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    marye
    Joined:
    Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

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  • rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74 > 2/22/69

    >daverock>

    The vocal dropouts are not evident in the audience tape, so that must have happened on the way to the board tape.

    That said, the recording is slightly overpowered by Jerry and Bob's guitars from the taper's vantage point, but a little time with a simple Equalizer was enough to bring more Phil and better presence to the vocals. I do recall a few lyric flubs with the new material, but in the overall mix it didn't really jump out at me. Probably much more obvious in the official release/soundboard recording.

    2/22/69>
    Oh, my. I can see this is gonna send me on a primal quest. I have all these fall '69 and fall '68 shows that I've never listened to, but I don't have much from the spring of those years. I love this gentle psychedelia. It's really these delicate type of sounds that really trigger the senses. I'm only up to Dark Star at this point, but what a beautiful way to start a show.... oops, "The transitive diamonds?" Haha. I'd probably have trouble remembering my name if I were there, so whatever.

    It's such a shame that we're restricted to streaming this show. Imho, if the official release isn't so significantly better sounding than one of these circulating boards that it isn't a no-brainer to buy it, then what's with the classism, eh? I know the boys need a retirement plan... but... --mini rant off--

  • daverock
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    Rockthing - good notes on this show - cheers! I'm going through it very slowly, but it's the L.P. I am listening to. Although it has the famous vocal drop outs, the sound and balance of the instruments sounds fine throughout to me. I have just played the side with Loose Lucy and Money Money on. A short side. The lyrics are a bit naff on both of them - but I like the music, and they were both played so rarely that when they do crop up, it's a welcome surprise to me.
    I presume the version you have listened to has the earlier vocal dropouts too.

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74 (Part II)

    Wrote these notes on Monday morning while drinking my coffee and getting ready to do some work from home. After a while I was mostly distracted by the show.

    I'll get to that Feb. 22 '69 show if I can, but I don't have that one handy. Hafta stream it.

    The ETree identifier of this source is 115876, btw. I don't have the box set, so these are my first impressions.

    It Must Have Been The Roses: Ok. /Now/ I'm awake. Possible tape change? There is suddenly a big improvement in sound quality for this hauntingly sensitive rendition. Jerry's voice is now clear above the guitars. Everything, save Phil, is suddenly much clearer and the sound field feels wider. Up to this point the tape had sounded like the tape the biker is listening to at the beginning of the Dead Movie. Nice harmony work during the refrain, blended well in the house mix.

    Loose Lucy: Gettin' in the funk. Jerry's just perfectly behind the beat to make it nice and nasty. If the syncopation isn't just right, this tune can completely lose all form really quickly. Loose Lucy must be a pretty new song at this point. I have no idea when this tune debuted. They didn't do this in concert much, as far as I know. I was lucky enough to see'em do it once, but the performance I saw was almost unrecognizable. Something was wrong with the timing, so it sounded all backwards. I was embarrassed to not even recognize it until Jerry started singing. This is a nice treat.

    I Know You Rider? Something seems to be wrong here. The info text says Money Money should be next followed by China/Rider, but we're just dropped into IKYR. Looks like some minor surgery might be needed on the meta data.

    Money Money: Ok. Someone's just mislabelled these files. Man, this has always been one of my least favourite songs in the Dead's catalogue. I rarely skip songs on albums, but being the album closer on Mars Hotel makes it easy. I don't think I've ever heard a live version of it, so this is kind of a treat, in its own sort of way. Having not heard it in such a long time, I guess it's not such a bad song. The negativity of the lyric just sems to strike such a contrast to most of the other stuff in the repertoire. John Lennon, for example, has a lot of negativity in his lyrics, but when I listen to him, I expect that.

    China Rider: Yeah. They're keepin' that funky groove going that was working so well during Loose Lucy. The transition jam seems to go almost immediately to an I Know You Rider feel. The guitar tone is very unusual here. It almost sounds like Bobby's Gibson 335 tone. He's playing lots of double-stops, where he plays two notes at a time even while soloing… wait… maybe that /was/ Bobby!? Some very cool interplay between Bobby and Phil before a guitar sound that is unmistakably Jerry joins in just ahead of the trademark unison bit before I Know You Rider. What is now clearly Jerry's tone keeps it going after the unison part, and now there's a Feelin' Groovy jam. I can almost see the smiling faces and twirling homemade sun dresses with flowers in the hair right now. Big, big ovation from the crowd as they settle into the Rider vamp before going into the first verse. They know what they've just heard. That was sweet, breezy, and smooth as can be. I'm guessing Jerry had some sort of equipment or other issue causing him to stop playing for a bit at the beginning of the transition. Oh, yeah, Jer, dig into that "On a north bound train" line. This and the out-of-place IKYR are going to get merged into one track when I get a chance.

    Set II:
    Promised Land: Yeah. Everybody's definitely up off their blankets now.

    Bertha: Got a little "Yee Haw" from someone nearby for "All night pouring, but not a drop on me." It's quite amazing how inobtrusive the audience is, considering this was recorded with a handheld mic by someone just hanging out in crowd.

