Anyone who has ever seen the Dead can testify that one of its shows will add quite a bit of color to the environment here at Stanford. Anyone who has not seen one of these spectacles should have the opportunity to do so. The Grateful Dead are an important part of the Bay Area's cultural history. Those of us who saw them last week can testify that the Dead are alive and well. The Concert Network would be hard-pressed to find an act which would bring Frost Amphitheatre to life as the Dead would. - The Stanford Daily
As you know by now, we'd certainly have voted aye on this motion, so much so, that we've loaded up DAVE'S PICKS 49 with not one, but two complete Grateful Dead shows from the Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 4/27/85 and 4/28/85. The first shows from '85 in the series, these back-to-back hometown performances couldn't be more different while delivering the same level of passion and precision, five hours of it, in fact.
In 1985, the band were celebrating "20 Years So Far," a feat that found them on these particular nights confident with invention in terms of both setlists and playing. There are old songs renewed, rare covers revived, undeniably nuanced Jerry moments, and a few surprises from Brent Mydland too. While it's impossible to select highlights, we can say with certainty that the overall clarity of these shows is unparalleled, courtesy of Dan Healy's recordings.
Limited to 25,000 numbered copies, DAVE'S PICKS VOLUME 49: FROST AMPHITHEATRE, STANFORD U, PALO ALTO, CA 4/27/85 & 4/28/85 has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering.
Curious
That Robin Trower seems primarily known on here for playing with Procul Harum. Although I have "Shine On Brightly" on cd, I have never really listened to it that much. Seems I have some catching up to do. He played some very powerful music in the mid 70's, which is what I associate him with.
yarr
thanks Alvarhanso for pointing me in some helpful directios re: RRE.
And Daverock yes if I'm honest I don't know Robin Trower from anything but PH. He seems to be quite prolific. I'd guess one factor is my age - when he was doing that Night of the Guitars tour I was a few months from being a teenager. Another factor might be Trower's absence from American "classic rock" radio - I don't recall any of the material from his solo stuff breaking through.
Ofc this board often serves to show me that my musical depth isnt always as deep as I might believe. HF talking about Los Lobos, for example... I had no idea that those folks rewarded their fans with such live experiences.
Just Another Band From East LA
HF - What was that venue like? We saw the Buffalo Rose as we were walking around Golden last month. Was recommended by the hotel staff as the place to hear live music in town. I didn't delve into Los Lobos until I'd heard their Bertha on the Deadicated release.
Obeah, check out the Los Lobos release of the same name as my post subject line for a good feel for them. Start with disc 2, it rocks. The 1st disc starts out with traditional music.
Cheers
the Buffalo Rose (after it fell down)
1st show, the Buffalo Rose is a pretty good venue. Rectangular with the stage facing the long floor, they have a modestly sized section in front of the stage for the stand-up close crowd (GA), which precludes room to dance. About 6-7 rows deep of four tables across on the main floor for which they charge a premium ($600-700 for four-top, vs. $75 (+ fees) for GA. Upstairs a horseshoe shaped balcony wraps around opposite the stage and the prime seats on the rail are more expensive. However, behind those balcony seats at the back upstairs wall are bar stools where we took up a position and could see and hear the band quite well. Big open room bar at that end and several bars downstairs. The places holds ~650 and that's a comfortable density. But tics are a bit more expensive as it is small, at least for a well-known touring band. In the past, with local acts, I felt the PA volume was way too high, but either they figured it out or Los Lobos had control. Good fun people go to see that band and I thoroughly enjoyed. We ate at El Dorado beforehand; recommended.
HF
Random
Obeah - it's often quite random who we get into, and who we don't. Especially when we are young. Robin Trower toured quite frequently in the mid 70's, when I started going to gigs. I remember the music press were quite sniffy about him - not a s good as Hendrix was the cry. If we didn't see anyone on that basis, there wouldn't have been much left.
ty 1STSHOW70878 and DAVEROCK
Thanks to the both of you (heck, thanks to HF too for that fun post, below)
And yeah, that's just not fair: "not as good as Hendrix." If that's the mark then almost no one will come up to scratch.
Roomful of Mirrors
Generally speaking, it's unfair to compare any guitarist to Jimi. But if you're a guy who uses the same Strat, Marshall amp, Univibe pedal set up Hendrix used, and you're pretty unapologetically copying his guitar sound, well, people are going to make that comparison.
Still, I loved Bridge of Sighs, derivative though it may be. I also really dug a record he did with Jack Bruce called BLT that really sounded like Cream.
Last five, just on the odd chance I don't get Hey Now'd:
Aaron Copland/BSO: Appalachian Spring
Maceo Parker: Mo Roots
Dumpstaphunk: Where Do We Go From Here
GOGD: Two from the Vault
Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
So what if I am a robot? What's it to ya, maaaaaan?
Yoshimi....
....I put on (vinyl. I know!) just before reading that.
Kewl. And Klassic.
Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell.
Boom.
The Lips deliver awesome packages. Big fan.
Vinyl love update....
It's hard to follow my personal mantra of two records a month.
They sound so much better.
Twenty-year old me is saying, "No shit Sherlock. Remember?"
