If It's The End Or Beginning

Today is the anniversary of the first show of 1977. The board of the show can be downloaded HERE and HERE, although it should be noted that the "Playin' Reprised" is missing. Accidentally delete some years back and with Archive.org being audience only, I've been unable to replenish my copy.

Although the calendar states 1977, this show still has the loosely goosey style of playing that was typical in 1976. These first two shows are like that before they tighten things up starting three weeks later at the Winterland. They tighten things up because of the producer of "Terrapin Station" requested they do so during the recording process but also because the new song "Terrapin" demanded it too. The song was not something that the band could willy-nellie their way through. In this regard "Terrapin" is very similar to "St Stephen," which is why 1977 saw some of the band's best performances of the song. 

Of all the great Garcia/Hunter collaborations, "Terrapin" might be the most complicated epic of all them. So much so that Hunter didn't want the story to end. He continued to write coda's to epic, which he couldn't get Jerry to bring to the table with the Grateful Dead. Although Jerry co-wrote the music Robert Hunter on his record "Jack o Roses." Garcia might have wanted to let the song conclude with it's immaculate conception that delivered the song originally. Robert Hunter moved into a empty house, while cross town Garcia was driving around San Francisco. A monstrous thunder storm hit the Bay Area and Hunter started scribbling in his notebook while Jerry started singing a melody, and the next day they got together to fit melody to lyric page. Garcia said that writing a song was not normally a easy thing for him. In a 1991 interview he said, "I don't think I ever actually written from inspiration, actually had a song just go bing! I only recall that happening to me twice; once was with Terrapin and other was Wharf Rat." 

This is the only time that Grateful Dead opened a show with "Terrapin." It is one of two times that it appeared in the first set of a two set show. The band did struggle at times with the song but the song had the ability to evaluated the audience and turn a mundane show into a wow event. Like they did on 3/28/91 when an uneventful show turned into the first time since 7/8/78 and last time the band ever encored with "Terrapin."
So a couple of weeks ago, I met with an old friend of mine from High School. He was actually the one who gave me a ride to my first Grateful Dead show, since I didn't have my license yet. He and I set an appointment for this evening, so that I could get the Terrapin Turtles tattooed to my arm with my boys initials in the instruments. 

I: Terrapin*, Minglewood, TLEO, Estimated*, Sugaree, Mama Tried, Deal, Playin', Wheel, Playin'

II: Samson, Jed, Music, Help, Slip, Franks, Promised, Eyes, Dancin', Around E: US Blues

* First one

A couple of news bits, first there is a great new website for searching Dead shows and songs called deadstats.com. Then the most recent Rolling Stone (with Philip Seymour Hoffman) has Dave's Picks Volume 9 as number 30 on their list of Top 40 Albums. Lastly please sign your name to the petition to vote the Grateful Dead to the Kennedy Center Honors for 2015, which would be their 50th anniversary by following this link. 

Close Encounters of the Dead Kind

After coming off what is considered by most to be their greatest year, 1977, the band auspiciously started 1978 with two gig where all the vocals were handle by Bobby. The Jerry laryngitis shows started 1978 and fall tour would end with the band canceling multiple gigs due to Jerry's illness. Yet in between there are some very special and invigorating shows. This is the first great show of 1978, download the SBD HERE, HERE, and HERE.

This show like their most famous Cornell '77 show opens with "Minglewood." They follow it up with an upbeat. "Dire Wolf" like they would later do on their best show from this year 7/8/78. I draw this two comparisons because this gig is right in between these two legendary gigs and it provides some context to it's place on the GD timeline. This has always been one of my favorite "Cassidy" for whatever reason. It all fits together well and is white hot. The "Row Jimmy" here is electric. This is a clear graduation from the slow and steady 1973 versions that I love. The slide playing is spectacular. Bobby really seems comfortable playing over this chord progression. 

The second set "Samson" also features some extra vigor, which is a complete foreshadow to the bands April tour. April 78 features some of the liveliest versions of the bands song catalogue. It you ever need a three hour energy shot of music just pull a show from April and you'll be at SPAC in no time. The "Terrapin" is much more textured as the puts their heart on the line. 

