After a four night run at the Fillmore East, the Grateful Dead returned home to play two shows at the Euphoria Ballroom in San Rafael. The first show was an acoustic/electric show, and the second show was all electric and punctuated with a visit by their friend Janis Joplin. This would be the last time that she gigged with the boys before her October death later in the year. Download the soundboard of the show HERE.
1970 was a year of growth for the Grateful Dead. They started off the year touring to promote their album "Live Dead," but at this time the audience noticed that the songs were getting shorter with the departure of Tom Constanten in February. In May "Workingman's Dead" was released to critical acclaim and six months later "American Beauty" was released to similar fanfare. The band also played more gigs (142) in 1970 then any other year. The band was busy.
This is a glowing example of the Dead constantly making strides in their songwriting and preforming. Two months earlier at Harper College in Binghamton (Dick's Picks 8), the Dead played "Candyman," which consisted of one verse, a chorus and simple guitar chords. At this gig "Candyman" has developed into the mold of the song that would appear on "American Beauty." The "Attics" here has some beautiful harmonies and Garcia's guitar is the only instrument that is played throughout. Then the "Not Fade/St Stephen" is a hard rocking matrix, which would soon be reversed as a combo, and is fueled by a scintillating transition. Then of course the band keeps the loving spirit of Janis alive with the romantic version of "Lovelight."
China, Rider, Candyman, Lovelight*, Casey Jones, Attic, Cumberland, NFA, St Stephen, Uncle Johns
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