    Greatest Story: Nice wah wah Jerry licks. Jerry's wah is so bubbly and has a rich swell, like the sound of a wave on the ocean. Using the rocking motion of the foot pedal definitely puts the player physically off balance, so I can understand why he seemed to abandon it later in favor of the Mutron "auto-wah" tone filter. Sounds so good here, though. Jerry's volume sounds cranked, though, totally drowning everything out. I ain't complaining. Oh, yeah. A little jam in GSET? They seem to have gone into something altogether different. I'm not sure if this is a set piece, but it feels unfamiliar to me. I know that I've heard occasional jams in Greatest Story, but they seem rare. This is definitely no longer the Greatest Story chord progression, but I don't know what it is, and then Wamp, Wamp-Wamp, right back into it. Now I'm gonna hafta start checking out Spring 1974 Greatest Stories. That was hot and adventurous, like maybe something went wrong and they fought through it… but maybe there was just a jam in this song back then.

    Ship of Fools: Giving the manic dancers their first break of the second set. The taper is stopping the tape between songs, though, so who knows how long they spent tuning in between. Very nice harmony work from Bobby and Donna.

    Weather Report: Seems a bit tentative in the earlier segments, but the Let It Grow jam is developing interestingly. The whole band just seems sort of in a gentle mood this night. Everything is soft and malleable, and most of all, creative, when they go off into improvised sections. The straight tunes are tight and, well, straightforward, but I'm hearing all sorts of novel ideas coming through during the instrumental segments. There seems to be a completely different confidence at work during this jazzy work out. You can hear Billy getting back to his swing roots and playing off Keith. This is fantastic. Such subtle interplay. Normally when I hear the full suite performed I wonder why they didn't continue to use the first parts, but in this case I didn't feel that way.

    Peggy-O: Jerry's picking is quite aggressive, and his tone is very chimey, even behind his vocal. Relaxed tempo, even by Peggy-O standards. In this recording it sounds almost like Billy and Jerry doing a duet, but Keith adds some accents here and there.

    ??: What is this? A playful little jam and some quiet noodling where the audience's shouts and requests become more prominent. Bobby announces technical difficulties.

    Truckin': Nice buildup, but not the major bomb drop I'm used to, and from there things start to get really weird. It's not spacy weird, just, "Whoa, what the heck is this?" weird. Some of the early 70s Truckin's could get totally abstract, so this is just the way they rolled back then. Great stuff. Gettin' that funky groove goin' from the first set again, even as the changes take on some jazzy influences. Bobby is very clear in the mix, and my oh, my it's gettin' Weir'ed. Jerry busts in with a burst of guitar feedback which seems to shock everyone for a moment, but they're still groovin'. This is the gold I look for in any show. It's funny because Mind Left Body actually sounds a lot like Loose Lucy. Billy and Phil getting' into a little funky-drummer exchange. Finally Phil breaks through in the mix with some space for him to hit that Bootsy one. In the info text "Jam" and "Mind Left Body Jam" had been listed separately, but they're actually all included in the Truckin' track, which is my preference. Cousinit made a real mess of this file set, but I can fix it. Rarely are there such glaring mistakes on the Archive, but this one has definitely been put together somewhat carelessly.

    NFA: This interesting because I've been listening to a lot of Alligator era NFA's or Bean era NFA's, and that gives a nice context to compare to this Wolf tone… of course, there is a LOT of recording tech affecting the sound here, but even though there's a nice honk, everything seems so nice and round and gently muted. Hey. What's this breakdown in NFA. Pretty sure I've never heard that before… and GTRFB. THAT, was an interesting transition.

    GTRFB: Nothing to worry about here. The old standby. Billy's hi-hat figure during the breakdown is, again, getting really funky with a swinging 16th note feel, or something. Very cool.

    US Blues: Mars Hotel weighted setlist. What month did that come out? Good, tight version.

    Johnny B. Goode: Full colosseum clap along for a high energy reading that does justice to the Check Berry original. Sometimes this can get a bit too languid. This one is rockin' hard.

    On repeated listen, I've messed with the EQ some. First of all I bumped up the EQ preamp level, I dunno, about 10db, I guess. I then added a further 12db of 64Hz, and 125Hz on the 10 band EQ to bring Phil nicely into the mix, but also lowered almost everything else about 6db on frequencies that had been flat to make the bass frequency differential greater. The bass still isn't terribly defined, but it at least brings Phil into play. He was completely inaudible without EQ. Got just a touch more vocal by giving the 1KHz and 2KHz about 1db. The tape has a sort of nostalgic cheap car speaker sound, so I actually wanna preserve a bit of that… not that I could really get rid of it. There's quite a nice venue ambiance, especially when there is more space in the arrangements, like during the Mind Left Body Jam.

    The vocal drop-outs others have mentioned were not audible to the audience.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    2/22/69

    That is a great show. According to the cd notes it was recorded, along with shows in late January and the Feb-March shows, for possible inclusion on Live Dead. It probably won't happen - the song lists are obviously very similar, but it would make a great box set to release all the shows recorded.
    The shows from 1967-1971 inclusive are the main ones for me in 30 Trips.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    You can't blame gravity for falling in love…..

