Grateful Dead

Once every couple years, I go on a binge of 66 dead.

Started this go round with CM's new 11-29-66 transfer, then led into the live side of Birth of the Dead and finally into the bonus disc with the first album reissue of 7-29/30-66.

I always forget how much fun this music is. Yeah, it's a little dated but the boys are clearing enjoying it. Favorite this go round was Hey Little One where Jer's singing his heart out. This whole period is just a delightful blend of surfer/psychedelic/garage band thrills.

Anyone else go back this far in their listening?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHST2-bR8X0. Killer version! Box set 2021 please. 4/4, 5, & 6/69. I have my credit card ready to buy two copies, one for me and one for my brother, thanks Dave!

Jerry covered Dorsey Burnette twice; the aforementioned Hey Little One with the GD, and this unreleased(at the time) Gospel gem from the JGB's Cats Under the Stars sessions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTeg92yQn3I

50 years ago today……

April 13, 1971
Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania

Set 1: Casey Jones-Mama Tried-Loser-Big Boss Man-Me And Bobby McGee-Bertha-Cumberland Blues-Big Railroad Blues-Playing In The Band-Hard To Handle-Sugar Magnolia

Set 2: Truckin'>drums>Good Lovin'-Second That Emotion-Greatest Story Ever Told>Johnny B. Goode

Encore: Uncle John's Band

After the thunderous Pittsburgh show, lightning strikes in Scranton.

It’s tough being sandwiched between Pittsburgh and Lewisburg. Nothing fancy here, just good old rock & roll Grateful Dead. Solid first set, short second set. Hot Hard To Handle. Nice---and rare---Second That Emotion. Here, Good Lovin’ serves as the jam tune. Is that so bad?

Certainly worth checking out if for no other reason than the thunderous, bone crunching, lightning-in-a-bottle, coming apart at the seams, triple headed Hard To Handle jam-battle……

As the man said, kick out that politic bullshit!!

Rock on!!

Doc
I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismograph

Lebowski -yes, I still like listening to the few shows I have from 1966. Great energy and range of material. Both Vintage and Historic Dead are still on my rota, as are the Vancouver shows mentioned, that were included with the First album a couple of years back.
Rare Cuts and Oddities was the last one I got. Interesting that it includes several cover versions that were dropped for a few years as the band developed their own material, and then brought back when they reverted to a more traditional, roots style of playing from mid 1969 onwards.

A grateful year in my mind, the birth of the dead!
I to have all the official releases thru the Grateful Dead releases and a few more a friend was able to put down on CD for me to enjoy the musical Odyssey! Love 1966 ‘Rare cuts and oddities’ is Primo! Love !
Have a grateful day everyone, be safe be kind & keep on Truck’n my sisters and brothers! 🙏

Let's have a Dave's Pick with full ~90 minutes of 18 March 1967, plus another '66-'67 show or useable portion.

If Dave can put out a wanky cassette version of his first show -- embarrassingly, the vault keeper's first was in '87 -- then shouldn't he indulge US with a few hours of the craziest, earliest music?

Cheers from All-Vaxxed-Up-and-Nowhere-to-Go Enterprises...

hendrixfreak - Love ya, we're all tight here, but gotta issue a yellow card for douchiest comment I've read in a long time: "embarrassingly, the vault keeper's first was in '87"....

Get over yourself and save the "Dead-er than thou" BS for another chat board. That doesn't flush here.

Let's all just chalk that up to Ambien and move on.... ;)

This is pretty freakin cool:

https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/music/grateful-dead-wall-sound-s…

Be Well People!
Sixtus

Love the garage Dead of '66 and early '67.

IMHO Monterey Pop '67 had an influence on the band, and they went tripping furthur than anyone after that experience and turned into a raging psychedelic beast.

But maybe that's what happens when you're sandwich'd between The Who & Jimi Hendrix playing two of the most legendary sets of their careers & their major debuts in America?

Anyhoo... '66 rips.
Speaking of '66 anybody else grok on the Deadcast last week?
Awesome!

