The Economics of Watkins Glen, 1973

My First California Show: Sacramento, CA June 28, 1979

When I was a teenager, California was a Prophet on the Burning Shore.  I was up in New England.  But that would all soon change.

Step one, get a Marin County girlfriend

Step two, remember that my Mom's brother lived in Novato

Step three, go to California for the first time in June 1979 for ten weeks

Step four, see a bunch of club shows with Jerry and Merl

Step five, see three Grateful Dead shows in California

So, I was working in the Lonely Financial Zone, by the sea at Deans and Homer and was able to take a late afternoon bus up to Sacramento on Thursday June 28 after reading about the show in the Pink Section a week or two before.   Had to go.

I remember easily getting a ticket at the box office, and that the building really wasn't too full. It was so low key compared to places like Hartford, Binghamton, and Boston.

This was a fun show, albeit a little rusty compared to my earlier East Coast experiences. Nice little Don't Ease opens, Peggy-O and Its All Over Now shine and The Music Never Stopped closed set one.

The highlight of the show is the Scarlet>Fire and Playin in the Band>Eyes predrums.

I did have to hitch home to Marin after the show and go to work the next day in the City.

Enjoy!

Don't Ease Me In, Minglewood Blues, They Love Each Other, Mama Tried-> Mexicali Blues, Peggy-O, It's All Over Now, Stagger Lee, Passenger, Loser, The Music Never Stopped Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Samson & Delilah, Ship of Fools, Playin' In The Band-> Eyes Of The World-> Drums-> Not Fade Away-> Black Peter-> Around & Around, E: U.S. Blues

Here's the music from this show, only set two is available on SBD

The Grateful Dead

Light Shines At Sacramento Memorial

By DUNCAN STRAUSS

There are certain things in life you can count on, and one of them is that a Grateful Dead concert will always be a lengthy, intriguing, stunning show. This point was proved (or re-proved) last Thursday at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium to a sold-out, dancing-room-only crowd of gleeful Dead Heads. For more than a decade and a half the Dead have built a reputation as one of the premier concert bands. As captivating as their show was, any self-respecting people watcher would have found observing the Dead Heads at least as fascinating. Dead Heads range in appearance from clean-cut individuals clad in stylish new clothes to people who sport the Whole Earth Festival look: long hair, tattered shirts and dresses, jeans with patches sewn over patches. Many danced wherever they could find room, most were under the influence of assorted drugs, and all have a religious respect for the Grateful Dead. A true cult following. The devotion is not difficult to Understand. Without any of the pomp or pretentiousness that characterizes most highly regarded concert groups, the Dead presented a superior show featuring superb musicianship, an impressive, sharp sound system (though there was an evening-long struggle to achieve the proper mix), and relaxing, strangely hypnotic music. Each of the six musicians plays his instrument with consummate skill, but master guitarist Jerry Garcia is the unit’s focal

point and musical stronghold. Garcia’s guitar breaks were too subtle to be considered flashy or aggressive, but were invariably inspired and deft. Phil Lesh laid down busy, unusual bass lines which wove in and out of Bill Kreutzmann and"

Mickey Hart’s sophisticated drum patterns. Kreutzmann and Hart, surrounded by various percussion instruments and drums —some of which dangled from a bar above them —generally pursued independent rhythms, but occasionally shifted to matching each

other beat for beat. Perpetuating their reputation for extended performances, the Dead’s first set alone lasted as long as most entire concerts last these days: an hour and 40 minutes. Most of the initial numbers were short by Dead standards, while

still including their personalized style of meandering guitar solos, alternating rhythms and tempos, and lulling vocals to achieve a truly mesmerizing effect. After closing out the first set, the band took a 45-minute break, a little long for my taste and

even some of the Dead Heads became impatient. But all was forgiven as they returned and eased Into one of the show’s best portions, a 20minute rendition of “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain’’ dominated by Garcia’s laconic vocals and flowing guitar leads. Garcia's guitar passages were offset by BobWeir’ssteady rhythm guitar work until they burst into an energetic duel, both musicians dishing out clean, sharp solos. The rest of the concert continued impressively, luring even more people to their feet. Because, so many, people were dancing, the ushers began to panic as all the aisles and exits were blocked and the fire marshall was threatening to halt the concert. Wisely, he decided not to pull such a sacrilegious manuever. Who’d want to tangle with an angry mob of Dead Heads?

