Booche

" upgraded"

07-03-1988 One of my favourite show openers (DB 2.0’s first Dead song he saw live) came blaring out of my speakers after I had forgotten to turn them down from a previous listening experience. Hell In A Bucket – complete with the revved up motorcycle from the studio version. This is one of those songs that although sung by Bob and showcasing some great guitar work from Jerry it features Phil’s fantastic bass runs. It gives the song that oomph and drives it home. I’m sure many Heads who had too much too fast wondered where they were heading. I loved the ending, with Bob’s voice echoing as if he was in a canyon’s cave. Sugaree followed offering a healthy one-two punch to start things off. Walking Blues was the third song on the list enabling the double guitar slide work with just a perfect touch of delay on Jerry’s guitar. The song ends and Bob approaches his mic “There’s a guy down there yelling let Mickey sing now he has obviously never heard that. I mean, you can have it if you want it” I guess that is the 1988 My Dog Has No Nose joke. Tennessee Jed began and a part of me hoped that Mickey would sing the first line. Now that would have been a good joke but alas it was just a straight run through one of the band’s first set party anthems and Jerry’s voice is sounding particularly strong on this night. Bob Weir shuffled in with one of my favourite Dylan covers he provides by introducing Queen Jane Approximately and I always love the solos Garcia takes on Mr Americana’s songs this version being no exception because he is all the fuck over it. I guess it makes sense since about a year before the Dead toured with Dylan as his backing band. Let that sink in for a moment. The Good Ole Grateful Dead backed Bob Dylan during a small stadium tour of 6 shows. Totally cool but I digress because Bird Song came out next and before I knew it I was heading straight for that place they take me. About ¾’s in Phil was teasing the drummers into catching up with him or slowing down based on where he thought things were going while Brent Mydland began laying down some unorthodox chords or perhaps inauthordorky ones, I am not sure but it worked and this was a great version to end another short first set which clocked in around 48ish minutes. They certainly got to the point they were trying to make without us having to endure Mickey singing. “We’ll be back in a little bit” And just like that they were! I suppose one of the positives of listening to the Dead at home vs. being at a show is that you can actually listen to a wonderful sounding board at home. Touch Of Grey quickly entered the fray. Bob’s guitar was in the forefront for this one while Phil pounded away. I will forever love his bass playing on this song. Every time I hear the anthemic line “We will get by…….we will survive” careened by Jerry I cant help but smile because I figure he must look down from heaven and know that everyone done did good. His boys made it, his fans made it and everyone has tried to make each place a better place. No sooner had I thunk that thought when the New Orleans funk of Hey Pocky Way came busting through, complete with Brent smashing chords. I was pretty damn fucking stoked hearing it since I have done my absolute best to avoid setlists/songs/spoilers while ruining the fun for all of you. This could very well be Brent’s best cover song and it’s by The Meters. Check them out Phish fans. They provided a couple of fantastic albums in 1974 and 1975 – Rejuvenation and Fire On The Bayou. Your favourite keyboard player has played a few shows under the moniker The Meter Men with original members George Porter on bass, Leo Nocentelli on guitar and Zigaboo Modeliste on drums. Seriously, if your drummer goes by the name ‘Zigaboo’ you are probably a pretty damn fine band. Had to be a wicked party to start out the set and I would have been high-fiving er’body when Looks Like Rain started up. Bob’s voice sounded rather growly on this one when things started out. He may have caught the hippie flu from some filly in Rochester or perhaps SPAC or Pittsburgh or Buckeye Lake. He’ll never know but he clearly didn’t have it together to deliver one of his signature finishes. Jerry and Brent took care of that one for him even after he brought it back with a “Listen……..turning grey and it turns like rain…..” but he then he turned a corner and started slamming things home because as we all know, Bobby double U cant stand the rain. A surprise entry came flying out and we entered the territory occupied by Estimated Prophet. I certainly didn’t expect this after L-squared Rain and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed they were going to be hitting on all cylinders like they do inside this version. The Jerry solo slot is fantastic. He’s in the background the most as Brent/Phil/Bobby just pummel this song. It’s these sorts of moments when I am able to understand what I once read Jerry say about himself as a member of the Dead and how he feels like he is an accompaniment rather than a lead player. There’s a great jazzy jam stomp out of this one that reminded me of the feel that the Estimated from Rich Stadium in 1992 offered albeit this one is far better. Another difference between the two versions is that this one falls into Eyes Of The World. While a staple for a long time in the band’s history I am gonna guess that this is the last Estimated > Eyes offered on this box set. They became rare and for good reason. The combo just didn’t work as well as it had used to but thus far we are on a great ride with this particular one. Bob and Brent have had a fantastic show up to this point, Brent Mydland in particular. He has been feeding everyone ideas and then this falls perfectly into I Will Take You Home. Wow. I don’t know if I have ever heard this song come in so well. If you are the father of a daughter then I suggest you look this song up on Youtube. I have my own particular bedtime I sing to my son but if he were the opposite then this would be the song I would sing to her every night. Drumz came out and not too long after that it seemed like Bob Bralove had his hand in on a bunch of those sounds. There was some extreme delay on Jerry’s guitar going on early within Space with other touches of weirdness that suggested Bob was now a heavy player during this segment. For those who don’t recognize his name he could essentially qualify as “the musician under the stage” but until one of his interviews him we will never fully know the impact he had during these segments. Yet another Going Down The Road was yielded an entrance and we are seemingly getting back to normality, unless you were there of course. Love these tempos and it’s not surprising this song became more and more rare but at the same time her later-day appearances always suggested to me a band that was firing on all cylinders. There aren’t too many shows left on this box set and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last one we hear and then the slight Jerry fanning happens and that’s that. My theory is standing stronger all the more. If memory serves based on the tapes I had it aint on the 89 show, it aint on the 90 show, it aint on the 91 show and I know for a fact it aint on the 92 show (having been there of course). It aint on the 94 show so it may appear on the 93 or the 95 show but I digress as we wind done towards what used to be the Bid You Goodnight melody but instead Bob bursts from the seams with I Need A Miracle and who fucking doesn’t Mr Weir? Fantastic. This is high-five nation stuff for me – note to self, write a song called High-Five Nation. Phil bombs in the house, which eventually make their way into Dear Mr Fantasy and it’s quickly become clear this is a Brent Mydland show while the band smokes their way through this version of a classic Traffic song. One of my favourite dual harmony moments of all their covers happens at the end but before you know it they take it to another level and it’s one of all our all-time cadences flowing from Hey Jude with everyone in tow minus the vocals but none of us were there that night, or were we? We would have been the singers or star in a new band called the Brent Weirs. Not Fade Away provided the perfect encore allowing another sing-along. Maybe the audience could be called the Budding Hollies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2OI6zx-yCw

