Thank You For A Real Good Time

Today is the anniversary of the first show from what is dubbed as the last great Grateful Dead tour; Spring 1990. It might be unfair to call it the last great tour because it was more than that. Spring 90 was the last exceptional tour. This tour shook the fabric of the Grateful Dead's patchwork quilt. Night after night the band treated the audience to titillating shows. Download the Matrix copy of the show HERE and HERE.

This show might have started with the lyric "well I married me a wife" but the line that sets this show apart is when Jerry sings "Loose Lucy is my delight." Listen as the audience goes absolutely ballistic afterwards. Most audience member know that this is the first one in almost twenty years, it is actually the first one since 10/19/74. The song fell out of rotation during the Grateful Dead hiatus; just like "Black Throated Wind," "Jack Straw," and "China/Rider." "Straw" and "China/Rider" got reinserted in 1977 but "Loose Lucy" seemed to be forgotten after 33 performance of the song. But after this re-introduction the song, "Loose Lucy" was regularly preformed with the final one appearing in the forth to last show on 7/5/95.

Spring 90 are shows that you can expect the unexpected, like this unusual second set opener of "Crazy Fingers." This sets up a steamy "Playin'/Uncle John's/Playin'" sandwich. The first "Playin'" is a mind bending and expansive and ranging before landing at the familiar "Uncle John's," which as it starts to jam into a close is quickly poked and prodded at by Bobby. As he pulls the and stretches "Uncle John's" back into the "Playin'" jam. A fantastic "Black Peter" highlights the second half of the set before they crush the "Lovelight" closer. Although Jerry struggles with the lyrics, the "Black Muddy" is the icing on the cake of this show. 

The band returned to the Cap Center the following night to celebrate Phil Lesh's birthday and busted out "Easy to Love You" for the first time since 1980 and "Revolution" for the first time since 1985. Then they closed the three night run with another bust out of "Black Throated Wind," and features Bobby showing off some alternative lyrics on the song. Both these shows are official Grateful Dead releases. One is "Terrapin Limited" and the other is included in the "Spring 90" boxset. 

I: Cold Rain, Stranger, Never Trust a Woman, Mama Tried, Big River, Loose Lucy, Memphis Blues, Row Jimmy, Let It Grow

II: Crazy Fingers, Playin', Uncle John's, Playin', Drums, Space, Mr Fantasy, Miracle, Black Peter, Lovelight E: Black Muddy

This is the result of the tattoo session I mentioned in my last blog. And I'd like to wish a happy birthday to Jeff, one of my oldest friend and regular reader of the blog.