Garcia said “We were great for seconds on end.” I was lucky to see Jerry play for about 1,000,000 seconds exactly. Thanks for your 1,000,000 views here . Dave Davis wrote this blog for 500 posts and 5 years from 2015 to 2019. Contact me at twitter @gratefulseconds

Friday, April 27, 2018

The New York Times Comments on The Grateful Dead, 1989-1995


Here is an interesting look at how The New York Times viewed and reviewed the Grateful Dead from 1989 to 1995.  Read the Paper of Record and not my words today.














Wednesday, April 25, 2018

First of 29, Landover July 29, 1974



Obviously because its Summer 1974, this show is extra groovy with plenty of everything for everybody but stay for the He's Gone-> Truckin'-> Nobody's Fault But Mine-> The Other One->  Spanish Jam-> Wharf Rat->Around & Around. You can pay $400 on ebay for the bonus disc on Dave's Picks 2 or simply listen to Charlie Miller's take.

Nice when the Washington Post, our hero today, kicks in with a fine analysis of the show. Grab the music here


The Promised Land ; Sugaree [6:43] ; Black Throated Wind [6:08] ; It Must Have Been The Roses [5:09] ; Cumberland Blues [5:38] ; Scarlet Begonias [6:52] ; Jack Straw [4:21] ; Deal [4:37] ; El Paso [3:58] ; To Lay Me Down [7:29] ; Weather Report Suite Prelude [1:21] > Weather Report Suite Part 1 [4:36] > Let It Grow [12:58]
Two Seastones
Three He's Gone [13:21] > Truckin' [8:35] > Nobody's Fault But Mine [2:49] > The Other One [14:39] > Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat [9:26] ; Around And Around [5:11] ; Peggy-O [6:05] ; U.S. Blues [5:34] ; Sugar Magnolia [8:56]
Encore Casey Jones [6:44]


hh

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

50-Year Fillmore Flashback: 1968's The Who vs. The Dead

Relax is a little Roger Daltry tune ruinning 2:41 on The Who: Sell Out which was released December 15, 1967. It starts to rock out at the 2:00 mark, but before that it feels like a dud.




But like their brothers in San Francisco, The Who knew what to do when they took it live.

This week, The Who released a 1968 Live at the Fillmore East from April 6.


Now listen to this tune, or better yet, listen to the one here.

The Dead around this time also started to play at the Fillmore East, mid June to be precise.


Now our heroes also were about to release a new LP called Anthem to the Sun, happy 50th boys.


which we all know featured songs up there in the 10 minute length and would soon go longer.

For example, Dark Star, the single ran 2:44, about the same length as Relax.
A funny little ditty with banjo et al.


But by Summer, the same tune would run 14 minutes, while at that Fillmore run, Caution would go more than 23 min.

Fun and enjoyment in your study of the Dead
For more fun with The Who see http://www.gratefulseconds.com/2017/08/who-are-you-were-grateful-fuckin-dead.html and http://www.gratefulseconds.com/2018/02/saturday-at-woodstock.html


Friday, April 20, 2018

Best 1,000 Seconds of 1980: Alligator Alley, November 29, 1980, Shakedown Street>Franklin's Tower

Shakedown Street>Franklin's Tower

This is primal so it requires perhaps the best audience tape ever.

It's on my Dad's 45th birthday and he even lives in Florida.

Like May 22, 1977, Dick's Picks 3, the Dead play it and it remains elusive and less-known, if at all.

The Night before


82 Reviews on  an audience recording on archive https://archive.org/details/gd80-11-29.wise.sacks.2409.sbeok.shnf

Dave knew this little southern tour since he put Atlanta on a Dave's Pick. he knew to use a Matrix too.




Wednesday, April 18, 2018

"Best Set the Dead Have Ever Played in New York", Fillmore East, June 21, 1969





"That may have been the best set the Dead have ever played in New York" according to the New York Times, about the late show at the Fillmore, June 21, 1969
Great NY Times article about the band in New York City in June and July 1969.  I wish they would have written more big Sunday pieces like this, but I'll add them when they make sense. 
You listen above or here.

