What's Inside:
7 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 20 Discs
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/09/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/17/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/18/72
Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 10/19/72
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/29/73
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO 10/30/73
Sourced from tapes recorded by Rex Jackson, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and Kidd Candelario
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 13,000
Steamboats and BBQ, ice cream cones and Mardi Gras - are you ready to laissez les bons temps rouler with the "gateway" to the Grateful Dead? Meet us, won't you, in St. Louis for seven complete and previously unreleased Dead concerts that capture the heart of the band's affinity for the River City.
LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73 is a 20CD set featuring five shows from the Fox Theatre - December 9 and 10, 1971; October 17-19, 1972; and two from the Kiel Auditorium - October 29 and 30, 1973.
The seven shows in the collection span slightly less than two years, but they represent some of the best shows the Grateful Dead played during some of its peak tours. The music tells the story of a band evolving, changing from one sound to another seamlessly, precipitated – in large part – by significant personnel changes in the Dead’s lineup.
The two 1971 shows feature the original Grateful Dead lineup plus newcomer Keith Godchaux on piano. This version of the band would hold together for the next six months as the Dead embarked upon its Europe ’72 tour. By the time the Dead returned to the Fox Theatre less than a year later, they were without Pigpen, who’d played his final show with the Dead at the Hollywood Bowl on June 17, 1972. A year after the exceptional Fox 1972 shows, the Dead came back to St. Louis, but played the much larger Kiel Auditorium, touring behind the release of WAKE OF THE FLOOD, which came out just two weeks before.
All told, the band played 60 different songs during these shows highlighted by blazing romps through “Beat It On Down The Line” and “One More Saturday Night” and wistful takes on “Row Jimmy” and “Brokedown Palace” (whose lyrics give the collection its name). Meanwhile, the copious jamming ebbed and flowed like the mighty Mississippi River on multiple voyages through “The Other One” and “Dark Star.” Naturally, the band paid tribute to one of its favorite rock and rollers and one of St. Louis’ biggest stars by playing Chuck Berry songs at every show in the collection, including Pigpen galloping through “Run Rudolph Run.”
Each show has been restored and speed corrected using Plangent Processes with mastering by Jeffrey Norman. The collection comes in a slipcase with artwork by Liane Plant and features an 84-page hardbound book as well as other Dead surprises. To set the stage for the music, the liner notes provide several essays about the shows, including one by Sam Cutler, the band’s tour manager during that era, and another by Grateful Dead scholar Nicholas G. Meriwether, among others.
Due October 1st, LISTEN TO THE RIVER: ST. LOUIS ’71 ’72 ’73, is limited to 13,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net.
3/27/86
Caught both nights in Portland, both in Hartford and the middle night in Providence (the no encore show). Schoolin got in the way of the other nights. Saw lots of rare songs, but remember coming away somewhat unimpressed. Even more so after the summer tour.
First Shakedown of Series / Surprising Pick
I expected an '80s pick, but sort of figured '80/'81. That said, Dave's been leaning into '83/'84 and I'm looking forward to this one. Show immediately rang a bell - as I checked it out this past April - listening to the two Shakedown openers from 4/26 ('83 and '84). Actually dig the '84, more. Nevertheless!
Good Show
Just went through most of the Spring 83 tour recently, the rest I’d heard, including 4/12 and 4/15 live in the front row!
I’ve been partial to 4/12, and not just cause first time hanging with Lee Esdee at a show...; )
But 4/26 really surprised me, definitely one of the better shows of the tour!
Version I heard was a recent Healy mix that sounded good!
Very interested in how this one will sound?
Hopefully it will surprise some disappointed Heads...
This is a Nice Surprise
I've never heard this one. My plan is to avoid looking at the setlist and to just go at it not knowing what to expect. You know, kind of like going to the show. I mean, yeah, I checked my Deadbase, but I've already forgotten. What were we talking about?
de-cluttering
Hendrixfreak - surely you aren't getting rid of your guitars ! I think it was Billy Gibbons who said you can't have too many guitars or pairs of sunglasses. I sometimes think I could do with less bottlenecks - they are all over the place.
The presence of "Help-Slipknot-Franklins" is the biggest draw for me with Dave's 39. I've also never heard of the song "Maybe You Know". One of the most important songs in their entire canon, for all I know.
Dave's 39
I guess i shouldn't be surprised that it was an 80s pick (Dave has certainly been releasing a fair number of 80s shows over the last few years, including 3 of the last 5 picks i think).