    Mornin’, rockers!!!

    Pick Of The Day: Dream Bowl February 22, 1969

    Relatively speaking, the yang to the yin of February 21, 1969. True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist…..

    I have the space, you have the time, let’s revisit. Officially released in October 2015 as part of Thirty Trips Around The Sun, one almost never hears about this show, possibly because it gets overshadowed by the blazing white hot glare of the Fillmore West Shows of February 27th to March 2nd. This is very much “of a kind” with those shows, featuring the typically sweet Mountains Of The Moon (always loved that song!), a long exploratory Dark Star, a fierce, crunchy Other One, a deathly Death Don’t, a fine Eleven, and a greasy Lovelight that clocks in at a mere 21+ minutes.

    Great music, great sound quality, I suggest you find the time…..

    The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once…..

    Rock on,

    Doc
    There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there…..

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Heads in Mississippi

    That's good to read - they opened with Mississippi Half Step - Franklins Tower the first time I saw them 3/24/81. A great start to the show for sure.

  • PT Barnum
    Joined:
    5-19-74

    In my experience, any show that starts off with Mississippi half-step uptown toodleloo is usually a great one and 5-19-74 is no exception. That pacific northwest box grows on ya, for sure.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    I haven't played it this year yet, but it has become one of my most played shows from this year - mainly because I bought it on vinyl. But it is really good, too. To me, it's better than its song list suggests - the songs leading up to the Truckin' jam are well played and forward moving, and that final jam is superb. It has been castigated in some quarters for the vocal drop outs. A price worth paying, in my opinion. All three 1974 shows in the box it was culled from are top notch.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Dave's 13 and 42

    Hey Bluecrow, #13 is definitely in my top five. Love this show. Listen to it quite a bit. #42 hasn't resonated with me as much as #13, don't know why. How do you all feel?

    I will throw out Dave's Picks #7, 4/24/78, for our old buddy That's Otis. I believe you are fan of this era. Hope all is well out there for you and the rest of the crew!

  • rockthing
    Joined:
    5/19/74

    I've got a beta-max transfer of 2/24/74... which stayed in heavy rotation for a long time when it first hit my library, but low and behold Portland 74 has collecting proverbial dust in the old hard disk, too. Time for something brand new (to me).

    A Pat Lee master cassette passed down the generations.

    It's a little hissy, and I'm not getting much Phil at the start, but Jerry and Bob's gutiars are crystal clear. Jerry's voice coming in a close second in the mix with some occasional Keith flourishes wafting to the fore. Billy's cymbals sound crisp, if somewhat thin. Getting a nice Jamaican dub sound when he switches to the highhat. Kick is in there, clear, but with with a soft tone, and none of the hyper-compressed abrasive contemporary festival sound. Donna's harmonies are on, and blended well with Jerry and Bob for the Across the Rio Grande-oh finale of Halfstep. Jerry plays an aggressive outro solo.

    Mexicali: The mix and tape quality remain consistent. It's mostly a guitar oriented sound, but Bobby's voice is clear, if slightly too far back. Even in '74 they could do this one in their sleep. Have you ever heard a real train wreck during Mexicali? I can't recall one. A fan let's out a hoarse, "Whao!" apparently feeling the southwest polka vibes.

    Big Railroad Blues. Love me some BRB. There are short pauses in the tape where Pat Lee is clearly well aware of the need to conserve footage. Could do with A LOT more Phil in the mix. Might fiddle with the EQ in a bit.

    Black Throated Wind: Awkward song that I sometimes really like, and other times can do without.

    Scarlet: Crowd gives Donna a big cheer as the song reaches it's finale. Of course they egged Bobby on with some of his crazy antics, too, but it's nice to hear that early 70s audiences appreciated her contributions.

    Beat It On Down The Line: Always love this one. Nice double vocal from Bobby and Donna. Some unfortunate microphone feedback during Jerry's solo. Phil's backing vocals are there. The bass frequencies either never made it onto the cassette, or have evaporated through the generations of open reels and cassettes.

    Tennessee Jed: Nice bounce to this laid-back rendition. Another one of my favorite tunes, as I've mentioned before. Another nice, appreciative response from the audience who are almost completely unnoticeable for the majority of the time.

    Bobby McGee. I picture the audience mostly having a lie-down on the lawn during this first set. Just a nice day in the park with some live music in the background.

    Ok, well, that's as far as I'll get in this sitting, but really looking forward to that big Truckin' jam at the end of the show. Now spoilers! 😉 Just kidding.

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Bolo24 says: An Idea, Perhaps? Since we're all going to have a fair amount of spare time on our hands for the foreseeable future, what about starting another thread where we all listen to the same show/release on a given day and then share impressions afterward? Folks can submit suggestions and one person (not me) picks what we'll all listen to - call it Deadnet Picks or something. Anyway, if this idea is deemed to have merit, I'd suggest one of the loyal regular posters take the lead and do the picking - y'all can decide who. Might be fun. If it does go forward, I nominate Dick's Picks 18 for the first listen. Been talked about here lately, and, had it been a single show rather than a compilation, we'd probably be talking about it in the same conversation as Cornell, Veneta, etc. Or perhaps even Gainesville?? Stay safe and healthy, friends - this planet needs as many Deadheads as possible.