Start with the cowboy, stay for the Yellow Dog and for your main course
Dark Star>St Stephen>The Eleven>Lovelight

Bobby sings Direwolf, Jerry plays some pedal-steel, fun show


Grateful Dead
Venue Fillmore East
Location New York, NY
Date 6/21/69b - Saturday posters tickets, passes & laminates
One [[1:30:16+]] ; [1:30:16+] Intro [0:20] ; Old, Old House [3:56] ; [0:31] ; Sittin on Top Of The World [3:41] ; [0:32] ; King Bee [7:52] ; [0:55] ; Dire Wolf [2:36] ; [0:39] ; Mama Tried [3:00] ; [0:10] ; High Time [5:43] ; [0:38] ; Duprees Diamond Blues [3:51] ; [0:13] ; Yellow Dog Story [2:17] ; [0:04 ; Dark Star [7:#43] > St. Stephen [5:59] > The Eleven [11:14] > Turn On Your Love Light [36:14] from deadlists

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Jerry and Bob Join Elvis Costello at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley, April 24, 1989



Here is a little jam from April 24, 1989 at The Sweetwater where Bobby and Jerry join Elvis Costello and Friends.  This is a week after the playing the giant Metro stadium in the Twin Cities, MN and four days before Irvine down in So Cal. 320 Tunes here


This blogspot has a great write-up on this show. here are some 320s for you from Eric from NJ.
http://bbchron.blogspot.com/2010/02/elvis-costello-1989-04-24-mill-valley.html  says
Elvis Costello (w/ guests Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir,and others) 
Solo set, then jam session with special guests & friends
Village Music (21st Birthday Party)
The Sweetwater, Mill Valley CA
April 24, 1989

Soundboard recording
mp3 @ 192 kbps

1988 marked the first year since 1977 that Elvis did not release a new album and/or tour extensively. Thus, no concerts available from 1988. His next album, Spike, was released in early 1989, and he started touring again in Spring 1989, continuing with predominantly solo shows, most often with Nick Lowe opening and joining Elvis for 2-3 songs. The shows were structured much like the 'Spinning Songbook' shows of 1987, with a solo set from Elvis, culminating with the duos with Lowe, then coming back out as his 'Napoleon Dynamite' alter-ego and doing an encore set of talk, requests, and various audience participation bits. The main difference obviously being the inclusion of several songs from Spike. The show presented here, however, was truly a one-of-a-kind event, in which, Elvis is joined onstage by none other than Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and other West Coast rockers for a wild and spontaneous jam session. During his Spring US tour, he was asked to perform for the Village Music (a legendary music store) 21st Birthday celebration at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA. So, after his initial solo set (culminating with the Lowe duo on 'Peace, Love and Understanding'), he then did a few songs with his back-up band, a modified version of the Confederates). After that, however, other rock luminaries in attendance were called up to the stage. First Charles Brown and Kim Wilson sang a few songs, then Jerry Garcia joins Elvis onstage for some country tunes (with Elvis on vocals). Then Elvis asks if anyone else wants sing, and up comes Commander Cody and Sammy Hagar(?). Bob Weir eventually also joins the group for couple more, finally ending with Elvis back on vocals for 'Let The Good Times Roll' and 'Lovable'. Strange assemblage of artists, but alot of fun. It is not clear if Elvis stayed onstage and played throughout during the Brown and Wilson songs (probably not), but he was definitely jamming with Garcia and Weir, and Garcia does play through til the end of the set. Elvis and Jerry talked about the spontaneity of this show in a later interview with Musician magazine (March 1991 Issue), as excerpted here:
"Elvis: Certainly a candidate for the world's greatest record store is Village Music, in Mill Valley. Every year John Goddard has a party for his friends and customers, and he always has a really good bill of people. So last year on the twenty-first anniversary, I did a show with Nick Lowe, and he invited James Burton and Jerry Scheff, who'd played with me on the road. I did my little set, Nick did his set and then it was a free-for-all; Charles Brown did a piece, and people were getting summoned to the stage. I was standing in the corridor when I suddenly heard, "Jerry Garcia to the stage!" And, emboldened by several margaritas, I decided to join him.
Jerry: Not only that, but it was one of those situations where I had the choice of playing either Elvis' guitar, which is low and it's stiff, and the strings are quite wide as well, and all this confusing script, or of playing Burton's guitar, which is strung with spider webs. I mean it's the absolutely lightest you can string a guitar and still get a sound out of it. I'd take Burton's and play a note on it and it goes "spack." So I opted to play Elvis' guitar as the lesser of two evils. [*laughter*] And I vowed I would never go to another one of those shows without my own.
Elvis: It was a whole Three Stooges routine -- "Here, you take my guitar," "No, I'll take your guitar." I think I had Burton's old Telecaster for half a song, and James had my old Martin acoustic which wasn't cranked up so he couldn't solo--and Jerry's struggling with my guitar. But once everybody got settled we managed to struggle through a couple of Hank Williams songs. Like any sort of jam thing it inevitably came to degenerate towards lots of blues. But we managed a few songs with changes.
Jerry: A pretty high level of jam-sessionry really, considering what it was. Really fun. And Elvis' solo set was phenomenal, I thought. That's one of those things that I can't do at all, just playing the guitar and singing. You're so solid with that, you don't miss a band. I always feel like I'm missing a band."