I would like to call out that this represents yet another in a long line of Philadelphia shows that have been officially released. It's my hometown and the city where i've seen the most shows. They clearly loved playing here and the fans were always more than happy to match their energy. hope everyone is well
Just one, Daverock
I'm giving an old, not-very-good Alvarez to the local music school. Otherwise, the Strat, SG, '64 Gretsch, newish Guild Starfire, Martin D-35 (my baby), '75 Mossman, Taylor electric-acoustic and el-cheapo Martin (for backcountry) all remain in place.
The unsettling news: I did heave a box of GD cassettes, some 2nd gen auds. But I saved Aug. 13, 1979, and the tapes I made at the Rainbow Music Hall of two Jerry shows and one Roy Buchanan show, both circa 1981. And I threw out hundreds of my old "clips" from articles I wrote a zillion years ago.
There is a shred of glee in de-cluttering. Hope I don't get carried away any further from shore....
Oro
Based on your previous posts over the years, I estimate that we have been to at least 20+ of the same shows. Probably quite a few more than that.
4/15 was my first show up front. I know this is odd, but the thing I remember most was that by the third song, Garcia was sweating profusely. I recall thinking to myself, "Wow. This guy is really into the music."
And of course the Bob Star. Rochester seemed to bring out the crooner in Bob.
Bob Star
That reminds me, we were definitely between Phil and Bob as I remember vivdky looking up at him and wondering what the hell he was doing lol. Maybe you know was a bit of a head scratcher at the time too.
Many of those shows all rolll into one, but especially 82 and 83 Chrotchfester.
Lol about JG sweats. It’s funny what we do and don’t remember.
All our bodies piled up down there along with the lights make it pretty damn hot up there!
Re: Bob Star
What an odd little song. I caught one and have great memories but alas only audience recordings exist of that show.
I get the feeling a lot of us were at a lot of the same shows together. I did not make it in the NE often in 83 and 84 but gradually my territory expanded as the years went by. Lots of fun moving down memory lane, thanks for the stories guys.
Edit: I cannot seem to post shit today either. If I put two periods in a row it blocks me. Damned you Vladimir!!
Well, hot dang.
I was thinking it would be cool to receive DaP39 without knowing what was in the mailbox, but oh, well.
Looking through my notes, we have had no releases from the first half of 1983 (indeed, no releases from summer '82 through fall '83), and I LOVE the shows from Fall '83 (and the summer '82 releases are Grate!), so this should be dy-no-MITE!
Guess I had better finish up Vol. 38 today; just haven't had the time.
Now, maybe a 1991 two-fer for Vol. 40? Maybe 6/24-25/91? Then next year's box can be everything useable from 1967-1968.
Be kind, rewind.
Hendrixfreak clips
Who'd you write for back in the day, Hendrixfreak?
I did some clips / notebooks / tapes pruning about a year ago. Two months later, a documentary-maker reached out and asked if I had any of my old source material on one of the stories I'd covered for a year or so. :-/
Bob Star was one of the oddest songs they played....
....and that's saying a lot.
Rochester
I always liked seeing shows there. Even in the later years with the JGB.
My favorite was probably 85. Two short, but impactful shows. Not to mention I successfully hitchhiked from Burlington VT to Rochester on the day of the show. A feat still unmatched in my hitching lore. A 6 1/2 hour drive straight through.
By the way, I was the one in the tie-dye back in 83.
I thought that was you 😉
Yeah, good ole Chrotchfester, one of my all time favs. Place was pretty beat up but the layout was perfect.
Not too big, no seats behind the stage, always GA, and the band always played well there.
Saw 4.5 outta 6 up front, by the board for the rest...
The 85s were definitely the best of the 6 I saw there (80, 82, 83, 84, 85x2), and many of my older friends who were at 76 and 77 say those were the best shows they ever saw...my old buddy BOO469 has pretty wild up front stories from 77 I believe? I believe Mike Bellman, Wild Knights guitarist extraordinaire, always swore by the 76 show?
Yeah, those JGB shows were pretty hot too, both literally and figuratively as they were way oversold.
There’s a place out here in Broomfield that is a nice, new clean version of that type of hall that we saw a bunch of great Furthur shows back around 2011, 2012 etc, brought back sweet memories of Rochester. (Great shows too! I loved Furthur)
Ra cha cha, There’s a good box there, or the Great Dane, could be another cool multi year box.
