• 1,823 replies
    heatherlew
    Default Avatar
    Joined:

    RFK Stadium 1989 Box

    LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • MidwayKid
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    JFJ Easy Pro CD Cleaning Machine
    Does anyone own or have used a JFJ Easy Pro CD Machine. That they use on their CD collection. If so I would be interested in any opinions. To remove scratches and such. Thanks.
  • NCDead
    Joined:
    Digital download
    I would be shocked if the digital download was that much discounted based on how they have done all the other digital downloads of boxes. They are usually right about the same place as the CD version. Correction i was thinking of CD vs Hi-def downloads looks like GSTL is about $40 less for standard apple lossless.
  • wadeocu
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    5795 left
    That's 131 sold in the last 2 some odd days. 10 copies of the Red Rocks box sold in the last 2 days. I think these sales figures are opposite of the life/toilet paper roll analogy - the closer to the end, the slower it goes.
  • Sixtus_
    Joined:
    June '76
    I love me some '76 as well. I always take an opportunity to share this one if this topic comes up....at a minimum check out that second set...blistering. The Eyes is probably my all time favorite with a six minute+ (!) intro: https://archive.org/details/gd76-06-11.sbd.jmason.7824.sbeok.shnf Rock it! Seventy-Sixtus
  • bliss
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    limited
    my guess is that it will be limited edition based on pre-orders and a bit of inventory upon the release date. with 2000 copies left of the 78 box (a great box!), they're aiming to avoid the costs of inventory sitting on the shelf. i think that 78 box faced a tough sell coming after the 50th - so much great music was released that there's a legit case for many to think, "well, how much more Dead do i need?"
  • MinasMorgul
    Joined:
    Roguedeadguy Spirit Of '76
    Also dig that '76 sound, although the official releases are real hit or miss for me. I love RT 4.5, Cow Palace, and DaP 18, but can't get into DaP 4, DP 20, or 30 Trips. DP 33, I really go for the 10/9 show with Franklin's Tower (one of the best), but not so much for the 10/10 show. DL Series is about halfway between, definitely some great moments on it (Crazy Fingers, U.S Blues, Mission in the Rain). I
  • Roguedeadguy
    Joined:
    Re: Midnight Cafe
    I see the fever is catching. I've been following him for awhile now, and filled up an entire 128GB memory card without really trying. In fact, I'm pretty sure I learned about it from one of these threads. "It was you, alright! I learned it by watching you!" (Free download at the midnight cafe for anyone who remembers that commerical.) One thing I will mention. Awhile ago he reluctantly set up a facility for donations on the page. Amazon recently jacked up their rates for cloud storage, and he has something like 4TB out on his drive. He was contemplating dropping some stuff to put him in a lower price tier, but got enough donations to keep it all for the time being. So consider that if you're enjoying the site amd using it a lot. Been on a Summer of 76 kick for most of this summer of 17. Starting with RT 4.5 from Boston, download series 4, a great run from Chicago at the end of June (all of them acquired from the midnight cafe), then I jumped ahead to the Orpheum run. Haven't gotten to 7-18 yet, but its locked amd loaded. I really like that easy, loping 76 vibe, it just says summertime to me.
  • jrf68@hotmail.com
    Joined:
    Tampa '95
    Yup. Eyes-> 16:07 Saint 7:32 Eye's starts off a little clunky but gets goin' real good pretty quick... get some :)
  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    themidnightcafe.com....
    ....bookmarked that site quick like
  • jrf68@hotmail.com
    Joined:
    Yup. The man ain't kidding....
    Just downloaded a speaking engagement from Hunter S. Thompson in '77.goldmine indeed Thanks David! :)
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

8 years 1 month

RFK Stadium 1989 Box

LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

user picture

Member for

6 years 8 months
Permalink

Dear "All the Madmen", Your review pushed me over the edge. Thank you! I've listed through these shows three times now. Very strong performance. For example, I don't remember the boys ever stretching out Minglewood. In this first set standard, you get a good Brent, Bobby and Jerry solo.
user picture