I was looking over the weekend at jerry's brokedown palace, and I was looking at Mar's Hotel stuff. Just reviewing pictures again. Noticed someone had posted a "Mars Hotel" float with skeleton in top hat on top.

Never seen that before, assuming it has to be from a NYE show but can't find it in deadbase. It is tagged with gd.nye....

Any ideas?

Also has pick of the band at the mars hotel, looks like in a library watching tv. Dated 1974-06-27

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In reply to by Gary Farseer

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They are playing the crap out of 1976 on the GD Channel on Satellite Radio the last two weeks.

I get the feeling they are stalking us.

I do think of all the unreleased box set quality stuff that remains unreleased, there is comparatively more '71, '73 and '76 than most other years (an honorable mention to '89). '69 is an obvious omission but I am not sure all the shows sound quite as good and are necessarily box set slam dunks. The other years with 'grate' recording quality have been pretty heavily mined.

I'm sure I glossed over some pockets of goodness, would love to hear others thoughts. If you listen to the last seventy six box, the recordings are really, really good. We know there are more there, unless our crack team of diggers has successfully tunneled under the vault, broken through the concrete and loaded the unreleased master tapes in the back of my truck.. in which case they all will get released this year starting with the Banana Box Set, 66 through January 1970, the complete recordings.

Still working through Baltimore '73, this year takes me three or four days to give it a good listen. I bet 1973 shows on average are longer than any other year.

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The reason I'm bolo24 and not some other number. Best I ever saw.

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In reply to by bolo24

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Great to see you again. Had wondered where are you.

I have been so far away from news I didn't even know about Mr. Mays passing. Wish I could have seen him.

Cheers

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In reply to by bolo24

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Hola Bolo,

Good to see you again. Hope they haven't been working you too hard wherever it is you have been hiding out.

mmm... running your post through my All New A.I. Enabled Box Set and Dave's Picks Decrypter, Chat GD

If I simply plug Bolo24 into the system, this is what I get:

B = 2nd letter in the alphabet
O = 12th letter in the alphabet
L = 15th letter in the alphabet
O = 12th letter in the alphabet
24 = 24

2 + 12+15+12+24 = 65

65 -> 6/5 = June 5th

So we are getting a mini box set of shows played on June 5th

Shows on June 5th are:

06/05/69- Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
06/05/70- Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
06/05/80- Compton Terrace Amphitheater - Tempe, AZ

In the spirit of this prediction, I suggest 6/5/80 be the next pick of the day.

Thanks Bolo

edit: Still working on Baltimore 73 the sister show to the Spectrum 73 Dave's Pick. Made it through the first set.

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You're flying a little too close to the sun. Some things of a cryptic nature are best left alone.

Please pardon my absence as I've been involved in some pretty heavy backroom negotiations for the upcoming election. No, not that one - the election on June 28.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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Baltimore! What a show Jim.
Really good recording. First set is sort of the standard for March 73. The El Paso, China Rider stood out to me with Jerry's guitar work and then the Playing to close the first set. Really good.
Second set is a monster. The He's Gone Truckin, WRS prelude which had a great Jerry Jam, into Eyes is so good. Very relaxing. Oh and finish it up with a Morning Dew and OMSN.
Loved it. Good call Jim.

This show should be released at some point you would think.

Any news on this year's Box Set Bolo?

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Spring 73 has to be on their radar. If they can fit it on three discs all the better. I always liked Philly and Baltimore about the same so one would think it's on the release radar.

So how about 6/5/80 next? I had never listened to it before and it's got a surprise or two. Plus it's mere mention got me in trouble with Bolo (again). Clearly there's something hidden in the music that the Mullah's do not want us to enjoy.

Edit: Looks like there's only a soundboard for the second set. Surprise arrangement for the China Rider opener. There is a special place for shows where both sets do not exist, I have to think there's release potential for some or most of these.

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In reply to by JimInMD

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6/5/80 it is. Will get this one going later today. Thanks for keeping it going Jim.

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Fudge, just got Hey Nowed on a long post…Murphy’s law?

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Private Spacley checking in from the wild lands of weird!
Baltimore 73, fo sure, yet another awesome 73 sequence, and a second set Candyman too! Always dig HCS!
One could most def argue for a spring box, but I still think the first six shows of the year are the hidden jewel…summer, meh, has big hype shows, but imho the music isn’t as good as the rest of the year, good but…and the fall/winter, sigh…Top Shelf where mama hides the cookies! Or RJ

I’ve hit 6/5/80 also on my quest, or fools errand? Lol. I definitely dug it, but perhaps a half step behind the previous from the land of Vikings and Deadvikes !

