Grateful Dead

What are you doing to my levels man. I'm gonna scream in the microphones all night long if you fuckin touch my levels man.

oofa - I had totally forgotten about that classic someone-is-wired-hot exchange before Shakedown.

Funny that there are no upgraded/decent boards for first 2 nights and no SBD at all for night 3. I heard about '82 Rain Rocks first at a party night before Alpine in that run from gal who attended. Hadn't really seen her since jr. high and some 9 or so years later she's a head. Her crew skipped Manor Downs much to their subsequent regret but saw Zoo, Starlight, and Kiel.

In the end the only way I can really "judge" a show is a dedicated listen with no real distractions and preferably on headphones in the right head space. Which isn't all that easy in terms of time and opportunity.

Must of have been fun: three days in the rain!
I used to, love tripping/dancing in the rain, TOGA!

Another 82 beauty. Nothing special set wise, just some GOGD!
Think I liked the 28th best?
BC, I went back and heard that “wise guy” “banter” before Shakedown.
Wondering why someone would do that?

Hmmm yeah, why aren’t there any SBs?

before Shakedown. On the one hand i might be sorta touchy about anyone presuming with my gear. On the other hand the response caught on tape is sorta hot. guessing that this is centered around daisy chained decks?

7/28 is a big show and, to borrow a thought, Oro, totally August '82 worthy. Had fun all through Set I and finally got serious and strapped on the headphones at Althea. A mid-set II Let it Grow on a rainy Red Rocks night(?!) > He's Gone > Trucking. Spanish Jam in Space and then Jerry teasing St. Stephen before Not Fade Away. My stream cut out at Black Peter so still got the tail end but the encore is Baby Blue and that says a whole lot

There's quite a few rained out shows without soundboards or soundboards or partial soundboards only. I have to think when deluge crossed paths with outdoor music, Dan had greater concerns than to record.. either that or he got tired of replacing water damaged, shorted-out cassette decks once every few weeks week in July and August.

As for the pre-Shakedown banter.. classic.

so the vibe I was picking up while listening yesterday was that this was a complete cosmic meltdown of an '82 show. so back with the headphones this AM and checking out the reviews and show recollections on Archive for the Wise tape. and yep this seems to have been a complete cosmic meltdown for a whole bunch of folks. hard rain through the first set and then clearing skies, mist, and moon for set II. going into this yesterday I had also forgotten the Stephen tease. One reviewer seemed to indicate that Jerry was ready to go and Weir steered them away and later admitted he didn't think they were ready for it. NFA has a really cool groove and I swear Jerry is hinting at Gloria or something similar before it drops into Black Peter. so back to the concept and need for dedicated listening - this is yet another show that really really deserves that relaxed and focused space.

edit - and there is a fascinating context note in review by jpotts3 (Aizen upload of Wise source, not CM upload) - there was a MAJOR Jack Kerouac event in Boulder that weekend and a lot of the old Dead family and Pranksters and assorted old school beats were in the area for this. he has a linque there for an extended blogpost, and that blog has a whole lot more of interest to boot. definitely need to check that out and so do some of you too!

I know I have told this tale before.. sorry to repeat it.

Back to tripping at a rain show.. the most fun by far I ever had at a dead show was a flash flood event with the epicenter of the storm directly above the roof of the shed (Merriweather 6/21/83). Epic. Lightning struck I believe the venue itself during Wharf Rat taking out the power for a brief moment. Bob quit playing guitar during parts of Sugar Magnolia purportedly because he was getting shocked, everyone was soaked. To get to the parking lot, you had to cross this bridge that crossed this little (typically dry) baby stream. The stream flooded and took out the walking bridge so everyone had to get wet above their wastes to get to their cars/tents. They had to bring in bulldozers (bulldosers?) the next day to rebuild the lawn from the damage. Scarcily clad people had created mud slides as they turned the lawn into a semi-naked waterpark. We walked to this show, on the impaired walk home we had to wade across a flooded highway and take an unplanned detour due to flooded streets and resulting traffic cops as we laughed ourselves into a somewhat spooky oblivion the entire way back. We were on a mission to stay away from the cops, surely they can tell.. they are on to us.