Member for

6 years 9 months
Permalink

I like this one too. But it's far from the best the band has ever been. It's close to the best they've been in the 80s, but I would give 1980 that accolade. In 1980 Brent had been with the band long enough to play relaxed and creatively. His keyboards also sounded better than EVER in 1980, IMHO. The Hammond B3 and the Moog / Mini-Moog he used at times (Feel Like a Stranger) were all he should ever have used, except for a real piano, which I'm not sure Jerry and Phil and Bob ever allowed (I can't think of any acoustic piano tours for Mydland, but someone point me to it if it exists). Jerry's voice also sounded better in 1980. Much better. That's not to say 1989 wasn't a watermark year for the 80s Dead, I saw them 5 times and loved every show. But there are some drawbacks other than Jerry's voice (and let me be clear, he SANG very well in '89 - it's just that his voice wasn't as good, I'm sure due to his lifestyle habits, but just being on the level about things). The biggest issue with '89 is Brent's keyboard sounds and vocals. I won't go into too much detail about the keyboards - "plinky" should cover it (we all know what that means). And I've never been a fan of his backing vocals. He's good enough on Blow Away, but that's not on this one. But by '89 he sticks out like a sore thumb trying to harmonize on anything. He was discreet enough in 1980 and didn't have the total Brian Johnson gravel filled texture that he had in '89. When I hear him on Eyes of the World, Wharf Rat, Cold Rain, and Mississippi Half Step, I hear a drunk at the back of the bar doing karaoke with the jukebox. Like his keyboards, his voice doesn't blend in, it jumps out (sort of like one of those Halloween decorations that jump out and spook you when you walk by). I'm in no way saying don't buy this - it's a fine representation from their late 80s comeback, but no match for the early days, and not on par with Buffalo or Philly (saw them both - YES!!!)
user picture

Member for

7 years 9 months
Permalink

You are spot on with your Brent observations. He was better early, before he grew confident enough to just blow his load all over everything. The Brian Johnson/drunk at the back of the bar analogies are brilliant. Could not have said it better. \m/
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

7 years
Permalink

Could not disagree more. But hey, to each his own. I'll (sort of) leave it at that. For what's it's worth Bobby's said this was their hottest era (he was talking specifically about spring 90), but I know he's also mentioned summer 89 as being his favorite time in the band. Billy, too, mentions Brent in his auto biography- says (to paraphrase) that he never saw/heard anyone play the keys like Brent did that tour. Tragic passing, of course for many reasons. One being that he was really becoming a leader in the band; and by far was the best vocalist the band ever had (including Garcia and Weir- Jerry said so himself). (And...for what it's worth, I really love this set....)
user picture

Member for

11 years 3 months
Permalink

Half-Step !!! Sugaree !!!! Smokin hot Rainbow full of sound
user picture

Member for

13 years
Permalink

Have had my eye on this box (89 has long been one of my fav tours) since it was announced....discounted Christmas price clinched it...can't wait for delivery!

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

Its the way we speak. But like David Watts, in The Kinks song of the same name-I am a pure and noble breed.

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

Got this one just now. I just felt like I needed more 1989 in my life. Thanks to everybody that has made Grateful Dead possible.

user picture

Member for

17 years
Permalink

Is this sold out? I purchased on 12-22. My order is still pending. Please help.

My order for RFK 89 is still in pending mode. I ordered on 12-22. Is it sold out? I hope not because I need more 1989 in my life :)

user picture

Member for

4 years 6 months
Permalink

I ordered in May. It is on backorder. No one can tell me when it is due back in stock. Love the Dead But they leave a lot to be desired with their merchandising arm. How hard is it to put a banner across the web page with the product status?

user picture

Member for

10 years
Permalink

Sorry to say, but the problem is Dead.net itself. They take your money, and you are your own. No response to e-mail requests to Customer Nonservice, and phone calls promise to “escalate” your very important message to the Warehouse, which is double talk for “We will pitch your request in the garbage”. Too bad - a musical legend, that produces the sonic masterpieces it does, and it leaves Shipping and Customer Service in the hands of the Keystone Kops.

I wish you well, but welcome to the Matrix.

user picture

Member for

4 years 6 months
Permalink

I ordered this in Feb 2020. It is now the last day of August 2020 and I am still waiting. Last week they notified me it was in stock. 2 days later they said it shipped. Except the Tracking number they provided does not work. They have not replied to 2 requests for info. My Dave's Picks subscription takes 3-4 weeks to arrive. So I guess I will start looking at the end of September. BTW when I ordered it never mentioned that it was not in stock. It is too bad that the DEAD trust this Mickey Mouse operation. We deserve better. FYI there are many choices and bootlegs on Amazon with MUCH better service. Caveat Emptor.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

13 years

In reply to by Thetentman

Permalink

Try contacting Marye at the 'Got Issues With Your Store Order' forum; it's further down on the topics page. She might be able to help as she has in the past. I can understand your frustration. Also, remember the mail has been slooowed down. Good luck.

Hey noww i placed my order for the RFK 89 set on Saturday Nov 21 and received confirmation that it will ship with Ups (tracking # provided) today Wednesday Nov 25 2020. I was reluctant to order considering the comments about delays in receiving the goods, glad it seems they’re on it now. Nothin left to do but smile smile smile!!!!! Can’t wait to fire up and crack that baby open to relive the moments missed.

product sku
081227934118
Product Magento URL
https://store.dead.net/music/rfk-stadium-1989.html