But, I’m here more to cannonball into the middle of your nice enjoyable flow to report from the wild weird west and Wonderland too.
Apologies for my side show Bob shit show side trips, but hey, maybe there’s some freak out there who’ll get something outta my frontier adventures?

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So half way through the year, which I’ve been focusing on shows I haven’t heard from,
Primary: 84 and 94, and
Secondary: 69, 79, and 89

So 69 I’m up to November (all the SBs, not many AUDs), 79 I’ve hit all but 1 or 2?, and 89 I’ve only December left, but I need to revisit August in sequence.
Summer 94 has been a very pleasant surprise! I’m finding the dreaded later years aren’t so bad removed from set and setting situations etc of seeing shows then, as well as being able to finally get better aquatinted with the newer material, which doesn’t bother me near as much, though that chorus on Long Way Home will probably always be annoying lol. Also, three decades has allowed me to catch up with the “industrial” sound lol.
Though I wouldn’t say anything really was RJ, the consistency etc was much better than I expected. I should mention, I’ve done summer tour complete and just a few miscellaneous, including finally hitting the very fine Boxilla show on 10/1. From what I’ve heard so far I think Dave went to the right house for this one, though the Palace shows, some of Deer Creek, say first or second night of Shoreline, really every stop had at least one show, with most at least decent/good. Only recall third night of Shoreline was sub par with Jer having some vocal flubs. Perhaps the best I heard was from 6/17/94 even though it was an Aud. Think Bluecrow suggested this back aways?
Awesome rave spaces throughout!
So if your not a feared and have an open mind, I think there’s some enjoyable shows. They make a great palate cleanse, especially when/if gettin burned out on certain songs etc! And, though the occasional mellowness would of turned me off BITD, now in my sixties, gulp, I find these a nice alternative similar in that sense to 76.

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1984: I’ve made up to Summer tour, which starting on I’m on today, starting with my 40th anniversary of my first time seeing the boys in a foreign country lol.
Really, in those pre 911 days, for us locals it was more like going to the next county, or state. 6/21/84, complete with THE Band opening, Wavy Gravy, and Kesey was a blast and definitely a good show, but not RJ.
So my buddy Tree drove us in his lil Bug and we both dropped at the exact international point on the bridge
(hey if they gave us one of the occasional quick search’s we had nothing in our possession, with plenty of good black hash etc at the show, and we’d be back on the road before things started getting weird)
so a few hours later, by the time we got there things were definitely getting interesting! I always mix this one up with 87 as our mo etc was very similar.
But for those who don’t know, the venue was within Canadas Wonderland amusement park. So having to enter in the middle of FAMILIES!!!, ya know, normal people and children! And, all while being in the middle of what seemed like we were in the middle of the real life Flintstones as everything seemed like some kind of Disney land plastic stone prehistoric village lol. I distinctly recall LMAO after getting in and over the fear, thinking, I’m in a Flintstones episode lol. Hey, the fear was real man ; )
I’m Onto 6/23 as I type, betting Jim was there? Started out kinda ruff but creeping into it, it’s picking up nicely.
Won’t rehash all of 84 as I’ve previously posted, except just to say similar better overall than expected, with plenty of good ones in April, and the Rocks, especially 6/13, perhaps one of the years best?
Ok, going native again, sorry for the intrusion, hopefully somebody gets something outta it lol.
ONWARD! And back to your regularly scheduled POTD!

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Not a very memorable show, I liked the 83 show there a little better. Chill venue though.. we had a good time. I think between the bunch of us we could not put the setlist together after the show. Perhaps this shows our state of mind...

Merriweather was a few days away and they were much better shows which unfortunately let this one slip from memory into the ravages of time.

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Morning, rockers!!

For anybody interested in such things, a "new & improved" copy of May 31, 1969 just hit general circulation, courtesy of the kind folks at the GEMS network. Definitely worth a listen and thank you very much!!!

Some people never go crazy, what truly horrible lives they must live.....

Rock on!

Doc
Out of my mind, back in five minutes............

Was there,,,, mostly I remember the bridge you had to walk across. My records show we thought Black Peter was the hit of the day. Playing Eyes right now,,, not a bad recording,,,, but a FAST Eyes.

