Grateful Dead Heat Up Boston April 2, 1973 after Garcia Busted For "Dangerous Drugs"

That Dave got around about six months to releasing this wonderful show about six months, but this Dave flaked and did not get this piece out until now.

There is a lot to be said about the 49-song (including NRPS) last show of the February-April first tour with the Wake of the Flood tunes during the magical year of 1973, but a bitter of bittersweat as well with the death of Ron and the arrest days before this of Jerry.

Since it's Boston and their adopted sons the Dead, we get lots and lots of media coverage.

Truck Drivin’ Man

One Too Many Stories 

 She’s No Angel 

It’s Alright With Me 

 Henry 

 Hello Mary Lou

 Sutter’s Mill

 Teardrops In My Eyes

  Rainbow 

 Duncan & Brady

 I Don’t Need No Doctor

 Groupie

 Louisiana Lady

 Crazy Arms 

School Days

 Take A Letter Maria

 I Don’t Know You

 Contract

 Last Lonely Eagle

Promised Land

Deal

Mexicali Blues

Brown Eyed Women

Beat it on Down the Line

Row Jimmy

Looks Like Rain

Wave That Flag

Box of Rain

Big River

China Cat Sunflower

I Know You Rider

You Ain't Woman Enough

Jack Straw

Don't Ease Me In

Playing in the Band

Ramble On Rose

Me and My Uncle

Mississippi Half-Step

Around and Around

Loose Lucy

Greatest Story Ever Told

Here Comes Sunshine

Me and Bobby McGee

WRS Prelude

Eyes of the World

China Doll

Sugar Magnolia

Casey Jones

Johnny B. Goode

We Bid You Goodnight

The late Winter-early Spring shows in 1973 starting in college town Palo Alto and ending in college town Boston was some of the finest music the Grateful Dead ever performed. They took the Dark Stars and The Other Ones and the Truckins from the sparking 1972 shows and added all the new Wake of the Flood tunes (although the LP wouldn't be released until October). There was always something to be said in the 1970's for the band to start performing new tunes out of the blue, and get the kinks out before they recorded the songs.  This was the way I first hear songs like "California" and Terrapin in 1977 and Shakedown Street in 1979.

There are so many killer shows in this two month block, I won't even attempt to give sny rankings today, but Boston was a cool tour ended where the band kept playing on.  A million first set and early second set tunes (16 in set one 6 in set two) before Here Comes Sunshine sets the band in unexpected directions.  This second set uncertainty was a Boston Garden traditional in the 1970's with this show, the 6-28-74 Sugar Mag sandwich and the 5-7-77 Garcia 3-barrel of Eyes, The Wheel and Wharf Rat  (following a set opening Boston debut of Terrapin) all really really fun.

The once only Here Comes Sunshine>Bobby McGee followed by the once only Weather Report Prelude>Eyes of the World ,  click link to get, (see http://gratefulseconds.blogspot.com/2015/11/weather-reports-preludes-and-let-it-grow.html)  It is rarely mentioned that between Prelude and Eyes, if you listen very carefully, you will hear the first hint of WRS Part 1, which wouldn't offically be played until the next WRS Prelude at Nassau on September 8, 1973 in the middle of the first set no less!  (9-8-73 has a first set ending in Jack Straw (8th song) , Row Jimmy, first complete Weather Report Suite,  Eyes>China Doll, Greatest, Ramble On and Big River).

In Boston, we get the Boston debut of Eyes>China Doll and rock our way to the finish with Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones and Johnny B Goode>We Bid You Goodnight.

I've included some late tour hijinks starting with the Springfield show on the other side of the state on March 28, which started the chain reaction that lead to Jerry's arrest for "Dangerous Drugs". Ho hum, these guys get arrested quite a bit iver the years, just like any rocker in the 1960s to 1980s period.  Springfield finishes with a very cool WRS Prelude>Dark Star>Eyes>Playin in the Band. So like I said, you have to check out all of Feb to April 1973. 

Have fun with all the articles etc on this one.  Next, I think, I will tackle Englishtown before it hits 40, with perhaps one more economic analysis in between. 

When I opend my #5408 Dave's Pick, in the inner cover it includes the following review by Ken Davis (no relationship) from the MIT Tech.  First appeared here http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2013/01/april-2-1973-boston-garden.html with some interesting additional information about tKeith and the NRPS from Light into Ashes comment.

I wore this to July 3, 2015 Fare Thee Well

The Dead Open for Janis, Fillmore East February 12, 1969

All I know is something like a bird within her sang
All I know she sang a little while and then flew on


So I guess the combo of Janis Joplin & Her Band and the Grateful Dead could only rate a Tuesday and Wednesday night slot in the magic month of February, 1969 in New York City. Weekends were saved for the real rock bands like Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, Ten Years After, Buffy St Marie the Vampire Slayer and Vanilla Fudge.

 Luckily I recently unearthed a little review from Cashbox Magazine so you can get another flavor of those midweek nights back 48 years ago since February 11 was released twenty years ago in October, 1997 http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Fillmore_East.htm

Feb 6 1969 Village Voice, must have sold out since not in Feb 20 Issue

Feb 20 1969 Warner's Pigpen Lookalike Contest Ad

The unnamed reviewed caught the late show on the last night and seems to suggest that Janis had an off night, or that she hadn't jelled with her new band yet. But, our heros come to the rescue once again "The Grateful Dead were a surprise. For more than an hour, they kept us entranced by exploring every facet of rock"  Obviously, the reviewer wasn't too aware of the magic that he was viewing or the four shows that were to start in just over too weeks at the cousin theater West in San Francisco.

