Grateful Dead

We were there too, Dave, although it wasn't our first show. Fun times back in the days of touring........... BTW, is there a copy of 11/17/71 in the vault? TTFN & rock on! Doc

I always thought it was cool that they played Terrapin, Sailor/Saint, and Ship of Fools as a lyrical nod to the war/sea theme of the venue name (i.e., Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS). I guess they could've played Peggy-O and Jack-A-Roe too (although they did play Peggy-O there the night before on 12/10/79 and Jack-A-Roe on 2/9/79). I also thought it was strange that they never played Cumberland Blues at any of the 8 shows they played at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, ME?? Seemed like the perfect opportunity! The one GD version of Bob's "Salt Lake City" was, of course, played on 2/21/95 in...SLC. Does anyone know of any other shows when they played songs with a title and/or lyrical connection to the venue (or city) name? Or noticeable absences (e.g., "Truckin'" was absent at the 7/4/89 show in Buffalo documented on the "Truckin' Up To Buffalo" DVD release)?

Hey Man, Digging the Hartford sequence. Garcia's return to the East Coast after getting sick during Summer '86 tour The band received a warm welcome The Civic Center was juiced for sure Merci beaucoup Monsieur Lemieux shwack in nh

I know there was a show on 12/12/90 in Denver where they played China Cat, which got a big roar from the crowd when Jerry sang the line "I'd shine my light through the cool Colorado rain". Pretty epic set in general (Dark star>Terrapin!) I know Dead & Co has done this a few times (not sure if it was intentional) when the played Black Throated Wind in St. Louis, and I was at the Portland OR. show in which they opened the second set with Here Comes Sunshine. That song was penned by Hunter thinking about the flood in 1949 that wiped out the town of Vanport, WA, right across the Columbia from PDX. Not sure how many folks knew that at the show, but cool trivia none the less!

I believe the GD often did this. I was at several shows where songs linked to the particular venue...Terrapin Station at Landover, Md...Terrapin is state animal of Md. "Dancin in the Streets" in Baltimore, Md. Opened with "Cold Rain and Snow" in Richfield Coliseum, Ohio in September, after a March blizzard caused cancellation of the most recently scheduled previous show. "Cold Rain and Snow" and plenty of Dylan tunes in Minnesota; The "California" in Estimated Prophet brought huge roar in Pauley Pavillion in 1980. "Take me to the River" at 3 Rivers Stadium and in St Louis in 1995. The famous Rain Set in Pittsburgh, also 1995. I'm sure I'm forgetting many...seems like there was one in every concert I attended."Jack Straw" at Fare thee Well on 7/4/15...I happened to leave Texas the 3rd day of July for that one. I wasn't there but how about "Mama Tried" 5/8/77...Mothers Day weekend? I always thought this was a cool topic, btw.

Cool, I didn't know about the Terrapin/Maryland connection; I guess that would explain the Terrapin CD release from the 3/15/90 Landover, MD show: http://www.dead.net/store/1990s/terrapin-limited-31590 Definitely many rain sets out there...I saw one on 7/19/89, the last GD show at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, lots of muddy dancing!

In later years, they would play "The Race Is On" on Kentucky Derby Day (or another popular horse race day), usually on the first Saturday in May (see 5/3/86, 5/6/89, 5/5/90, 5/4/91, and 5/20/95, looks like this last one was for the Preakness Stakes). I saw one of these too, in Las Vegas on 5/20/95, the final GD version of TRIO.

While the Dead often tipped their hats to towns and venues, each and every Grateful Dead, Ratdog, the Dead (2003, 2004 and 2009) and Dead and Co. show I've attended in Buffalo got a Truckin', St. Louie gets Black Throated Wind, etc...Springsteen also continues to shape his selist to the town he plays in. That spontaneity and creativity makes the shows even more memorable.

Looks like they played "El Paso" at their one show in El Paso, TX on 11/23/73. They would often play "Minglewood Blues" at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. In addition to "Take Me To The River" in Memphis (1995), they also played "Lazy River Road", "Memphis Blues Again", and "Tennessee Jed". I was also lucky enough to see the "Here Comes Sunshine" bust out on 12/6/92...and it was definitely a sunny, daytime show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8zlGN46oaM

I saw them at Compton Terrace Tempe, AZ 1980. No Arizona nor Phx songs in the catalog, so we got El Paso and Mexicali Blues...close enough, geographically, I guess. Their "15th anniversary" tour. Seems funny now to think of that.Really good show, with Zevon opening. later addition...they also played new minglewood blues at this show, so I guess "born in the desert" line qualifies as a nod to the venue.

Never saw the band live, but I was listening to a show from the early '70s on the Archive where Promised Land got a big cheer after the verse ending with "downtown Birmingham." Of course that show was in Birmingham, AL...

Looks like they played "The Promised Land" at two of their Birmingham, AL shows; they opened the show with it on 12/15/78 and better yet, on 4/28/80 they opened with "Alabama Getaway" > "Promised Land"! "The Promised Land" sure has a lot of geographical references in there. In addition to Birmingham, AL, Chuck Berry mentions Norfolk, VA; Raleigh, Charlotte, and Rock Hill, NC; Atlanta, GA; Mississippi; New Orleans, LA; Houston, TX; Albuquerque, NM; and Los Angeles, CA. BTW, they also opened up their 12/19/78 show in Jackson, MS with "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo". There were quite a few geographical references mentioned in that show with Minglewood, Me and My Uncle, Big River, Loser, El Paso, Promised, and Truckin' all being played. If they had only added "Dancin' In The Street" this would've possibly set the record!

7.6.95 in St louis are...Mississippi 1/2 step, take me to the river and big River. Maryland Heights ampitheater. Attended with my wife, her brother, his pregnant wife. My now 21 year old niece says she attended a Dead show.