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In reply to by Dennis

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Looks like a cool venue.
Didn’t get the best listen of 84, but Felt like it was a creeper and really liked the space with that 100’ tall bullfrog of Jers, from then out was good. I agree Jim, like 83 better. Always been a favorite since it was one of the best sounding tapes I ever had. Buddy found new awesome tape source, but then just as suddenly lost it, as my buddy knocked up his boss at the worm farms daughter and after the (white wedding) ,no more soup for him as they were ultra religious lol. Still kicking myself for not getting the sources number!
Best it gets better, they hired us to play at the wedding reception.
So clueless freaks we were, we bring all our McIntosh amps, JBL speakers, racks of gear etc (basically same stage gear as the boys at the time) to this little fire hall. Of course we dressed up; I had my best pocket tee shirt, Levi corduroys and desert boots on lol.
So late, and high like usual, we set up and prep and the shrooms are kicking in and we finally get on stage and tune up and 1,2, 3, and turn around and step to the mic and HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE LOVED BY YOU, (figured good wedding opener) and as I finally start to realize the reality of the situation were in as I stare at the mostly old, conservative, suit wearing crowd, now glaring back at us lol, well, it was definitely an interesting evening to say the least lol.
Just glad I didn’t get the fear onstage!
But it gets better. Somehow, music for the trad dances etc was never contemplated by anyone, hey we were hippie musicians not wedding planners lol. So during set break we panicked and somehow somebody got a tape deck that we integrated into the PA and the drummer found an Eagles tape in his car.
So we think, Peaceful Easy feelings a nice song, that’ll work for the new couple to dance to. (Can’t remember what the father daughter dance was).
So eventually things had mellowed a bit as the civilians loosened up a little and we figured out where we actually were and tried to adjust accordingly lol, and so the dances are going well and then eventually the new couple starts swaying to the mellow vibes of Peaceful Easy Felling as the crowd all smiles looks on, and then…ooops, the line “I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight”…Doahhh Right back in the dog house with the old conservative church crowd once again staring daggers at us, like “yeah ya stupid freaks, that’s what got us here in the first place”!

For sure one of the weirdest gigs ever, and the last we ever saw of old Druggels again, poor bastard: no more fun, no more Dead especially or rock and roll at all, prolly still working at the worm farm!
How we used to race around and be in all these crazy situations while tripping amazes me all these years later? Guess practice makes perfect lol.

5/31/69, good sheet, really enjoyed that one, will have to check out the upgrade.
But first I’m onto Toga!
Onward!

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There has to be a VHS of that wedding party somewhere, I want to see it.

If it does surface, Oro, this could seriously jeopardize your career in politics.

Truth be known, nobody strives to become a worm farmer. Most just marry into it.

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And Jim and DMC, bada-bing!
Very funny stuff you guys.
Keep bringing the good stuff now that the HN police are easing up some.
Cheers

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...yeah, 2 hour drive to harrisburg listening to the newly taped FM broadcast of WONDERLAND of CANADA show and ready for a great afternoon in the sun, several friends (3 car loads) would plan to meet, one car "alabama toot-away", one car packed with coolers of cold beer, another car "up in smoke". walking through the city enroute to the bridge to take us into the middle of the river, hey look over there at that guy passed out under the tree, damn he sure does look like our friend Chumpweed...keep walking, he would never miss Garcia by over indulging in the early afternoon. Next day, everyone safely back in town and meeting up at a friend's apartment to rap about the show...hey Chumpweed, what did you think of the show? ah, man I passed out under a tree and missed the whole show.....

I remember most the opener: toot-away, a fun tmns to end 1st set, eyes, black peter, gdtrfb; and yeah it was a speedy GOGD event, and most unique venue to have seen the band.

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Morning rockers!!!

Can it really be 40 years ago that we stood in the rain at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and enjoyed a fun Dead show, rain and all?!! Got drenched on the motorcycle ride down from Canada, but we kept our doses dry. Those were the days!!!

Decent soundboards are out there, worth a listen.......

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.....

Rock on,

Doc
One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it.......

So why not.. SPAC 84 virgin listen.

They played the beginning of the City Island show the day before on Today in GD History. I think I have one cursory listen a couple decades ago when I discovered Archive.Org. Jerry's voice is a big haggard on a few songs (thinking Peggy-O for example), which seems to continue on through to SPAC.

SPAC is one of my many GD regrets. I never made it there and could have. I am particularly fond of the 85 show. Now which one of you was dangling from the balcony that night? never mind.. you'll never admit it, but you know who you are.

Got a medium size hornets nest in my attic that needs to go before while summer is young. I think my attic fan is shot too. The exterminator is charging too damned much so I am going to brave this adventure tonight. Wish me luck (balanced with how much could it really hurt anway).

What should I play for the dancing bees 🐝 to give me an edge? A good meltdown space, a rockin' Fire in the attic or Dancing in the Hive?

Edit: Jerry's a little rough or Dire Wolf but recovered nicely by the time the Candayman came around. Similar to the rough start the night before but improving, apparently, as the night progressed.

Edit 2: Finished this while cleaning the house. They did pick up steam as the night progressed. Vocals notwithstanding, a high energy Bertha helped pull things together, the highlight for me being the PITB>China Doll. The Other One was typical for the era but good, a soulful Wharf Rat reigned them back to the finish line with a well paired double encore that would a smile on anyone's face as they walked through gates realizing they have no idea where they left their car (or bike).. but who really cares anyway.

Nice tales from the Road Doc. Creates a little visual and context for the listen.

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Hey hey hey................

As a certain Mr Pen used to say, "Baby I ain't no balcony hanger!"..........

The 1985 SPAC show was the only Dead show I ever attended solo. Beautiful day, rode out on the bike, camped out on the lawn, had some green leafy material, just enjoyed the heck out of the whole experience!