So, hope you enjoy this odd and unique show. I'll wrap up this 'Elvis in the Eighties' series with one more show from 1989 later this week.

Setlist
01. Accidents Will Happen (Elvis solo)
02. Brilliant Mistake (Elvis solo)
03. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (Elvis solo)
04. Mystery Dance (Elvis solo)
05. Poisoned Rose (Elvis, Jerry Scheff & Austin de Lone)
06. God's Comic (Elvis solo)
07. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (Elvis solo)
08. New Lace Sleeves (Elvis solo)
09. Pads, Paws And Claws (Elvis solo)
10. Radio Sweetheart / Jackie Wilson Said (Elvis solo)
11. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? (Elvis & Nick Lowe)
- James Burton, Jerry Scheff, Austin de Lone & Scott Matthews join Elvis
12. The Big Light (Elvis vocal)
13. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man (Elvis vocal)
14. The Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line (Elvis vocal)
15. Leave My Kitten Alone (Elvis vocal)
- Kim Wilson, Charles Brown join group
16. I Stepped In Quicksand (Charles Brown vocal)
17. Drifting Blues (Charles Brown vocal)
18. All My Life (Charles Brown vocal)
19. One's Too Many (And A Hundred Ain't Enough) (Kim Wilson & Nick Lowe vocals)
20. Real Gone Lover (Kim Wilson vocal)
- Jerry Garcia & Pete Sears join group
21. You Win Again (Elvis vocal)
22. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down (Elvis vocal)
23. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? (Elvis vocal)
- Commander Cody, Sammy Hagar, Mitch Woods, and Annie Sampson join group
24. Riot In Cell Block #9 (Commander Cody vocal)
25. Going Down (Sammy Hagar vocal)
- Bob Weir joins group
26. C.C. Rider (Bob Weir vocal)
27. Turn On Your Lovelight (Bob Weir vocal)
28. Let The Good Times Roll (Elvis vocal)
29. Lovable (Elvis vocal)

Musicians:
Elvis Costello
James Burton
Jerry Scheff
Austin de Lone
Scott Matthews
Nick Lowe
Jerry Garcia
Pete Sears
Mitch Woods
Annie Sampson
Bob Weir
and with
Charles Brown, Kim Wilson, Commander Cody, and Sammy Hagar doing vocals on select songs

Monday, April 16, 2018

Making It Better: Reconstruction At The Cotati Cabaret, March 8-9, 1979





Early in their brief 1979 career (started on January 30 and 31 in Berkeley), the awesome, incredible, fucking great, mindblowing, fun band named Reconstruction launched into Jimmy Cliff's Strugglin Man and started a short history of runs at the very very small Cotati Cabaret.

There is a great analysis of the venue here:


There is a great write up of Reconstruction here:


Light In Ashes says in here , the very first weekend show of Reconstruction was Friday, March 9 at the tiny Cabaret Cotati.

Just listen!  Jerry and Merl with some hot cool cats, above the stars.





