Los Muertos con Queso continued on Thursday with a full portion of cheese but without Grateful Dead guitaristBob Weir. Hewas supposed to perform two sets with his newest band but the performance went out without Weir who according toBill Kreutzmann Bob was suffering from food poisoning.
Thursday’s entertainment began with an afternoon set from The String Cheese Incident. SCI continued their flawless playing from new years and delivered sets that included takes on “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” "Miss Brown's Teahouse" and a tribute to Butch Trucks with a touching cover of "Jessica".
The new band who already performed yesterday took the stage with Jackie Greene as the front man and no Bob Weir in site. Actually, Billy did not explain his absence until late in the show. The show went on with visitors such as Kyle and Jason. They delivered two smoking sets regardless. We can only hope that Bob Weir feels up to the next performance.
An Unheard studio session has surfaced by The Grateful Dead (or a variation of). It's believed to be an alternate version of Blues for Allah. Listen Here!
An unearned gem of a studio recording from Alan Bershaw has been uploaded to the achieve. Its definitely contains all or most of The Grateful Dead members and most likely other musicians such as Ned Lagin and Merl Sanders. It's is an amazing piece of music. That is where the facts end. I included Alan's complete description and a few other opinions. Whatever it ends up being called means very little as I am jamming it in the background.
Kevin Long
Alan's notes
This is not to be confused with any of the content on those February 1975 SNACK rehearsals for the Kezar Stadium gig, as Crosby and Saunders are not present here. It also does not match any other "Blues For Allah" studio outtakes tapes that I'm aware of. It's questionable whether or not Ned Lagin is present here, but I only hear Keith Godchaux playing electric piano. This leads me to believe that this is just the core band with Mickey Hart back on board. There are no vocals, so Donna Godchaux is not present on this recording.
The reel case only contains the notation "The First Day" and a date of "January." I have a few theories for this notation. It could mean that it was literally the first day of 1975, as in January 1, 1975. I think a more likely theory is that it was simply the first day of 1975 studio sessions sometime in January. Bob Gurman, who I inherited this reel from, thought it was the actual working title of this composition, since it was still an instrumental and prior to Robert Hunter's lyrics being written. I've also speculated that this could have been recorded as a guide reference for the band and additional Kezar musicians prior to those rehearsals. It may also have been recorded for Hunter as a template for writing lyrics. Or some combination of all of these possibilities…
I should also add that I'm aware of another version of this recording. I also have a DAT that I think I received in trade from Steven Martin back in the early 1990s. That contains this same recording, but with it divided into two sequences, with a short break in the middle. On this reel, those two sequences are seamlessly spliced together. Despite this spliced version originating from the same two sequences, the reel sounds significantly better and has considerably more dynamic range than the two sequences found on the DAT.
I've scoured through all known notation for 1975 Grateful Dead studio sessions, outtakes and rehearsals, but can find no mention or match to this particular recording - or of any January 1975 studio recordings for that matter. Surprising, since this is such remarkable quality. It very well may be the earliest recording of the Grateful Dead's return following the 1974 retirement. Have a listen. I don't think anyone will be disappointed. Alan Bershaw - January 2017
I've scoured through all known notation for 1975 Grateful Dead studio sessions, outtakes and rehearsals, but can find no mention or match This reel contains what I believe to be the first 1975 Grateful Dead studio session, with the musicians recording an embryonic version of the "Blues For Allah" title track. Its also the earliest recording for what would become the "SNACK Jam," that they'd soon begin rehearsing with additional musicians (Ned Lagin, Merle Saunders and David Crosby) the following month.
Here are some other opinions about the origin of the music. Stream at the bottom.
Reviewer:nwgj - favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite - January 26, 2017 Subject: just for argument's sake
Doesn’t this music seem too far developed to be from Jan ’75? The Feb 75 tapes are all pretty loose and jammy, and it seems odd that the band would be performing something this complicated on their first night back in the saddle.
