Dave’s Picks Volume 34: Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL 6/23/74

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April 21, 2020 - 9:32am

2,197 replies

clayv

Joined:
March 14, 2018

"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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April 27, 2020 - 11:32am

#2001

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

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.
April 27, 2020 - 11:02am

#2002

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

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.
April 27, 2020 - 9:46am

#2003

stoltzfus

Joined:
January 13, 2010

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....
April 27, 2020 - 9:42am

#2004

stoltzfus

Joined:
January 13, 2010

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.
April 27, 2020 - 9:24am

#2005

unkle sam

Joined:
October 3, 2008

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.
April 27, 2020 - 8:58am

#2006

boblopes

Joined:
January 13, 2009

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...
April 27, 2020 - 8:40am

#2007

Angry Jack Straw

Joined:
October 2, 2012

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
April 27, 2020 - 7:48am

#2008

Sixtus_

Joined:
November 8, 2014

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
April 27, 2020 - 7:23am

#2009

Vguy72

Joined:
June 29, 2007

Glutton for punishment....

....I'm writing down everyone's worst shows attended to listen to at a later time. Should be.....interesting?
April 27, 2020 - 7:12am

#2010

hendrixfreak

Joined:
February 26, 2014

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.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

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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!

Spoiler alert....

....at the end of Uncle John's, Keith pounds all the keys. Hell yeah. "brummmmmm"

1313 Mockingbird Lane

Munsters

6 23 74

AWESOME

Here I Wait

It should definitely be here by 1:30 p.m. tomorrow according to my most recent update. Of all the late comers.

Jimbo - I'm going to go with Cumberland.

7743 of 22000

It's a majestic release. Thank you to all involved.

Okay...this whole "Mockingbird" thing is starting to get weird

From Dave's 34 liner notes: "CD Mastering by Jeffery Norman at MOCKINGBIRD Mastering, Petaluma, CA".

Hmmmm, there's clearly something going on here...I think we've accidentally cracked some kind of code.

Awesome release however the…

Awesome release however the bonus disc just about blows the lid off my top

It's becoming clear

Obviously the work of Petaluma Al.

Garrett

I hear ya man.. whenever I feel this way, I reach out to specialists to help. Do you have any Allman Brothers??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-68iTvhWNB0

Ask President Carter.. Trust me, it always works.

Ledded...

I was lucky enough to see the Screaming Trees & Soundgarden at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC in '88 or '89 I think.
Two bands that have stood the tests of time, for my liking anyway. Trees always make me feel like I'm listening to a 90's version of the Stooges or something. Low-key psychedelia in the 90's....

Also, my first listen to the fabled Jai-Alai...so far, so good. I get it.
Get some...

All I can say is...

....good luck #35. You got your work cut out for you.

Jiminmd

I zipped you a late pm.

Deadfeat1

I zipped you a late pm.

still waiting...

The tracking notice had it set for delivery last Saturday and my entire evening was planned around it-- one of those first beautiful Michigan Spring days to sit on a westward facing back porch, sunglasses, pint, etc. By the time five o'clock rolled around, I knew it wasn't happening.

Updated notice came in today and advised of the package being routed to the incorrect post office. So plan now will be for this coming Saturday, with cold rain and possible snow mix in the forecast. Urghhhh. But will still be better than a Saturday without a new Dave's Picks :-D)

34 is in town

May 1, 2020 Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item

For five days this is what tracking has said. Now says out for delivery!

Keep the faith it's coming.

Thank you!

This show is unreal when compared to the cassette tape I had from earlier! Yes, yes, yes. Also thank you to that board member who was speaking of a cache of entrusted photos from a long gone friend. I asked for them to be posted and you mentioned that had to go somewhere special or nowhere at all. I was a hopeful but didn't know I'd be seeing some of them inside this newest Dave's Picks. Nice work sir, your dear friend would be proud where they ended up and now they are forever part of the Dead Archive, very very cool! Not to mention an honorable word from Dave himself. Cheers!

