Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if Trey Anastasio would have taken over for Jerry in 1995. In 1995 Trey was the most powerful rock guitarist on the planet. By 1999 he had soul dropping from his fingers
I've never understood The Dead. Either you like it or you don't. I don't. I think it's awful. I grew up in a musical family. I'm a musician. I worked in record stores around LA in my teens and early 20s. I've been to all kinds of concerts from jazz to punk. In the mid 1980s a girl friend took me to see The Dead at Laguna Seca. I had heard what great musicians they were (are) but seriously....it was hard to take. The tempo changed randomly, they were drifting in and out key (and interest) as they droned on and on. No one seemed to notice or care. The rest of it was pretty cool-Los Lobos rocked, lots of drugs and uninhibited hippy chicks. I went to another show in the East bay that was worse. The sound was horrible, why were so many people taping it and writing down the set list? It seems like if you were a fan you'd want to forget about it. I walked out.
The dead is an acquired taste for many fans. The first show I went to I only knew about 1/4 of the songs and I thought the jamming went on way too long especially drums and space. I wasn’t really impressed. But The more I learned over the decades the more I came to appreciate them. They played their songs differently every night. Some nights were better than others, that’s the nature of risk taking and improvisation, and there were times when Jerry was too wasted. But when they would come and play 3 nights in a row you could go to every night and it was always something new. They had hundreds of songs they actively played and you never knew what you’d hear. I came to learn and love dozens of great songs you’ll never hear on the radio. Most of the time I’d see them their sound was great, if you were out in the back in big venue with the house sound system it could be not good but up near the stage they took great care in having good sound quality.
That is a good example, a great set list of a second night show. Already a bunch of nights into a run, of a long tour. so it was by some accounts a "lesser show". A condition that could switch from 1st show in a city or the 2nd night or a run of less than stellar shows in a row.
There is no accounting for taste. As with beauty it helps if you find the package appealing, but love happens the Grateful gnow the dead happens too. If you only value a tertiary experience in your live music, you won't build the appreciation, of the accessibility in the same way. For many of us of a certain age, at the time & for decades there was no other band that did what the Dead did with the same results. Even by the fool fan clubs of the day, it was all new, derived from the "Beats" & the Jazz age, coffee houses & Folk-music. Then there was all the party stuff & the idea to caravan across country show to show, every show, eventually expanding across the globe; following a musical act!,
Originalpmac I’m glad you enjoyed it! I was lucky when we went to Dead and Co New Years 2015. I hadn’t heard about Mayer playing with the dead and went last minute. Loved it! Been going to more nights on each tour every year. 2 in 2016, 3 in 2017. 6 in 2018 lol! Of course that’s nothing compared to some dead heads.
Speaking of the balance, ((()))&completely ignoring Florida, Boston, NNew Mexico,Arizona, Las Vegas, Kentucky . . . .)
in the weeks that follow,
the copy bands do well up & down the east coast.
There has been a new surge in faithfuls
willing to have fun, to the familiar tunes
Blues In E play'd loud, enough , , ,
So the better skilled bands need to stand out-
In a urge to strike a difference, Dark-Star Orchestra is re-playing whole shows.
I'd like to provide some recommendations. provide challenges
The, qcrspy, incredible, Terrapin... from San Rafael, 4/1/84
to a spot where achieving mental/physical, balance is reached.
Red rocks Colo. (Some sorta shows there ! for 4 years in a row)
7/8/78(Wharf`Rat,Franklins'+SugarMags )
Balance,
while the crescendo of sound picks a course to that place. . .
This place 11/25/83, Cleveland OH (Melvin Seals, Keyboards)
(talk about a -Knocking-!-4th,song;31:00min in-)
4/14/82, Glenns Falls,A worthy show. . .
A small hockey rink, up the highway 1/2 an hour - A Gunks "hometown" show
China->Rider https://youtu.be/0SoqK_8p89Q
I Second That Emotion
They Love Each Other
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Who Was John
Mystery Train
Friend Of The Devil
Tore Up Over You
Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
(I'm A) Road Runner
(Late Set)
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Catfish John
A Strange Man
Harder They Come
Mission In The Rain
My Sisters And Brothers
After Midnight
Moonlight Mile
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Encore -
Talkin' 'Bout You
((found 'em(lost them ??? badamnit dang naBIT! ! !))
Jerry Garcia Band 12/6/77 - The Dome (C.W. Post College), Greenvale, NY
from the East coast, as the notes point out,
Catfish John
That's What Love Will Make You Do
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Mystery Train
Set 2 -
Don't Let Go
I'll Take A Melody
Reuben And Cherise
Simple Twist Of Fate
Harder They Come
Tore Up Over You
Mission In The Rain
. . .
still & always, thAnx Jerry!
4/10/82 Passaic NJ.
Gno more, needs to be said ?
Maybe skip past the Long Slow 3rd song, Gomorrah,
to 18:20,start with a crisp Dire Wolf
Deep Elem Blues
Freight Train
Babe, It Ain't No Lie
*Gomorrah
Dire Wolf
Little Sadie
Stagger Lee
Valerie
Been All Around This World
To Lay Me Down
Run for the Roses
Ripple
Encore: Reuben & Cherise
Late Show
Set One
Jack-A-Roe
Going, Going, Gone
Dire Wolf
*Gomorrah (i luv it too, this one is supreme,Long & slow)
Run for the Roses
Friend of the Devil
Babe, It Ain't No Lie
Rosalie McFall
Sing Me Back Home
Deep Elem Blues
Set Two
It Takes a Lot to Laugh It Takes a Train to Cry
Ballad of Casey Jones
China Doll
Ripple
Encore: Reuben & Cherise
From 9/2/80, (1st) the space that led to "Iko" into The "Dew"
(skip all the space till 7:37, the starting riffs of the Iko to come)
I don't think my tape from the "Fronton" was this clear? But I went thru 2 cassettes and missed it when the last went south.
I also had a Bob Marley tape Live from France Ive never heard agian, along with A Joini Mitchell from the same time
I have 2 tix available for the Joe Russo's Almost Dead show tomorrow, Friday 11/9, @ the Wiltern in LA. $70 each 3rd row front center of balcony (loge). Will consider all offers. Figured it was worth a shot to post here. Cheers-
Encore -
Let us know!