How did this one work out? ::bonerband::

The Greg Allman Incident is the one who stands out to me the most. String Cheese did one with the Doobie Brothers last summer (or fall or something) and it was fucking great.

Oh yeah, this is pretty good too

I find this one fantastic

FUCKINGHUGEBONER

09-18-1987 I had never heard this first set so I was most looking forward to it. The second set was a staple thanks to a wonderful Maxell XLII that snaked its way into everyone’s collection. I gave all my tapes to Chris Paul and that one was a hard one to hand off. I wanted to keep it for posthumously nostalgic reasons but I soon realized I no longer need trophies. Right before they drop anything Bob Weir yells out “Hey Rocky, watch me leviate Garcia” which may have been a nod to their bizarrely amazing appearance on David Letterman. No idea who makes the Rocky call-back. Fucking immediate weirdness. The east-coast madness is palpable and you know this is gonna be a good one. Those tapes always crackled with energy. Hell In A Bucket started and I was all in because I love this song as a show opener. Garcia has survived his coma scare, he has re-learned how to play guitar and this band is flying right out of the gate. Touch Of Grey has been a huge success and an influx of new fans are now descending upon the band’s shows. For better or for worse a new party had begun while many folks are becoming increasingly aware while being introduced to what train hopping may have been like to an earlier generation. We are stuck in the middle of a 5 show run at MSG and I am willing to bet this became an unforgettable Friday night for so many people that night. Everybody loved their ovations and the Z-rated scenes they created and this one is a barn burner. Sugaree came out and everything is laying itself out perfectly. A killer 2-song combo to open things up features Garcia’s newfound way of developing a solo is on display here. Let’s remember that this is an individual who came out of a diabetic coma and had to re-learn basic motor skills, not the least of which was learning how to play the guitar again. Melvin Seals played a huge role in that process and each one of us should forever be indebted to his hard work and determination in helping Jerry get back into playing shape. To this day I can’t believe I didn’t force Velvet and nero into an opportunity meeting a personally hero but times were different back then, my friends. Think about that for a second. One of our collective favourite bands on this board opened for Melvin Seals. That is fucking amazing but I digress because Garcia is growling and it’s time we go. Walking Blues came up next and once again I giggled at those who suggested the Dead didn’t know how to play the blues. The only retort I ever have to that is “Have you ever listened to the blues?” This is an Americana band that learned from the roots. If you can’t grasp that then it’s time to give up. Candyman came out next and I couldn’t help but smile because if I aint getting it in Las Vegas then I want it in the other city that never goes to sleep. This was followed up by a fantastic When I Paint My Masterpiece. Perfectly executed. By this point in their career the best first set song one would expectantly hope for is Bird Song and after a false start we are off into a blissful land of peaks and valleys. Speaking of which, I always got a kick out of Ryan Adams having a song called Peaceful Valley that harkens the spirit of Bird Song especially when he and The Cardinals performed it live. I highly doubt that was an accident and it would be one of the few queries I would pose his way should I ever get the chance unless I just completely melted in front of his presence much like this set ended must have done to a number of people. It was incredibly short but man. This is the stuff you want. Was there ever any doubt that Shakedown Street would open the second set? Had you been following setlists you may have made a percentage call on that one but based on the abundance of enthusiasm they were already employing it would have been an outstanding choice from the band and that’s exactly what they chose to perform. The delay on the voices/harmonies gives this such a larger than life feel. Even the sober people must have been seeing double. It must have been such a wicked disco dance party in that room because at points I swear I felt like I could hear Jerry’s big fat shoes stomping about those Persian rugs. This has to be considered a top-10 version. Man Smart Woman Smarter came out next while Mickey mouse and Billy cat really applied their mettle. They sounded like one drummer without stepping on anyone’s toes especially while Brent took off with his solo. The crowd sounded like they were going