they recorded the famed 80 Warfield and Radio City runs in 32 track! You never know, maybe this is the year.
OROBOROUS, good to see you back in the mix. Happy New Year! Man, have you seen a ton of cool shows. The stories I am sure you could tell.
Peace.
The Sixtus’s
Our Deepest condolences to your family.
Sounds like y’all were able to be there for him and each other and that hopefully his being at rest now can bring at least a little peace to you. Lost Mom 3 years ago and fear Pops is heading that way. Misses lost both Hers years ago and Mr Ones post reminded me of how she still feels all these years later....so though these are difficult times, please know we’re all with ya!
May the four winds blow him safely home.
DV
Tanks, good to be back!
Fall 89, wooohooo...go Vikes!
One of the reasons I love being a Deadhead, misfit Power and rootin’ for the underdogs.
Interesting interview for sure.
Edit; if I told ya all that went down it’d burn off both your ears.....very fortunate over the years...
Nightfall of diamonds
I was there but dont remember most of it. I tried mushroom tea from some chick next to my cutlass and was staring at the top of the tent I had pitched in the parking lot because I was always a lightweight with psychedelics. Man, that was some heavy trip.
Carlo
Too funny. Not to make light of your predicament, but because many of us have been there...and at least a few have probably “missed” the big one on occasion. Hell I don’t remember much from that tour and I wasn’t tripping, though I felt upon leaving Hampton like I was micro dosed? Perhaps just all the energy and/or a contact buzz?
Hopefully then all the more reason for you to enjoy the release!
But a, sorry, did you mean you erected (yuck, yuck) an actual tent, or “you” were pitchin’ a tent, lol, sorry, I have this visual of some poor bastard laying down on his back, trippin balls, with this beatific smile and.......”shwing”
*Re/ R.I.P. DAD
... my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time of healing, peace be with you & God bless my brother.🙏❤️😢
Condolences, Sixtus
My friend's step-father passed away New Year's Day morning, and the entire family was there. My friend commented on how special and amazing the bedside time was, what with all the stories, jokes, and tears.
Sunday evening my friend and I were lamenting that we were a titch too young to have seen Talking Heads on the Stop Making Sense tour. Then I come on here and everyone else is lamenting that, too! :) There are too many great classical and jazz artists that I would love to go back and see, so if I limit it to rock-n-roll, non-GD division, then I'm thinking about Joni back in the early 70s. And I would have loved to have seen The Boss touring for his first two albums, with Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez and David Sancious making things "swing." I love later Bruce, too, but nothing gets me like those first two albums, before the rhythm section went to straight and heavy fours.
Saw Phish play for 100 people at the Cabooze in Minneapolis in October 1991. And one time at a tiny jazz club in Saint Paul, the bartender came up at set break and asked us to welcome some friends of the owner who were in town. It was a quiet Tuesday, so there were about fifteen of us in the audience. These five 60-ish guys come up, dressed like middle management from 3M or Target (big MN corporations), and proceed to play some top-notch blues. After they climbed down, the bartender came back up and said, "The Steve Miller Band, Ladies and Gentlemen." Steve and company had played the MN State Fair the night before . . .
p.s. Oh, yeah. I saw String Cheese Incident play for about six of us at a little bar in Dillon, Colorado, maybe around 1994?
[in Cliff Clavin voice]
It's a little-known fact that the animal known as Daddy Long-Legs is NOT in fact a spider, but rather is an insect . . .
[in DeadheadBrewer voice]: That is true--count the legs next time you encounter one (or thousands, crawling all over your tent). Daddy Long-Legs have but six.
where am I again?
One I missed even though I was there was the Stones and various bands at Knebworth in 1976. I've heard the show since, and it seems I didn't miss much. Shame I wasn't in my body for Hot Tuna though. And the Lynyrd Skynyrd (probably spelt wrongly) set, going off Freebird ,which I subsequently heard, sounds as though it could have been amazing.
Latest Garcia/Saunders CD
Listening to Garcia 12: The Garcia dominated songs are great (Garcia very on, the sound of the band a little less 'mushed together' than later mainly because Merle is holding back at times, great recording). At times Sarah Fulcher is OK, many other times made me think, after Sarah, Donna sounded like Judy Collins to Garcia.
Next two DaP should be amazing.
Daddy Long Legs
This is how we learn nowadays. I googled it. Not a spider or an insect. Has 8 legs but only 2 eyes. Fused abdomen. Closest relative is the scorpion. Sounds like my mother-in-law.
Phishing in a small pond
way back in 91 Phish played at the BackStage in Ballard (a Seattle neighborhood). Small place, with waitstaff and everything.
Glad I went. Of course I didn't know they would become a gargantuan entertainment draw.
M-Ham and jokes
A mother-in-law joke!!! Very few places you can use one where the audience will understand the reference. I may comment not long ago about changes in humor and the mother-in-law was a dead idea to the youth. Bill Maher has made comment about "drunks" as humor. Otis in Mayberry is one of the examples. Traveling salesmen jokes/farmer daughter jokes also to the wayside.
In any event, I smiled!
Interesting
They removed my staring at the roof of the tent post.. and a few others it looks like. I bet they would have left it in if I mentioned the shows and setlists of what we listened to that night.
Interesting.
Drink Up and Go Home
Just got my copy of The Good Old Boys, Drink Up and Go Home, it's great. Frank Wakefield is an absolute monster of a mandolin player. I used to go see him and David Nelson play when he lived out here in Oakland. He used to back talkwards, funny guy. Anyways this is a great listen.