"The Other One" is a mind altering substance as they toy around with it as Bobby crushes both the verses. Afterward the band gives Garcia room to insert of of his ballads but instead he teases the Theme to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Although he doesn't play the full chromatic theme the audience picks up on it and cheers him on to keep up the jam from one science fiction fan to another. Most didn't realize that not only was Garcia a fan but he appeared in the film, his second ever appearance in a movie. In 1977, Garcia appeared as one of the stars of "The Grateful Dead Movie" (of course) and as an extra in "Close Encounters." He is one of the many people who is standing on the Indian hillside in the first twenty minutes of the film. I don't think that even Jerry could have picked himself out of all the extras there. Jerry uses this "Close Encounters" jam to segue into a crushing "St Stephen" bypassing the ballad.
This wouldn't be the only time in 1978 that pop culture snuck into to Grateful Dead rotation. On 4/19/78, Bobby was practicing his slide to the radio. He yelled over to Steve Parrish that was walking by, "Tell Garcia, I'm not going on stage unless he sings this song tonight." So that night they encored with the first ever "Werewolves of London."

I: Minglewood, Dire Wolf, Cassidy, Peggy-O, El Paso, Jed, Straw, Row Jimmy, Music

II: Bertha, Good Lovin', Ship, Samson, Terrapin, Drums, Other One, Close Encounters, St Stephen, NFA, Around, E: US Blues

…Reason Taters The Force Tears Loose From It's Axis

 If you turn up disc 3 of your copy of "The Closing of Winterland," you'll hear a DeadHead shout "Dark Star" moments before they play the opening notes of the song. The crowd rejoices as they play the song for the first time since 10/18/74 in the building that was now officially closing. The band did not make DeadHead's wait another four years after this as mentioned in what was Part 1 of my "Dark Star" post. This is Part 2 and is going back 35 years to Shea's Theatre in Buffalo New York. Download the Charlie Miller FOB Audience tape of this show HERE.
This setlist is very similar to the last show I featured, minus the smoking hot Shakedown that propels Phil to intro the song, but this show is one that I can only listen to during the colder months. I put it on for a drive to Buffalo over the summer and had change it midway through the first set. Yet I've listened to it 3 or 4 times this month and it feels great like a warm fire. It's strange how some shows can do that. Because the Nassau definitely does not do that to me.

The "Bertha" on this show is another example of why Keith was on his way out. A song that he's bright keys would sparkle on is mysteriously absent from until the solo break. He ticks the ivory for a little bit and then slips off as the song jumps into "Good Lovin'."

This might be the most mysterious "Dark Star" of them all. The band an "Other One" sandwich that holds the "Drums/Space" there is the slow descention into what seems to be "Stella Blue" before twisting it into this magnificent "Dark Star." Just like the Winterland version the jam somewhat progresses into an "Other One" type jam before Bobby leads them into a spacey rhythmic "Not Fade." Again only one verse was sung on this version 1/10/79 and the New Years one. 

After playing "Dark Star" three times in twenty days, the band would only play it twice until the Formerly the Warlock gig from Hampton in 1989. The two version were played it on New Year's Eve 1981 and the Greek Theater on 7/13/84. That means over the span of 766 shows "Dark Star" was played twice and both were on the West Coast. Pretty amazing and it was this rarity and the songs abstract format that made "Dark Star" the holiest song of them all.

I: Promised, Sugaree, El Paso, Peggy-O, All Over Now, Jack A-Roe, Minglewood, Stagger Lee, Straw

II: Miracle, Bertha, Good Lovin, Loser, Estimated, Other One, Drums, Space, Other One, Dark Star, NFA, Sugar Mags E: OMSN

After announcing "Something new is waiting to be born" on Jerry's 71st birthday, the new jerrygarcia.com has launched. But I caution you, don't go on it unless you want to be sucked into its vortex. It's a beautiful web design and there is suppose to be addition infrastructure add, so don't get frustrated if you can't add your shows. 

Pouring It's Light Into Ashes…

Today is the anniversary of a marvelous show from the Nassau Coliseum from 1979. Coming off what was considered by some to be their best New Years show, the Dead rolled into NYC for their first two gigs at Madison Square Garden before shooting out to the Island. (The New Years show was second on the DeadHead's request to be released as Dick's Picks 3 to Cornell 77 according to DeadBase.) This first of two nights is important because it's the first East Coast "Dark Star" since 1974, and briefly gave DeadHeads the hope that there would be many more to come. If you want to narrow it down further, this is the first New York State "Dark Star" since Utica since March 21, 1973. Just before this gig the band played their three gigs at the Nassau Coliseum and the middle show featured "Dark Star."

