CLOCKS ARE RUNNING LATE

On this date, 25 years ago, the Grateful Dead took the stage at Madison Square Garden for night number two. Download the soundboard copy of set I and set II.
Before the show the publicist for the band, Denis McNally, held a band meeting where he told the group, "Touch of Grey is now a top ten hit on the Billboard charts." To which Garcia replied, "I'm appalled." And he should be, the scene was now bigger than ever and it was never going to be quant again.

The band jumps out of the gate with the sparkling combo of "Touch" into "Scarlet." While the "Scarlet" is short the fluffiness of the "Touch" lively up the "Scarlet." The transition is seamless and is a glowing example of the there how intuitive the band could be. After the "Esau," Jerry plays a whole verse of "Dupree's" before electing to start "High Time." Maybe he realizes that he didn't remember all the lyrics of "Dupree's," but he doesn't play the song in any of the three remaining nights at the Garden. A fabulous "Let it Grow" comes right before the set is closed with "Don't Ease."
The combo night continues as the band opens the second set with "Bertha/Greatest." Bobby makes it sound like he is trying to reprise "Greatest," until Brent screams out the Little Richard song "Devil with a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly/Devil with a Blue Dress" combination. Then the key of E combo of "He's Gone" and "Truckin'" is split up by "Drums/Space." Garcia wedges "Wharf Rat" in and so he ends up messing up the first couple of lines of the song. Before "Throwing Stone/Not Fade" duo closes the set.
As the band returns for the encore they reprise the "NFA" before playing the instrumental "Bid you Goodnight" leads them into "Black Muddy."

I: Touch, Scarlet, Rooster, Dire Wolf, Esau, High Time, Let it Grow, Don't Ease

II: Bertha, Greatest, Blue Dress, Good Golly, Blue Dress, He's Gone, Drums, Space, Truckin', Wharf Rat, T. Stones, NFA E NFA, GDTRFB, Black Muddy

Next blog tomorrow.