DAYS BETWEEN 8/6

Soundboard of this date in 1974 is available for download HERE and HERE. This is probably the best show to that falls in the Days Between. It's close to four hours of Grateful Dead music.

This is a shining example of the glory of the Wall of Sound shows. Every instrument is distinctly present in the mix. You can pick out the Phil bombs on "Bertha," Billy's drums on "Mexicali," Jerry's guitar on "Jack Straw," or Bobby's on "Eyes." If you want to hear it you can pick it out. It was a marvelous innovation by the band.
Bobby makes a joke after the "Bertha" about the news reporting that there is a zero chance of rain, but that it wasn't the only news of the day. That is because the Congress had established a case to impeach President Nixon. He would later resign from the office on August 9th, 1974.
The first set "Eyes" is a thing of beauty. At close to 20 minutes the band has fun exploring the upbeat rhythm of the song. The song has no end and yet the band finds one here. Usually it ends in crashing symbols and guitars but here it just kind of fades out. So Bobby can yet again yell at some idiots who are climbing a fence.
The "Playin'" is out of this realm. The band stretches the song until as they metamorphosize into Miles Davis "Bitches Brew." Keith plays the electric piano which is what gives the jam this sound. Jerry with his fearless leads makes him the perfect conductor. As the band stretches out the song, it's actually Bobby that starts the "Scarlet" progression, and the song comes storming out of the blue. Gently the band fades back into electric "Playin'." This "Playin'" "Scarlet" "Playin'" was used as filler on Dicks Pick's 31, but it is hard a filler, it's straight heat.

A brilliant "Uncle John's" opens the second set. It almost sounds confessional when Jerry sings "I live in a silver mine and I call it beggars tomb" without any accompany vocals. Later in the set the band splits up "Sugar Mags" and "Sunshine Daydream" for only the second time. The odyssey in-between features the "He's Gone" "Truckin'" combo that had become poplar thanks to the key of E. As the "Truckin'" disintegrates, Phil howls his base causing Bobby to pick up "Spanish Jam." Jerry takes control of the jam as they move away from "Spanish" and leads them into "Other One," which fizzles as "Going Down the Road" leads them back to "Sunshine Daydream." A continuous hour of good ol' Grateful Dead music.

I: Bertha, Mexicali, Don't Ease, BIODTL, Sugaree, Straw, Eyes, Promised, Deal, Playin', Scarlet, Playin'

1.5: Phil and Ned

II: Uncle John's, Black Peter, El Paso, Lucy, Big River, Ship, My Uncle, Row Jimmy, Sugar Mags, He's Gone, Truckin', Spanish Jam, Other One, GDTRFB, SSDD E: US Blues