March 8  first show at Cabaret
SET 1
Struggling Man
Nessa
Make It Better
Welcome To The Basement
I Just Want To Stop
Long Train Running
SET 2
Lovely Night For Dancing
What You Won't Do For Love
Sama Layuca
Ain't That Lovin' You
Lyinda
It Ain't No Use

March 9
SET 1
Make It Better
Lyinda
I Just Want To Stop
Welcome To The Basement
Struggling Man
Another Star
SET 2
Lovely Night For Dancing
Nessa
Soul Roach
Do I Move You
What You Won't Do For Love
It Ain't No Use



















First of Fifty-Two at Madison Square Garden, January 7-8, 1979




The Stones did it first in 1969 and released Get Your Ya-Ya's Out and rocked out on some Chuck Berry.

After a one month delay. for the first time ever, the Grateful Dead rocked two nights at the Garden, January 7-8, 1979 and rocked out on some Chuck Berry. Then they played there 50 more times.

These shows were not the tops of a fortnight since we had 12-31-78 with Dark Star>The Other One>Wharf Rat>St Stephen and 1-10-79 Nassau (Dark Star>Wharf Rat>St Stephen) sandwiching these shows.

Still nearly 40,000 paid an average $9.28 (can you imagine!) and the first of a million souls saw the Dead at MSG.  gee, I only first got to see the Mayer Dead there in 2015 (with St Stephen and The Other One of course).


Buy Bob









Bradford 1991 is my Ace of Spades show










Tunes here

Rescheluded from Dec 1 1978
Gig                                                                 Tickets Sold                 Average Price                 Ticket Sales
Madison Square Garden - January 7, 1979          19,683   $9.28     $182,736 
Madison Square Garden - January 8, 1979          19,720   $9.28           $183,08




Set 1:
d1t01 - Tuning
d1t02 - Jack Straw
d1t03 - They Love Each Other
d1t04 - Cassidy
d1t05 - Jack-A-Roe
d1t06 - Looks Like Rain
d1t07 - Tennessee Jed
d1t08 - El Paso
d1t09 - Stagger Lee
d1t10 - Passenger

Set 2:
d2t01 - Tuning
d2t02 - I Need A Miracle ->
d2t03 - Shakedown Street
d2t04 - From The Heart Of Me
d2t05 - Estimated Prophet ->
d2t06 - Eyes Of The World ->
d2t07 - Drums ->
d3t01 - Space ->
d3t02 - Not Fade Away ->
d3t03 - Black Peter ->
d3t04 - Around And Around

Set 1:
d1t01 - Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo ->
d1t02 - Franklin's Tower
d1t03 - New Minglewood Blues
d1t04 - Candyman
d1t05 - Me And My Uncle ->
d1t06 - Big River
d1t07 - Friend Of The Devil
d1t08 - It's All Over Now
d1t09 - Brown Eyed Women
d2t01 - Lazy Lightnin' ->
d2t02 - Supplication

Set 2:
d2t03 - Scarlet Begonias ->
d2t04 - Fire On The Mountain
d2t05 - Samson And Delilah
d3t01 - Terrapin Station ->
d3t02 - Playing In The Band ->
d3t03 - Drums ->
d3t04 - The Other One ->
d3t05 - Wharf Rat ->
d3t06 - Good Lovin'

Encore:

d3t07 - U.S. Blues



http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2017/08/madison-square-garden-took-one-million.html


https://nypost.com/2006/10/30/deads-52-shows-a-high-mark-for-garden/

https://minkinphotography.com/grateful-dead-madion-square-garden-new-york-ny-january-1979-3/

http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2017/03/scarletfire-guest-post.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=jyjoCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=Grateful+Dead+at+Madison+Square+Garden+January+1979&source=bl&ots=VrKfS937Pt&sig=wNPlawtH97rzOAmrwjHKXZKjZGw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjP7v-jw7_aAhXnj1QKHfj8DVU4FBDoAQg0MAI#v=onepage&q=Grateful%20Dead%20at%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%20January%201979&f=false
From Deadhead Forever 








January 1979 radio in the USA with such top-10 hits as Le Freak, YMCA, and Shakedown Street