NYS Music 202​0

Tag: jerry sundays

  • Jerry Sunday: The Grateful Dead at MSG, September 20, 1982

    By 1982, The Grateful Dead’s relationship with the State of New York had been firmly established. It began with a free show at Tompkins Square Park in 1967. Now, the band had graduated to regular gigs at Madison Square Garden, The World’s Most Famous Arena. Monday, September 20, 1982 would be part of their third run at The Garden, after playing there initially in 1979 and a brief two-show stay in 1981. The Brent Mydland era was now in full swing and this show from 38 years ago sees the band relaxed and fully cohesive as the Grateful Dead at MSG deliver another knockout New York performance.

    A spunky “Shakedown Street” gets things started off on the right foot. The band wastes no time getting into a nice groove and Mydland’s backing vocals spice this one up nicely.

    Guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir take turns leading the way on vocals through pristine versions of “Candyman” and “El Paso,” respectively, with the rest of the band sounding fully engaged. Afterwards, the recent revival of “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” continued. A month earlier, the Dead dusted off this oldie but goodie after a four-year layoff. Garcia’s vocals seem to have an almost echo-y feel to them on this one before he nails the corresponding guitar solos.

    Mydland’s signature raspy vocals accompany more beautiful Garcia-supplied guitar licks on the bluesy “Never Trust A Woman” that follows. The first set later ends with a couple of new tunes. Weir quickly mentions something about “remembering all the words this time” before they launch into “Throwin’ Stones.” This would be only the third one ever played after making its debut earlier in the fall tour. It’s an aggressive rendition as Weir certainly remembers the words and then some. But instead of the traditional outro jam the Dead would later develop for it, they pivot immediately to a rousing “Keep Your Day Job” that closes the set.

    Grateful Dead at MSG

    Things rev back up immediately with the “Scarlet Begonias” that opens up the second set. It features some delightful interplay between Garcia and Mydland on keys. With a pounding rhythm generated from bassist Phil Lesh, the jam eventually meanders a little bit before the familiar tones of “Fire On The Mountain” come through.

    The mid-set “Terrapin Station” that later follows has a very mellow feel to it early on. The composed section drifts off into near silence before eventually picking back up. Later in the set, emerging from the confines of “Space,” is another Dead specialty – the “Spanish Jam.” It’s a brief but infectious instrumental section that’s influenced by the theme to Miles Davis’ “Solea” from his Sketches Of Spain album. This more than aptly serves as the bridge to “Truckin’.”

    There would be no “Truckin’” jam tonight though. Instead, the band does another collective pivot of sorts and hurls into “The Other One.” It’s a quick but powerful version that sees Weir almost toying with the lyrics.

    After a customary joyous run through of “Sugar Magnolia” to close out the second set, the Dead decide to end things with yet another new number. This is also only the third ever performance of “Touch Of Grey,” a song that would later become synonymous with the band and their lone commercial “hit.” One more show at The Garden would follow the next evening as the Dead continue to make their presence felt in The Empire State.

    Grateful Dead at MSG

    Grateful Dead – Madison Square Garden 9/20/82

    Set 1: Shakedown Street > New Minglewood Blues, Candyman > El Paso, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, It’s All Over Now, Never Trust A Woman, Row Jimmy, Throwing Stones > Keep Your Day Job

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Women Are Smarter, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Spanish Jam > Truckin’ > The Other One > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia

    Encore: Touch Of Grey

  • A New Upstate Home for the Grateful Dead: Glens Falls

    Today’s Dead-trospective takes us to a Glens Falls Grateful Dead show at the Civic Center played 41 years ago. August of 1979 was interesting time for the Grateful Dead. New keyboardist Brent Mydland was still getting himself acclimated, having joined the band in April. This is only his 19th show, but his second time performing in New York with the Dead after they played Broome County Arena in Binghamton in May.