And yes.. mucho fungus was in play and no soundboards exist. The walk back was surreal, absolute confusion and mayhem. Huge fun and highly recommended if you ever get the opportunity.

Big rain can most certainly create a cosmic meltdown. How could it not?

There was a big storm at Delfest (a local bluegrass festival around these parts) about ten years ago where a couple people were struck by lightning. Thank god this never seemed to happen at Dead Shows (at least that I am aware of). That would wreck the cosmic flood vibe.

saw Boulder, CO "hosting" the Jack Kerouac On The Road conference and pretty much everybody still alive from that very extended scene, with the exception of Gary Snyder, was there. I had no freaking idea. Snyder did send a letter to Ginsberg that included the following - “Jack Kerouac was the wandering scholar troubador storyteller youngest son of the Jack tales in us all. … The voice of the water going over the edge of the waterfall itself.” (I took the quote from the blogpost I mentioned in previous post.)

Can't do 7/8/82 today, haven't pulled it down and made it my own yet. Anyone care to toss out a pick?

I'm in and out, will start with one of the recently released later era shows I have not hit in a while but have time today.. they are playing 4/9/89 Freedom Hall, Louisville today on SiriusXM. A new one for me. Doesn't seem quite as strong as some of the others from that year, but hey.. it was a strong year. Nice Louisville reference in Louie Louie. Two roses songs in Kentucky Derby town.

But I figured, so why I “stocked up” last few days!

Don’t recall anything like Woodstock 94!
I remember that little Merriweather dry ditch.
Dead show water parks: can’t remember the year, maybe 89 at Alpine? They had built up the hill to add more capacity and I guess better sight lines, but it was even steeper than it had been, and the sod was still new, so of course it rained so much the sod started giving way etc. Became huge fun for some sliding down that relatively steep hill in the mud, for others, like cousin Pumice and myself much of the time was spent precariously perched on what ever sod was still intact trying to watch the show and not suddenly zipping downhill lol. I can still picture all these little islands here and there with folks trying to stay on them, but every now and then the sod would give way and, woops there’d they go!
Dancing in the rain at Toga was awesome, but my best Dead rain show was definitely Pittsburg 95! Biblical!

LIGHTNING: I believe some poor folks at Giants 95 got hit, but I think they were ok?
Just more scary weirdness on that 95 Death Tour: Lightning strikes, Decks collapsing, death threats and gate crashing, and biblical rain. Definitely something was up with the cosmos…

4/9/89: one of the ones I didn’t but should have. I had a new job that I wanted to keep and thus had to cut into my show opportunities. So Went to Cincy on the 8 (good show!) a Saturday, and was going to just drive back that night. Ended up doing a little X that I just procured in the lot, and wow, best X we ever did but man it kicked my ass so that I wasn’t going to do a 7 or 8 hour drive that night. Somehow ended up in a hotel room in Kentucky with god only knows how many people everywhere. Next day being Sunday we should have gone to Louisville and just taken it easy. In those days I could of easily drove back that night and gone to work, but came home Sunday instead : (
I heard the scene was cool there. I always stayed away figuring the cops etc might be too much etc, but over the years I heard L vile liked the money so we’re cool to us.

Ha.. I sort of remember that one, ... the Rain Set. One of the two post 91 shows I saw. 90 RFK was another where it poured for a large portion of the show. It looks like you caught more rain than me and you obviously have a better memory. I need more brain plasticity, my new favorite phrase.

I have to mention the underrated standing on the moon only because my mind is fresh on that.

Btw, thanks everyone that has mentioned 7-18-76. I never really gave that one a full listen and the multi track glory really shines on the 2020 remaster.

Hey, what are you doing with my levels? 7-28-82 oh so great show with the fake St. Stephen tease :-)

Be well all and stay gratefull... :-)

No picks??

How bout since it’s Friday we do a power twofer: 10/16/74 and/or 9/3/85?

Haven’t heard either…

Do you mean 10/16/74 OB?

I am not seeing a show on 9/16/74.