Also, I don’t have McNally’s GD bio handy, but I believe he says that the first session at Ace’s was by a local band (not the GD) on the night of a full moon, which would have been Jan 27 or Feb 26.
The music is sweet, if you dig these rehearsal recordings, which I do. Wish there was more!
Reviewer:jinglejarms - favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite - January 25, 2017 Subject: two or three keyboardists
It's faint, but there are two, sometimes three keyboards. Check out at 20:10 or so - you hear acoustic piano and two electric pianos. My guess is that both Ned Lagin and Merl Saunders are on here.
D.S.O. is primed to celebrate their 20 year anniversary in 2017.
One day in 1997, two Dead Head musicians were ruminating about life without Jerry Garcia and simultaneously came up with the same idea: "Let's recreate a Grateful Dead show." Around forty people came down to Martyrs' in Chicago on November 11, 1997, to hear the brand-new Dark Star Orchestra's rendition of the Dead's show of 10/8/81. They'd planned it as a four-week experiment; ninety folks showed up the second week, then two hundred, then a 400-person sell-out.so it seemed like a good idea to keep going.
Since the idea behind the "Orchestra" part of Dark Star Orchestra is that this is a tribute to a body of music, lots of people have come and gone over the years-one co-founder, Scott Larned, passed on in 2005, the other, John Kadlecik, went off to play with the Dead's Phil Lesh & Bob Weir in Furthur. But DSO keeps rolling, to the point that they've played well over 2,600 shows - 120,000 people in just the past year -- and incredibly enough, are looking at an approaching 20th anniversary. This calls for celebration.
Like the Dead, DSO has developed an extraordinary relationship with its audience, and to honor the long strange trip they've shared, DSO will offer, for the first time at regular shows, beginning with their spring tour, a VIP Soundcheck and Poster Signing package. Participants will get exclusive pre-show access to the venue, a chance to hear the soundcheck, meet the band and get their 20th anniversary posters signed, a souvenir laminate and sticker.and more. Only 25 such tickets will be offered to each show.
Anyone who has seen - and heard - DSO will tell you this is not a "cover" band. It's on a higher level, and you just have to be there to get it.kinda like the band whose music they play.
Bobby and Billy's new band kicked off Los Muertos Con Queso with a tribute to Butch Trucks
The Los Muertos Con Queso concert event being held in Riviera Maya, Mexico began yesterday with the Chris Robinson's Brotherhood , while Bobby and Billy debuted their new band to rave reviews. Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Bill Kreutzmann were joined by W.S.P bassist Dave Schools, JRAD and American Babies guitarist Tom Hamilton and Jeff Chimenti in his usual chair behind the ivory. Beside Grateful Dead staples they played a awe-inspiring tribute to Butch Trucks last night when The Allman Brothers Band’s “Mountain Song” evolved out of Drums into Rev Gary Davis’ staple “Death Don't have No Mercy”. They ended the first night with a fitting double encore of “Liberty” and U.S. Blues. The festivities continue today with two sets of The String Cheese Incident and another performance by the Bobby and Billy band.
Setlist
Set One: Uncle John’s Band > Here Comes Sunshine, West L.A., Little Red Rooster, Crazy Fingers > Jack Straw
Set Two: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Tennessee Jed, Drums > Mountain Jam > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > Sugar Magnolia
Phil Lesh's three show from Las Vegas are available to webcast thanks to nugs.tv.
Beginning this Friday Phil and Friends begin a three show run at Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. Thanks to nugs.tv all three performances are available for webcast. The first two show Phil will be joined by Chris Robinson, Adam James, Adam MacDougall, Neal Casal and Tony Leone. The first night promises to be special as the band will perform two celerbrated Grateful Dead albums."American Beauty" and "Workingman's Blues" will both be performed in their entirety. The same band will perform on Saturday night, however Sunday is a matinee and his band will consists of his son Grahame, Ross James, Alex Koford while Casal and Adam MacDougall will sit in as special guests. You can pre-order all three shows in both HD and SD formats here. Thx to Jambase for 411.
