Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA February 14, 1968
While there are certainly some shows from 1966 and 1967 that are worth visiting, this is the first recording that really captures, for me, the Dead that would go on to explore the depths of utter strangeness-- especially in the Sixties and early Seventies. The second set from this show is quite frantic and offers a great example of the band's early forays into the musical weirdness that would so wonderfully dominate their 1969 shows. The set also features an intriguing, early version of the "Spanish Jam" theme, which they revisited many times throughout the years.
SET ONE: Good Morning Little School Girl, Dark Star, China Cat Sunflower, The Eleven, Turn On Your Love Light SET TWO: Cryptical Envelopement-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> New Potato Caboose-> Born Cross-Eyed-> Spanish Jam, Alligator-> Drums-> Alligator-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks), E: Midnight Hour
Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA October 12, 1968
The "Dark Star" from this show never really enters the ether of space, yet it, with its straightforward reading of the theme, has always been one of my favorite versions of a piece of music that consistently interests me throughout their career. Garcia takes the melody into a dark, bluesy run that dwindles into "Saint Stephen," "The Eleven," and finally "Death Don't Have No Mercy." A nice version of "New Potato Caboose" is also performed.
Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Death Don't Have No Mercy, Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> New Potato Caboose
Bellarmine College, Louisville, KY-- December 7, 1968
A very well-played, chaotic set that features the only live version of "Rosemary" that I know of. "He Was a Friend of Mine" is played with a lot of spirit and features some wonderful jams.
Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Reprise-> New Potato Caboose, Rosemary, He Was A Friend Of Mine, It Hurts Me Too
THE GRATEFUL DEAD 1969
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA March 1, 1969
The
release was culled from this run of shows. The "Dark Star" is wonderful as it weaves in and out of melody and dissonance. finally melting down to the core Stephen-11-Lovelight jam played so often in the early days. The first set has a wonderful "Doin' That Rag" that flows into a hard-rocking "Cosmic Charlie." Be sure and get your hands on this one. The Dead recently released a 10 cd set of the complete run that is hard to find for a reasonable price, but well worth getting. You can also purchase a compilation set of this run.
SET ONE: Cryptical Envelopement-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> New Potato Caboose-> Doin' That Rag-> Cosmic Charlie SET TWO: Dupree's Diamond Blues-> Mountains Of The Moon, Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Turn On Your Love Light E: Hey Jude
The Ark, Boston, MA-- April 21 & 23, 1969
Both of these shows feature some incredible jamming! The 21st has a great "Dark Star--" as well as an intriguing little "Foxy Lady" jam. The 23rd is worth getting for the great performances of a couple of tunes that were never played enough as far as I am concerned--- "He Was a Friend of Mine" and "It's a Sin." Both of these circulating as nice sounding boards.
April 21: Hard To Handle, Morning Dew, Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Sitting On Top Of The World, Alligator-> Drums-> Jam*-> Alligator-> Doin' That Rag, Foxy Lady Jam, Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> The Eleven-> Turn On Your Love Light, E: Viola Lee Blues-> Feedback
April 23: Introduction, He Was A Friend Of Mine, Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> It's a Sin-> Saint Stephen-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Sitting On Top Of The World-> Turn On Your Love Light, Morning Dew, Hard To Handle, Doin' That Rag, Alligator-> Drums-> Jam-> The Eleven-> Jam (with hints of GDTRFB)-> Caution-> Feedback-> We Bid You Good Night, ENCORE:, Not Fade Away Noodling, It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Electric Theatre, Chicago, IL April 26, 1969
This show features a great run of "Dupree's Diamond Blues," "Mountains of the Moon," "China Cat Sunflower," and "Doin' that Rag--" with a wonderful "Dark Star" tease right before "China Cat." A chaotic "That's it For Other One" sandwiches a nice version of "The Eleven" and concludes with the chestnut "It's a Sin." The craziest part of the show, however, is the feedback jam at the end. They play the "What's Become of the Baby" track from Aoxomoxa over the P.A. while frantically creating a wall of feedback.
Dupree's Diamond Blues-> Mountains Of The Moon-> China Cat Sunflower-> Doin' That Rag, It Hurts Me Too-> Hard To Handle, Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> The Eleven jam-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> It's A Sin-> Morning Dew, Sitting On Top Of The World, Minglewood Blues, Saint Stephen-> Turn On Your Love Light, Viola Lee Blues->What's Become of the Baby feedback-> And We Bid You Goodnight
Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA May 7, 1969
This show is fairly new to the trading scene and is well-worth taking the extra effort to find. In addition to a wonderful "Dark Star," this show has a "Good Lovin" with Garcia on lead vocals!
Jam-> Me and My Uncle, Instrumental (cuts), (cuts in)The Other One-> Smokestack Lightning, Good Lovin', Stage Chatter. Dark Star-> Drums-> Lovelight
HONORABLE MENTION
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA-- June 6, 1969
This show features a "Lovelight" that clocks in at 45-50 minutes!!!
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA-- June 7, 1969
Janis Joplin joins the Grateful Dead for a spirited version of "Lovelight."
Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA-- November 2, 1969
The late Dick Latvala, the grand vault master, felt this was the best "Dark Star" ever. While I don't necessarily agree, it is worth a listen!
Photo by Ed Wolpov
THE GRATEFUL DEAD 1970
Fillmore East, New York, NY-- February 11, 13-14, 1970
The Dead played some of the most memorable concerts of their career at the Fillmore East-- and these shows may very well be the best of them all. All three of these shows feature amazing playing and are readily available in the trading world.
