Grateful Dead

If you didn’t know any songs at your first show, at least you knew “The Raven”.
It’s grate that you got to see that for your first.
Unless you thought that poetry during Space was normal and you were disappointed at your second show when there wasn’t any poetry.

My first show (4/19/82) had a stranger second set opener.

I had never seen the dead before, got tickets last minute and didn't really have a chance to check them out. I listened to Terrapin Station once in the car and knew of the studio versions of UJB and Casey Jones. I am not sure what I was expecting, perhaps aged hippies sitting on stools playing acoustic guitars.. As we were walking to our seats someone in a dark corner under a stairwell caught our attention so by timing it, for us that night meant 25 min before the first song give or take?? At the opening moments of the second set it kicked into high gear and a part of me wished I had taken one instead of two.

Good times, I had no idea what I was in store for.

At the suggestion of a few here I re-watched the making of Dark Side of the Moon last night while planning the next phase of my home project. Gilmour said something that took to me, something to the effect that he wished he could have listened to that album start to finish for the first time without knowing it. That sums up my first dead show, I saw a quite good show from start to finish fully on board, eyes swirling in the back of my head without any idea really what they were about. And that was it for me, they still fascinate me.. I thoroughly enjoyed Lakeland.

What's in store today? Hey.. did we do Gainesville yet, it's kissing cousin?

We used to have fun trying to guess when they’d start, rarely on time, so we could drop an hour before. That way its just coming on as the show starts, the first disorienting scary peak was around when they and the sound would start to really mesh near the peak at the end of the first, and the second bigger peak would be at start of second, with third and usually last big wave around space, Perhaps one more for the big finish.
Usually, as long as you guessed the start right, the rest would all line up..

EDIT: ooopps, and 11/28/80 was fine, need more time with that one too. So many great shows I barely know : (

Jim-curiously I had exactly the experience you are describing when I saw the Dead in London 10/3/81. Unexpectedly, someone in the crowd I had never seen before offered me a dose just before the first set. We pass this way but once...
And Stranger kicked off the second set.

Had a nice listen today. I like the song selection and the performance.

Funny.. as I was working and listening and the Feel Like a Stranger kicked off the second set, I had this thought about Stranger as a second set opener.. when the lights go down and the second set starts.. if you dosed, that's when it really starts kicking in and what a great song this is when that moment overtakes you.

I wondered how many people in the crowd had that feeling that night. ... then I read pretty much the same situation in Sam's recount of the show. You Know It's Gonna Get Stranger, So Let's Get on with the Show....

UNKLE SAM - Great story! I'm impressed with the details you recall. Did you take notes on that one? Curious if you're able to conjure all those memories or if you documented some of them to help keep them so fresh and vivid. So far you're spot on. That Jack Straw, Peggy-O are signaling a fun time ahead. Thanks for sharing man, I really enjoyed reading that. And Jerry just rips right in to his Rooster solo :)

This show is sounding sweet today. I really like the next 2 nights too and am thinking I need to re-visit 11/26 as well.
Nice pick!

Fun.

OB: I’d love to see if it’s possible to release 11/19, 22, 24, they’re all worthy, don’t think 11/26 is in Vault. That being said they all suffer from some unfortunate reel flips and not a lot, if any, patch options. Based on what has already been released I don’t see much happening on this front. But… the 3 shows mentioned are must haves for any worthy GD collection. And the boots we’ve got are good.

I need to go back and do all of October ’72 to really give an opinion on that month. 10/18 in particular is on my re-listen list. So.. basically blah blah blah, I love November ’72!

One show from this time period I’d really like to see released is 9/16/72 and I know it’s on Dave’s radar. The PITB is one of my all time faves and the Dark Star > Brokedown is essential listening. Great great show.

Too Much! Really, too much!

Wowsa, forgot how hot DPs 3 is! Not always a big 77 guy but this one and the Swing always hit me like Britney!
I’m sure I’m in the minority, but sometimes I kinda like the chopped Dicks (ooooopps, stepped in it that time lol)
Honestly, as the years continue I’m increasingly editing my picks down to the more meat & pertators. I guess it’s preferable to have the whole show and then edit to taste? But I don’t mind them so much as long as they are in order or keep the show flow somewhat. I never liked the cut ups ala burrows versions with only certain songs from different nights in weird trac orders...but yeah, I need to hear some of that again! Great Pick!

11/28/80 sounds good! I’ve been lingering on DaP 8 to compare that matrix with the newDaves after all the hoopla about it. It does sound good but so far I think 8 is a tad too dry while 36 is a tad too wet. But that’s me as I prefer a good matrix! So since I’m in that zone, and I haven’t spent much time with 11/28, hell I’ve still not listened to probably half of boxilla, Doooaaahh! So,
Onward!

Oh, Sammy, thanks for sharing!

Doodle oh (Arnold Horeshack) so looking for opions here, if we could only get a “smaller” Fall 72 box, what part would you choose now that several of you have taken that Pepsi challenge? Lazy minds wanna know!