Yep, I ment 10/16
In my best Homer voice “doopid tumbs”

Let's do it OB. I may need to stretch these into the weekend, but I am in. Opening night at Winterland.

Well DV, I did get them both in yesterday, sorta…
I couldn’t get the meat & potatoes section of 9/16/74 (PITB through Rat) to play, and actually being able to get some work accomplished didn’t want to mess with it.
The 85 might be a huge surprise, but need better listen?
So between that and not getting the level of listening I felt the music deserved, I’m back at em today.
I wasn’t going to listen to any Dead until we fire up SSDD on the big screen this evening, but this has been nagging at me all morning. So the magic carpet has lifted off and we’re floating on another big 74 PITB!
Oh, generally this Miller sounds pretty good!

EDIT: I think this bad ass Playin is the one in the Movie box?

Well, yesterday I thought 10/16/74 was perhaps a little sleepy?
But, after hearing the meat and potatoes, and on some real equipment, my opinion has been raised.
It “sounds/feels” perhaps like the start of what would normally be a five day run at laid back Winterland: their pacing themselves, but in a 74 kinda way. I’ve also heard they had to adjust a bit to the camera factor…
I didn’t bother with relistening to all the first set, but started with that great PITB that I couldn’t play yesterday.
Then, The whole Ned/space/jam section in and outta a fine Rat landing in a nice if not Uber Eyes, was just what the doctor ordered today! Perhaps not the monster this run would become, but a fine start non the less.
Fully dug!

9/3/85: this one went slightly tge other way for me. Yesterday I felt more exited, but upon further proper listening it is more in line with good 85 status quo: good energy, interesting sets, but perhaps a little more tarnished here and there.
Decent first, Cryptical was cool if lacking, though he ends well. The highlight to me was the Nobody’s Fault and a fair Comes a Time, actually I remember thinking during Baby Blue “ how this show built up and peaked with Baby Blue, and how over the years, a good ending with a song of this or similar nature and delivery, made up for some of the off moments preceding it”. Yep nothing like the big finish to keep ‘em coming back lol.
I haven’t really heard any 85 in a while, so perhaps shouldn’t try to compare, but I’d say this was overall a good 85 outing, but perhaps doesn’t quite stand with the early summer tour (Greek through Pittsburg)?
Whatevs, Interesting show, enjoyed!

Yep the one from the movie. one of my absolute favorites, along with 6/16 Des Moines. Before official release had it on cassette from the GD Hour many years ago. One of the finest musical journeys I know.

That brief window in '85 when Jerry brought back Cryptical . . . . Really would have liked to have seen one of those. The only shows I did see at that time were Alpine, and those were the first since '82 Alpine. The '85 Alpine shows were fun but overall somewhat pedestrian IMO compared to a bunch of others in that era. I remember seeing the set list for River Bend show (released on 30 Trips) that followed Alpine, with the He's Gone > Smokestack > Cryptical >D/S > Comes A Time > Other One > Cryptical > Wharf Rat, and thinking holy crap that's what I was looking for!! This 9/3 Starlight Cryptical > Other One > Cryptical is the last of that short-lived revival.

As for rain shows, somehow I only drew that card once with the GD despite something like 35 outdoor shows out of 50 total. The only time I recall was at the end of 1st night at Alpine '85. Threatening rain all show, I think lots of wind during Eyes (and set II), probably lightning out in the distant Midwest dark, which really added to the energy. But the rain was saved for the end with the heavens opening up during Baby Blue. Classic mid-west summer downpour that lasted for a good hour or more after the show. As for post-Dead era, recalling now a show with the Other Ones and Ziggy Marley at Fiddlers Green. Drenching rain early on for Ziggy. Remember Other Ones tuning before Set I and Hornsby was quoting Dark Star - my buddy and I looked at each other grinning and we slid our chips all in (so to speak.) Wild night, really special. Which reminds me, close friend a couple years later told me that River Bend '85 was one of those thunder and lightning, wind and rain shows. Another classic Midwest high energy show with a "frog choker" downpour is 8/16/80 Mississippi River Festival (first read about it in DB IX - there's a good Walker/Scotton/Miller audience). How about an Iko > Saturday Night encore? And talk about "lost live dead" - the first show after the Canadian train tour was Dead's first and only other appearance at the MIssissippi River Festival on 7/8/70 (not a real festival but a concert series as it turns out.) Not only no tapes, not even a real set list apparently (there is a Lost Live Dead blogpost with a local newspaper clipping which mentions a 23 minute Good Lovin'.)