Amazon acquired A Long Strange Trip. It will premiere on Amazon Prime on May 26th as a six part miniseries.
The Amir Bar-Lev directed documentary about The Grateful Dead found a distributer ahead of its world premiere at Sundance next week. The highly anticipated movie produced by Martin Scorsese charts the rise of the band from the beginning in the Bay Area's electric 1960s counterculture to the rock n roll iconic status they enjoy today. The film includes archival photos, audio and video footage never before seen or heard. This highly anticipated movie will be a six part mini series and will be available to stream beginning May 26 on Amazon Prime.
Streamstock 2017 is a new event taking place January 20th. It's an online music and arts festival with a better lineup than Trump's Inauguration.
Streamstock 2017 is an online music and art celebration to rival the Inauguration festivities taking place the same day. It's boasts that it is an event “of the people, by the people and for the people”. The talent is as impressive as the idea.
To be able to watch Streamstock on Friday go to their Facebook page and hit the Use App button or look up Streamstock 2017 in Facebook Messenger.
John Mayer Held a 40 minute Jam session for his Instagram followers earlier today. Watch
John Mayer gave a late gift to his Instagram followers today with an almost forty minute solo jam. He jams everything from The Police, Bob Marley and many Grateful Dead songs. Thanks to Jambase for the 411.
"One Man gathers what another one Spills" A large Collection of Rock posters will be on Antiques Roadshow. Watch the Video
"Antiques Roadshow" is a popular show on PBS with the premise being somebody's junk is another person's treasure. On Monday, January 2nd the long running series will kick off another season with a good portion of the show focusing on an unbelievable collection of rock posters. The Grateful Dead is certainly represented. The woman brought her brother's collection who passed away 27 years ago and the collection of over 40 posters sat under her mother's bed ever since. Watch how Grateful the woman is when she gets the appraisal. Thanks to Jambase for the Tip.
. Watch the appraiser make the woman's year with his opinion :
Our Facebook page just surpassed 100,000 music lovers.
More importantly out of that number 98.622% of our family are actually empathetic caring people. I have met some of my best friends while discussing music on the site. Hell, I met my roommate through the magic of our community. If I would have planned this company, it would have failed years ago. The magic that The Phish and the Dead create found it's way into our sandbox. Since 100,000 is a big even number and it's the season of What Now? We are going to show how Grateful we are for our fans. Until next year we will be giving away authentic Phish and the Dead memorabilia out of my own personal collection. You could win a pair of tickets to see The Grateful Dead or David Bowie. (Time machine not included)
Or the Deer Creek show that Keller Williams and myself missed.
Or it my be a ticket for a Grateful Dead concert for Fall tour in 1995.
Basically the gifts will be like our website; you never know what you will find.
Over the last three years our sandbox has became Grateful Music Productions. This is all because you love music as much as we do. Our clubhouse is now a business and it's just keeps getting better. Sammy and I started this with one fundamental rule. Everything is not fucking epic. We wanted a forum where we could talk about our musical community honestly as we see it. We are not for everyone and that is fine. But since we stopped writing for the big boys and concentrated on what matters music and the love we bring. We have grown without being own by the publicists. They are some of our biggest supporters. Five your ago we had almost 6,000 fans.
What makes us so proud is that you that us be a part of your lives and yet you still recommend us to your family. We are an organically grown company because we have never spent one dollar to promote ourselves. Subscribe to our YouTube page, Grateful Music Productions we have great content and we are just getting started.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCUJelI7kf6fB8mHLYedR1vA Some contests the next few weeks will be given away on that platform only. The best is yet to come and good luck this week. Each prize will have a different contest. The only rule is if you get confused listen to the music play. Thank you for giving us something to do in between shows. We love you Kevin & Greg. P.S that ain't no monkey in the middle!