Early the next morning set out for Hershey. Got soaked on the way, but hey, when you're on a bike and you get soaked, you can't get any wetter. My best friend and my brother---both bikers---were supposed to ride down and met me there and we'd ride back together. LOL they chickened out. It rained, but we kept the blow dry. Another enjoyable and noteworthy experience..........

Rode back solo the next day, those were the days!

Rock on!!!

Doc, paperwork day!
Youth has no age.....

Hey Jim, no question, play Airto Moreira and the Gods of Jazz recordings Killer Bees, or Revenge of the Killer Bees. Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke early fusion, like Weather Report but different, very interesting, under the radar stuff. For treatment, instead of toxic spray, Dr. Bronners peppermint castille in cool water, soak that nest from safe distance with a hose end sprayer on a cold morning . Bees, wasps etc hate peppermint and soap being surfactant, gets under their exoskeletal shells. Once the nest is soaked a time or two, they will abandon.

Doc you were there? I normally don't spend time feeling envious, but this is one of those shows where I sure wish I coulda been there. After all these years it is still a show I'll listen to any day, any time. There's something for everyone: Weir was absolutely on, Healy with his bag of tricks, Phil on mad bombing runs (and that Tom Thumb's!!), drummers on point all night long, Brent so colorful and out in front (and just a demon on the organ), and I run out of superlatives to talk about Garcia's performance this day.

Really,
Unless you were there, you’ll never fully grasp this show. (Toga 84)
One of our best GD experiences, right up there with Oxford 88!
In a word: ELECTRIC! The weather, crowd, vibe, cannot KNOW this show without all that.
The Dancin in the Streets is pretty much the theme song for this show.
Started the day before and didn’t stop until the next day.
(I’ll share some more stories separately)
Yeah the vocals are ragged on Dancin, but have been on every show opener on this tour so far. Dire Wolf has a little cocaine gargle but it’s not that bad?
Minglewood is off the fuggin charts! Seriously, (besides Bobs slide solo going on to long and the unfortunate mandatory screaming badger being tortured noise) it’s a monster! And from there things just keeps on growing.
Wonderland was good, but polite, which makes sense considering national radio coverage in two countries along with very pricey tickets (Seva Benefit).
City Isle started out ruff, but creeped to where I felt the Drumz onward was good, but,…, but Toga…Insane!
I’m sure the environment/vibe/energy or what not was so intense the band would have felt it, probably before arrival lol
And they sure seemed to rise to it: going hard for it and having just as much fun as us, well, almost lol. Not only could you feel it, you could see they were way into it!
I think the only critique I can make about this show was, too much energy. They were so jacked up on the vibe (on top of everything else; ) that at times I think over enthusiasm led to not always being just exactly perfect. Hard to describe, they generally played well, just not so perfect, if that makes sense?
I’m onto Blossom currently, the third show we hit that summer, and so far it’s ok, but..kinda laid back after the opening volley of tour ragers.
Oh, yeah, Merriweather I rehashed and they’re similar: start out ragged, but look out, the rocket lifts off and burns baby burns. Again, hot but excess sometimes perhaps leads to occasional less than perfect moments, but good shows if not RJ. Summer tour 84,
Onward!

Can’t imagine those shows on a bike. The rain was what helped make both those shows so fun, but in 85 by the next day we’d had enough, (even before Hershey lol) and we weren’t on bikes! But hey, the adversity usually helped make good shows great!

Edit: added my story to the 6/24/84 show page if anyones interested.

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2/23/93 - Mardi Gras with Ornette Coleman. Our group of friends had a float in the parade (kind of a long story). Our "Acme Krewe" was listed at the bottom of the poster for that show.

As usual, I will categorically deny posting here today.

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Good to see you.
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A bit of synchronicity. I recently re-read Vonnegut's "Sirens Of Titan" and did some googling to see if anyone was still pursuing bringing it to the silver screen. What should pop up but your interview with Garcia in 1987 discussing that very topic!

By the way, I certainly enjoyed meeting you a few years back in San Jose. Hope all is well with you.

"Shall we go, you and I while we can, through the chrono-synclastic infundibulum?"

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Morning, rockers!!

You can probably imagine what I listened to on my morning commute...........

Can it really be 50 years since we had our minds blown at the Providence Civic Center???!!!

It was my high school graduation present from my brother. He & his best friend took me & my best friend (that was his first show, can you imagine that?!!). Cosmic music, killer sound system, clean 25, sign us up, we're on the bus!! For life!!!

The nice surprise Big River show opener, the way cool, very bouncy, jammy, stand alone Scarlet Begonias, yes The Race Is On, fine Half Step, we Let It Grow, second surprise US Blues to open set two, tremendous China/Rider, great Truckin', fine Other One big jam, a touch of the Spanish theme, and of course the major major surprise, once-in-a-lifetime Eyes Of The World encore. A night to remember, and yes I do!!!

Best show I ever saw. We wouldn't see another of this kind for ten years, but that's a story for October. You know what I mean............

There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person........

Rock on,

Doc
Shine like the day I set cosmic eyes on you, friend, by the light of the sweet squash in my lovely laser broom.....