And... like my first show was in '86 and I'm hardcore ;)

👎

1986 wasn't that bad OB ;)

Hey Thin, I'll take douciest (is that a word?) comment of the ... did I get "of the year"? You made me laugh. Thank you. And I know you didn't intend to entertain me, but that's the advantage of being me.

I must have hit a sore spot for ya. How much of the GD's touring career did you miss? Is that why you take Ambien?

Yeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd welcome a release of 18th March 1967 with supporting music from 1966-67 with open ears. As for the 87 Dave's Picks - it arrived here shortly after it was released, and I still haven't got through it all. I managed two and a half cds, but it was hard going!

Wasn’t referring to 86, ...or 66,....just negativity...
Speaking of 86 though...Finally went through my spring 86 shows on YouTube, sorta lol, dozed off a couple times trying to do late night sessions...Liked the 19th probably the best of Hampton, though I “missed” a good chunk of the 21st. It seemed decent?
20th gets all the noise, but besides the Box O, thought the overall was so so.
The Rectum surprised me in that I think the shows overall were better than Hampton? Really dug both the 23 & 24! Believe the 23 was the night there was pro wrestling early, so the show started late and went until well after midnight. Still haven’t been able to confirm? Might of been 87 but I don’t think so? Interesting scene though with them coming out while we were waiting to get in...

I have this heavy fog memory of Pro Wrestling / Grateful Dead sharing a parking lot or in close proximity or the next night, night before, earlier in the day, over the weekend where stragglers that were too messed up to leave ended up in the GD/Shakedown parking lot or something.. and I am quite sure I made the '86 Hampton run. We are going to have to get to the bottom of that. Bueller?

I wonder what became of the pro wrestling fans that stuck around and accidentally got dosed. There had to have been one or two or five of them.... what a thought.

Good memory Oroborous. I can't help but think we bumped into each other at a venue or two. There is good overlap on the shows we saw from that period.

Listening to that Supplication Jam > Let It Grow from Hampton '86 for the first time, since.. well, 3/21/86. I really love that they brought that back even though sans Lazy Lightning. Juicy.... ..Really good later era stuff. Don't tell this town (band) ain't got no heart...

I’m positive it was the Spectrum and that it was 86 or 87, but not sure which year?
I’m pretty sure it was 86 partially cause they Played Midnight hour encore that year and it would of been well past midnight...
It was also sort of a short show which would of made sense. The Dew outta space was the last song and was killer!
Folks were saying they did the dew ending because the US bombed Libya that night, but I don’t think that’s accurate? According to Wikipedia, that happened earlier...I think it was just because it was so late...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_United_States_bombing_of_Libya

As we were waiting outside to be let in, I remember folks doing unmentionable things to the Rocky Statue out front lol.
I vaguely remember the looks on the faces of the wrestling crowd as they exited and had to make their way through the throng of aaaa, “over prepared” lol Dead heads who were getting antsy to say the least!
I think we were all pretty well behaved and mostly respectful to them...they on the other hand looked startled? Surprised for sure, and many seemed concerned if not out right scarred lol.
In there defense, it was mostly fathers with their kids etc, so if you weren’t aware of the situation and walked out into that culture shock...well, I’d probably have been concerned too lol...fortunately, like Pig before us onward, we just look scary!
Anyway, it was yet another fun unusual occurrence care of the GOGD that ill (somewhat ;) always remember, just wish I knew which show for sure. Can’t believe no one else has ever brought that show up or seems to remember? Of course if I could remember who I was with I could ask them lol!

EDIT: Ha!, who needs McGruff? Lol...finally found some corroborating evidence, it was 86!
Mind like a melting, dripping, hallucinating steel trap!

https://www.google.com/search?q=philadelphia+3/24/1986&client=safari&hl…

I read Spectrum, and 1986 Libya bombing, and I can tell you that's what was on the news when my brother, cousin, and I came home home from my first Rush concert, Power Windows Tour, April 14, 1986. That's all I've read of your post so far, but thought it was funny.