Jerry actually singing it out of Space rather than a guitar quote is something else - crazy rare and a one-off for that era. Seems like he was feeling it and just did it, though he didn't quite have the lyrics down. A few minutes later he sings that Comes A Time beautifully. And a really fine Baby Blue to finish (ouch that the SBD tape ran out that last little bit.) yep a great way to send folks off that night.

for some late night time machine listen (if you haven't already.) so that earlier train of thought down thread had me cue up Set II 8/16/80 (Walker/Scotton/Miller). Got headphone serious by Estimated but really should have been in that space from the get-go. right now, at the tail end, one of the finest Set IIs from that early Brent time. Blown away. The Walker/Scotton pull is unreal once you're settled in.

Spoiler alert - that Set II is all f*ckin-on-fire fantastic, with a shout out to one of the best Brent-era Other Ones, with full Phil thunder-intro and Jerry blazing like the freaking sun. My goodness. And that Iko encore? It was the first one, yes the first, post-Keith. Guessing they had it somewhat worked up and what a crazy this-was-a-party gift to that crowd.

The recent TTB interest piqued my curiosity to check out this awesome Phil show from the sweet Denver Philmore I was fortunate to be at.
Check it out on relisten etc.

BC: nice comments, and I will hit 8/16/80 next chance, which might be a couple days as I’m back to construction camp for a few, so no tunes : (
I thought we had hit that one? I remember you mentioning it, but I didn’t write anything down, so I’m assuming we’ve not hit it! And if so, so what! Hey, my neural plasticity is what it used to be!
So it’s on the list!

Great show. The mix starts out a little shaky but comes together midway through Deal. Love the Cumberland Row Jimmy into the monster Playing. The second set is on fire. Nice Wharf Rat, Jerry noodling into the Eyes, OB, laid back and moves me. Big finish and they loved the US Blues encore during this time period.

Sure would be great if they gave us the full five day run with some additional video. Instant sell out.

Haven't got to the 85 show yet, but it is on the list.

I bet they release this whole run on a box set of records for the 50 th anniversary in 2024. Hopefully, they will release this entire run on cd and video as well.

Thanks for the pick, OB. I tackled that one in chunks and am sure glad I did. I enjoy tuning into Dead jams when I am working on something (this time room painting) and it is always a pleasant accompaniment to any task I am trying to complete.

Now I am packing for a road trip south with my dad to see my brother starting Thursday. Who's got a choice show I can call up? :-) :-) :-)

P.S. Heading to VA by way of WI...in a 2022 RAV4 Prime...put the 04 Honda out to pasture this summer (actually it lives next door now! haha lol) :-) :-) :-)

Road trip?

You might consider any of the following---all recent listens here: 12/15/71, 5/16/72, 1/17/69, 2/6/70, 9/2/68, 2/15/73, 6/26/74.

Rock on, and safe travels!!

Doc
Far too often the choices reality proposes are such as to take away one's taste for choosing........

I am firing up Veneta today. I have the time, so it is coming out of the tie dyed slip case and into my CD player.

I only hit the movie Saturday, but I thought about the whole show/CD. But the situation being the boss, it didn’t happen : ( Really should try to find time.

Still in construction no tunes hell, but might get a chance for 8/16/80 later 🤞

Happy/safe trails to WTJ, looks like Docs got some good ones for ya!

Not sure if I’ve heard all those, if not I’ll add to the list.

12-15-71 is proving nice for packing. We'll see how many of the other ones I can get to later and tomorrow. I have access to only official releases for the Road Trip in the car so I'm still thinking on what to go to there. Sunshine Daydream is tempting.