A more complete soundboard of this amazing late show from the Fillmore East is now circulating in the trading world. Peter Green joins the band during "Dark Star" and then Duane Alllman joins before "The Spanish Jam" gets under way. By the time the "Lovelight" gets going, Greg Almman and Barry Oakley are helping out. This is a wonderful collaboration between the Dead and the core members of The Allman Bothers that never gets sloppy
LATE SET:Not Fade Away, Cumberland Blues, Cold Rain & Snow, High Time, Me & My Uncle, **Dark Star-> **Spanish Jam-> **(Turn On Your) Lovelight
ENCORE: Uncle John's Band (acoustic)
NOTE: **w/Duane & Greg Allman and Peter Green
Portions of the 13th and the following night were released as
and the rest of the shows can be found on
. The four-song cycle from the second set is some of the most exploratory and successful moments of music in the history of the band. The "Dark Star" stretches and stretches but never menaders too far, and the "Lovelight" showcases Pigpen at his best.
ELECTRIC SET:China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Me & My Uncle, Dire Wolf, *Smokestack Lightning
ACOUSTIC SET:Monkey & The Engineer, Little Sadie, Wake Up Little Susie-> Black Peter, Uncle John's Band, Katie Mae
ELECTRIC SET:Dark Star-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> (Turn On Your) Lovelight
ENCORE: We Bid You Good Night
*Used on
The 14th features a tremendous ending jam that includes Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," the rarely peformed "Mason's Children," and the smoking
classics "Alligator" and "Caution (Do Not Step on the Tracks)." All around great jamming!
ELECTRIC SET:Casey Jones, Mama Tried, *Hard To Handle
ACOUSTIC SET:Monkey & The Engineer, *Dark Hollow, *I've Been All Around This World, Wake Up Little Susie-> Black Peter, Uncle John's Band, Katie Mae
ELECTRIC SET:Dancin' In The Streets, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider-> High Time-> Dire Wolf, Alligator-> Drums-> Me & My Uncle-> Not Fade Away-> Mason's Children-> Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)-> We Bid You Good Night
*Used on
Harpur College, Binghamton, NY-- May 2, 1970
Perhaps the best show of 1970-- perhaps not-- but certainly a show that must have left its audience tired and excited! A very laid-back acoustic set masks the amazing jamming that would come later in the electric sets. A wonderful semi-electric "Cumberland Blues" and "New Speedway Boogie" showcase the folk roots that the
and
releases explored. The electric sets, on the other hand, dig back in to the psychedelic exploratiions of the Sixties. The "Dancing in the Streets" flows, bops, and chortles like few other versions the band has played-- featuring a jam that sounds like the "Tighten Up" riff made so famous by Archie Bell & The Drells. The "Viola Lee Blues" has got to be the definitive version! This awesome show. most thnakfully, has been archived forever as
.
ACOUSTIC SET: Don't Ease Me In, I Know You Rider, Friend Of The Devil, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down The Line-> Black Peter, Candyman-> Cumberland Blues, Deep Elem Blues, Cold Jordan*, Uncle John's Band ELECTRIC SET ONE: Saint Stephen-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Cosmic Charlie, Casey Jones, Good Lovin'-> Drums-> Good Lovin', Cold Rain & Snow, It's A Man's World, Dancin' In The Streets ELECTRIC SET TWO: Morning Dew, Viola Lee Blues-> Feedback-> We Bid You Good Night
Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY-- June 24, 1970
This incredibly tight, yet spacey, set features an incredible run through "Dark Star," into "Attics of My Life" then back into "Dark Star" before rolling into "Sugar Magnolia" and back into "Dark Star" which finds its way into "St. Stephen" and concludes with "China/Rider." It's as good as it sounds-- maybe even better. If only there was a soundboard of this one!
Dark Star-> Attics Of My Life-> Dark Star-> Sugar Magnolia-> Dark Star-> Saint Stephen-> China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider
Golden Hall Community Concourse, San Diego, CA-- August 5, 1970
This show is worth mentioning because it is an all-acoustic set. Selections from
and
are embellished further with an array of gospel and folk tunes-- including the classic "Cocaine Blues."
ACOUSTIC SET ONE: Candyman, El Paso, Rosalie McFall, Cocaine Blues, Drink Up And Go Home, I Hear A Voice Callin, Cold Jordan, Swing Low Sweet Chariot ACOUSTIC SET TWO: Deep Elem Blues, Dark Hollow, Friend Of The Devil, Mama Tried, To Lay Me Down, Dire Wolf, The Ballad Of Casey Jones
Fillmore East, New York, NY-- September 20, 1970
One of my favorite acoustic sets from the Dead's 1970 period. This one features the mandolin playing of David Grisman-- plus the help of New Riders of the Purple Sage's David Nelson. The electric set features the seldom-played "Big Boy Pete" and wonderful versions of "Easy Wind" and "Attics of My Life" from the
and
releases.
ACOUSTIC SET: Uncle John's Band, Deep Elem Blues, Friend Of The Devil, Big Railroad Blues, Dark Hollow, Ripple, To Lay Me Down, Truckin', Rosalie McFall, Cumberland Blues, New Speedway Boogie, Brokedown Palace ELECTRIC SET: Casey Jones, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Candyman, Sitting On Top Of The World, Big Boy Pete, Me and My Uncle, Easy Wind, Sugar Magnolia, Attics of My Life, Mama Tried, Not Fade Away-> Caution (Do Not Step on Tracks)-> Feedback-> And We Bid You Goodnight
HONORABLE MENTION
Euphoria Ballroom, San Rafael, CA-- July 16, 1970
Janis Joplin joins the Dead for a nice duet with Pigpen on "Lovelight."
Capitol Theatre, Portchester, NY-- November 7, 1970
Nice versions of seldom-played songs. The Dead have fun with tunes like "Mystery Train," "My Babe," "New Orleans," and "Searchin'."