Hagizmo

Yeah we are talking about the same show, that Field Trip disc was unreleased and is back in print with a remastering as someone mentioned. Can't wait til my copy arrives and give it fresh listen, but the vinyl for RSD 2020 in June has really got me drooling. Now I can have the whole damn day on vinyl. Weird how this stuff can just be had from another time and place, wonderful.

Petaluma Al

Crazy cowboy guy, always shooting guns around Bugs Bunny right?

Bummed -- no DaP 34

So, according to the tracking for DaP 34, "Shipment received acceptance pending" at my local P.O. But nothing yet, so I called the P.O. and the helpful guy there informed me that no, the package is not there and in fact Dave's 34 is "not even in the system yet." Meaning that the sender generated the label and the P.O. theoretically accepted the assignment to transport... but the actual physical object has never been brought to the Post Office for shipping. It's not that it is stuck at the P.O. -- according to this guy, it has not even been sent yet.

Can anybody help with this? I tried to PM Marye but her name is not accepted when I try to type it in... Is there an email I can try? Dr. Rhino or someone? This is frustrating... First world problems I know, but still.

Thanks...

Maine Dave

I had the pending status until yesterday evening too, but then bing bang boom, out for delivery. just hang on tight :)

Maine Dave

I have the same this thing here in Maryland. UPS and USPS are both pointing fingers at each other, and playing the COVID19 card.

I just want a realistic expectation for when I’ll receive this item. Instead it’s in a black hole.

UPS - USPS Handoff Standoff

Yep, my Dave's has also been hung up since Saturday morning when UPS handed it over to USPS. No further updates since then. USPS tracking still says, "Your shipment was received at 9:00 am on May 2, 2020 in MIDLAND, TX 79711. The acceptance of your package is pending." UPS tracking still states package will be "delivered on May 2 by end of day." Lame.

Not leaving on a jet plane - yet...

My copy was received by UPS in Fontana, CA on Mayday. The same day it got passed to the post office and subsequently processed by the international carrier. Now it seems to be waiting on a trans-pond flight. Could be a while due to the current paucity of flights.

Dave"s 34 is here

Mine came yesterday, one for me and one for my brother. I live in the S.F. Bay Area. Now it's time for the Workingman"s Dead & American Beauty 50th anniversary release. I hope they release a full live 1970 show for each one, acoustic and electric. Or maybe more, maybe a 10 show box set, more the merrier! It will probably go on sale in June.

Dave's 34

I received this on Friday, which was a nice surprise because it seems I typically receive mine at the end of the delivery cycle for this side of the pond, despite dwelling close to the center of the postal universe.

I'm through the 1st set and my first impression is that Garcia's lead playing during Bobby's verse singing is just off the charts. He's not really playing fills. He's playing continuously and its just blistering, interesting note runs he's absolutely nailing. Particularly on Black Throated Wind and El Paso.

Last 5 - Pre Dave's 34

Dead - 4-29-72 - Hamburg
Dylan - Knocked Out Loaded
Dylan - Oh Mercy
Dylan - Pat Garret and Billy the Kid
Dylan - Street Legal

Shipping Europe

same with me, Fontana, CA, May 1st, at 6.11h transferred to US Post. No updates yet.
Doesn't look too bad. I guess 2 to 3 weeks for arrival.
G.

Dave’s Picks Vol. 34 USPS has not received anything

Maine.Dave - Check your PM

Finished DP 34, sweet!

Finished DaP 34 this morning, which was sweet!

Garcia Live #13 arrived this morning! How convenient! Will probably segue into some Bruce after that.

Cannot wait for the Workingman's/Beauty 50ths. Hope they do a compete show release with them, and/or release the rest of 2/13-14.

Tidbit: 1970 and 1971 fare the worst in terms of top 10 (via DeadBase) shows being fully released. Neither year has fully released top 10 show.