Hey now everyone, as requested, here is a rundown on the 11-28-80 Lakeland Civic Center show.
It was a Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the boys had just done a show down in Pembroke Pines that we did not travel to, but we heard it was a scorcher. Having had Thrusday off for Thanksgiving I nor any of our party had to work that day and we left around noon for the hour and a half drive to the Center. We were looking forward to this show as we had traveled up to Atlanta back in April of this year to see the boys at the Fox Theatre, but that's another story.
It was a beautiful day, about 75 and sunny with a few clouds and a bit of a breeze. The traffic was constant but not heavy on the way west to Lakeland from Orlando.
My parents at the time lived in Lakeland and I knew the town pretty good so we slid into the Center from the back way down 33 off of I-4, which was a great way to get to the Civic Center, knida like the back door.
As we arrived we could see that it was not too crowded, there were heads here and there throwing frisbees and listening to music, but all in all for the early afternoon, not to crowded, yet. It did fill up later on but we liked to get to shows early so we could get good seats, and we had fine seats up off the floor on Jerry's side about half way back. I always brought my binoculars with us so we could get some good looks at the boys and the equipment.
Of course we came loaded for bear and had the usual paraphernalia with us, some good smoke, a wine sack full of sangria and tequila mixed the way the Spanish did it and of course some doses, Purple or Red dragons, can't remember the color now, but they were good.
As we enter the Arena about 6 or so we walked right in which was a bit strange because Lakeland had become the place where there was always a big heat presence at shows, especially Grateful Dead shows and when we didn't see but a couple cops, we were relieved and walked right in, no pat down or searches. {Turns out they were all inside dressed like heads, undercover).
The lights went down and we dropped the doses and they opened with Jack Straw which during the line we can share the women we can share the wine we broke out the wine sack that my buddy had smuggled into the place under his arm and slung over his shoulder and cover by his jean jacket. Sangria and tequila is quite a potent mix but it is also quite sweet, so down it went in no time. After Jack Straw came just one of the best Peggy-O's ever, Jerry's voice was pure butter and his playing was top notch. Then into little red rooster where Bobby again fucked up his slide work and it took Jerry stepping in to help out to finish the song. Jerry could play some slide, unlike Bobby, who kind of just raked it over the strings. Then Tennessee Jed, which the crowd got into, most of them being from the south and they could relate to this song, once again Jerry in fine form, punching out the vocals with great pronunciation. A good Jed for sure. A killer Passenger followed, with Phil just up and down the neck like he was playing a lead guitar, awesome. Then came Deep Elem Blues, a favorite of mine and done electrically, which was rare and quite good, Bobby in good form for this one and the next one which was Looks Like Rain, again done very well and the set ends with a smoking Deal, with Jerry tearing it up, a big star beside that one and a great set ender like it always was.
By this time the doses had taken hold and we were wasted, laid back in our seats and just toe tapping and smiling, good times for sure, the lights came up and we headed to the drink line and I went to the long bathroom line, standing there tripping was to say the least, weird, a lot of folks were off too, but some were screaming for doses and looked like they weren't having such a good time, I shied away from the rabble rousers and did what I came for and walked among the heads during intermission. That was fun, found a cool tee shirt that had a skull smoking a joint and "on the road again" under the skull, a cool shirt with the only color being the red dot on the end of the joint.
Back to my seat and the light went down and Jerry starts with this killer wah wah that leads into Feel like a Stranger, an excellent version, check it out if you have a copy of the show from the 30 trips box, it is trippy and different and very cool. The song ends the crowd goes crazy and then Jerry starts off To Lay me Down and the crown goes quiet, you could hear a pin drop as Jerry pours out his heart and soul into the song and his guitar work is out of this world. An awesome version of another tune that they had not done for quite a while. After that deafening applause comes Let it Grow into a fantastic Terrapin Station, wow, just...wow. The song continues into Drums and Mickey and Billy tear it up, lots of folks get up and head out but I loved the drums>space part of the show and I sat there mesmerized as the beast with 8 arms rears it head and performs it magic. The space is short but it goes into Not Fade away with Brent holding down the keys with some sustain and with that the tune slow forms and then burst out on us like an exploding sun, "I'm gonna tell you how it's gonna be....." everyone's up and rocking now. A beautiful Black Peter follows and once again Jerry's voice is like butter, loved this year with Jerry being on so many times. Sugar Magnolia takes us home with a U.S. Blues encore to send us out dancing. A great show and the exit was fun as the moo's coming from the crowd as we piled out making me laugh hard. Still tripping we sat in the parking lot smoking joints until we thought we could drive, and we did, all the way back to Orlando with three mile smiles on our faces.

I'm hip to some 1980 Dead, another trip back to Florida sounds fun.

That Slipknot! on 5/22/77 just kills me. So good, it's imprinted on my psyche. And hearing the "Inspiration" just come shining out of the fog, that's the stuff.

DV - I'd love some rereleases of the incomplete shows, but I think that type of reengineering effort is not top of mind. Rather we continue to go Further!

As a want to be archivist, I really appreciate Dave's approach of not releasing stuff unless they can do it right, which wouldn't of been possible without Dick's trailblazing efforts to begin releasing this material in the first place. Alas the 5/22/77 release was a gear in the cog to get where we are now. The new transfer has the reel flip in Eyes patched now. Aww.. the Dead Head freak nature of obsessing about minutia, I scoffed at it once and now it's a part of me.

Also, that Pink Floyd Dark Side doc was great! Thanks for the tip, I enjoyed that.

Bob T - Putting those Blue Suede Shoes back on and hitting the road again! December '73?
Feels like you'd have to kick it off with 11/30 for sure. Maybe I can get catch a ride and get some tickets at the shows? Boston could be Sold Out though from the looks of things... hmmm.

Ever heard the 11/28/73 Jerry & Mickey dated material from the Palace of Fine Arts? I was just looking at December '73 run and noticed it. Seastones performances with Phil & Ned, I might have to listen to that again. I think it circulates with Tarot outtakes. Some weird shit.

Okay now I'm ramblin'...
Lil surprised that the location I was looking for today on 30 DOTD wasn't listed. How can be?

Don't want to give away anything, but that should be corrected, but not if it means I got it wrong cause I chose the only other option. If you haven't given the track a spin, do! It's a freakin' epic version and it was off my radar.

Good stuff.

PS - UNKLE SAM - Got any 11/28/80 tripping stories?

Thanks man.. planing a big stack of rough cut cherry for indoor trim in the bathroom. Perfect wood making music for a mostly sunny Sunday.