The Saturday morning Wake & Bake Show has two options this weekend.
JRAD's complete show from Hulaween for the flower. But if your dabbed out, than crawl back in bed and enjoy "Cirles Around The Sun". Both were risky approaches to the Soundtrack of our souls. But both bands are as brilliant as they are different. JRAD is Dead on Steriods and "Circles around the Sun" is more like the Dead on Peyote.
If you feel like a few dabs and don't want to waste the special Saturday morning buzz and feel like a less busy but still a mind melt than I recommended you watch this "Circles Around The Sun" show.
JRAD Continued Taking Over the Grateful World While Managing to Play "Possum"!
JRAD CO SET 1: Don'tEase Viola >Possum >Truckin>space > St Stephen >Truckin > Other1 > Loser > Marco WilliamTell (ststephen)> The Eleven >Shakedown
That is the first set from last night's show which kicked off a three-night Colorado run. However it will be one of their last theatre runs. It was nuts to butts last night, sold out with no fire marshal, packed! Plus, the 200$ price tag they demanded on the open market only proves my point. The Fillmore is in the near future for this magical vessel of Dead dreams to another land. They don't even have complete control of this ride. Hell, we refuse to let them retire from a band that was meant to be a one and done tribute. But one can't put toothpaste back in the tube and it's all over the fucking sink. They have reinvigorated the GD catalogue of music to the point I listen to JRAD bootlegs nightly, but with the same passion as the wide-eyed child I was when I first chased this rabbit to china. I mean listen to this "Eleven" & Terrapin From last night.
JRAD is the future! It's akin to GD on steroids. It's what no other tribute band had the balls, chops or vision to pull off. They play Dead covers like the Dead played Dylan covers. Their own way! Ironically, by not playing the songbook like The Grateful Dead did, they captured that elusive magic that makes it feel so right.
If you still doubt it was not to be I leave with this: Even if you scramble up the GD something good comes out.
In 1976, the Grateful Dead had resumed touring with a new album under their belts and a returning drummer at their backs. They always showed up to play in Boston and tonight was no exception.
The band was easing back into touring in the spring of 76' after taking off the only year in their career. Not that Jerry stopped playing but the band all took some time off after the massive tour with the Wall of Sound and the death of Rex "Ramrod" Jackson. There were a few shows in 1975, including the famous one caught and released on "One from the Vault" but mostly it was a hiatus for most of the band. They came roaring back with a new album and the return of Mickey. You couldn't tell by this show though. This might be the mellowest, well-played, dynamic show of their career. Nothing was over-played but they still played the shit out of every song they played. Starting strong with "Might as Well" you can tell Phil is out there ready to play from the word go. That strong 77' sound was in it's infancy and you could hear it developing all through this show. Especially, the "Scarlet Begonias", that came up later. This show has always been a personal favorite, out of all the incarnations and songs and transmutations the band went through, this one captured a snapshot of the band at the genesis of what most would consider their creative peak during 1977.
This is the first tour since the regrouping and an innocence and joy shines through the playing. Each song is a joyous rendition that even makes the bum notes bring a smile to your face. There weren't many but the rust was still coming off. Every song starts somewhere and the peaks of 77' all begin with the awkward adolescence of the first time they tried to play them. There were no big bust outs but the pacing and the flow of this show is a snapshot on where they were headed. They had been through the 68-69' era lysergic-era when everything dripped into everything else. This show highlights the band's growth where they could find those spaces on purpose without stumbling upon them in an Owsley haze. The "Candyman" is a perfect example of a meditative version of the song that could either peel the paint off the walls or worm it's way into your head and make you a believer of every word Jerry sang. The "Scarlet Begonias" might have been the point where the band all finally decided tonight was going to be one of "those"nights. Phil, for one was perfecting the bass runs that would become such a distinctive part of the 77' Scarlets and the show just picked up from there. Bobby delivered a beautiful LL Rain which was followed by Jerry's gorgeous "It Must Have Been the Roses" and the first set was just a taste of what was to come up next.