Though 5/2/70 and 5/15/70 are only missing one song. 2/13&14 are missing big chunks/all of the early shows. Nada from the other 6 top 10s that year.

The closest '71 comes is 8/6 from Dicks 35, but it is missing 8 songs. 4/27-28-29 are partials (Skull & Roses, Ladies & Gentleman) with big chunks missing and 10/31 (Dicks 2) is just the 2nd set.

1974 is unique in that with Da34, all 10 of the top 10 shows have now at least been partially released. Only 3 are complete: 5/19 (PNW), 2/24 (Da13), and 6/23 (Da34). 10/18-19-20 are partials (Steal Your Face, GD movie + bonus + Soundtrack, So Many Roads) missing 10+ songs each. 6/26-28 are split on Dick's 12, most/all of the 2nd sets; half on 6/18 is RT2#3, and 8/6 has 5 songs of filler on D31.

Anywho, I'd love for them to go back and complete/finish some of the iconic shows that are incomplete. Be it as part of a larger box (Fillmore '70, Closing of Fillmore East '71, Winterland '74), as part of anniversary releases, or utilizing filler space better on yearly Dave's releases.

Shipping Notice

This is CRAZY Nothing was updated from May1st until noon today Mat 5th. May 1st it was supposed to arrive at post office but when I called they had no record. Then today. 4 and a half days later it arrived and when I called they said it would be delivered tomorrow. The post office said UPS may have said it arrived at the loading dock but until the post office scans it is is officially NOT ARRIVED. My post office did say there has been a lot of confusion with a lot of tracking numbers ???

As lone as I get it but this is CRAZY.......................I would say be Patient it will show up

Also does anyone out there have the first issue of High Times Magazine? I have two that have the same insides but the cover is different ( same lady eating a mushroom ) but one is Paper and one is like a foil?? and the type margin is different for the list of what is inside.

Chuck

No status until last night. …

No status until last night. It was in my mailbox this morning (in Phoenix, AZ). I am ripping it right now - can't wait to listen to it after work tonight!

High Times

It looks to me like the original was a paper cover.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HIGH-TIMES-SUMMER-1974-1ST-EDITION-OF-HIGH-TIM…

16749 - Plano

Ripping now. I understand it has beat that's great to spackle by.

….. I can lay spackle much longer, my arms are getting tired.
Those corners kept me up past 4....

Yeah, Weird

....so what's up with so many people having this shipment fall into a black hole once it supposedly gets to the post office? Same thing as others have described is happening on this end as well; it's been sitting since May 1st at a somewhat local post office with a status of "package acceptance pending". WTF does THAT mean? It's been there since FRIDAY. I get there is a pandemic - and other shipping priorities - but this is just looking like incompetence or perhaps some other tracking snafu that is more pervasive than I might have suspected.

Hopefully this gets "unstuck" in the system....I will try calling tomorrow if my email sent today goes unanswered....I don't have high hopes.

Glad others are receiving and it's sounding as it should....aka excellent.

Sixtus

"Let It Rock"

Just sounds so damn good on Dave's 34...the band is rocking-and-rollin, hitting on all cylinders, sounding like they're having a blast! I kind of wish the band would have added this tune to their set lists a lot more often, maybe splitting time with "Big River".....so much potential there.

What A Gem Of A Show!

I cannot believe the clarity of this show. This is definitely going in my top 10 Dave's Picks rotation. I've been listening to it through my studio monitors and it's mind blowing! The band is so tight, Bobby's vocals are pitch perfect, Jerry's playing is impeccable, the entire band is hitting every note with perfect timing...including Donna! What a great set...I just wonder why this didn't come out sooner. Thanks Dave!

mail innovations

Usually you get a UPS tracing number with your shipping email that didn't happen this time we got the USPS tracking which usually isn't updated till UPS hands it over to USPS.