It's all been done before
Crow - well, if you put it like that ! What you say is true, but I was going back in time to when I first saw Robin Trower. At that time, my mid teens, I had little or no historical perspective on the bands I was seeing. Jimi Hendrix was a historical figure - as distant as the second world war, even though he had only died a few years ago. I probably heard "Bridge of Sighs" before "Electric Ladyland".
Rock critics, on the other hand, 5- 10 years older than me, remembered the 1960's first hand. To them, a lot of what I liked was derivative - but to me it was like a bolt out of the blue.
Anniversary show 3/13/82 Reno. "I lit out from Reno"
42 years ago today I was up in Reno for a knockout of a show, with the Good old Grateful Dead. I stayed in South Lake Tahoe, what a party! Nappy and Nite Cat were also at the show. Top China Cat were you there? Fun times!
Nice Write-Up
Nice write up over at meyersound about John Mayer's solo tour in November (first leg of USA tour) then to over to Europe, and now starting 2nd leg of USA tour.. Killer Panther augmented by Leopard PA components. Incredible digital processing. Of course, Derek Featherstone and crew out with him. Assuming Dead and Company using Holoplot's PA unless they somehow negotiated use of the same system for upcoming Vegas dates. PA systems, they just warm the cockles of my heart. Well done Meyer, Derek, and Ultrasound!!!
dave 49
@alvarhanso thanks for answering on the topic I feel like missing something about this one. Yes we have to be pertinent to escape the "Hey now". It feels like in the marx bros, what is the password?
Swordfish!!!
@Nappyrags semi retired is good, hope you may change your pseudo for a "H" instead of "N" when you give up semi.
Sorry guys for robin Trower, I escape to procol Harum. I am struggling with my memory for my first ten LP, now I return to vinyl, But if you challenge me I can nearly in random tell the first ten?
82 Reno, BTK
Just missed it !! My first show was at UCLA about a month later ... wish I'd seen & gotten on the bus earlier, but I guess at that point, I wasn't so much a "runnin" as I was "take my time" ! It might be just that it was so new, exciting, strange and wonderful, but I loved 82!! ..........tcc
Ween!
My first Ween show was at the little Ogden Theater in Denver, a dump on Colfax. It was absolutely amazing - Deaner (the guitar player) was chain smoking and pounding drinks and his red Stratocaster was way on fire that night. The set superb - Aaron (sorry, Gene) in fine voice and just an incredible vibe all around.
The next time I saw them was at Red Rocks and we were bored. We just horked gaggers and yakked all show about anything and everything else. Then saw them again at Mission Ballroom, and again it was a mixed set and I was bored to be there. I'm not a Ween cultist, they have to have the magic or it doesn't draw me in.
So it's a mixed bag depending on their intake (they're on and off the wagon in various ways), the setlist, and the night. There are others here who are way more into Aaron and Mickey (he runs a charter fishing boat service out of NJ in his offseason from touring!), but these are not lies.
But I would say go if you're interested... some of my favourite Ween songs if you want to check them out:
Bananas and Blow
Gabrielle
Piss Up a Rope
Ocean Man
Monique the Freak
\m/
Ween memory recollections....
....may have come from me.
Go.
Although, they recently canceled some upcoming shows. To get their heads straight.
Yup Billy...
I did that weekend in Reno & Davis...I think I've told the story about driving over the Sierra in a light snowstorm and my friend's VW Van started acting up...one of the guys said he knew what it was so we pulled over at a rest stop to let him have a look...while this was going on I made a PB&J sandwich and decided to walk to the far end of the parking lot and see what the historical marker had to say...as I'm eating said sandwich I read something to the effect of "On this spot The Donner Party..." Also at Reno I laffed as they were coming out of The Other One and Jerry started noodling Dear Prudence before going into Black Peter...fun group of folks I went with to those shows...also went later with them to the three day fest at The Greek a few months later...
En Fuego, Amigos
The Flaming Lips: proof positive that you could still get good LSD in Oklahoma up through the 1990s. I love their earlier stuff where they sounded like a Frankenstein monster mash of the Stooges and Pink Floyd. Also very impressed with how Wayne Coyne has evolved as a songwriter.
I, too, lit out from Reno some 40 years ago. I've written before about how my '69 Buick Riviera was attacked by mutant fungi somewhere on I-80 and turned into an Aztec submarine. That Davis show led off with One More Saturday, IIRC, and included a fine Scar-Fire. Those were the daze.
Early in the morning, about the break of dawn, I turn my television on ... and watch the fuuuuuuzzzzzz.
Phish 1997 Philadelphia....
....box set in the house. On the official release date. Not too shabby Amazon.
Farseer, BTK - UCLA '82
The Pauley Shakedown was the first song I ever saw them do live, so in my mind, it's special ... outside of my mind, probably still pretty good. Also, "Hey man, give my your ticket stub" my pal said to a group of us who were together.... I'd been to a few concerts (Tull, Chicago, etc.) but whaaaatttt??? Give you my stub? HOW many people are you trying to get into the show? What if someone wants to see it? It didn't take long for me to figure out that no one was sitting anywhere particular ... between that, all the dancing, the sound coming off the stage, the adoration/devotion ... what the HECK is WAS going on here!!!! Wait a minute... is that a bus with a seat reserved just for me? ....... tcc
TopChinacat/Shakedown Street
Shakedown street, a song that really improved with age. The first time I saw them play the song it sounded just like the album version. Favorite versions. 9/12/81 & 12/31/84, but lots of great versions.
