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    clayv
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    "To my ears, the best Dead shows are those that not only fit the criteria that make them amongst the best of a year, but that are also completely unique for their era—shows that fit perfectly into their year of performance, but also fall somewhat outside of the norm for that year. Harpur College, Veneta, Cornell, Cape Cod, and Augusta are all shows that are objectively excellent, and if they are not the best from their respective years of performance, they are certainly unique. Miami 6/23/74 falls into that category: not only one of the very best shows from this outstanding year, but also one of the most interesting and unique. It’s certainly worthy of many, many deep listens." - David Lemieux

    ¡Ándale, ándale! ¡Arriba, arriba! We're back with a hot one from Miami, F-L-A. DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 34 features the complete show from the Jai Alai Fronton, 6/23/74, one with unparalleled sound quality due in equal parts to the Wall Of Sound and the beautiful sonic clarity of Kidd Candelario's tapes. The first set is chock full of dynamite takes on classics like "Ramble On Rose," "Mississippi Half-Step," and "Cumberland Blues." The second set delivers on the JAMS - one leading into a gorgeous "Ship Of Fools," one rare instrumental version of "Dark Star," and a "Spanish Jam," this is Miami after all! The show also offers up a "first" and an "only" - the former, a Seastones set featuring Phil and Ned Lagin and the latter, the sole Grateful Dead performance of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock."

    Limited to 22,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOL.34: JAI ALAI FRONTON, MIAMI, FL 6/23/74 has been mastered from the 7.5 IPS reel-to-reel tapes to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman. ¡Agarrarlo mientras esta calientito! (Get it while it's hot!)

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

    Subscribed to Dave's Picks? With this release, you'll also get a bonus disc with selections from Miami 6/22/74. Excellente!

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  • daverock
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    The last was the worst. Here's why...

    When I think of the vast amount of Dead shows I attended (5), I would say the last one, on 11/1/90 was the worst. The previous night seemed great musically, but I had argued with my girlfriend, we left the show early and she had gone home in a huff. To make sure of a better night on 1st, I ate a fist full of mushrooms before leaving the hotel. And got lost on the way to the show. The London Underground during rush hour is not the ideal place to trip.

    But anyway, despite getting lost, I still managed to arrive at Wembley before the show started. I was up in the balcony, to the right of the stage where the keyboards were. When the band came on, and started playing I couldn't believe how bad it sounded. All I could hear was Bruce's piano and one drummer. I charged downstairs, and demanded to be let into the stalls, as the sound wasn't carrying upstairs. I was easily rebuffed by the bouncers and went back to my seat having narrowly avoided a good, and much deserved, kicking. The man next to me shared a smoke.... and everything slid back into focus. The music I enjoyed best that night was drums and space. This despite the fact that Dark Star was played.

    So that was the worst show I saw. But it was me that made it so.

  • JimInMD
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    Worst Show

    10/09/94
    USAir Arena - Landover, MD

    It's no secret I have a love/hate relationship with Crapitol Centre, except there is no love. Unless you have AAA++ seats the shape of the building is just terrible for indoor acoustics.

    In truth, the soundboard sounds better than what I remembered.. I was there with my finance at the time and I just don't have a good memory of the (last) Comes a Time, which is odd because I love that tune. I was either too busy babysitting a first timer through her first show (and another friend) or there is the possibility we left early, but I don't ever remember leaving a dead show early.

    I hadn't seen a show since View from the Vault II, the 91 RFK show.. so it had been a while.

    So there it is.. a C- effort with a couple high points and Jerry just looked and sounded terrible for the beginning of the second set. Still had an ok time, a bad day with the dead always beats a good day in the office.

  • stoltzfus
    Joined:
    back to great, great Grateful Dead

    6/8/80: first set starts with UJB > Playin' > UJB :)))

    I am almost through the first set (it has another surprise in it); I am of course looking forward to the second set.

    6/23/74: oooohhhh, yeah....

  • stoltzfus
    Joined:
    only show I would call "bad" was 6/25/94

    Las Vegas in late June = HOT _AF_. I was sooooo happy to return to Seattle after that.

    The heat made enjoying the show almost impossible. And the performance was just blah.

    I do remember seeing the moon rise, and a plane flew "through" it. I don't think that's a false memory...

    8/21/93, 8/22/93, 6/17/94, 6/19/94, 6/26/94 (on cassette), 5/24/95, 5/25/95, and 5/26/95 are/were all excellent, so I can let 6/25/94 go.

  • unkle sam
    Joined:
    never

    saw a bad dead show. Both 94 and 95 shows I saw were excellent, even the one where we all got tear gassed, it was still a great show.