I wasn't at the Spectrum that year. mmm.. that did jar a memory loose though. I guess it's not that uncommon to have parking lots that share crowds and venues that multi task. ..but a bridge too far, I was not at the spectrum on or near 84 through 87.

What a great box set idea, if there were enough '74 shows left to warrant a box set. Package it in a Wall Of Sound Replica, maybe made out of titanium or at least die-cast metal. Maybe just start remastering all of the old Dick's Picks from '74 that don't sound quite as snappy as, say 30 Trips or Jai-lai (did I get that right?) Or the awesome sounding PNW '74 shows. Just, just a boatload full of those shows in a Wall of Sound box package made out of that new magnesium compound the Chinese developed. And throw in Chicago 7/25 so we have that final Dark Star. Someone get Rhino, Pinkus, and Lemeux on the line; tell them there's business to discuss, by oder of the Peaky Blinders!

To your point, there was always a shot that a Phillies game was letting out the same night as any during concert season. They certainly didn't plan around it, and it sounds like you're familiar with Philly - the Vet and the Spectrum were right across the street from each other, so coming and going could be a real mess since we we were all pretty much driving the same direction. That led to a lot of post-show balloons while waiting for the lots to clear out (that was my excuse anyway). Will never forget grabbing a day-of ticket to the Stones on the Bridges to Babylon Tour. Baloons and beer before tailgating with some new friends, great seat for the show next to the stranger guy who sold his ticket to me over the internet (his buddy bailed last minute and he had an extra ticket and extra joints). Great show, but I only recall Crazy Mama. More balloons in the parking lot after the show, and the a long wait in the line for the bridge. And then the queasy feeling. And then the realization that the stop and go traffic was due to a cop directing cars onto the Walt Whitman Bridge. And the awful luck of being first in line when he next raised his hand to gesture cars to stop. The realization that I WAS going to chuck my cookies before it was my turn to go, and that this man was 10 yards from me. I grasped for a half-full Burger King cup in the drink holder and was resigned to spending the night in the tank, but he somehow was looking at the other traffic he was waving in when the time came for me to chuck said cookies. Made a mess of myself but made eye contact when it was my turn and saluted him as I drove by and made my way to the bridge.

Every basement needs a 1/6th scale, fully functional Wall of Sound. I saw that too.. but it took Sixtus to post it. Good job.

Scratch that.. you really need two. A 1/6 scale in the basement and a 1/3 scale in the back yard. Like a 2 car garage, we need a 2 Wall of Sound house. ...and just imagine if two or three deadheads lived on the same block.

Ha.. nice story KF. Way to keep it together under duress. It's good to see highly skilled partiers practicing their craft. I think we all have our burger king cup story to tell.

50 years ago today…..

April 14, 1971
Davis Gym, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Set 1: Truckin'-Deal-Me & Bobbie McGee-Next Time You See Me-Bertha-Playing In The Band-Sing Me Back Home-Me & My Uncle-China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider-I Second That Emotion-Casey Jones

Set 2 Bird Song-Sugar Magnolia-Cryptical Envelopment > drums> The Other One > Wharf Rat-Hard to Handle-Not Fade Away> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad> Not Fade Away> Johnny B. Goode

“In their penultimate Pennsylvania performance, the Grateful Dead…….”

A powerful and deep show, wonderfully designed and perfectly executed by the Dead, crackling with energy, a supernova of a show that blows away almost everything else played that month. How did they do it? Did they all drop acid? I’ll even ignore the fact that there are only two Pigpen tunes. The band is on fire, every tune here works, cosmic reflections of all that was good and pure about the Dead’s music that month. Rocking all over the place, with wonderful slices of country, soul and psychedelia, on this night everything the Dead touches turns to gold and pure bliss. Somehow, some way, on April 14 1971, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the Dead played a show for the ages………

Rock on!!!

Doc
Music is truly love itself, the purest, most ethereal language of the emotions, embodying all their changing colors in every variety of shading and nuance…..

Doc, today's -71'er looks pretty interesting. I will take a dive. A second set kickoff with an early Bird Song? Yes please.