I really like Giants Box partially because of that format and think I’m going to dig that aspect, among other things, about St Louey!
So many possibilities with that format...
Hang up there and shine
6 20 83
Oh how I wish that show could be released
My trip through 86 continues with 6 29 86.
Mississippi > Franklins > Dancin' should be a bundle of jamming and energy. But it's
On the day rio grandeo tower harvest wind summer's here
and thats that.
A few nice moments, but overall...very poor show. A "public rehearsal". We all know Garcia was approaching coma time. But wow...laaaaackluster.
Anyway....new Dave's on the way
Just a few more 86s....6 30 86, 7 2 86, 5 11 86. Then 12 15 86.
What if Jerry had been a fitness freak like Bobby...
6/20/83
summer after 10th grade, my 3rd show, "muddyweather 83", on the lawn in the squall, intense lightning, three short power outages with no lights or PA but the drummers kept going, an Other One tease after a brilliant he's gone which became truckin that prompted my dead mentor to shout "you idiot" at the band, then the Other One after space and bobby star rap, confusion during the encore cuz i wasnt familar with baby blue yet, a drive around the beltway twice looking for a room before returning to parking lot for the night, no sleep between that and 6/21/83, easily the most intense life changing experience ever
PF 86
I finally, recently hit up the 86 shows I was at, the “lost shows” as we were in too much of everything mode in those daze, or in this case shrooms. Think I like 3/19 and 3/24 best from the six we saw in spring?
6/29 was first time at Alpine, remember not much except the awesome scene/spot we had. (Near the trees in the adjacent field/lot).
Revisiting all these years later, I think the first night was good for the time, but didn’t think 6/29 was as good, though I don’t recall feeling quite as down on it as you. I’m sure bias probably applies...
6/30 back then, was a top fav. All these years later i still love it, but not sure I could give it top status?
7/2 I used to think was one of the worst shows we saw, but now it’s not so bad, listenable anyway. Think my experience there clouded my thoughts on that one. And 7/4/86 isnt quite as good as I remember, but it had some great moments and sure was a lot of fun!
I remember being worried though that I might run into my folks there as they were known from time to time to go to the stadium late, get in for free, head up to the cheap seats as far away from the animals as they could lol, and try and see what all this R&R fuss was about. I was so high in those days that would of been too weird...talk about the fear! Lol
Luckily that year they didn’t, but other times said they really enjoyed it, except ma freaked when some very congenial freak offered her “something” (she was too scarred to look!)
Pops used to smooze his way in all the time when we were younger and needed a ride, including our first Rochester speaking of...
He was a big Sugar Magnolia fan!
Can’t believe how much I miss them...
6 18 83 also would be a great release
On the telly last night there was a coiple episodes of a series on photography in rock. A few GD items showed, including a nice shot of Jerry, Phil, and Pete Townshend backstage at 10 9 or 10 76.
What Sorcery Is This??
I mentioned I received some email yesterday from “Dave’s Picks Priority Service”, and it asked if I had any questions (!!). I asked simply when my copy of 39 will be coming down the line, and they responded in approximately one hour!!! What black magic is this!? Usually, if they answered, it was ten days or more. The turnaround is impressive. Unfortunately, they didn’t exactly answer the question, more a form answer, but definitely some positive strides at trying to turn the Customer Service side of things around. Kudos, Dead.net
6/20/83
Perhaps my most fun GD show.. an amazing night, the light show provided via divine intervention.
Goodness.. just thinking of this night brings back a big smile and dare I say goosebumps. The fungus didn't hurt in my perception, but man was that a fun, scary and special night.
Few details, campaign-man
I've been a reporter, mag writer, author for a loooong time. Of interest here might be Univibes, a Hendrix-focused publication by a Dutchman who used to live in Ireland, now Italy. (I think both countries do not extract income tax for writers and artists.) So for decades we (small community worldwide) were searching out previously unknown audio and video of Jimi, then documenting the discovery and contents. So I unearthed the only known footage of the Experience at the Denver Pop Festival from '69, with a friend we tracked down and circulated an aud tape of Jimi in St Paul, MN (3 May '70), etc. Wrote a bio of Roy Buchanan after following him around from 1974 til his death in '88. Etc. I've done other work in history and natural history.
The clips I tossed were most of my early stuff up to the years of book publishing because the clips were topical and dated and of zero interest to me or anyone else at this point. But I'm preserving the notes and supporting materials for the books, because ... I spend about 5-6 years per book still can't let go!!