  • boblopes
    Joined:
    Foxboro 7/4/87 & Highgate 95 were the bookends of my live shows

    7/4/87 was my first show - I worked as a stagehand. I loved the time and technology the band used to set up for the show. I had worked a lot of shows, mostly at Umass, but there was nothing like a GD show. When we built the stage, the staging towers used by the PA and light truss were isolated from the main stage. When they set the audio, they spent a considerable amount of time getting it just right. When the band (minus Dylan) performed the sound check they kept practicing and practicing Knockin'. The show got delayed while Dylan sat in the back of his limo in the backstage area. I loved the show and years later, listening to the archive or a tape, I realized it was not up to par to some of my favorite shows I saw.

    My next shows after this was the pair up at Oxford ME, which were intense and wonderful.

    But going to Highgate 95 was the epitome of a bad show, bad scene - I knew it was the end, but it did not stop me from doing Mailorder for the Fall run at the Gahden. We got our Mailorder tix the day Jerry died...

  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    I hope my post

    was not misinterpreted. It seems have have initiated a discussion on worst shows. That was not my intent. It was simply a glimpse back to that portion of my life. Turns out I went to both RFK shows in 95. I spent the last 20 years thinking I only went to the first night and that Black Muddy River was the last song I ever saw. Go figure. Brokedown Palace as an encore in my first and last show.

    I saw plenty of bad shows, but always had a good time. Well mostly. 7/4/87 was one of the worst, but also the most fun.

    To paraphrase Jimmy Buffett:

    Some of it's magic
    Some of it's tragic
    But I had a good time all the way

  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    re: Glutton

    ...since you're compiling, you can put me down for that Highgate '95 show. Although I was shrooming pretty good, so I didn't realize the $hit that went down until the next day.

    That was the night my brother and I had no car to sleep in, so we huddled literally on the cold Vermont Parking Lot ground with merely a bedsheet to share, as the entire parking lot was like gridlock.

    Despite this show getting panned by most, I still never had a bad time at a Dead Show. I consider myself lucky to have been there at all, in consideration of the monumentally tiny sliver of time this Band was on this Earth actually playing all together. What are the odds of that? Truly a revelation.

    Sixtus

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Glutton for punishment....

    ....I'm writing down everyone's worst shows attended to listen to at a later time. Should be.....interesting?

  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    Worst first set

    Red Rocks, 8-30-78... as I learned later, between July and August, after the heady shows of July 7/8, they recorded Shakedown Street, returned to the Rocks and completely bombed in the first set. They cut it short, took a longish break and after presumably making mental adjustments, returned to deliver a decent second set.

    Perhaps after the July shows, everyone including the band thought you could just show up at the Rocks and magic would happen. It's a classic reminder that no performer is immune to a bad night or a weak start.

    But between '78 and I think '87, I caught every GD show at the Rocks (it's 20 minutes from my house). And I think the level of performance tapered off in the '84-'85 period, but they never just blew a set like good old 8-30-78.

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"To my ears, the best Dead shows are those that not only fit the criteria that make them amongst the best of a year, but that are also completely unique for their era—shows that fit perfectly into their year of performance, but also fall somewhat outside of the norm for that year. Harpur College, Veneta, Cornell, Cape Cod, and Augusta are all shows that are objectively excellent, and if they are not the best from their respective years of performance, they are certainly unique. Miami 6/23/74 falls into that category: not only one of the very best shows from this outstanding year, but also one of the most interesting and unique. It’s certainly worthy of many, many deep listens." - David Lemieux

¡Ándale, ándale! ¡Arriba, arriba! We're back with a hot one from Miami, F-L-A. DAVE’S PICKS VOLUME 34 features the complete show from the Jai Alai Fronton, 6/23/74, one with unparalleled sound quality due in equal parts to the Wall Of Sound and the beautiful sonic clarity of Kidd Candelario's tapes. The first set is chock full of dynamite takes on classics like "Ramble On Rose," "Mississippi Half-Step," and "Cumberland Blues." The second set delivers on the JAMS - one leading into a gorgeous "Ship Of Fools," one rare instrumental version of "Dark Star," and a "Spanish Jam," this is Miami after all! The show also offers up a "first" and an "only" - the former, a Seastones set featuring Phil and Ned Lagin and the latter, the sole Grateful Dead performance of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock."

Limited to 22,000 numbered copies, DAVE’S PICKS VOL.34: JAI ALAI FRONTON, MIAMI, FL 6/23/74 has been mastered from the 7.5 IPS reel-to-reel tapes to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman. ¡Agarrarlo mientras esta calientito! (Get it while it's hot!)