Speaking of Fourteens, lest we not forget the mammoth from Europe '72 that was on this date. Perhaps the most explosive Dark Star of the lot (at least this was my recollection when I did a full E'72 DS Review a few years back). The show is impeccable with many many fine moments:

https://archive.org/details/gd1972-04-14.sbd.miller.34552.sbeok.flac16

All these stories about wraaaaaaslin' & GD sharing moments is gold!
I said pure GOLD, JERRY!

And Jimmy - fully agree, mine and all of ours should be 'Two-Wall-Of-Sound-Homes'. And maybe a third that is outside in the yard, as a playset for the kids. Monkey bars aka Phil's sky-high scaffolding. Press the 'Phil Bomb' button and the whole set shakes like an earthquake, the goal to hold on kinda like a buckin' bronco.

Be Well People!
Sixtus

..and to our good Doctor, I have been pretty good at taking the '71 plunge so far, I had not listened to many of these April shows before. In light of recent glowing praise for this date in GD History, I set the wayback for 4/14/71.

Also.. as documented in the amateur malingerer's handbook, April 14th is national leave two hours early from work for a fictitious dental emergency day. It's a twofer for fun day, it is written in the stars.

Pfizer.
Where do they get it?
On the mountain.
Pfizer. Pfizer on the mountain.

KEITHFAN: when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro! And you tried at least to follow the number one rule of partying: No Shooting without a cooler!
FYI, that Philly 3/24/86 is a real doozy if you like 86!

VAXED: just got dose dos, not on a mountain but a pretty sick view of one while we waited ; )
Guy came to the car to check on us and asked how we were feeling etc, couldn’t help myself so said great, but how long do these hallucinations last? He says, “well I’m not sure what you took this morning”...I had to tell him I was kidding, yeesh.

71 Pepsi challenge: I’ve hit everything since 3/24 Winterland so far. All were decent, really liked 3/24, 4/6, 4/8.
Some sound really good considering, others not so much, of course many suffer from splices, but that’s to be expected.
Only complaint could be repetitiveness, but that’s understandable also as they were obviously trying to get a good take of the new stuff for the album...just not sure I’m going to be able to hit em all because of it!
But I want to try so I can check that tour off the list. I find you have to really get em all in order to fully comprehend the progressions...
Thanks to Doc for the direction, and the awesome 71 bible. You really should make an actual book! People have done other years so why not 71! I’m sure if you had the time/resources you could do a “professional” job! I’d buy it!
On to 4/14 today, so psyched by your description...bummed though that there’s no Dark Star as my Deadbase said there was so I got extra excited. Sure it will be great without! Thanks Again!

WALL OF SOUND: I already have 2! LOL. And I can get it loud enough that you don’t need one outside ; )
Cost more than children but worth every penny lol. AND, just received RT 2.3 so think there might be some 74 madness in my future...

I have heard Beatles fan prefer Lady Maderna.

"...couldn’t help myself so said great, but how long do these hallucinations last?"

Now that's the funniest thing I have heard all week. Made my day.

50 years ago today……

April 15, 1971
David Mead Field House, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania

Set 1: Beat It On Down The Line-Loser-Big Boss Man-El Paso-Deal-Playing In The Band-Bertha-Good Lovin'

Set 2: China Cat Sunflower >I Know You Rider-Me And My Uncle-Next Time You See Me-Sugar Magnolia false start/technical problems-Sugar Magnolia-I Second That Emotion-Truckin' >Not Fade Away >Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad >Not Fade Away-Casey Jones

Encore: Greatest Story Ever Told >Johnny B. Goode

After the otherworldly Lewisburg show, the Dead come back down to earth, if only slightly. OK yes, no “big jam”, let’s get over that and savor what’s here. Which is, a rockin’ good show, decent dose of Pigpen, another Good Lovin’ first set closer, a rockin’ end to the second set, and a rare two song encore. What’s not to like about that?

There is some confusion regarding the exact set list for this show. This one is from jerrygarcia.com. The commonly circulating soundboard tape is missing Beat It On Down The Line (if it truly opened the show that would be very unusual for that time period), Loser, China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider, and Me and My Uncle. The SetList Program (www.setlists.net) lists a Midnight Hour encore---which would have been very rare.