1982 was a great year...
I saw the two Golden Hall shows in San Diego...then on to UCLA...Then a bit Later the Reno & Davis shows...then a couple of months later three Greek shows and then after that Ventura...later in the year it was the "Breakfast with the Grateful Dead" show at the US Fest...and it was capped off for me at The Frost in October...Wheee!!!
My vinyl purchases for March....
....Pre-ordered Jerry Garcia Almost Acoustic and Pink Floyd's DSOTM 50th UV clear vinyl. Both releasing April 4th.
That doesn't count as April though. That's Record Store Day month. I will be breaking my rule then. Oopsie.
RIP Steve Harley
I saw the original Cockney Rebel in a small club in Southend in 1973, they were excellent, made a big impression on my 13 year old head.
Come up and see me.
First Grateful Dead LP is released. 3/17/67
Great record. Wish they would have brought back Sitting on top of the World, and Viola Lee Blues...
St.Patrick's Day Dead
Looks like the Dead played 10× on St Patrick's Day. Happy St Patrick's Day everyone.
St. Patrick's Day
I made it to 4 of the 10 St. Patrick's Day Dead shows.
Happy 25th birthday to my leprechaun Malachi.
Peace y'all
Shakedown Street
Billy, the song that got me on the bus in 1985. My older sister went off to college and left two cassettes behind in the parents car, Shakedown Street and one labeled 12/30/83 SF CA.
The Shakedown from 12/30/83 changed my life, I was hooked. It was raw, long, rocking. I couldn't believe it. Still have that cassette.
And the Shakedown official release, loved it.
Never met a Shakedown I didn't like.
I think the second ever Shakedown is very unique from 9/16/78 (Egypt) 11/24/78, 10/30/80, 3/28/81, to name a few.
RIP Steve Harley
I was sorry to read about Steve Harley. I saw the original Cockney Rebel, too -I think it was in 1974, at The Hardrock in Manchester, just after their second album "Psychomodo" came out. Both that, and the previous one "The Human Menagerie" are really good albums.
My cousin doesn't like the Grateful Dead....
....however, he gives Shakedown Street and St Stephen a pass.
Off topic. Watching the VGK/Devils game and the commercials reminded me. Draft Kings and FanDuel do not have your best interests at heart. Not a fan of encouraging people to gamble. I've been there. It's easy to get hooked. Kinda like vinyl, but different.
Did you know you can bet on the next pitch re baseball?? Insanity.
Loving the new Crowes record.
Phil's 84th
Holy smokes, they started off with Cosmic Charlie, nice jams on Birdsong and Box of Rain, a 22 minute Viola Lee Blues/Bertha/Viola Lee Blues. Great show, Mike Gordon came out for the last encore set. We had front row in the balcony, do not lean over too far. Came early enough to poke around, got up close to Trixie's Tiger replica in Garcia's, what a gorgeous guitar, flame (tiger) maple top, not like the original, otherwise just about exactly perfect. It's already up on the archive.
Wishing everyone a mellow Saint Patties...
I'll be having a Guinness and a Jameson tonight after sparking up a little of this, a little of that, as soon as I ... er ... finish cleaning the house.
Totally self-inflicted (I drink, I mean, I live alone) but the squeeze is coming to see me this week, so what's a man to do? Tidy up for the Sweetie.
While cranking Pigpen, circa '71 Fillmore. That's my cleaning secret: loud Pig!!
Cheers all! HF
Phil's 84th
Hey DMCVT I was in second row in the balcony on Friday Phil's Birthday we were in row 2 the far left 3 seats as far left as you could go Chuck your PM's
Mike Gordon did sit in....
....took the Sugar Magnolia vox for a ride.
His voice is give or take for me, but it worked there.
I spent the day rearranging my music/movie/nerd room. Had CD's scattered everywhere. And dust.
Looks better.
btk and nappy
BTK, will have a listen to the N Y E 84 Sha ke do wn ; was at that show, but haven't given it a spin in a while. By the way, I STILL have one of those 3 foot long Sha kedo wn Street signs laying around the house somewhere. And Nappy, I too was at the U S Fes-tival ... did not know at the time how odd it was for a nine thirty A M show. There exists a vid of that show out there as well ... P I T B : Shakedown ! ......tcc
p.s. o m g three days of hey now , cannot imagine what is objectionable or verboten .... so my apologies for so many work arounds
Re: DVCVT
Good to see someone here saw Phil at the Cap this run. I wasn't able to attend but listened to the whole run.
Where in the hell did they get Daniel Donato from? A mix between a young Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson and somebody that can shred on the electric guitar? It looks like he was playing a telecaster but not sure. Great tones and man he could play.
Leave it to Phil, I had never heard of him before. What a pleasant surprise. The Q was good too.