Also winnowing hundreds of books in my personal library that might be of more use to someone else and our local library has a donation and sale program. Other stuff to Goodwill. You know, the usual routine.
Red Rocks '83
Was a three-nighter, 6-8 Sept '83 and the setlists look good but I never heard tapes. Probably some good shows, I only recall a couple of whiffs in their entire run at RR, 1978-1987.
One night, not sure which year, Jer came out alone after the break and noodled alone for what seemed quite a while, just enjoying hearing his guitar bouncing around the rocks. Unfortunately, and I cannot recall the year, having seen Jer quite a bit from 1972 onward, I noticed in the early '80s that something was amiss with Jer. Couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but looking back I think I noticed a change in body language and energy and, belatedly, we all found out why.
Summer of 86
Fun times. Poor shows. And it was hot.
We hit the last leg of the tour 7/2 - 7/7
The funny thing is, I rarely listen to any of the shows I attended other than those officially released and a few here and there, like Rochester 85.
7/2 - My recollection - it was a very poor show. No energy. The highlights were the low flying planes overhead landing at the adjacent airstrip and the two guys next to us dosed on Gooney Birds trying to get the wave started during Stella Blue.
7/3 - No show, so off to Canadaland. Very cool time. Probably the highlight of the trip. Found a park up-river from the falls before crossing, so we got to clean up. Spent the day in town asking bewildered folks where to find the "barrel rides." At night found a really cool spot at the precipice of the falls and watched the fireworks. Camped in a nice park with no hassles.
7/4 - The bands switched it up, so the GD went on first. Short, mediocre show. At that point we altered the plan. Left after the Dead and drove home to get some rest rather than heading straight to Washington. Very good move.
7/6 - Insufferably hot. Decent show, but nothing extraordinary.
7/7 - One of the worst we ever saw along with 7/4 of the next year.
My apologies for the honest assessment.
Hendrixfreak, author, investigator
Thanks for all that awesome detective work, Hendrixfreak (special place in the heart for Hendrix, living in the Northwest). Relentless uncovering of potentially lost gems is what folks on this board are here for.
I figure...
a bunch of June 83 arent in the vault. I dream, though
6 29 86 blows mule
6 30 86 is much better. You can really hear the contrast
6 22 86....very nice. I really like it.
AJS...I didnt have high (huh huh) expectations for July 86. I will still listen to 7 2; I have never heard 7 4; my memory says 7 6 is odd (5 song first set?!?); I had set 2 of 7 7 years ago and like it for the Box of Rain and Satisfaction. Everything else is WTF.
7/86
I was 7/6 and 7/7. That is an honest assessment. We were babysitting newbies from the restaurant I was working at the time.. It took some creative back peddling to explain our love for the band the next day at work. After this outing, I tried to avoid taking newbies to shows for a while..
DC was a tough place to see shows. RFK was bad and then there were the militant cops on horseback at the Crapitol Centre. ..well, at least we had Merriweather.
RFK
The Satisfaction from 7/7/86 was indeed a monster. Clearly the highlight of the tour that we saw.
Militant cops, huh?
Before the 7/6 show we were hanging out in the parking lot waiting to go in because Petty and Dylan were up first. It was hot. Really hot and we wanted to stay hydrated. So we are hanging out under what seemed like the only tree near the damn place. The folks we met were drinking vodka and lemonade out of a gallon milk jug, had just taken their gooney birds and were selling off their extras. After about an hour some folks come up to make a purchase. They hang out for a while. We offer them water. "Is it sealed?" Being naïve we respond, "Of course." They drink it down. Then the badges come out. They didn't arrest us because we weren't selling anything, but they made the poor bastards we just met drive to the police station. Will never forget it. Probably got them for DUI as well.
85 and 87 were much better.
A different take on RFK cops
So it's June 9, 1973, outside RFK for the GD/ABB two day-er. Me and my buddy got a ride down with my brother's friends (2 years older), so they dumped us at the show and took off. We're both at least two months shy of our 16th birthdays. We're sparking up a doob with new friends near one of those giant grates that could lock down the ingress/egress paths into the stadium. Black cop, inside the locked gate, calls us over. "Hey, are you going to share that or just bogart it?" he says. We see that there's no risk: he's locked inside. So we pass the doob through the grate and we all share a smoke with a uniformed cop. Part of my broader education in the subject area of "You Don't Ever Know" and "Appearances Can Be Deceiving." That said, in other times and places, I've been manhandled and mistreated and painfully batoned. Lessons in the same, foregoing categories!
