Maybe You Know How I'm Feeling

Today we go back to another show from the Spring 1983 tour. Last year I featured the two Meadowland gigs from this tour, which featured the special guest appearance by Stephen Stills. Earlier in the tour the magical combo of "Help/Slip/Franks" was rekindled in the lineup for the first time since 1977. This of course means these were the first time Brent Mydland got to tackle this combo.
This was the band's second ever performance in Vermont and it passes the James' litmus test for a great 80's show because it features two Brent songs. This is the first time that the Bob and Jerry show had two songs sang by the keyboardist/vocalist since 5/26/72, when Pigpen sang a couple of tunes in the Europe '72 finale. The two Brent tunes are not the only reason why this show is great. It is a torrent affair. A night where everything click. Oh yeah and there is a massive Morning Dew. Download the SBD HERE and HERE.

My love for this show goes back to the 90's and my tape trading days. I remember I only had the second set of this show on the heavy duty black Maxell xlls. I even remember that I used a green marker to write UVM and blue for the date. It was lucky that it was a black Maxell because I listened to this show incisively. So the first set is newish to me. Although I've had this show since discovering archive.org. The show ignites with "Jack Straw." "West LA Fadeaway" is less than a year old and this one seems to be loose and venturous. The cowboy combo has a welcomed twist with "Mama Tried/Cumberland Blues." The "Cumberland" is electric, Jerry is on fire and provides an electric solo. Unfortunately the set closer of "Might As Well" is missing from the digital copy. 

I first got this tape around the same time that Dick's Picks 6 came out, which is from the same year and features similar second sets. But this show got listened to far more than the 10/14/83. The second and third digital drop outs occur during the "Scarlet," but the "Fire" is clear and fabulous. As if the "Scarlet/Fire" weren't enough, the band follows it with another sublime combo of "Estimated/Eyes." As the "Eyes" fades the drummers try to claim the beat but Brent stays on and debuts "Maybe You Know." A real spirited version of the tune before leaving the drummers to their craft. Please remember this tune because my next post will center around this song.

If I can make a request, please listen to this "Dew" with headphones on at some point. This is the first time that a "Morning Dew" comes out of "Space." They would do it a handful of times afterwards but not as magical as it was on this night. "Throwing Stones" gets called for next, and like the "Dew" beforehand has a lengthy intro. Then the boys close with a bone crushing "Good Lovin'." They then encore with the third song that was debuted in 1982, with "Touch of Grey."

I: Straw, TLEO, BIODTL, West LA, Mama Tried, Cumberland, Ramble, Far From Me, Esau

II: Scarlet, Fire, Estimated, Eyes, Maybe You Know, Drums, Space, Dew, T Stones, Good Lovin'

E: Touch

The next Dave's Pick has been announced. The first night of this run was going to be a blog last year for the Special Guest year, because Stephen Stills sings on "Lovelight," but I went with the Branford show from 1993. Regardless this is the best album artwork yet. "Sleepy Alligator…"