It is unclear from circulating recordings if Next Time You See Me led off the second set. If so, that would be very unusual positioning for that song. It probably didn’t---the set list from jerrygarcia.com seems very likely.

In an era where there were many shows without an encore at all, here the crowd is treated to a very rare two song encore.

Attendees at this show almost uniformly describe a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere at the show.

So, perhaps incomplete, but still worth a listen!

Rock on!

Doc
The college graduate is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness…….

My favorite show from the big box.

You had me at College is a refuge...

I'll be honest.. after yesterday, I am glad this is a short show. ..but a quick palate cleanse, and I will be back for more.

I am behind a couple shows and some of the listens have not been as focused as they could have been, but I have kept up with the smokers. Thanks for the play by play doc.. I don't know how the boys pulled of parts of this April run. Clearly they did not sleep a lot and somehow kept the energy level pretty high. I get the feeling they were perhaps doing less psychedelics and were a little more focused on the new arrangements and band symmetry, polishing up the new material and every now and then scratching their heads trying to figuring out what town they were in. For the most part, their own brew of straight forward rock and roll.

P.S. we need a new release. Fall '73 is ok with me. Groovy tunes to transition from cold to warm..... 4.15.70 is truly special. I wish they kept It's a Man's, Man's World in the lineup longer.

...I’m pretty disappointed well really shocked that theres not much talk of Love concerning the Next RSD 1972 Europe concert performance release nor the 30th Jerry Garcia band anniversary celebration with a primo release in my minds rye! I used to play the cassette tapes per and over until they were washed away on freedoms shore! ;)
When both releases were announced to the public I was floating on cloud 9! I don’t mind having to flip LPs to enjoy a full performance but I take it for what it’s worth, in excellency is Primo Audio Quality stamped with the Dead’s Logo , that’s all I need to jump up and down like a child in a candy store , I’ll take All the licorice you have!!! All of it please!
What’s everyone’s thoughts on the concert section picked from the 72’ Boxset tour?!
I bet there a plethora of thoughts and opinions, let’s hear it folks! I really interested in this selection from the entire tour! How about you & all the other freaks & deadheads here on our board...
Well, take care folks , be safe be kind and just a heads up, check back here next Thursday, or was it Tuesday? I’ll get back to everyone in that note in a few...sorry it slipped my mind , have a grateful evening my brother and sisters, peace be with you all! There’s Nothen like a dead concert , closest we have lay on tapes & films, it’s time to open the vault doors once again to set sail on the Dead’s Grateful Golden Ark, all aboard ! Let it grow ! Ciao folks! 🙏❤️💀🌹

Fantastic pedal steel player and all-around musician. Playing some Poco tonight.

Rip in the most grateful concert in the sky!

....guys and gals. That band has been of my radar. Since forever. I think I know two songs by them.
Been enjoying some String Cheese tonight and there was an Incident.
It involved cheese 🧀
Make up homework is needed.

Got my first Covid shot today. I know you folks will think I'm pulling your legs, but this really happened.
Turned the corner to PNC Center where the shots were being administered and flipped radio stations. Local radio,THAT STATION, is playing Touch Of Grey......right at the "we will get by...we will survive" high point.
The first time in a long time now that it felt like some of the pieces are coming together.
Be good out there folks. Continue to do the right things.
:O)

Congrats JRF

I have spent the last few years touring entire northeast with our daughter, looking at colleges. We visited most of the campuses the band played in 1971 (and 1970). Two things always fascinated me. First, that the band played all these small venues night after night. Two, they played some pretty high profile colleges. Not sure if the latter was intentional or not, but I assume it was.

I enjoy reading the historical reviews from the campus newspapers. My favorite quote was from Garcia when he quipped, "Great. Another gymnasium."

I did the anniversary run from E72 last year. No need to do it again. 4/8, 5/3 and 5/26 still remain as my top three.

But, yes. That 4/14 Dark Star is a monster and puts that show right up there.

Congrats to all those who've gotten their arm's stuck.