Starting what I call the "S" portion of the show, ala' Phish, is one of the smoothest, close to the vest versions of St. Stephen ever played. Everyone was just exactly perfect but this is what a mature version would sound like and Keith makes some musical choices that just make it sound perfect. Even Donna fits in perfectly. The second set really starts swinging when Jerry asks " What would be the answer to the answer man?" Well, apparently the answer is "Dancing in the 'S'treet" and after a strong disco-style opening the house got rocking. After almost twelve minutes of jamming out Dancin' they swung into the newly-written "Music Never Stopped" and it still is a rockin' version but it is in it's infancy and shows hints at how much they could stretch it out even if this version is a little truncated. They slowed the pace down with a note-perfect, "'S'hip of Fools" that made the slow tempo of the song just drip with the pathos of a man stuck on a journey of motley fools. The tempo of the song was just another show of dynamic mastery that Jerry gained from playing with jazz and soul greats during his stints at his JGB or Reconstruction gigs in 75'. It was a perfect way to hold your attention while slowing down the pace for what comes next. Even though I hold the " 'S't. Stephen, in high regard, the show took flight and never landed once the band hit the opening notes of " 'S'amson and Delilah", which was another song that was a new-ish addition to the repertoire and grew in front of our eyes. It had the same beat but it still had yet to grow into the beast it would when Jerry added those famous opening licks. In this version he plays a wonderful jazzy solo but neither him nor Bobby had found the opening licks that would turn this song into a Sunday monster. Jerry begged not to reveal his identity in a long, slowly building "'S'ugaree" that the band is still pushing out of adolescence into the versions that would tear down roofs. Even though they had been playing this one for awhile, they still attacked it in the jazzy style of the rest of the show. Up next, the "'S'ugar Magnolia" gets a rockin' little solo to open it up instead of the chord figures that would end so many shows later in their career. This short version that rolls into an epic "Eye'S' of the World" shows Phil at his finest, playing lead bass. They fully explore the tune waiting until the eleven-minute mark to start the third verse, they let the drummers run wild and the whole band is firing on all cylinders. It's a wonderful way to melt into the show's penultimate song, " 'S'tella Blue", which Jerry slays like a giant. His fresh-as-a-daisy voice takes its' time and his playing isn't rushed and it's a beautiful eleven-minute gem before Bobby takes back over for the coda and show-stopping, "'S'unshine Daydream". The band comes back for an encore of "Johnny B. Goode", ending the "S" theme and allowing the band to leave it all on stage with an old-fashioned rave up of the Chuck Berry classic. If you listen to this show and find it boring or unenjoyable, I don't know what to tell you. I feel like this is the Grateful Dead playing some of their very best, most vital and creative music of their career. I think you'll agree if you strap on the headphones and dim the lights. The next night ain't bad either!
Almost 24 years to the day, the Grateful Dead resurrected "Here Comes Sunshine" after not playing it since 1974. Here is the two-camera version mixed with Charlie Miller's SBD.
I just got a call from Kevin, who had surgery today, telling me he was up and it was time to rise and shine. Well, tomorrow in 1992, the boys rose and shone with the new version of "Here Comes Sunshine".
Set 1
Set 2
Enjoy everyone and thank you for all the well wishes from the bottom of my heart. I'm sure Kevin will be thanking you too for all the good vibes sent from earlier.
Greg Heffelfinger
Setlist:
Grateful Dead
Compton Terrace,AZ
12-6-92
Set 1:
Here Comes Sunshine ; Greatest Story Ever Told ; Friend Of The Devil ; Me And My Uncle > Maggie's Farm ; Althea ; When I Paint My Masterpiece ; Deal
Set 2:
Samson And Delilah ; Crazy Fingers > Uncle John's Band > Playing Reprise > Drums > Space > The Last Time > China Doll > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
Happy Dead and Company Friday Morning to you. Let's drink our morning coffee or dab together and watch Dead and Comping Pro Shot from Shorline Let's make this Friday feel like Grateful Good Friday.