The Epitome of The Grateful Dead Experience, Hartford, May 10, 1980

Jeff Fishman, in his review, in The Taping Compendium, called this shows the The Epitome of The Grateful Dead Experience. Jeff felt that the first set sucked and the second set was incredible.  I think Jeff was half-right. Because the first set of this show is great as well making this one of the most underrated shows of 1980. Listen here

Where it really gets special is the Seven Songs before drums and Space. Note there is only a SBD of set two  China Rider still rather new in the Brent era opens before 1980 versatile workhorse Feel Like A Stranger seques into a rare predrum Comes a Time leading to Estimated>He's Gone>Uncle John's Band.  All of these can be heard on this page.

I missed this show after seeing 7 during the May 1979 tour as I was (gasp) becoming a responsible student and I only got to see Portland, Maine the next night, 25 miles from my college.

11 Shows That I Like After 1995

Accent the positive.  I read a book lately and recalled some pretty remarkable shows after the Grateful Dead ended 23 years ago in 1995. I talked to my friend Juliet who goes to about 6 shows every tour every band and she had a Completely Different List.  So I realized that if I asked 100 Deadheads about ten shows they liked in the last 20 years, they would all have dfferent lists too.
So in order to not drive myself crazy, I stuck with my list, which you get here if you so desire. There are almost ten bands in the last 20 years and I'm not trying to say these are the "Best" show by all these bands. They are just shows I happen to like.

I choose 11 since my amp goes to 11 and for Phil who I love.

I want to highlight the Gary Lambert and David Gans Broken Angels band with Phil in 1998 which started this all and give it major props.

This bring you to my 11 Shows That I Like After 1995. I saw 3 of the 11, 2001, 2009, and 2015.

Try to listen to the great WXRT in Chicago shows, which gives you great versions of the 1982 and 2015 shows (also put on thr radio Chi-town shows in 1976, 1977 and 1987.

Eleven excellent shows I liked after 1995

You all know most of these so i will let you discovered them on your own from my dropbox link so I'll only make a few comments on each.

Here they are:

1. 1999-04-16  Phil & Phriends   Warfield
Phil invites two dudes from Phish (a band I have never seen) and they do some remarkable stuff during a three night run.  This show includes Help>Slip>Franklin, Pink Floyd, Alligator and then there' s set two :)

2. 2001-12-31  Phil & Friends, Ratdog   Oakland Auditorium (Kaiser)
I was lucky to see this show http://www.gratefulseconds.com/2016/10/the-best-phil-lesh-friends-show-ever-12.html

Ratdog has DJ Logic, Phil played a Viola Midnight Hour set, and then the core four comeout in a surprise

Crusader Rabbit (P&F with Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann): Not Fade Away> Truckin'> Playin' in the Band> Space> Playin' Reprise> The Wheel> Uncle John's tease> ^Sugar Magnolia 

^no Warren until middle of song

After 2am The Q play another set with Derek Trucks added

3. 2002-08-03  The Other Ones  Deer Creek

The Core Four Play A Hugely Promoted Show with a great WXRT recording
opens with an instrumental He's Gone>That's It for the Other One

4. 2007-07-24  Ratdog  Red Rocks

Bobby has been cooking with Ratdog forever, and this is a good example of a great performance at a great house of the Dead

5. 2007-09-29  Phil & Friends, Red Rocks

Another classic Phil performance,also at Red Rocks in 2007


Set two is

01. Intro / Tuning
02. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
03. Cryptical Envelopment >
04. The Other One>
05. Dark Star (v1)>
06. Mountains of the Moon >
07. Dark Star (v2)>
08. China Cat Sunflower >
09. I Know You Rider