ape-shit which always gets Bob Weir off and sends him off. Absolutely loved this version along with everything else and then Terrapin Station gets dropped. May gracious be me because the Good Ole Grateful Dead have simply been winding everybody up this entire time while knowing they were about to smooth things over for a few minutes as Garcia told his tale based on Robert Hunter’s lyrics. By the time I got to Drumz I had to turn the volume down a bit because my son wasn’t into this particular version. To be honest, it didn’t captivate me either until the beam came out towards the last quarter but like I said I had to turn it down. Apparently “dino-Youtube” had some epic shit going down that he felt compelled to delve into so I put on some headphones and we each went to our own Space. Mickey was still sliding along those massive strings while Garcia and Weir joined him. It was at this moment I wondered why no member of the Space team ever jumped on the beam once the drummers left. Perhaps they have at some point but I can honestly say I have never heard of it happening. At this point in their existence we are still at a point when the majority of Space is Jerry and Bob but we are getting close to the midi-days. This one is fairly uninspired for the most part and I wonder if the vast confines of an arena like MSG may have had an impact on how hard it was to be inspired yet at the same time, Jerry wasn’t in the same place he was only a couple of years before when these jaunts could truly give you the haunts. GDTRFB is immediately picked upon at a wonderful clip. Albeit short, it made its rocking mark and led in a fantastic All Along The Watchtower. This is a tape I listened to for years at home and in my car but totally forgot this song was a part of the show even though it is such a killer version and one of my favourites but perhaps you might understand once you hear what follows. Whenever someone says to me “The best one ever is 09-18-87” the last thing I am going to do is debate them, minus Bob’s out of guitar moments because that’s pretty much a standard at this point in their history. He was regularly beating the shit out of it to stretch notes. Anyways, this is the one it’s all about as far as I am concerned and you are getting a high-five and a hug from me. I certainly haven’t heard them all but most people I have met point to the Cornell version. I get that. Many have pointed to SPAC in 1983 and I most certainly get that too. Winterland in October of 1974 is also another one folk will talk about and in 1984 the Dead smashed one out in Augusta Maine but the sheer power coming from this band during this version is stupefying for my ears. At the end of the day everyone wins with regards to this argument but I have always loved meeting a Deadhead who has never heard this monstrosity. Coupled with the sound of this release you are getting the best of the best with regards to Morning Dew. But this band isn’t done delivering yet. Good Lovin’ perfectly walks out and you know we have hit the show closer time. I always had a “Enjoy this one as much as you can” one their rocker was bringing the show to an end but something else happens here aside from Bob Weir just fucking going for it. In 1987 a biographical movie about an up and coming rocker named Ritchie Valens (he died at the age of 17 in that fateful flight with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper) took everyone by storm. During the summer of 1987, Los Lobos had number one hit with the title track of that movie. Jerry Garcia, he of Spanish ancestry, came out from the insides of Good Lovin’ and plowed through La Bamba just mowing everyone over while singing words everyone knew even though they didn’t know the language. This eventually gives way to the finish of Good Lovin’ and we are officially sitting on a set for the ages. I’m sure most young ragers complained about a Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door to encore this night but for my money it’s perfect. This band must have been spent because they gave their all and chose to perform one of the most oft-covered songs written by a man who made his mark by moving to New York City. I certainly would have needed a breather and a place to catch myself before I made my way back into the mad mad world. I know a pile of people who enjoy the Dead but having never seen them it just isn’t something they have to gather. This is A+ and one you should immediately seek out, Sean Taylor I am looking at you, especially if you are of the “I love MSG” breed. The energy this show provides between the band and the audience is a pure bouncing ball of blue electricity that howls in the bones of her face as it gets passed back an forth from the stage to the crowd.