Oh yeah, as most of you know, I had to go home Sunday morning and missed the shows on 10 June '73.
DaP 39: 4/26/83 Spectrum
Gonna reserve judgement on this one until I hear them. I will say, I am generally not a big fan of the choices Dave makes regarding Brent shows. I have no issue with picking Brent shows. I just generally do not think he picks particularly good ones. I have no idea what is or is not in the vault, nor the quality issues of what is there.
Seems a decent set list. I think the first Maybe You Know to be officially released. Some tunes that don't get released much (West LA, Esau). A Nobody's Jam. Morning Dew. Help > Slip > Franks. Shakedown. Set list looks pretty good.
But on reputation I'd take 3-4 other shows, from April, over 4-26. The Steven Stills shows (including the Bob Star show) come to mind immediately. Though there could be issues with releasing those.
I think it will be decent, but Dave seems willing to release classic 70's shows on DaPicks but not so much with 80's shows. Still, not every release can be a tent pole type of show. And finding hidden gems is always nice.
My first show was 7/2 Akron
I was not impressed. Petty was easily the best band of the night. I did not catch the bug until Alpine.
Jason and the hidden gems
So far the recording of 7 2 86 sounds good. I say that sitting in the shade on my deck with an angelic breeze caressing my middle-aged skin, party favors close by, and my own restroom. I would probably feel differently if I were standing in a huge crowd in direct July Ohio sun for hours...
I love finding hidden gems. I bet you will find the new Daves to be one. Just be sure to give it your full attention and have plenty of volume.
Holy cow! Dylan's playing with the Boys!
Addendum several hours later...
As a whole
The Rubber Bowl
Show of 7 2 86
Is decent
Not the worst I have heard
Real turkeyz to me are
8 28 88
6 29 86
2 16 88
Alpine 86
My 2nd and 3rd shows, the first being 7/1/84. I was becoming acquainted with the full scope and history of the band. It was still a couple of years before my first concert tapes, which happened to be right when so many famous board recordings began making the rounds. It was a couple of years before I even picked up on the taping scene at the shows.
My memories of 6/28 & 29 are sparce aside from the absorbing the atmosphere. When I did finally get tapes a couple years later I thought the first show was pretty good. Admittedly it's been a few years since I've revisited those shows, but if I remember correctly the 1st set of the first show was actually really good.
I'll have to listen to 6 28 86 on archive
Along with 7 4 and 7 6
5 11 86 and hidden gems...a gem of an encore. The rest of the show has a decent setlist with a very laidback performance.
The Frost looks like someones backyard compared to the stadia they played
It Goes To Show, You Don't Ever Know
Not trying to top sharing a jib with a cop but how about buying vitamin L from a Denver Federal District Court judge! He was at least 20 years our senior ('76-'77 era) but had a thing for a twenty something sweetie in our college group that had beautiful eyes (Jenna?). No idea where she met Gene but we would drive from Ft. Collins to Denver to party fairly often and stop by Gene's place. He always had quality L and weed but I could not help thinking this was a bad idea! He would cruise with us to parties and always enjoyed his own wares so I was somewhat comfortable with doing deals in his condo complex parking lot. Still made me nervous so I moved away from that group's Denver trips after a few. Statute of limitations has passed and so has he probably so these are real names. Hard to believe how casual we were back in the day. No concept of the penalties or consequences. Always carried a pipe, film can, lighter, Visine, and Altoids. Ready for anything! Cheers to all!
Resistance was futile
I had to bite on this one. Those set lists were too good - and that final disc #20? Thats about as choice as it gets for my taste! Thanks again for taking my money but filling my soul...
Fandango vinyl spinning now
Got Fandango and El Loco on used vinyl for $5 each a few years ago.
Glass raised to Dusty.
On a funny note, the Feds sold Pharma Bro Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Clan album to pay back the investors that Shkreli swindled.
And slightly related to that, in the early 2000’s I lived in an apartment complex in Atlanta and the property manager claimed that at a previous job as manager at a complex in Buckhead (part of Atlanta) he evicted Wu-Tang Clan and had the Fulton County Sheriff throw all the Clan’s stuff to the curb.
Had a chance to see ZZ Top live a couple times....
....passed both times. Shame on me. Spinning Afterburner now.
Also, Joey Jordison, drummer for Slipknot, passed away yesterday.
Music IS the best.