    1979 featured a lot of short tours spread out over the course of the year. This would be the opener of one of them, a six-show tour in the Northeast with the last three at Madison Square Garden. This is the first time the Dead played the Civic Center. They would come back and play a single show the next three years as well.

    Glens Falls Grateful Dead

    The show begins with “Promised Land,” a Chuck Berry cover and “Dire Wolf.” It’s a fairly pedestrian 1-2 opening punch with plenty of post-song tuning. Bob Weir’s “Cassidy” follows, now in its new form with Mydland on backing vocals.

    After some more tuning and indecision, things begin to take off with “Loser,” the Garcia-sung card playing saga. Jerry has a little fun with the lyrics on this one as the “Ace of Diamonds” comes up once instead of the usual Queen. The recording gets a little bass-heavy in the brief jam that follows but is well worth it. A typically poignant Garcia solo on top of everything else seems to genuinely excite the Civic Center crown.

    A brief patch of the AUD recording doesn’t deter from a “Peggy-O” that hits all the right spots with Garcia’s vocals in top form. The first set also has a spot for newcomer Brent Mydland’s “Easy to Love You,” only the second one ever played. Afterwards, Bob Weir gives a little “love” to the locals in “New Minglewood Blues” with a change of lyrics to “New York women.”

    This being another transitional period for the Dead, new songs and playing styles would continue to emerge. “Lost Sailor” had only been played four times prior to this, debuting earlier in the month. But this show in Glens Falls would feature the first ever “Saint of Circumstance” as it blended in immediately afterwards, making it sound almost like one song, which it would continue to do for years. This is really the last multi-song composition purposely crafted by the band.

    Glens Falls Grateful Dead

    A slow to start “Shakedown Street” begins the second set but it soon turns into a boisterous one with plenty of Garcia-fueled funk. The next song would be the return of a forgotten hero with only the second “Greatest Story Ever Told” since it was shelved towards the end of 1974. Garcia seems to tease “Black Peter” afterwards, a sign of things to come, before the “Ship of Fools” that follows.

    The recording slips back to the AUD source towards the end of the stretched out “Estimated Prophet” that follows. But this give a great insight to the feel of the room. Swaths of people can be heard clapping along to the “Eyes of the World” that Garcia transitions to frenetically. This one is uptempo and bouncy from the get go with Mydland dazzling on the electric keyboard.

    The highlight of the show comes later in the second set with a remarkable transition from the “Drums” section to “Not Fade Away.” The whole band is locked in atop an infectious rhythm as Garcia continues to pull all sorts of tones out from his bag of tricks. It’s a powerful segue, and executed perfectly, as the jam continues right through “Not Fade Away.”

    Fittingly, the show is bookended with “Around and Around,” another Chuck Berry cover. Perhaps curfew was an issue as there does not appear to be any record of an encore for this show. But these two sets would pack enough of a punch on their own with new material and some exquisite second set jamming.

    The Grateful Dead would travel to Rochester after this show, for a show at Holleder Stadium. But it’s clear they found a nice new place to play in Glens Falls, the music proves it. Upstate New York fans wouldn’t have to wait too long for a reunion though. The band would return in May next year for another masterclass in psychedelic rock.

    Grateful Dead 8/31/79 Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY

    Set 1: The Promised Land, Dire Wolf , Cassidy, Loser, El Paso, Peggy-O, Easy To Love You, New Minglewood Blues, Althea, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Deal

    Set 2: Shakedown Street, Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Not Fade Away > Black Peter > Around And Around

    Recording starts with brief AUD patch before switching to SBD source. Patches also heard in “Peggy-O,” “Minglewood,” “Estimated Prophet” and “Eyes of the World.”

  • Jerry Garcia: A Legacy Built to Last

    On the 25th anniversary of his death, the music of Jerry Garcia continues to have an enduring presence in the extended Grateful Dead scene that has thrived for more than a generation since his passing. His iconic guitar play and signature vocals have now been consumed and enjoyed by fans of all ages thanks to modern audio technology that’s fueled by a trove of Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band releases.