....because Shaggy's joints don't always turn out good, but Scooby's doobies do.

There's always been a hippie vibe to Shaggy and Scooby.. and it's no secret that Velma used to cook with Owsley in between mysteries.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/scooby-doo-is-50-yes-it-really-was-a…

I love this one too.

https://www.amazon.com/Blotter-Art-Psychedelic-Perforated-Protective/dp…

One other add.. it's well documented that the Doobie Brothers got their name from, well.. the slang word for and hand roll. It's quite possible the creators named Scooby because it rhymed and they could put that word in his infamous moniker. It was the 60's after all... Who wears as ascot anyway, unless you going through TSA or a border crossing carrying. Just saying.. oh, and when I was a kid, I loved Scooby Doo, HR Puf'nStuff, Hanna-Barbera and Signumd and the Sea Monsters. Vegout Saturday morning was a weekly ritual.

Poco's first 6 albums are all well worth checking out. Their 3rd, the live album "Deliverin'" is a classic, and certainly deserves an "expanded" re-issue. They also have a 2-cd compilation called "The Forgotten Trail", that is pretty extensive, if you don't want to dig through the entire catalog. I'll be digging in tonight.

Music is the Best!!

https://youtu.be/5qUVeY3FTk0
....I agree. Bird Song cover with a harp.
Outstanding!!

What’s in those Scooby snacks?

I used to have the stoned Fred Flintstone t-shirt “Yaba daba doobie!”

Baby Bolos, the team keeps getting bigger.
Congrats.

“I think therefore I am” Descartes

“To be or not to be” Shakespeare

“Doobie doobie do” Sinatra

50 years ago today…………….

April 17, 1971
Dillon Gym, Princeton University, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Set 1: Truckin'-Big Railroad Blues-Big Boss Man-Bird Song-Playing in the Band-Hard To Handle-Loser-Mama Tried-Casey Jones-Sugar Magnolia

Set 2: Good Lovin'-Me and Bobby McGee-Deal-Beat It On Down the Line-I'm A King Bee-Bertha-Sing Me Back Home-Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad >jam >Turn On Your Lovelight

Back in the early days of cassettes tape trading, this was one of the few commonly traded and available April 1971 shows, and reached mythic status based on the extended Pigpen raps during Good Lovin’ and Lovelight. For the second show in a row, it sounds like an equipment problem caused a Sugar Magnolia “false start”. Interesting and rare position for Good Lovin’ in 1971, leading off the second set. This occurred only three times in 1971: 4/17, 4/24, 12/10. The “jam” between GDTRFB and Lovelight is really just riffing on the GDTRFB “outro jam” motif.

Can one safely critique a venerable classic without having to run for cover? LOL I have no idea. In any case, get ready for THE Pigpen show. Yes, Mr. Pen dominates, especially on Good Lovin’ and Lovelight, where he lays down classic raps while the boys in the band back him up ably with wonderful psychedelic snake music. And the “smaller” Pig numbers work as well, particularly the rare and finely performed King Bee and the typically hard rockin’ April 71 Hard To Handle. Throw in a wonderful Bird Song, heartfelt Sing Me Back Home, and the other usual rock and roll and country/western suspects, and there you have it----super solid show. Maybe not the classic it was once considered to be (hey, can I safely say that?), but still highly recommended………………….

Rock on!!!!

Doc
Classics are constantly being re-imagined and transformed, and the originals are none the worse for it; they endure……

Wow, that was awesome. Led me to check out more...didn’t know she played with Bob...leave it to Vguy to dig up yet another nugget of goodness off the beaten path!
I think I’m in love ; )

I'm taking Harp lessons now.

Congrats JRF, and I totally believe you... That kind of thing happens around the Dead a lot...love it. I'm eligible here in Mass in like two days. I need miracle.

Vguy, thanks for posting that link. I played it without checking the length of the video, at about 5 minutes in, I checked it...and couldn’t turn it off!! Oro, I agree, I definitely had an imaginary 19 minute relationship!! The jam was truly Dead worthy. I hope they come east.