Eyes of the World Exceptions in the EEE (Estimated Eyes Era), 1977-1988

Eyes of the World debuted at the famous Stanford February 9, 1973 show and had a beautiful flexible almost entirely second set run through Boston May 7, 1977 where it was Estimated, Jerry smoke break,  Eyes>The Wheel>Wharf Rat>Around & Around.  In total in its full life it would be played 381 times.

The Grateful Dead debuted Estimated Prophet at the first shows of 1977 and started to get a feel for its placement in the set list. If you saw a set one Estimated, you were lucky.
By May of that year, Estimated became the lead-in to Eyes. For 164 of the next 198 times, Eyes was preceded by Estimated, which is about 5 out of 6 times. Roll those laughing bone and if a six comes up, you get an exception. Which was fun to me during the EEE (Estimated Eyes Era).

1977 starts with St Louis May 15 with the first seque into Eyes.  While not as glued together as China>Rider or Lazy Lightning>Supplication, Estimated Eyes were a solid pairing. Estimated often went into other tunes, He's Gone usually, see http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2017/03/second-set-structure-1972-1982.html  and http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2017/03/estimated-one-time-only.html for more flavor, but if you heard an Eyes for the next dozen years through 1988, it almost always came out of Estimated.  I like to remind people that the only self-contained Estimated>Eyes that came to a full stop, and didn't go into drums was at Englishtown September 3, 1977.  I kissed alot of frogs coming to that conclusion and fact.

This piece speaks to those exceptions when Estimated was not present.

In 1989 and 1990 Estimated>Eyes faded from the scene with the last four in 1993-1995.  So you late comers to the scene in 1991 and beyond, Estimated Eyes is just mainly a legend, an artifact of a forgone era.  [Note: edited to correct 4 last versions on April 5, 2018, oops)

from another brilliant dead essays blog, guest post by Kell C. Mercer . Who are you and please write more.
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2013/12/eyes-of-world-field-guide-guest-post.html


There were 34 Estimated Eyes Exceptions during the Estimated Eyes Era, 1977-1988. I saw four of the 34 including the first two back-to-back in upstate New York November 1977.

Estimated Eyes Era

1977    15 versions, 13 were Estimated>Eyes, 2 exceptions
1978    25 versions, 23 were Estimated>Eyes, 2 exceptions
1979    22 versions, 18 were Estimated>Eyes, 4 exceptions
1980    18 versions, 15 were Estimated>Eyes, 3 exceptions
1981    21 versions, 18 were Estimated>Eyes, 3 exceptions
1982    13 versions, 11 were Estimated>Eyes, 2 exceptions
1983    13 versions, 12 were Estimated>Eyes, 1 exception
1984    13 versions, 10 were Estimated>Eyes, 3 exceptions
1985    16 versions, 11 were Estimated>Eyes, 5 exceptions

1986    10 versions, 09 were Estimated>Eyes, 1 exceptions
1987    15 versions, 11 were Estimated>Eyes, 4 exceptions
1988    17 versions, 13 were Estimated>Eyes, 4 exceptions

34 Exceptions Out of 198 Times.  Thus 83% of the time Eyes came out of Estimated during this era

Transition: The Hardly Ever Era
1989    17 versions, 07 were Estimated>Eyes, 10 exceptions
1990    17 versions, 02 were Estimated>Eyes, 15 exceptions


The Never Ever Era
1991   15 versions, 00 were Estimated>Eyes, 15 exceptions
1992     8 versions, 00 were Estimated>Eyes, 8 exceptions
1993   11 versions, 02 were Estimated>Eyes, 9 exceptions
1994   17 versions, 01 were Estimated>Eyes, 16 exceptions
1995     9 versions, 01 were Estimated>Eyes,  8 exceptions

In the Never Ever Era, you were 3x as likely to see a Dark Star than an Estimated>Eyes (4 only)

Exceptions

1977 I saw both 11-4  Colgate Playin>Eyes>Estimated and 11-5   Rochester Phil Solo>Eyes>Samson opening set two
1978  Consecutive shows 7-8 and 8-30 at Red Rocks, both only Estimated>The Other One>Eyes ever
06-28-79 (my 3rd exception, 1st California show)  Sacramento Playin>Eyes>Drums
11-05-79  Philly  Eyes>Estimated>Franklin's  Go listen now!
12-07-79  Indy  Eyes>Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance
12-27-79  Oakland Eyes>Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance
05-02-80 Hampton Alabama>Feel Like a Stranger>Eyes>Drums
05-16-80  Nassau  Stranger>Althea>Lost>Saint>Eyes>Drums
12-12-80 the Swing, Estimated>He's Gone>Eyes>Drums (let's play into both He's and Eyes tonight)
07-14-81 Denver, Truckin>Eyes>drums
10-10-81 Bremen, Lost Sailor>Saint>Eyes>Drums
12-28-81  (my 4th in person) Eyes>Drums
04-18-82 Hartford Playin>Eyes>Drums
08-10-82 Iowa City, Lost Sailor>Saint>Eyes>Drums
10-20-83 Worcester, Eyes>Drums
04-06-84 Vegas, Drums>Space>Eyes>Truckin
04-17-84  Niagara Falls, Man Smart>Jam>Eyes>Drums
07-21-84  Ventura, Truckin>Eyes>Drums

1985 starts to feel like 1973 Eyes again, even wilder
02-18-85  Oakland, 1st show of the year sees He's Gone>Spoonful>Eyes>GDTRFB>Drums
03-09-85  Berkeley CT, Crazy 85 goes China Cat>Cumberland>Miracle>Eyes>Drums
04-27-85  Frost, Scarlet>Eyes>GDTRFB>Man Smart>Drums
06-27-85 SPAC, Stranger>Eyes>GDTRFB>Man Smart>Drums
09-03-85  KC, That's It for the Other One>Eyes>Don't Need Love>Drums

1986-1987 seem much less creative in sonfg selection
02-11-86  Oakland,  Iko,  Eyes>Drums
01-28-87  SF, Drums>Space>Eyes>Black Peter>Around>Sugar
04-02-87  Worcester, Eyes>Drums
07-07-87  Roanoke, LL Rain>Eyes>Drums
08-15-87  Telluride, eyes>Drums

1988, End of the Era brings a bit more variety, especially the last one of the era
02-16-88  Oakland, Playin>Eyes>Drums
05-01-88  Frost, Eyes>Drums
09-03-88  Landover, Victim>Foolish>Man Smart> Eyes>Drums
09-12-88  Spectrum, Box>Cold Rain>Man Smart>Eyes>Drums
12-29-88  Oakland,  Playin>Crazy>Samson>Playin>Eyes>Drums