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

Subscribed to Dave's Picks? With this release, you'll also get a bonus disc with selections from Miami 6/22/74. Excellente!

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Track list is just exactly perfect!

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Yay I got here in time to get one of these Dave's Picks plus a cool T-shirt! Cost is not an issue with my stimulus money! Can't wait to hear the Jai Alai Fronton show in HDCD!!! I wanna learn some jai alai moves too, I could use a new hobby.

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Really looking forward to this one. This is why subscribing is the way to go.

Too soon to request an 80s show for #35?

I've been quarantined for over 5 weeks now. Anything is good news when it comes to music and entertainment.

Hope everyone is staying safe and staying in.

Also...yes...that bonus disc...looks nice.

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In reply to by Vguy72

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Can you really have too much 1974?
No.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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Sub.
Scribe.

Very happy to see this come alive. We've all been looking forward to this Dark Star since God knows when. I am not familiar with anything else here except for the one and only Let It Rock.

Sixtus

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Only thing that is a bummer about 74, is they only played 40 shows!!!! Daddy I want a golden goose!!! I mean every song from 74!!!!! bob t

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Happy Spring Fellow Heads,

Hope that everyone is holding up well out there. Beautiful spring day in NorCal today.

I love this show. I dove deep in this one years ago when I was really getting into Dead shows. Haven't listed to it in several years. Gonna be a real treat to crank this version on the home system.

Less familiar with the bonus show but great to see that Dave picked all the heavies off of that one for us. Grinning as I right this. Love me some 1974 Grateful Dead.

Listening has been all over the map in these quarantine times. Ejoying the last Dave's pick, jazz of all sorts, a couple of Yo La Tengo Lps, some tasty old time Appalachian discs, etc. Also been enjoying solo guitar music recently. Two artists that I learned about this year that I think others on dead.net would enjoy are Elkhorn and William Tyler. Tylers instrumental guitar pieces are really fantastic.

Peace to you and yours.

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A little bit of gold heading to us during The Great 2020 Shutdown! SpaceBro I could go for an 80s too. In the end, and, when all is said and done, these subscriptions never fail to bring me joy. Thanks Dave and GD.net.

I would want an 80s release from 85 or earlier

86 has little that is Dave's-worthy, unless there were a bunch-in-one, like the BCT run.

87-89 is good and all; 85 or earlier, please.

regardless of my 80s thoughts, I am _psyched_ for 6/23/74 and 6/22/74!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Putting my 2 cents into the convo about what makes a good show, I would like to say I think an exceptional Dead show occurred when the band played rare songs, were on form and cohesive in their playing, and the jams are smooth and unique. I personally love watching shows where the band are goofing around (Copenhagen clowns anyone?) or just smile as they jam really well are gems in their catalog of live shows 💙

Also...I would love to see some solo, acoustic Jerry shows released (my fav is his tour from '82!). And I can't wait for the new Dave's Picks!

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All web-based sound on my laptop is on the blink, so I can't listen to Dave's rap.

Did he drop any hints or just the usual "more greatness to come"?

Definitely looking forward to blasting DaP 34 when it arrives.

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In reply to by RobbZ

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Wall of Sound you say? I'm in too! 😁

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Hey now,
Audio quality is absolutely SUBLIME! Jerry's guitar and vocals on To Lay Me Down are stellar and Bobby''s Weather Report Suite is so fresh -it is def not my era of Dead given I got on Bus in Binghamton in 79 on Brent's first tour, but I will give this a really interesting A rating -sound quality is so hard to improve if the board tapes you started with aren't clear and guessing Jai Lai is small lean venue and so they did not crank sound as boxy rooms (well saw Thorogood in a gym once and could not hear words even) and so it wound up giving a better quality audio..anyway so far so good...thx I am looking forward to mail...thx Dave!

been a while, hope everyone is well during these crazy times.

Can't wait for this one to hit my mailbox. 74 is one of my favorite years and this is one of my favorite shows from that year. Music (and wine) has played a big part in keeping my sanity during quarantine. Between the 76 box set, the dead & co and phish shows being streamed online, and everything in between, live music is one thing I look forward to each day. Bummed I won't be able to see a live band again until god knows when but in the absence of that, these shows really hit the spot.

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Sounds great to these rock-n-roll damaged ears. Keith killing it....All good......

--GratefulGal7277, we need a "Wall of Sound" emoji stat!