Being that the full New Years gig at the Winterland was played in 1979, this gig is the second of three "Dark Star" played in 1979. This is the longest of these three "Dark Star," and interestingly enough Jerry only sang the first verse in all three cases. This one like the Winterland feature some fantastic fluttering notes by Jerry. This one is also very Bobby and Keith  heavy. Keith tries on this one to stay very close to the theme and Bobby, and is an example of his mimicking which the bandmates found annoying causing him and Donna to exit after this brief winter tour. Bobby is a catalyst on this "Dark Star," leading the band to explore and give it legs to stretch into "Drums."

This show is also the last time that "Dark Star" and "St Stephen" were played at the same concert. The pair were linked on 8/20/68. Previously they had been using "Dark Star" primarily paired with "China Cat," but the band believed that "Dark Star/St Stephen" was the combo that they wanted to develop for their "Live Dead" album. The final time the two songs were combined was at their final Fillmore East show on 4/28/71. "St Stephen" went on hiatus after this show until 10/15/83 at Madison Square Garden, it appeared 3 times in 1983 and then permitly left the Grateful Dead's rotation, for more on "St Stephen" check HERE.

DeadHead's at the New Years Winterland show brought a sign in forming the band how many days since the last "Dark Star." It had been 1535 days but because of the 1975 hiatus it only figured out to be 189 and it wouldn't even figure as the longest show or day gap in the song appearance. This appearance is only a four show gap and you can download the best Audience copy of it HERE.

I: Promised, Dire Wolf, Mama Tried, Mexicali, Jed, LL Rain, Stagger Lee, El Paso, Row Jimmy, Passenger, Loser, Music

II: Shakedown, Miracle, Bertha, Good Lovin, Dark Star, Drums, Space, Wharf Rat, St Stephen, Around E: JBG

If you want to get hip to a really cool Grateful Dead side show, check out the recent show by Furthur drummer Joe Russo and his Almost Dead project. They played a recent gig on 12/27/13 and is posted on Archive HERE.

A Bird Within Her Sing

Last year when I was trying to figure out which of the great New Years shows to do, I was impressed by the guest that would come out and jam with the boys. Looking at that is what inspired me to do a theme year on special guest with the Dead, which concludes with this blog. If it hasn't been completely obvious already that my favorite guest to sit-in is Branford Marsalis. His relationship with the band was pure brilliant. He had the ability to fit seamless in the spaces between, to enlighten the stage and to blow the audience down. Download the show HERE and HERE.

This is the second time Branford joined the band on stage and so much had changed since the March gig. Brent died and now there was two keyboardist filling those spaces. This means that there was less room on stage for him, but he finds his way on the songs that he blew down in March. "Bird Song," "Eyes," and "Dark Star" all worked well and were quickly recycled for this gig. And though "on man gathers what another man spills," Branford yet again makes these song breath new with the Dead. The new jams in "Other One," which is teased in "Dark Star," flat out explodes onto the scene. Phil might have been holding that one in since 1972. A very tranquil "Wharf Rat," and the heavy "Not Fade Away" are both welcome additions to the Branford catalog. Just to show that old friends don't get forgotten, Hamza El-Dim also guest on "Drums." The band would be called out for two encores after this night's amazing performance.
The band would preform one more New Years show before ending the tradition. New Years was a big event and the show man Bill Graham was there year after year to be their New Years mascot. Bill passed in 1991 and so did the band's desire. I remember hearing Garcia in an interview in the mid 90's mention that he didn't ever see the band doing another New Year event and of course he was unfortunately right.

I Bucket, Jack A-Roe, Wang Dang, Row Jimmy, Mexicali, Big River, Bird Song*, Promised*

II: NFA*, Eyes*, Dark Star*, Drums**, Space*, Other One*, Wharf Rat*, NFA* 

E1 The Weight* E2 JBG*

* With Branford Marsalis **With Hamza El-Dim

I Had To Move

For today in Grateful Dead history we go back to one of my favorite years 1989. So much goodness came dripping out of this year and today's show is one that begs the question, "Can New Years top that show?"

The special guest who sits in on this show is Airto Moreiro, and he plays drums on several tracks, yet there is another special guest. On this smoking hot night, Jerry took the stage with the Wolf. Download the matrix copy HERE and HERE.