    Jerry Garcia truly was built to last. So it is fitting that we pay homage today to “Built to Last,” one of his last song writing credits. It appears on the Dead’s final studio album that shares the same name. With poetic lyrics supplied by longtime collaborator Robert Hunter, it’s a song of hope and resolve in trying times – items that are very relatable today.

    Its first performance in a live setting was on October 20, 1988, at The Summit in Houston, TX. “Built to Last” appeared in the second set, following “Playing in the Band” and right before the “Drums” section. It wasn’t played again until February of 1989 when it made its way into the first set at a show at The Forum in Inglewood, CA.

    In an odd twist, the song itself did not live up to its title as it was predominately played only in 1989, often appearing in the latter stages of the first set, before being shelved soon after. But it does share the distinction, along with “Blues for Allah,” “Terrapin Station,” and “Shakedown Street,” of being the title track for a Grateful Dead album.

    Were the band still playing today, there’s little doubt that this song would reemerge in the live setting as the lyrics about strength in times of adversity and self reliance more than play to the current climate. And the song truly does speak to the Grateful Dead’s legacy of establishing something firm and long lasting that will stand the test of time. Pair all of that with a passionate guitar solo from Jerry and you’ve got a winner.

    With that said, here’s the last ever live performance of “Built to Last,” played in Albany’s own Knickerbocker Arena. As today we celebrate the life and music of Jerry Garcia, whose legacy was undoubtedly built to last.

    “Built to Last” – words by Robert Hunter, music by Jerry Garcia

    There are times that you can beckon
    There are times when you must call
    You can shake a ton of reckoning
    But you can’t shake it all
    There are times when I can help you out
    And times that you must fall
    There are times when you must live in doubt
    And I can’t help at all

    Three blue stars / Rise on the hill
    Say no more, now / Just be still
    All these trials / Soon be past
    Look for something / Built to last

    One blue star / Sets on the hill
    Call it back / You never will
    One more star / Sinks in the past
    Show me something / Built to last.

    Built to last till time itself
    Falls tumbling from the wall
    Built to last till sunshine fails
    And darkness moves on all
    Built to last while years roll past
    Like cloudscapes in the sky
    Show me something built to last
    Or something built to try

    There are times when you get hit upon
    Try hard but you cannot give
    Other times you’d gladly part
    With what you need to live
    Don’t waste the breath to save your face
    When you have done your best
    And even more is asked of you
    Let fate decide the rest.

    All the stars / Are gone but one
    Morning breaks / Here comes the sun
    Cross the sky now / Sinking fast
    Show me something / Built to last

  • Fire on Ice: Grateful Dead light up Nassau Coliseum

    We head back to the Island for this week’s Jerry Sundays installment with a Grateful Dead show at the legendary Nassau Coliseum from 1979. The band played two shows here earlier that year in January, more than five years after their first appearance in Uniondale in 1973.

    Now, in the middle of hockey season, and at the peak of the NY Islanders hockey dynasty no less, the Dead played three shows at the famous arena that surrounded Halloween. This was still the dawn of a new era of Dead as the band was still breaking in keyboard player Brent Mydland, new to the band as of April that year.

    The tone for this evening is immediately set through a ferocious “Jack Straw” that starts the show off in grand fashion. Weir’s vocals are matched in intensity only by the lead guitar fills supplied by Jerry Garcia. “They Love Each Other” ends with a flippant comment from guitarist Bob Weir afterwards about Russia “bombing Staten Island” that evening. The Cold War Era was truly a different time. A robust and particularly uptempo “Mama Tried” that follows seems to take the place of the usual early show “El Paso” due to the “Mexicali Blues” that starts up immediately afterwards.

    Another gem from this first set is a crisp version of “Peggy-O,” with delicate vocals and guitar play both handled wonderfully by Garcia. The swaying emotions that the cover of this traditional ballad brings with it would be a staple of Dead and Jerry Garcia Band shows for years to come. This one has a smooth delivery thanks to an in-sync rhythm section that motors along behind Garcia effortlessly.