DP34

Wow! Thanks DL and team. This release is already in my top 5 DP shows, and maybe climbing! Jerry's work on Lay Me Down, and some of his runs throughout the show are amazing. Definitely looking for more versions of Let It Rock.... so tasty. And Cumberland Blues, which is THE song that sucked me into this Dead Life; I haven't heard one that tops this version.

I'm numb with Numb....

....agreed on both counts. Top 5 Dave's for sure, maybe top 3. Cumberland from E72 is what got me on the bus as well, and this version is also Top 5 I've heard, maybe Top 3.
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-06-23.mtx.seamons.105983.flac16/gd74…
....for those who haven't got it yet, and don't mind cheating, take a gander!
Bonus disc tonight.

The goddamn Grateful Dead

I can't stay here much longer, Melinda
The sun is getting high

Dark Star jam working on 2-3rd listening....blah blah i know bigger things right now but missing some Stanley Cup Playoffs...last five pretty much Dead with this and tons of May shows 5/5/77 New Haven kicked off light box

Sixtus

My Dap has stalled at Shrewsbury USPS since may 1st.. I'm not really worried yet. Mabey a little. I have been spinning giants box today.

Dave's Picks 34

This one is definitely a winner! Ok, it's time to release the October 74 Winterland shows as a complete box set, probably have videos to go along with it!

It's Agreed Then

The Grateful Goddamned Dead.

Too funny.. one of the releases I was most excited for and the mail is all over the place. I can't get a good read on where mine is, where it's going and when it will get here. It puts things in perspective though.. our good friends across the pond and around the globe go through this every time.

I think we can chill out a little and just take this one. We've been waiting 46 years for this, what's another week.

If I had to guess, I expect mail innovations is at least a partial contributor to the schizophrenic deliver this time. Well, mail innovations combined with a peak period in covid19 destruction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H1lcubN0oE

Be safe all.. taking some creative liberties with a Jimmy Martin tune.. be thankful you're living, drink up and stay home.

Thanks for all the responses

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who weighed in on the mailing snafu... I thought I was 1 in a million but having read that many others are going through the same weirdness, I feel a bit better. Not that I'm happy that others are stalled out as well, but... I guess it feels better to know that I'm not the only one? Like, maybe this is an issue that will work itself out, given the odd circumstances we're all living under these days.

Perspective helps, as they say.

Also, thanks to the kind folks who sent me PMs.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled... err... June box, I guess? And keep washing your hands, everybody...

Forensic Photos

I like hearing the perspectives of the folks who don't post much. I see people with accounts opened years ago I've never heard of, and with good food for thought. Keep postin'

It is a fact that I can't remember these numbered volumes and dates on most of these releases. Sure I know 5/2/70 is DP 8 / Harpur College; 5/8/77 is The Monster at Barton Hall from GSTL; 8/13/75 is One From the Vault. Those big shows are easy enough; but more times than not I need a title, and the title hast to come from something significant about the show or album cover artwork: Skeleton Skaters; Scooby Doo House; Opium at the Orpheum; Return to Normal with the Grateful Dead, and so on and so on.

After reading Doc's name in lights in the DaP 34 booklet, I have the just exactly perfect title: "Forensic Photos"

Drink Up and Go Home

Great tune, I saw Garcia and Grisman play it at the Warfield Theatre. Great version on the Good Ole Boys cd.

Jam > Ship Of Fools

I love the Jam into Ship Of Fools to kick off the second set. I also love the US Blues Jam out of Spanish Jam.
Dicks Picks 12 — 6/28/74 Boston has a spectacular US Blues Jam out of a Weather Report Suite and a Mind Left Body Jam.
Clearly the band was playing at a very high level IMO

Am I the only one...

...for whom USPS shows a status of "USPS Currently Awaiting Package"?

No Ben

A number of us have gotten the "awaiting" message and then it just shows up at the door. I got one and mine still said awaiting even after delivery the other day. I'd like to say it's the pandemic but it's not, there a monkey driving this locomotive and some times he jumps the track...

Thanks, Dire

Appreciate the response!

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