6. 2009-05-09  The Dead, Forum LA

I saw this show and I paid $500 to sit in row two center with my pal Evan.  I think I paid $500 for all the tickets combined for 80 shows I saw with the Grateful Dead from 1976 to 1994.
This was fun being so close and an entirely different experience from almost all other shows

The Dead played 2 second sets this night, the first a weaved through Viola Lee Blues and second set was a Dark Star affair.  http://www.gratefulseconds.com/2017/02/may-9-2009-dead-play-two-second-sets-in.html

7. 2010-11-20   Further, Madison Square Garden

Obviously, I could just put 11 Further shows in this list, but here's are two that are cool.  You can watch this one below.   You get Help>Slip open, a full Terrapin Suite and then in set two

The Mountain Song
Dark Star
The Other One
St Stephen
The Eleven
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Franklin's Tower




8. 2013-09-22   Further, Red Rocks

Back at Red Rocks, further gets Branford for the night which you can also watch.




Set two is also wild
01 tuning
02 Weather Report Suite >
03 Eyes Of the World >
04 Dark Star (verse 2) >
05 The Other One >
06 Morning Dew >
07 Help On the Way >
08 Slipknot! >
09 Franklin's Tower


9. 2015-07-03   Fare Thee Well, Soldier's Field

I saw the three Chicago shows and this was my favorite
19 Grateful Dead songs and no covers

I wrote about it here:
http://www.gratefulseconds.com/2015/11/fare-thee-well-night-one-july-3-2015.html

10. 2016-07-15   Dead & Company, Fenway Park

These are two grate shows of 100 so far, I'm sure you all can tell me 20 you like better


01 Jam >
02 Jack Straw >
03 The Music Never Stopped*
04 Next Time You See Me
05 Loser*
06 Peggy-O
07 Help On the Way* >
08 Slipknot! >
09 Franklin’s Tower*

Set Two:

01 St. Stephen >
02 Dark Star>
03 Terrapin Station*>
04 Drums > Space >
05 Terrapin Jam >
06 Morning Dew >
07 Casey Jones*
08 Encore Crowd
___________________________
09 Black Muddy River
10 U.S Blues *


11. 2017-12-02   Dead & Company, Austin

This is actually my favorite Dead & Company show

China Cat Sunflower >
I Know You Rider >
Dark Star >
The Other One >
Drums >
Space >
Uncle John’s Band >
St. Stephen >
Morning Dew

A Grand Night For Rock Culture, Portland, OR May 24, 1973

Happy 45th birthday!

After some killer East Coast, supposedly Billy hurt his hand and Vancouver, Portland and Seattle got postponed from early May to late June. Likely for us, since David is issuing these three 1973 shows and their 1974 cousins as the next great Grateful Dead 19 CD box set.


After the postponement, the Dead played three killer three-set outdoor shows in May, in Iowa, Santa Barbara and Kezar and opened June with the two RFK shows with the Allmans. Nice tee off for these three Northwest shows.  Let's talk Portland.  And lets listen to Portland. Any Dark Star Eyes of the World China Doll is a friend of mine.  Here is a Charlie Miller of this show until September when the official release comes out. Also there's some New Riders in print below who came in May when the Dead had to postpone.  Wish i would have seen a show up here.

And don't forget the short bottom piece below that describes Deadheads saving enough acid for three shows!

The Promised Land ; Loser ; Mexicali Blues ; They Love Each Other; Looks Like Rain ; Box Of Rain ; Big Railroad Blues; Jack Straw; Sugaree; The Race Is On ; Row Jimmy ; Beat It On Down The Line ; China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider ; Around And Around

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo ; You Ain't Woman Enough ; El Paso ; Stella Blue ; Greatest Story Ever Told > Bertha ; Big River ; Dark Star [27:50] > Eyes Of The World [14:35] > China Doll [6:15] > Sugar Magnolia  Encore One More Saturday Night