    The first set “Candyman” features even more howling guitar play from Garcia and the “Looks Like Rain” that follows is filled with even more emotional guitar fills that accompany nicely with Weir’s vocals that steadily build in ferocity as the song develops. And the newcomer gets a first set contribution as well as the Mydland-penned ballad “Easy To Love You” makes one of its earlier appearances.

    But the true “meat and potatoes” of this show is the opening sequence of the second set. Some consider this longest “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire On The Mountain” combination that the band has ever played. And they would have a legitimate argument as this one effortlessly stretches out past thirty minutes in all. Garcia and Mydland start hooking up as the “Scarlet” jam progresses and this carries all the way into and through a “Fire” that more than lives up to its name.

    The rest of the second set is certainly no slouch, but the extended break and rabid fan reaction after these first two songs marked the end of something special. The “Terrapin Station” that follows later in the set features more of the same relaxed tone in some of its transitional sections that stretch out a little longer than usual. This eventually gives way to a “Playin’ In The Band” that races through its composition and serves up another psychedelic offering with more heavy Garcia-Mydland interplay steering the collective ship.

    grateful dead nassau coliseum

    A late second set “Black Peter” gives Garcia’s guitar the spotlight and a chance to blissfully wail away again. And the “U.S. Blues” encore hits all the right notes, courtesy of more passionate playing from Mydland. But the legendary “Scarlet” > “Fire” pairing that opens the second set is what makes this show so special – one of the greatest versions of one of the band’s greatest pairings. In other words, just another typical New York Grateful Dead show.

    Grateful Dead 11/1/79 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale, NY

    Set 1: Jack Straw, They Love Each Other, Mama Tried-> Mexicali Blues, Peggy-O, Minglewood Blues, Candyman, Looks Like Rain, Don’t Ease Me In, Easy To Love You, Promised Land

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Samson & Delilah, Terrapin Station-> Playin’ In The Band-> Drums->Space->Black Peter-> Good Lovin’

    Encore: U.S. Blues

  • The Dead Peak at the Beacon For The Last Time: June 15, 1976

    Shortly before the country would celebrate its Bicentennial in 1976, the Grateful Dead would play a show at the Beacon Theatre. This is the second and last time the band would play this New York City venue before upgrading to the larger confines of Madison Square Garden a few years later. They had recently ditched their fabled massive Wall of Sound PA system for a more stripped down and intimate stage setup, opting to let the music speak for itself rather than overpowering the audience. A string of East Coast shows in June of this year would see the band in pristine form as they dusted off some of their classic songs and began to introduce new ones, ushering in a new era of The Grateful Dead.

    The first set starts off in electric fashion thanks a crisp vocal section led by guitarist Bob Weir that helps fuel a cover of “Promised Land” that would make Chuck Berry glow. A slow, drippy “Sugaree” follows that allows fellow guitarist Jerry Garcia a chance to stretch out his vocal chords a bit before a rip roaring “Cassidy” sets the tone for the first set, thanks to accompanying vocal support from Bob Weir and Donna Jean Godchaux.

    Dead Beacon

    An audible first set highlight, based on the crowd reaction alone, is a sultry “Candyman” that places the lyrical craftsmanship of Robert Hunter and the complimentary guitar play from Garcia front and center. Soon after, the ravenous New York City crowd gets a little taste of Grateful Dead shows of old show thanks to a stirring rendition of “It Must Have Been the Roses,” a song the band played extensively in 1974 and a staple of Jerry Garcia Band shows for years to come.

