Grateful Dead

As 1969 passes, a number of the Dead's experiments begin to bear ripe, beautiful fruit. They've become a fantastic experimental jazz/rock fusion band, which they document with the world's first live 16 track recording, Live Dead, in February/March. They have a solid home-away-from-home in New York City at the Fillmore East, and shows there are legendary. This is good, because in between the coasts their audience continues to grow very slowly. In their first major concert since Monterey Pop, they find themselves onstage in the middle of a monsoon at Woodstock in August, and decide later it's their worst show ever. They're not pleased with their new album, Aoxomoxoa (out in June), either: 'Lost it in the mix.' Even though they didn't play, their participation in Altamont is a giant bummer. But Robert Hunter has moved into Jerry Garcia's house (in February), and their co-residency begins to yield new material that sets a higher standard for the band's work.