Memphis, Tennessee. The Bluff City. The home of the blues and Elvis' hometown. The Grateful Dead reunites with the Pyramid on the final spring tour. The Dead always were more lively during Spring and this evening was no different.
These shows were the first time that the Dead had been to Memphis since 72'. There are no recorded setlists or recordings of that show but the skinny is that the band was hassled so bad by the cops they swore they would never come back. Well, after what felt like an eternity of driving and sleeping in hotel rooms, I was finally going to get to see the Dead and then drive home without a map and sleep in my own bed! I was dating a girl whose dad worked on the board at the Pyramid, so I knew I was in for both nights. The first night, we had tickets in the mayor's booth, which is not where you want to be with a pocket full of smelly nuggets and a headful of LSD. So we quickly abandoned those seats but not before we filled our pockets with all the food we could and passed it out to hungry heads' for free, as opposed to the taxed venue food. I know for sure how much the Dead loved their fans because I heard from my girlfriend's dad that their rider was huge and most of it had to do with the fact that thousands of gypsies were about to show up on Memphis' doorstep. Little known fact, they were in discussions to play in Memphis in 96' for five-to-seven nights because the shows went off so well. Even though some dickheads tried to crash the Pyramid gates at the start of the show on the first night. I was already in the venue but they had to be traveling heads' because no one who had been to the pyramid would try to rush the doors. It's a GODDAMN PYRAMID! it's almost a fortress. There are ways to sneak in but no one who was dumb enough to brute force the Pyramid would have the brain power to try any other ways.
On to the music, Atlanta was fairly hot and I loved the Visions from the night before but there was no way to match the atmosphere and anticipation for the first shows in Memphis in twenty-three years. The cops stayed mellow and the scene blossomed and everyone was cool and it was the most blissful scene I had been to in a long,long time. With the river in the background, we had no idea that the band felt the same way. It also showed on the stage. I still have trouble deciding which night I liked better. The first night, the energy was unmistakeable. The "Hell in a Bucket" opener was a great opener and then a note-perfect,"Candyman" almost made me cry with pride. Jerry just nailed it. This was 1995 and everyone remembers the "tour from hell" in the summer but the spring tour was wonderful. After a wonderful "Candyman", the band broke out the very first "Take Me to the River", the Al Green classic, that Bobby does a great job of delivering and the band tacked on a nice little jam to the end.
Jerry then countered with a wonderful rendition of "Lazy River Road", also sounding as good as he could in 95' and that was still pretty damn good. Check out the JGB shows from 95' if you think Jerry had completely blown his voice. After a nice Masterpiece, Phil surprised us with a well-sung "Childhood's End" which I happen to really like and the band was already firing on all cylinders. The set concluded with a "Deal" that wasn't the hottest one I've ever heard but was a smoking version for the tour.
We took the time during the break to go back to the Mayor's booth and while most of them were watching the news or whatever, we reloaded up on food and passed out free food courtesy of the City of Memphis. So if you're one of those people that got one of those warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies, you're welcome and I hope you had a great show. Once the band came back after a "short break" they blew our collective minds with one of the best versions of "Foolish Heart" that the band ever played. After that came "Way to Go Home", one of my favorite Vince songs. Granted, that's the top of a very short list but this version rocked the house. Vince sang his ass off and the band was completely behind him, with great Jerry-ism's that flowed through the whole song. "Saint of Circumstance" got the call next and Bobby must have caught the ball from Vince and wasn't going to be out-shined. They drove a smoking Saint into "Eyes of the World" that was played at a breakneck tempo. It wasn't bad but I preferred the slower, more relaxed versions and this one seemed like it was almost a race to the end. It was a hot version but most of the heat came from the fact that it was at a fast tempo not that anything special was happening on stage. After a twenty five minute "Drums>Space" that sounded like the band was trying to levitate the Pyramid. They didn't know but just the fact that they were there already had the building shake, rattling, and rolling.