    The first set of this show ends with an impressive sequence of a “Let It Grow” that stretches out all the way to a “Drums”-esque type jam before settling into a set closing “Might As Well.” Even though this tune was also played the night before, it still marked only the sixth time this Dead tune was played live, one they would continue to showcase for another eighteen years,

    Dead Beacon
    Grateful Dead, June 1976

    The band wastes no time in opening the second set with a “Saint Stephen” that immediately explores the given space and stretches into a formidable jam. However, instead of a “William Tell Bridge,” the rhythmic partners of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart begin the percussive intro of “Not Fade Away,” a Buddy Holly cover that, by now, The Grateful Dead seem to have appropriated as their own.

    Contrary to most Dead shows, the ensuing Beacon “Drums” section gets ripcorded almost instantly in favor of an incredibly emotional “Stella Blue” that’s spearheaded by poignant Garcia-sung lyrics. This particular version is marked by a beautifully patient progression from all parties and is definitely one of the show’s highlights. Garcia’s hauntingly slow delivery of the vocals, matched perfectly by the rest of the band, gives this version a rather emotional feel to it. Take a listen to the entire segment from “Saint Stephen” to “Stella Blue” below – worth the price of admission alone.

    “Samson and Delilah,” a song that made its live debut only weeks earlier in the beginning of the tour, shows off its future potential nicely with a shortlived jam that picks the energy back up before a leisurely “Friend of the Devil” brings things to a crawl again. A manic “Dancin’ in the Streets” then follows as the band seems to delight in varying up the tempo of this second set. The telepathic interplay between Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh is on prime display here.

    Perhaps what makes this show so special is the superb sound quality, thanks to soundboard recordings captured by the band’s longtime live recording engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson. For years, this and the other June ’76 shows were some of the most revered recordings in the tape trading community. Picking up on that, these recordings have since been further polished and remastered and are now available for purchase as part of a 15-disc box set that highlights this special era of Grateful Dead music. It features this and four of the other shows surrounding this one. With production limited to only 12,000 individually numbered copies and a slew of crisp recordings from this seminal era of the band’s history, it’s sure to be a “sound” investment for any fan.

    Grateful Dead Beacon Theatre – New York City, NY

    Set 1: Promised Land, Sugaree, Cassidy, Candyman, The Music Never Stopped, It Must Have Been The Roses, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, Let It Grow -> Might As Well

    Set 2: Saint Stephen->Not Fade Away->Drums->Stella Blue, Samson & Delilah, Friend Of The Devil, Dancin’ In The Streets->The Wheel->Sugar Magnolia->Scarlet Begonias->Sunshine Daydream

    E: Johnny B. Goode

    Dead Beacon

  • Jerry Sundays: The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan Team Up to Play Giants Stadium

    On a steaming hot midsummer night in 1987, two legendary names in the music world combined forces to deliver three sets of music to a ravenous crowd in the swamps of New Jersey, locally known as the Meadowlands. The Grateful Dead’s 1987 Summer Tour included six shows that would see Bob Dylan accompany them for an extra set of music each night. Later immortalized through the live release Dylan & The Dead, these shows featured some Dylan-penned songs that would remain on the Grateful Dead’s live playlist for years to come.

    Dylan and The Dead

    Those who survived this unseasonably warm and muggy day were treated to three sets of music from some of the best in the business. The temperature and conditions were such a concern that concertgoers near the front of the stage were literally hosed down in an effort to cool off both before the show and during sets. So on a day where shade was at a premium, the festivities fittingly kicked off with “Hell in a Bucket,” and the show was off and running.

    The rest of the first set resembled a fairly common one for this era of the band. Classics like “Loser” and “Greatest Story Ever Told” mixed with contemporary tunes like the Brent Mydland-helmed “Tons of Steel,” which would only be played five more times after this. There’s an incredibly jazzy version of everyone’s favorite Dead crowd PSA, “Take a Step Back.” And an atypical placement of “Bertha” in the first set closer’s spot seemed to energize the whole stadium and created a palpable buzz between sets.