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In reply to by gr8fulgal77

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Forgot about "the Beast" -too bad they had to abandon it after Parrish was nearly killed driving over night to Texas (if I recall his memoir correctly)...NEVER had benefit of hearing good old "Wall of Sound." but my college roommate used to talk endlessly about it...i think he saw it in Englishtown show 1976 (lucky boy)...I could have seen Dead back in 1976 and 77 but idiot I was in HS thought Dead was country music...lol--well it was a bit...but not more than a bit...

Dave mentioned at the end, not an exact quote, but close, "See you sometime soon, we will have more announcements coming for other releases later in the year."
This came after he discussed #35, #36 and working on ideas for next year's #37.

I still think this leads to a fall box for this year. But who knows. We already know Workingman's Dead and American Beauty are slated for the anniversary release this year, so what could be the other surprise left for 2020?

Be well folks.

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Hi guys, I'm considering updating my address for this delivery. I worry that the post office won't forward the release. I'm wondering if this is advisable, and also, how do I do it? Thanks in advance, nitecat.

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Early on, I would eat up Dave's release vids. Then I only scrolled to the end to hear whatever tantalizing hint(s) he might drop. After I lost the sound on my laptop, no way I was going to try to lip read.

Aside from WD and AB re-releases (and tasty live '70 material), I would not be greatly surprised if they dished up another (6) June '76 shows.

On my wish list, as always, is more '66-'71 with Pigpen. But close behind is fall '72. I think the 5-6 show box for $150 or less is the sweet spot. I couldn't justify something gargantuan in this period of complete financial uncertainty.

Okay, be well everyone.

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My usual Dark Star listenings happen when I find myself with a half hour or so with absolutely nothing to do and not a thing planned. That's when they seem to sound their best. Needless to say, in the past month I've listened to more Dark Stars than what I would typically listen to in an entire year. Looking forward to including Jai Alai Fronton's (followed by Spanish Jam > US Blues, of course).

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Hey Nitecat - we moved back in September of last year, I had similar anxiety. I contacted deadnet customer service, providing the order number that was in the queue and asked them to confirm the new address back to me after explaining the situation, which they promptly did. Never had to worry, everything has made it to me since. This was in conjunction with completing an online Post Office forwarding notification. You should get an email confirmation from that.

https://www.usa.gov/post-office#item-37197

Be well people.

Sixtus

P.S. Dead & Co. Summer tour officially canceled. As of this afternoon. Not all that surprised.

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One of the best months in one of the best years. With several shows from earlier, and just past (6/26, 6/28) these two shows already released, I can feel the pull forward from Europe 72.

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I moved twice in 2018 and didn’t have a problem getting my DaPs.
I responded to the order confirmation email for my DaP subscription and gave them my new address each time.

In 2018 3 of 4 DaPs went to different addresses and I didn’t have any problems. Glad it wasn’t 2019 when I moved because I probably wouldn’t have received the last 3 releases.

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Wow, what a treat. We are lucky fans.

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Hey y'all
How do I subscribe to Dave's picks? I want to preorder and also get the extra disc.

The 2020 subscription period is sold out.. the 2021 subscription period starts I think in early November?? and usually runs into late December, early January. ..so it's too late for this year, in fact Dave's Picks 32 (the first of four picks) is long gone already.. Thanksgiving is prime time to order.

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Get on the email list so that you will know when new releases and the DaP subscription are available.
The annoying yellow box that pops up on the lower right corner saying “get on the list” is where you sign up. If you purchase anything from this site you will probably start receiving emails that way too.

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Got 2020 Subscription - Keeping fingers crossed they get this
Volume to me since I didn't get the first one. Please send good vibes my way.
Tim

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I saw this release at work today, and was going to jump on and tell everyone how great a show it is, because I have it already, on a decent-sounding unauthorized cd boot I got off ebay or somewhere. I remember spinning it a couple of times in the car, and it always stuck in my mind because that was the venue where Tommy Bolin played his last show opening for Jeff Beck.

Alas, the illegal boot in question is 12/12/78 Jai Alai Fronton. Stellar concert, but... not this.

So I'm totally stoked to get more great sounding 70's Dead. Best decade for everything ever, the 70's. Looks pretty goddamn good these days, doesn't it?

die letzten funf:

Rival Sons - Feral Roots
Rock Candy Funk Party - We Want Groove
Al Di Meola - All Your Life (A Tribute To The Beatles)
Van Halen - Diver Down
The Animals - The Best Of Eric Burdon And The Animals

Not everyone listens to whole albums these days. The lost art of album listening.