After an interesting little journey the band rolled into one of my favorite ways out of space, "The Wheel". Once again, this was a high-energy, fast tempo version that was solid but not overwhelming. It was still good but the band was pushing the tempo instead of letting it build organically like the song did in earlier years. After "The Wheel" was rolling it snuck into another song that generally came out of space, "All Along the Watchtower". This is the one time that the fast tempo of the second set made sense and Bobby sang and played like it was a life or death situation and Jerry kept right up with him with smoking fills and a scorching solo that grabbed my attention because he was so obviously waiting to jump on it and once he grabbed it he rode it out and owned it. The song that came next was the one that sealed the deal. "Standing on the Moon" came up next and in a ten and a half minute version, Jerry laid it all out. He hit all the vocals and the cracks in his voice still give me goosebumps just thinking about it. I've heard people say that it doesn't belong in that spot. That's a Dew or "Days Between", etc. spot and SOTM doesn't have the weight to match up against a "Stella Blue" but on this one night in Memphis, it seared my brain and the crowd loved it. We all were waiting for an April Fool's Day surprise, the surprise was that ended the show. It didn't take much of a Head' to call the encore and Bobby poured all his weight into the "One More Saturday Night" that came up.
This first night was just a taste and to know that there was one more show before the band was packed and gone made leaving the venue special. We had to be made to leave because the lights were up and the cops weren't all that concerned about making the parking lots empty, so we stuck around and had a blast in the parking lot. Does anyone else remember the guy rolling down the street in front of the Pyramid on a motorcycle, popping a wheelie, and then eating it about thirty yards down the street and getting cheers and then completely wiping out? He jumped up and screamed,"Hell Yeah" and the crowd went nuts. This weekend still stands out in my mind like a diamond and I wish it was the last shows I saw, instead of going on Summer Tour and seeing the trainwreck happen. Actually, that's a lie, I had a blast at every show I saw. Hope you enjoy the show and if you don't like 95' give this one a shot.
Greg Heffelfinger
"Take Me to the River" 4-1-95
Grateful Dead
The Pyramid Memphis,TN
4/1/95
Set One:
Hell In A Bucket Candyman Take Me To The River Lazy River Road When I Paint My Masterpiece Childhood's End Deal
Set Two:
Foolish Heart Way To Go Home Saint Of Circumstance -> Eyes Of The World -> Drums -> Space -> The Wheel -> All Along The Watchtower -> Standing On The Moon
The five-star show rating system has been thrown out of the window by 94'. There is almost no consensus about shows between old, touch, and 90's heads. All I know is I hear more about specific songs in the last years than whole shows. Well, this might be the best of 94' in my opinion, not just because I was there and not just because it was the last "Dark Star". But it felt right and felt like home and to me that's what makes the Grateful Dead special.
For some reason, the Dead loved Atlanta and Atlanta loved em' right back. Phish might've gotten in the last word at the Omni but it was Jerry's house. They had been playing there since 74' and the crew knew how to make that building rock without being too loud. They had the venue mapped out so that each echo and harmonic wave played off of each other and the echo's in that old building actually helped the music. This might be one of the most psychedelic "Drums>Space" I've ever heard. It was a perfect background for a DMT experience. I mean, you know, for someone who might be into that sort of thing.
The show started with "Here Comes Sunshine" and I guess because they had some rest and were only about a quarter into the tour, it worked. Although Vince struggled a little to hard, Bobby and Jerry both were on and Phil and the drummers were pretty much always on. Without many mumbles or missed verses, they jumped right into the party starter,"Feel Like a Stranger". It was a good version, if you don't count Vince's wailing. Everyone was there and Vince provided the perfect bed for Bobby's scat-singing and Jerry, although he hung back, was present when he needed to be. Up next, was quite possibly the best "Jack-a-Roe" ever. I hate to say anything is the "best ever" because everything has it's good and bad spots but for 1994, Jerry was playing on point and Bobby was adding his angular rhythms and this love ballad on speed didn't suffer from many vocal miscues and Jerry killed each solo. It's also one of my favorite songs and, well, just listen to it and tell me if it isn't at least top ten. Especially considering it's in 1994.