Deadbase thinks the setlist for the late show was the typical, but amazing, Duprees, Mountains, Dark Star>St Stephen>The 11>Death Don't, Alligator>Caution, but "could belong to the early show."
To see the latest thinking of what the Dead played at the late show, on February 12, 1969, I go to deadlists.com, which says:

[68:32] ; Dark Star [#4:58] > Saint Stephen [ 5:53] > The Eleven [15:43] > Death Don't Have No Mercy [ 8:22] ; Alligator [3:57] > Drums [4:22] > Drummer's chant [0:19] > Alligator [6:11] > Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) [9:21] > Feedback [4:41] > And We Bid You Goodnight [4:39] %
Comments	This is the Late Show. Eaton's list reads: 02/12/69 Fillmore East Theatre, New York City Ny - late show 4.2, 084min, Sbd, A0D0, Cass M->Dat 0, 48k, Ampex C-90 Master Cass/no dolby->3800 x 0 Probably the missing 16 minutes on the circulating tape represents the beginning of the Dark Star.

adding Feedback and Bid You Goodnight, but alas missing a big chunk of the Dark Star
You can get this here.

Janis set that night is available

1,  Raise Your Hand 05:09
2 As Good As You've Been To This World 03:12
3 Maybe 03:51
4 Summertime 04:47
5 To Love Somebody 07:00
6 You're The Only One Who Really Knows 04:30
7 Walk Right In 04:21
8 Work Me Lord 09:15
9 Piece Of My Heart 05:57
10 Ball And Chain

http://www.concertvault.com/janis-joplin/fillmore-east-february-12-1969.html
Unfortunately this recording was the early show according to a youtuber.

1blastman5 months ago

This was the early show, the late show version of Ball and Chain was a lot longer, the late show went until the wee hours of the morning. It was almost 4 am when we left the Fillmore.

Who Are You?: We're the Grateful Fuckin' Dead: October 9-10, 1976

The Who rocked Day on the Green in Oakland October 9-10, 1976 but so did the Dead.  The nice little video clip of the Who opening one of their shows below shows exactly how hard those guys rocked (can't tell which because of the massive similarity of their playlists each night) but as we all know from Dick's Pick 33 (what took you guys so long) these shows are classics (listen here).
Of course, first read the amazing Long Lost Dead piece  http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2015/08/october-9-10-1976-oakland-coliseum.html but I try to add some visuals and articles.

Two other must-see links:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/When-the-Who-met-the-Dead-for-the-last-time-in-6508791.php#photo-8495085

http://www.deadlistening.com/2008/06/1976-october-10-oakland-ca.html

And you can buy a poster from these shows at:

https://www.wolfgangs.com/the-who/posters/poster/OCS761009-A.html

Night One

You get the unusual powerhouse of Scarlet Begonias,  Lazy Lightnin'>Supplication and
Sugaree to end set one and a top-2 or 3 second set for 1976 full set medley of  St. Stephen>
NFA>St Stephen>Help>Slip>drums>Samson>Slip>Franklins, can;t do better than that.
I love this era of split Help on the Way with periodic weird St Stephen transitions.

Night Two
Coolest first set ending of the year: Dancin>Wharf Rat>Dancin
I recall David Gans speaking about this, I think to Jerry or Bobby, from something he discussed on Tales a few years back, basically asking him how Wharf Rat ended up here in the first set.
The also did this in LA a few nights later at the Shrine, but moved it to set two.
A yummy Playing sandwich of  The Wheel, The Other One and Stella Blue highlighted this night.


Enjoy

Night One

Promised Land
Mississippi Half-Step
Cassidy
Tennessee Jed
Looks Like Rain
They Love Each Other
New Minglewood Blues
Scarlet Begonias
Lazy Lightnin'
Supplication
Sugaree

St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
St. Stephen
Help on the Way
Slipknot!
drums
Samson and Delilah
Slipknot!
Franklin's Tower
One More Saturday Night

U.S. Blues


Night Two:

Might As Well
Mama Tried
Ramble on Rose
Cassidy
Deal
El Paso
Loser
Promised Land
Friend of the Devil
Dancin' in the Streets
Wharf Rat
Dancin' in the Streets

Samson and Delilah
Brown Eyed Women
Playin' in the Band
drums
The Wheel
The Other One
Stella Blue
Playin' in the Band
Sugar Magnolia

Johnny B. Goode


 xx

http://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Zagaris-photo-book-relives-glory-of-Day-on-the-10824884.php#photo-12013872

Grateful Dead and Big Brother to Play Free Concert in Amsterdam 1967?

It's fun to hear about What Could Have Been Events like the Dead tours of Europe in 1968 http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2009/11/october-1968-grateful-dead-european.html
and later before the big one in 1972.

But 50 years ago, I have just discovered something I never knew before.
Any one have any info on this one, other than usual record company commitments and underdelivers?  Can you imagine a free concerts in 1967 at the Vondelpark in 1967?  Makes me smile

Famous Irving Penn Photo of the bands 1967, Billy looks like he is 12 and Bobby IS 12