\m/

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I agree with ICECRMCNKD. Getting a subscription has become the only way to fly. Buy it and forget-about-it. However seeing these "SOLD OUT" banners with-in the first few seconds of the on-sale day is cruel. The Dave's subscription is the equivalent of what "TicketBooks" were in the 80's. Pay one fee and your in every show of the tour. And these were great floor seats in Jerry or Phil zones or in-front-of soundboard or Tapers section, and usually next-to the the same heads every time.

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I was at these shows and have great memories especially from this Sunday show, the second night. I was a student at The University of Miami and these were the first show I went to with my brother, who turned me on to The Dead. I also remember an amusing thing from that night. Leading up to the shows, there were the usual ads on the local FM radio channel announcing the shows. On the ad, they played a few seconds of Truckin' , Sugar Magnolia and one other song. After the show, I turned to two guys behind us and said something like wow wasn't that a great show. They responded "Yeah, but they didn't play any of the songs from the commercial".
Can't wait for my copy to show up. I haven't listened to this show in a while

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I too have been on a listening binge of his stuff. Somebody who knows him used to post here at one time. One of my favs.

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...that would be me. If you haven’t listened to his new album he just released on multiple media sources. Vinyl records, CD and downloads, Tribute to the Beatles! Primo album, al been working on it for a long time now. I’m so happy and grateful to have watched & and heard all the stages of this last album come to be made & released! If your a fan of ALS music or even the Beatles , I highly Recommend seeking this new album out! Have a grateful day 🙏❤️😎

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Fall '72

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First off, Happy Earth Day everyone, looks like the earth is getting a break this earth day, maybe the only good thing about the virus. Being a retired horticulturalist I have planted my share of trees and shrubs and flowers and this virus is not going to stop me from doing what I do every Earth Day, plant another tree. Lately I have been planting fruit trees, apples and cherry and peach, but in the past I have planted many a different kind of tree, from ornamental trees to flowering trees to oak trees, it's all good, they are the front line in keeping the atmosphere clean. I usually buy a tree from a nursery or garden center, but this year, I have started an apple tree from seed and it is now late enough in the year to take her outside and plant her with her other brothers and sisters that I have planted in the past. Yes, it's a little baby, but from this one seed, I will get a beautiful, flowering, fruit producing tree in about 7 years. Seems like a long time, but when I look back at the other trees I have planted, and enjoy the flowers and fruit from them, I know that eventually, this one will also produce flowers and fruit if not for me, for others to enjoy for years to come. It's easy to start a seed, just takes some patience to get it to the planting in the ground stage, but it is worth it when years down the road, you get to bite into that beautiful fruit.
I have had a copy of this Miami show from 74 for years, having lived in Florida for over 38 years, I have seen some shows in a Jai Alai Fronton, just not this show. I caught Little Feat with Lowell in 78 at the Fronton in Orlando, caught U2 when they were unknowns at the same Fronton in 79. The Fronton in Miami is the largest one still operating and seats about 5100 people. What a great place to see a show and I can imagine this show was a real killer. The playing area is surrounded by 3 very tall walls and the audience looks on from the side with the front of the court being to the audiences right and the back of the court to their left. The three sides of the court are padded which makes for great sound acoustics. Back in the 70's I knew some guys in the service who bet on these players and they had a system. They would watch the players, they would give "tells" of who would win and in what order by bouncing the ball in sequences like 2 bounces, then hold, then 3 bounces, etc... They had spotters in the audience that would take these ques an run with them to the betting window and place their bets, winning some pretty good sums of money. If you knew these guys, you could get in on the fix, if not, it was all just luck to pick a winner and very seldom did a novice win. How my friends did it was they would watch the audience and the betting window, usually these spotters would come up and bet at the last possible minute and if you were behind them in line, you placed the same bet as they did. Worked for my friends more than 50% of the time. Of course, that was 40 some years ago and most of those old cheaters are long gone now. It was a very fast game and it could be over before you knew it, just that fast sometimes. That ball was very hard and if it hit you, you knew it, hence the Cesta was made out of wicker and had a padded glove on the inside to take the sting out of fielding that ball. Saw a few players get hit with the ball, you could tell it hurt, it would put those guys on the ground. After a while, the sport lost it's charm for me and I quit going, but it was fun for a while. I prefered concerts in those little arenas ever since. This is a killer show, and the bonus disc is the cherry on top, and that limited edition t shirt is very nice, love the back design. This shirt will sell out in no time, along with the remaining discs. I highly recommend this show and the shirt, get them while you can.

Did Rhino find the right number of copies, or is there 74 burn-out because of the PNW Box?

Well, if that 80’s pick for DaP35 sells out right away we’ll know that it is 74 burn-out.

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