    Dylan and The Dead
    Giants Stadium 7/12/87

    The second set picks up right where its predecessor left off with another interesting placement thanks to an opening “Morning Dew” that was preceded by a little “Addam’s Family”-themed tuning. The rest of the set continued to serve as a traditionalist’s dream with an electric “Playin’ in the Band” and a thunderous “The Other One” before the crowd serenaded the band off the stage with the traditional lyrics from Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.”

    But instead of an encore to follow, there was an entire third set to be had first and this one would see Bob Dylan play in front of, arguably, one of the greatest backing bands in rock. While it may not have evoked the same widespread energy levels of the earlier sets, this one would serve as foresight to some degree for the Dead and give a glimpse of what was to come.

    Dylan and The Dead

    While they had been debuted earlier in the tour, this collaborative set of music would only be the third time that the band would attempt live performances of “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” and “Queen Jane Approximately.” Both of these songs would continue to be played for the rest of the Dead’s touring career, with “Queen Jane” even making an appearance at the band’s last show in July of 1995.

    Fans were also treated to Jerry Garcia jumping on the pedal steel and showing off his chops on “Tomorrow Is A Long Time.” Songs were kept mostly straightforward in this set, absent of the long, psychedelic journeys which typically accentuate a Dead show. But it surely must have been a treat to see the band backup the legendary Dylan on numbers like “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” (a song the Dead used to actually cover in the late ’60s) and “All Along the Watchtower.” The encore was a double bill as well as renditions of Touch of Grey, the Dead’s latest “hit” single, and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” sent a packed Giants Stadium crowd back to reality and into the hot summer night.

    Watch the entire third set and encore with Dylan:

    The Grateful Dead with Bob Dylan 7/12/87 Giants Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket, West L.A. Fadeaway, Greatest Story Ever Told, Loser, Tons Of Steel, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, When Push Comes To Shove, Promised Land-> Bertha

    Set 2: Morning Dew, Playin’ In The Band-> Drums-> Jam-> The Other One-> Stella Blue-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away

    Set 3: Slow Train, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Tomorrow Is A Long Time*, Highway 61 Revisited, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, Ballad Of A Thin Man, John Brown, The Wicked Messenger, Queen Jane Approximately, Chimes Of Freedom, Joey, All Along The Watchtower, Times They Are A Changin’

    E: Touch Of Grey-> Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

    *Jerry Garcia on pedal steel

  • Truckin’ off to Buffalo: The Grateful Dead open for Bob Dylan and Tom Petty at Rich Stadium on July 4, 1986

    It’s not too often you see the Grateful Dead opening for another band, especially not in the 1980s. But on July 4, 1986, the Grateful Dead linked up with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for one of only four shows together that summer, performing at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, home of the Buffalo Bills.

    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette characterized the show on the 4th of July perfect for “The Dead’s vagabond odes and Dylan’s outspoken songs of freedom.” Sweltering heat during the day led to a first set that was cut short, but rain during “Cold Rain and Snow” to start the second set provided respite for the crowd. Perhaps out of exhaustion, fans were reported to have left after the Dead encored with “U.S Blues.”

    While the Dead opened, a trio of songs were featured in a satellite broadcast live to Farm Aid 3. Prior to “The Wheel,” Bob Weir said to the crowd “America is an example of an agrarian nation, let’s keep it turning.”

    Six days and two shows later, Jerry Garcia slipped into a diabetic coma and was unconscious for a week, but would recover and be back on stage later that year. This show at Rich Stadium would be one of the last times the Dead would perform in New York for nearly a year, before returning to Rochester on July 2, 1987.

    Setlist, Grateful Dead, July 4, 1986, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

    Set 1: Jack Straw, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, CC Rider, Tennessee Jed, My Brother Esau, Touch Of Gray

    Set 2: Cold Rain & Snow-> Fire On The Mountain-> Samson & Delilah*-> The Wheel*-> I Need A Miracle*-> Uncle John’s Band-> Drums-> Gimme Some Lovin’-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Turn On Your Love Light

    Encore: U.S. Blues

    *broadcast as part of Farm Aid 3

    Dylan and fellow Traveling Wilbury Petty joined up for a tour featuring the Heartbreakers backing Dylan. Dylan played a few solo acoustic songs, while the Heartbreakers played their hits that are still classics today, and all joined together for “Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35.”

    Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, July 4, 1986, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

    Set: So Long, Good Luck And Goodbye, Positively 4th Street, Clean Cut Kid, Emotionally Yours, Trust Yourself, We Had It All, Masters Of War, Straight Into Darkness (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Think About Me (Petty & The Heartbreakers), The Waiting (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Breakdown (Petty & The Heartbreakers), To Ramona (Solo acoustic), One Too Many Mornings, (Solo acoustic), A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (Solo acoustic), I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know, Band Of The Hand, When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky, Lonesome Town, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Bye Bye Johnny (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Make It Better (Forget About Me) (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Spike (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Refugee (Petty & The Heartbreakers), Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35, Seeing The Real You At Last, Across The Borderline

  • Grateful Dead perform at SPAC on June 28, 1988, ending three year ban

    After being banned from SPAC for three years, the Grateful Dead returned on Tuesday, June 28, 1988 for one final outing at the famed Saratoga Springs venue. This being their first show since the release of 1987’s In the Dark and the Top 10 single “Touch of Grey,” a new generation of Deadheads were seeing the group for the first time, who were disparagingly referred to as ‘Touchheads’ by some veteran fans.

    While this was the final performance for the Grateful Dead’s at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the band had a strong fanbase in the greater Capital District. Add in a new audience of younger fans and the band would find themselves heading half an hour south for future performances in the region, at the Knickerbocker Arena, starting in 1990.

    Grateful Dead SPAC

    Locally broadcast on WPYX, the Tuesday show was aired on the radio in an effort to dissaude fans from arriving at the show without a ticket. This did not prevent gatecrashing from occuring early in the night, and fans on the lawn were found heading into the pavilion balcony as they did in 1985.

    Rain fell on the crowd as storms passed through, and lightning was seen during the rain-soaked “Candyman,” leading to a chill coming over the crowd as the show wore on. A solid variety in the straightforward first set seemed to swap Bobby and Jerry songs from the outset of “Hell in a Bucket,” and ending with “Victim or the Crime” and “Foolish Heart.”

    More rain came down early in the second set, similar to the rain in 1985 that began during “Fire on the Mountain.” Listen to “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” > “Estimated Prophet” > “Crazy Fingers,” and you’d likely be enjoying dancing in the rain as the thousands of fans did that night.

    Following a hypnotic “Drums” and “Space,” a beautiful version of “I Will Take You Home” by Brent Mydland appeared, and a late second set “Stella Blue” found Jerry stumbling just before pouring buckets of emotion into the ending jam. The Dead had left their mark on SPAC, one of the most beloved venues in the Northeast.

    Grateful Dead, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), June 28, 1988

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket-> Bertha, Walkin Blues, Candyman, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Row Jimmy, Victim Or The Crime, Foolish Heart

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet-> Crazy Fingers-> Drums-> I Will Take You Home-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> I Need A Miracle-> Stella Blue-> Not Fade Away

    Encore: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

  • Flashback: Grateful Dead perform their final NY shows at The Knick

    The writing was on the wall, and if 1994 didn’t confirm it, 1995 certainly did. And on June 21-22, the Grateful Dead performed their final shows in the state of New York at the Knickerbocker Arena (The Knick) in Albany.

    The Dead had performed over 300 shows in New York State alone since their first in 1967, but the last two in Albany would serve as a curtain call for a band that treated the state as a second home, musically speaking. After all the shows and runs at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Fillmore East, Paradise Garden, Capitol Theatre, Nassau Coliseum, Rich Stadium, the Carrier Dome and more, and these would be the finale, even if it was not announced as such.

    jerry sundays
    via JerryGarcia.com

    The June 21st show would offer up the final “Row Jimmy,” “Man Smart, Woman Smarter,” “Supplication Jam” and “Morning Dew,” and what a “Morning Dew” this was. Fans were in tears as the ballad played, one fan saying “all difficulties disappeared for a few precious moments and we were all treated to a beautiful, final rendtion from the boys.” Listen or watch the full show below and judge for yourself.