They swung from the song of a lovelorn cross-dresser into the Willie Dixon song, "The Same Thing" and it felt like the ghost of Dixon was in the house. The Grateful Dead in these years was always a highwire act ready to fall apart at any minute, well Bobby's slinky blues number kept the pace going even though it's a slower blues number and led right into one of my favorite new songs,"Lazy River Road". I don't know if it was because Jerry's new girl Deb was there or he managed to get "just right" but he nailed this one too. After a solid effort on the acoustic with an "El Paso", the band takes their first big swing of the night and gives "New Speedway Boogie" a shot in the first set. They might not have hit it out of the park but they at least made it a double and I'd call em' into third base if it wasn't for Vince's wailing. I don't mind what he added as a keyboardist, in fact as I've listened to more and more shows for this project, I've started to respect his contributions. That screech though kills me and will knock a star off of any performance. They ended with "The Promised Land", enough said. It was a good first set and the crowd was ready for more.
The second set started with a relatively quick "Scarlet Begonias" that lasted about nine minutes before it went into a monster "Fire on the Mountain" that made the duo clock in at about thirty minutes. This would set a trend that we would see in Seattle and Boston later in the tour. After the band finished this marathon, they dove right into a Playin' that "only" lasted about nine and a half minutes and started to develop some potential and the band explored the song for the full time until "IT" happened. I don't know if it was discussed backstage or someone(Jerry)felt the urge, but the band swung from the spacy back end of a Playin' that was starting to get jazzy and fell down the keys of Vince's board right into the final "Dark Star" ever played. No, it wasn't the greatest ever but it was a good Nineties' era version. It had a lot more of that early action like the Sixties' versions with Tom Constenten that let the song air out and take flight on it's own than the later versions. They were in no rush and Phil and Jerry continued their epic struggle, like two dragons or two snakes following and chasing and intertwining, while Bob and Vince kept the song moving forward. Bobby threw in a couple of slide licks and overall, it was a great way to retire this classic. As it bled into almost thirty minutes of "Drums>Space" I thought the floor had left and we were all free-floating like astronauts. I think I left some part of me there that night. From "Dark Star" through the Rhythm Devils, my mind was left in a puddle until Bobby pulled out the first notes of Miracle from the madness.
After a solid rendition they slid into "Stella Blue" and Jerry had no trouble singing it like he meant it. This almost touches the version he performed a week earlier in Richfield,OH but that is my favorite version of the 90's but this was no slouch. Jerry came to play in Atlanta and after an upbeat crowd-pleasing Sugar Maggie and a "Liberty" encore, I think everyone went home happy. I know I did because I was going to get to see one more show before they went to Florida and little did I know that I had just seen the end of an era and a little part of history with the last "Dark Star" Jerry ever played. Give this show a spin. I hope all of you Nineties haters are finding something to enjoy about these shows. It's like Jerry said in The Pizza Tapes to Tony Rice, "there were moments of blinding brilliance" of course with an ironic twist and a smile that you could hear through the recording.
Greg Heffelfinger
Final "Dark Star" 3-30-94
Grateful Dead
The Omni Atl,GA.
3-30-94
Set One:
Here Comes Sunshine, Feel Like A Stranger, Jack A Roe, Lazy River Road, El Paso, The Same Thing, New Speedway Boogie, Promised Land
Set Two:
Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> Playin' In The Band-> Dark Star-> Drums-> Space-> I Need A Miracle -> Stella Blue-> Sugar Magnolia,