Nice Banana box WTJ.

I know this isn't today in GD history, but I stumbled on 8/30/69 Family Dog at the Great Highway. Sounds great.

When you can have it all!
I’m with ya Jimmy, but going to hit 1/17/69 first.

BLUECROW: finally hit 9/16/80 yesterday. Your right about that second set, definitely “on” that night.
Recording audio was ok, but the crowd sometimes detracted from the music. Like I don’t recall ever experiencing what seemed like the majority of the crowd just talking through Ship O Fools (aaa, the irony lol). Sure sometimes the slow ones might lose a few, but not like this? Just a party crowd I guess?
But never the less another fine outing by the Grateful gal dang Dead!
I’ve always thought the show I saw 17 days later was pretty hot too, so guess we need to poke around pre “Dead Set” shows from late summer/early fall 80?

Hiya, rockers!!

Pick Of The Day: Prairieville, Louisiana, September 1, 1969

Yes I know, not exactly NOLA. South of Baton Rogue, northwest of the big easy. But you get the point…………

Welcome to the first installment of our Labor Day/end of Summer, outdoor extravaganza/festival revisit. Low of 68, high of 87. No rain, good visibility, light winds. Estimated attendance: 35,000. Drug arrests: 37. In addition to the Dead, festival goers also got T Rex, It’s a Beautiful Day, The Youngbloods, Country Joe, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, and many others.

Woodstock was two weeks ago, the acid had probably worn off. The Dead open with several relatively short songs (including an early, raucous Easy Wind) before diving into their classic four-song bluesy psychedelic opus magnum. Decent Star, good Eleven, remember it’s the summer of 1969 so………….

Not a pristine recording, but pays dividends, think of it as Grateful Dead gumbo…….

If you're open to it, New Orleans will teach you about yourself, but if you want to hide from who you really are, the city will help you do that, too.......

Rock on,

Doc
I don't know what America would be without New Orleans and the music…..

good pick doc was always curious about this show and sho enough, here it is, a good Dark Star, Casey Jones and Easy Wind. Far out man

It looks a bit incongruous, seeing T.Rex's name in that lineup of bands. That would have been on their disastrous tour of America, with Marc Bolan looking for fame and fortune while sidekick bongo whopper and furry freak brother Steve Took apparently trying every drug that was offered to him. Back in Blighty, Took got his marching orders and a one way ticket to palookaville, while Bolan headed on towards stardom. Both of them dead before the 80's kicked in.

Mixing things up and put something new in front of us.

Will check this out as soon as I get settled. Baton Rouge.. Rumor is you can still drink the water there.

Hey there rockers!!!!

Pick Of The Day:The Sky River Rock Festival and Lighter Than Air Fair,Betty Nelson's Organic Raspberry Farm, Sultan, Washington, September 2, 1968

Ethyl formate, which gives raspberries their flavour and smells of rum, has now been found in deep space………

Friends & rockers, welcome to chapter two of our end-of-summer Labor Day outdoor/festival flashbacks. High 50s to mid 60s, dry (although apparently it rained the previous day), light breeze. An estimated 4000-5000 up to perhaps 15000 revelers were treated to three days of the great outdoors and rock and roll. Details are fuzzy, exactly who showed up and played is still a little sketchy……….

Woodsy outdoor vibe, Grateful Dead, acid, it can all get quite spacey and jammy. Or was it jelly? No matter how you spread it, it’s Good Old Grateful Dead, the raspberry freaks in attendance being treated to the usual gooey jammy goodness and a healthy dose of Pigpen.

Not withstanding some quirky microphones, the Miller remaster is indeed delicious, give it a taste!!!

Often, we melt into our ecstasies as though they were jams, as though we were sinking into syrupy bowls of gooseberries, of raspberries, of bilberries…..

Rock on,

Doc
When you're being stalked by an angry mob with raspberries, the first thing to do is to release a tiger......

Very funny.