This is the first set I "Bertha/Good Lovin'" since Egypt '78. They played the combo late in the second set a couple times, the last one before this was over five years earlier on 11/2/84. But the band doesn't tightly wrap that so g combo up they progress into a spacey jam, which allows for a key change so they can drop into a tight "Sugaree." By the time they wrap up the first set with "Music" your left wondering weather they will build in the next set. Build and build they would with the smoking opener of "Jack Straw." Then spring boarding into a "China/Rider" before a drip and oozy "Estimated." The fluttering dark jam is spun by Jerry, Bobby, and Phil brewing like three witches over a mixing pot. And instead of sliding into the familiar the band veers into a magnificent "Terrapin," which includes a quint jam before the tape cut in drums. The second set continues to cook with "The Other One" before a glorious "Standing on the Moon." Bobby ends the set with everyone's favorite weekend reminder "One More Saturday Night," which of course it wasn't because the Wolf was out on this night.

They did however manage to top this night with their New Years show. Thanks in part to the "Sugar Mags/Touch" opener and the first west coast "Dark Star" since the Greek on 7/13/84. Bobby jokes before "Victim," that he was informed that this is the start of a new "Dickhead," instead of decade. Unknowingly it was the start of something new for the Dead, as this would be the final New Years show that Brent Mydland.

I: Bertha, Good Lovin', Sugaree*, Walkin' Blues*, Jack A-Roe*, Masterpiece*, West LA*, Music*

II: Straw, China*, Rider*, Estimated*, Terrapin*, Drums*, Space, Will Take You Home*, Other One*, SOTM*, OMSN*, E: Baby Blue

*with Airto Moreiro

I Look And See Eternity Endless Rolling Skies

Today is the anniversary of the final time Branford Marsalis sat in with the Grateful Dead, which was in 1994. The truly amazing thing is that there is a hint of nostalgia in the show and specifically the beautiful "Eyes of the World," which Branford made a song of his own on 3/29/90. This version was of course later immortalized on the live Grateful Dead release "Without a Net." Download the Audience version HERE.

The first set has a couple of great versions of songs but the surprise of the show might be buried in a song that goes back to 1966 in "Minglewood." The energetic blues number stretches out to be close to ten minutes long. Everyone takes a solo in this version and Branford really smashes it, which really eggs on the rest of the band to stretch it like a piece of taffy. The solemn "So Many Roads" works well after "Minglewood," as Jerry goes for it at the end. It's very similar to the excellent version that was chosen for this years 30 Days Of The Dead, which came from the Boston Garden on 10/1/94. I love the eery rift that Bobby started with the delay, it's like it's roping you into the abysses. Similar to the triumphant "Minglewood," this "Eternity" breaths a life and essences which is holier then most. Bobby describes writing the song with legendary blues man Willie Dixon and not really liking how it came out but after doing some test runs the song clicked with him and I experienced the same hate/love relationship with this song. The dark spacey Ora of the song grasp me and of all the versions, this is the best. Branford and Jerry fiddle the gaping space in the song to the limit of its "endless rolling skies."

 From my 10/17/94 blog, I called that "Eyes" the best one since the Branford show and this one is a rekindling of that magic show from Spring '90. Similar to the Garden '94, this "Eyes" builds from to some faint tuning into magnificent twenty plus minutes of beauty. As the song wines down we hear Vince call for "Samba." The Dead used two channel microphones which with the pressing of a pedal could direct their voices only through the monitors, Phil still uses this with PLF and frequently calls out key changes. Vince must have missed the pedal as he pleads for "Samba please." The band then drops into a massive "Estimated," which Jerry and Branford trade licks as they explore the song. Before leaving stage for "Drums," they play a slow thick "He's Gone."
As always "Space" is when the band lets down their hair but this one is particularly pleasant because of the inter-winding of Branford and Jerry. A powerful "Other One," rolls into a truly glorious "Wharf Rat." It's really spectacular to listen to the fills that Branford spices up this mellow song with as the band clearly lift us up to "fly away." Bobby changes up horn players dream closer "Lovelight," as he opts for a raucous "Good Lovin'." Bare able to contain himself yet again Phil gushes about the evening's special guest before the most fitting encore for these graduates of the Acid Trips, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

I: Bucket, Cold Rain, Minglewood, So Many Roads, Childhood's End, Eternity, Don't Ease

II: Eyes, Samba, Estimated, He's Gone, Drums, Space, Other, Wharf Rat, Good Lovin', E: LSD

With Branford Marsalis except the Encore