    Grateful Dead – The Knick, Albany, NY – June 21, 1995

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket, Loser, Take Me To The River, Row Jimmy, Broken Arrow, Promised Land

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Women Are Smarter, It’s All Too Much, Playin’ In The Band-> Drums-> Space-> Easy Answers-> Morning Dew

    Encore: U.S. Blues

    The next night would be the final show in Albany, at The Knick, and in New York State for that matter. The tour would head to Washington, D.C., Auburn Hills, MI, a few more stops in the Midwest before the final show at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.

    via JerryGarcia.com

    This show features an incredible “Franklin’s Tower,” clocking in at 18 minutes, a near-record for its final version ever. The final “Help on the Way” and “Slipknot” preceded the set closing jam, as did an emotional “It Must Have Been the Roses.” Early in the second set, “Estimated Prophet” -> “Terrapin Station” combine for 30 minutes followed by 25 minutes of “Drums” and a “Silent Way” jam ahead in “Space.” Final versions of “All Along the Watchtower,” “Black Peter” show up later in the set, with an encore of “I Fought the Law” to close the run.

    The Grateful Dead made their mark on the Empire State through nearly 30 years of performances, one that lasts in every corner of the state to this day. Revisit those final shows, 25 years later.

    via gratefuldeadoftheday.com

    Setlist June 22, 1995

    Set 1: Touch Of Gray, Walkin’ Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, When I Paint My Masterpiece, So Many Roads, The Music Never Stopped Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower

    Set 2: Samba In The Rain, Estimated Prophet-> Terrapin Station-> Drums-> Silent Way Jam-> Space-> All Along The Watchtower-> Black Peter-> Around & Around

    Encore: I Fought The Law

  • Revisit the Grateful Dead at the Carrier Dome – October 20, 1984

    The third and final time the Grateful Dead performed at the Carrier Dome was on October 20, 1984 and featured one of the most blistering “Jack Straw” versions ever.

    Grateful Dead Carrier Dome

    The October 20 show was smack dab in the middle of their 1984 fall tour, and the final show on the East Coast before heading to San Francisco for the remainder of the year.

    A first set opening with “Bertha” -> “Greatest Story Ever Told” found a great groove in “Ramble on Rose,” which was followed by the first of a few requests from Bob Weir for the audience to ‘take a step back,’ heard quite often during this era of the Dead. The “Bird Song” clocks in at just over 11 minutes, and is followed by the aforementioned powerful “Jack Straw.”

    The energetic show features resounding versions of “Shakedown Street” to open Set 2, which led to non-stop dancin’ in the rafters. During “Turn on Your Lovelight,” fencing on stage right fell, leading to fans spilling down onto the Carrier Dome field.

    Grateful Dead Carrier Dome

    Leaving the show on the mantra of “Revolution” (‘You know its gonna be, alright’) set the crowd out on a high note, for it would be the last Dead on the East Coast until March, 1985 in Hampton, VA. Of course, leaving the Carrier Dome (up until recent renovation began) meant the wind would push on the backs of fans as they egressed, which can be either cathartic or unsettling, depending on your mindset at the time.

    Check out photos of the Grateful Dead at the Carrier Dome pre and post-show from James R Anderson here and check out an extended breakdown of the show from Visions of Dylan.

    Set 1: Bertha-> Greatest Story Ever Told, West L.A. Fadeaway, CC Rider, Ramble On Rose, My Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw

    Set 2: Shakedown Street-> Samson & Delilah, He’s Gone-> Smokestack Lightning-> Drums-> The Wheel-> The Other One-> Black Peter-> Turn On Your Love Light

    Encore: Revolution