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In reply to by bolo24

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Very good recording of a nice late era show. The highlight for me was Space>The Other One with Ornette but all in all the show is balanced, clean and well played.

As for 6/26/74, all I can say is more. More 74. I'm hitting that now as I do a little yardwork on the lazy river road I live on. Cleaning the house is next. It takes a good, jazzy 1974 classic to get through housework without becoming grumplestilkskin. And the house is a little trashed so make it a good, long show and tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Clean 25 and a show like that. Certainly a pivotal moment in time for those involved.

Yeah, that was a time, back at the academic fest, and it was great to meet you too. And in any case, glad to see you back here.
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Hey rockers! And ICECRMCNKD.....

No, we were not at the 28th. We SHOULD have done the Providence-Boston-Springfield thing, but lol at that stage in our lives we were very green and the idea of going to more than one show on a tour would have been far outside our conceptual framework........

Ten years later, was much different.............

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.......

Rock on,

Doc
The universe hands you opportunities for a while, and if you don't take them, the universe says to itself, 'Oh I see, this person doesn't like opportunities' and stops giving them to you.....

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Pulled this show off the shelf for today and the rewards have been BIG!!

I'm knee deep in this colossal Playing In The Band right now!!

Break it out, if you haven't heard it in awhile

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In reply to by jonathan918@GD

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Interesting show
Especially all those new&1st songs, since I recently did summer tour 94 which illustrates nicely how all those tunes matured. Pretty decent Ist versions, one might even add better than some well known past firsts…
And of course OC, did he sit in any other time?
If so I need to check out! Good Sheet Mon!
Overall decent matrix, perhaps a little heavy on the ambient mics?
And overall decent show for the time. Perhaps a bit of a sleeper until the second set, or is that just the laid back Cali factor, or perhaps because I just finished 84 summer tour lol.
But I really enjoyed from PITD Onward! Good pallet cleanse, now onto 7/21/74, only Aud but not bad, good show so far…checking another box off the not heard list
Onward!

10/19/73:” gold Jerry, gold I tell ya” something about that one, Booyah!

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I need to find the time to unravel that Dickus Pickus and combine it with the Charlie Millers and stitch it back together as two complete shows. They included the right Weather Report Suite if you are going to cut one out, but then again, they cut out a Weather Report Suite and left in two Sugar Magnolias. Sometimes I can take chopped up partial shows and sometimes it bugs the crapatcha out of me. Today is the latter as WRS is working for me today.

10/19/73 - doesn't get that much airtime for me these days, but it should. The Dark Star>MLB>Madness>Morning Dew is one for the ages.

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Jim, circling back on this show. Listened to the second set. Decent recording. Tempe AZ!

Love the China Riders, Lost Sailor Saint from this time period.

Might have to find another 80 show for today.....

Hope you all have a great weekend. We are still getting pounded with way too much rain here in MN.

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Thanks DVikes, sorry for the rain, we are in a bit of a drought here, go figure.

I had to do a double take while listening to I Know You Rider from that show. Jerry and Bobby switched verses. Glad they went back to the previous arrangement the next night, but a cool novelty version.

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The Dreaded Double Post.

For what it's worth, I listened to a 1980 Fire on the Mountain just before I took out the wasps nest in attic. All is good, not a single sting.

Speaking of Fire on the Mountain, Mount Edgecumbe in Southern Alaska (near Skagway) has been dormant for 800 years but looks like it's becoming active.

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Jim I was wondering how that wasp's nest expedition turned out! We used to get them all the time on our back porch. I became expert at spotting them when they were small - softball-sized - and taking them out without using chemicals.

Speaking of (Scarlet->)Fire in 1980, the rendition on Dave's Vol 8 never gets old to these ears.

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Started 10-19-73 in the car today, after finishing 6-22-73.
A sonic downgrade for sure compared to PNW Box.

I have to agree with the Cone Kid on this one. The PNW box sounds amazing in comparison. It sounds amazing period. The China>Rider from Vancouver '74, for example, is amazing and the recordings do it justice.

They must be reading these threads on SiriusXM. Last night on my way home they played the DS>MLB>Morning Dew from that show, probably around 8ish PM EST. I have noticed them mirroring our discussions with playlists a day or two later several times in recent weeks.

Of course it could be coincidence but that's not as fun to discuss.

Still that performance is spectacular. And it's not just plangent processing, I believe Jeffrey Norman has gotten better at his job even with shows pulled from cassette masters.

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Pick of the Day, with Discussion" is a dynamic feature designed to engage users with daily selections of intriguing topics, articles, or news stories. Each pick is carefully curated to spark interest and stimulate thoughtful conversation among readers. The accompanying discussion section encourages users to share their insights, opinions, and questions, fostering a vibrant community of learners and thinkers. Whether it's a groundbreaking scientific discovery, a thought-provoking editorial, or a captivating historical event, "Pick of the Day, with Discussion" offers a platform for meaningful dialogue and intellectual exploration, making it a must-visit destination for curious minds.

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In reply to by mcqsquiz

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Do you have a pick for us today?

Scientific discovery?
Must be referring to Plangent Process.