Looking at 11/25/79 for the next pick in the rotation. Pauly Pavilion. Let me know how this one sounds to you all.
Have a great labor day weekend out there. Summer goes way to fast in MN.
Hey, we get a new box at the end of month!

another gr8 pick and I do believe this is one of the Dark Stars that was used for Grayfolded. Great Cd if you haven't heard it, 1st CD before a dead show, 2nd CD after, the author "I've been psychedelicized".

I have repeated listens of this one going way back. I think I was first attracted to it because of the venue.. I mean, who wouldn't want to see the GD live at a festival in 1968 at Betty Nelson's Organic Raspberry Farm? A great show, the recording is pretty good considering it was a house recording from the venue. Too bad the Death Don't Have No Mercy is cut.

Like Doc said..

Well, this is one for the history books and worth a visit.

Hey, rockers!!!

Pick Of The Day: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado, September 3, 1972

Friends & rockers, welcome to the third and final chapter of this year’s end-of-summer Labor Day outdoor/festival flashbacks. What I like to call a three set stomper, the Grateful Dead version of a Rocky Mountain high………….

Elevation: 5, 430 feet. Higher when the Dead hit town. 52-75 degrees, light wind, with rain. Or should I say torrential downpour? LOL perhaps Cold Rain & Snow was appropriate……

In 2005 TPTB teased us with three songs from this show--including the 28 minute Other One—tucked into the dark recesses of Dick’s Picks 36. Several years later the kind folks at GEMS gave us a complete version. It’s not the easiest listen, there’s cuts, edits, and audience patches. So, it seems unlikely that the whole show will see official release……….

Retrospectively slammed and panned by some, but probably fun at the time………….

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!

Rock on!!

Doc
Great things are done when men and mountains meet……

Hey rockers!!

42 years ago today my friends and I saw an awesome outdoor Dead show in Maine. Now THAT would make a nice official release.............

Rock on,

Doc
In this part of the world, only Maine gives winter the welcome and the worship it should have.......

The people I know that went to this show hyped it up and up.. soundboards do not seem to circulate for this one, but there's some good audience tapes. I wonder what happened to the boards?

Lewiston and Augusta were legendary early to mid 80's shows, good to see you caught them both.

Absolutely agree, this would be a great one to release. Another great show for you to be at Doc. There is a
SBD of this show and we did hit this up here a couple of years ago. Might be time to do it again?

By the way, the 79 Pauly Pavilion show is really good. Another fine November 79 show.

Never straight…
Recently hit, In no particular order?

8/22/68
9/1/69
3/6/92
8/30/69
11/25/79
9/3/77

Enjoyed them all! Mostly status quo vis a vis respective tours.
Standouts we’re 8/22/68 and the cool space jam from 11/25/79.
8/22 is very much like it’s famous neighbors.

Still need to hit 9/2/68 and 2/6/70.
Think I’ll hit the 68 then going to switch it up with 9/12/82.

Yep we’ve hit those Maine shows and they are quite nice!

9/2/68
9/12/82
2/6/70

The 68 was pretty good, the 82 was decent, but perhaps not as tight as august etc, 2/6/70 was ruff! At one point I remember thinking this might be the worst show I’ve heard? I guess it wasn’t that bad, but lots of everything outta tune, clunkers etc. Meh!

10/8/83 & 11/10/79
The 83 to get a taste of that tour for upcoming box!
The 79, for DV, because it’s the next show after the fine one I saw, and because we’ve been digging that fine fall 79 tour.
Twofer today since no tunes mañana for moi : (

Okay, both sound great to me. Haven't heard either show, so they both look good. 11/10/79 there is a 2021 Miller transfer. Wouldn't be able to get them both in today, but will this week. Thanks OB and first show at Buffalo must have been a good one to get started at.

Where we should go, we just ride..

Gotta love the way we meander through the years here. The last 83 pick we got from OB became the next Dave's Picks (the 83 Spectrum). I'm in, a day late and dollar short.

Hey, we are roughly 2 weeks out for the next box release date. Unboxing video on the way?

... I will be honest; these MSG shows are new to me. Looking forward to some new shows and seeing how they got box set treatment, somebody must have thought they were special. It also looks like Mr. Norman has stepped up his game working with the dreaded cassette master.