My First New Year's Eve 1980: Acoustic Set Plus

35 years ago tonight on December 31, 1980 was my first of six consecutive New Year's Eve Grateful Dead Concert. Also my:

first 3 set show

first acoustic set
first mid-first electric set China/Rider
first Bird Song
first Matt Kelly guest
second John Cippolina guest
first Sug Mag sandwich

first 5th night of 5 night stand

only Ripple and remarkably well documented in audio/visual delights.  My brother Ralph hitched from Colorado (Debbe too?) and I went with Harriet and maybe Johnny M.

I edit this on August 26, 1980 to add a whole new collection from the SF Examiner.

Of course, there is a music vault virtually complete youtube video (mising a few tunes)

And there is also an amazing fan shot video that truly gives the feel of being at and outside the show
Wow. This was a fun night. This exists a Dinosaur opening set, which was the only other time I saw Nicky Hopkins after 1975. This was not the best of my six New Year's, that would occur the next year in 1981, but it was great. I went with my brother Ralph.  Still, it's so incredible that we can watch this show or listen in so many ways. The Bird Song>Ripple is from this show 12-31-80.

TDIH1980: Grateful Dead Coolest Ever Soundcheck

Well I was there 35 years ago tonight in Oakland. And I enjoyed a nice Let It Grow>Deal , Shakedown, He's Gone>Truckin and even a beautiful China Doll just a little nervous from the fall. But I didn't hear the It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, the To Lay Me Down or the Youngblood ! or the Searchin'. Joani Walker, who I met a few times like 5-3-79 in Charlotte and in Berkeley in 1981-82 got to see it. But not me.

 In fact, I didn't even know about this sound check until about 2008. But it was 35 years ago tonight. Charlie Miller put this up on lossless legs about then.  Archive has it here.

Let's discuss how interesting this is.
1. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, last played 2-24-74 Winterland, and three times in 1972.  There's a beautiful Jerry vocal and a very clear Brent playing. Just beautiful.   The boys would start playing this again in August 1981and I just could not get enough of the 9-12-81 Greek version (but I'd stay clear of the 12-31-81 with Joan).

2. To Lay Me Down, a staple of the acoustic shows since September, but not played electric since 10-19-74 Winterland.  We would hear this acoustic on the next evening on New Year's eve. We would start hearing it electric in March 1981 including a 9-13-81 Greek gem.

3. Youngblood, never played by the Grateful Dead ever, although Bobby played it with Kingflish last on 4-29-76, and would pick it up again with Bobby and the Midnight in January 1981. I saw Bobby at the Keystone Berkeley on 1-26-81 (that's the night I passed out for 5 seconds from some oxygen thing right as Bobby walked passed me, but woke before the Youngblood).

4. Searchin', only played three times, once each in 1969,1970,and on 4-27-71 with the Beach Boys

So rare, I'd say rare. And I was there, probably 300 feet away, outside the door, in the cold and never knew for 28 years this occurred.   Well, happy 35th birthday soundcheck.  Next time, invite us in from the cold.  The songs playing are the complete 12-30-80 soundtrack that is known.

The Grateful Dead Sirius Channel Invisible Fourth Line

So I got a new car. And when I turned on Sirius Grateful Dead three minutes later, there it was. TheGrateful Dead Sirius Channel Invisible Fourth Line. Maybe I am late to the game. I recall David Gans and Gary Lambert talking about this a few years back, but I never heard talk of this. My prior car was a 2014 Prius and it had great sound to Sirius but no fourth line. The fourth line rocks! Thank you so much. Thanks to Gary and David and Mel and Howard and anyone else who noticed this whenever and fixed it. Who was John indeed. from Keystone Berkeley 3-6-76 since I couldn't find this Sirius one in the moments I published this.I have included the March 3, 1976 Who was John because the request for Pride of Cucamonga is just too precious.

A Hero Named Voodoonola

Grateful Dead video fans have a hero and his name is Voodoonola. Merry Christmas Voodoo.
Here is a link to his Youtube page  (as check Voodoonola2).

When I was a young Deadhead, the first shows I noticed a video feed were the year-end shows at the Oakland Auditorium.  Saw the feed while grabbing a beer during the front of the building to the top on the right in the balcony as looking toward the stage.  Never saw them again. Until the last few years.

Voodoonola has so many videos I can't count that high.  Some of his have been removed (mainly due to the Bill Graham Productions issues, but BCP tend to put them back up on youtube.

One of my new favorites is Duke 1978. Check It out. And say a big Christmas thanks to a Grateful Dead fan's hero. This is the Voodoo New Orleans version from 11-8-1970, a rare treat indeed

The East-Coast Only I Need A Miracle Sing-A-Long

So there's the great Relisten app for your iphone that makes it very easy to hit any track in any dead tape in the archive. You can even play a random show.  Which I did. And I discovered the great late East-Coast Only I Need A Miracle Sing-A-Long.

Now after I stopped seeing the Grateful Dead on the East Coast after the Lewiston show in 1980, I the only saw the mellow California Dead for the rest of my show-going career.

Take for example, the Oade brothers tape in Berkeley on June 16, 1985.  The Boys surprising hot Miracle after Goin Down The Road Feeling Bad on a nice Sunday afternoon at the Greek (after bringing back Crytical a few minutes earlier for the first time in almost 100 years) and even then the audience is just dancing and doing that California thing.

But only a few months earlier on  March 25, 1985 at the historic Springfield Civic Center, heard the audience scream out.  Then try Philly on April 20, 1984 and countless others. You will see the East Coast loved to sing I Need A Miracle LOUD.  Here's March 31, 1987 that you hear on soundcloud and show some Philly love.