Video of Barrett's super bowl party last year

That looks like something I would absolutely hate.

This says alot

At least one question is finally answered, amid dust Hahhaa........seriously, this is awesome stuff!

05-03-1986 Cold Rain and Snow opened the show and as it slowly plodded along I couldn’t help but wonder how worried fans were about Jerry Garcia’s well-being at the time. 1986 was a rough year for Garcia. Years of poor diet and even poorer decisions left his body a mess. In July of that year he fell into a diabetic coma that lasted 5 days. As we all know he made a miraculous recovery and one I am selfishly thankful for or else my life never would have changed in the way it did once I saw the band. The Race Is On told everyone in attendance that the Kentucky Derby was underway, or soon to be or had been completed. By the time They Love Each Other was halfway through I started wondering if this might end up being the weakest show of the set. Garcia just isn’t quite there. Phil was certainly doing his best to keep this ship afloat while moving forward. CC Rider makes another appearance and I soon hoped this might be the turning point in the show since its one of Garcia’s best accompaniment songs. High Time was up next, complete with some cheesy synth from Brent during the intro. Man. The 80’s was one fucked up decade but I love this song so full pass. BIODTL flew right into Promised Land with Phil providing fire charges throughout. A rollicking Deal closed out what had to be the quickest first set thus far clocking in less than 48 minutes. In fact this the first show which only takes up 2 cds. So much for marathon Dead shows that one could potentially hope last up to 4 hrs. Youch. My favourite second set opener featured Scarlet Begonias but with a far too quick intro. I could listen to those chords for minutes on end before Jerry starts to sing. Brent Mydland and Phil came out ready to rock for this one while Garcia’s fingers were back to their nimble selves as they danced around the fret board, especially during his solo and then the segue into Fire On The Mountain. There is some really layered playing going on as they make their way to Fire. This show has picked up a ton of steam and I am starting to understand why it was chosen. Any worries a fan may have had up to this point about Garcia’s health must surely had been alleviated or at the least forgotten. Heck, most were probably concerned for themselves by now. Garcia was forgetting some words and his voice was having technically difficulties but all in all this was a pretty fine version. Man Smart Women Smarter began and I was almost immediately giggling. Which other band would dare offer a massive retrospective of this scale and include Garcia’s issues as well as Weir’s out of tune guitar? God bless the good ole Grateful Dead. Funny enough, my other favourite “Weir’s guitar is fucked and out of tune” moment from all the tapes I gathered over the years also happened in 1986. GDTRFB comes out during the tail end of Women Are Smarter and I have to say, I love it when these intros are as seamless as this one but for my money the early 70’s had the absolute best ones. This one has a really nice spirited finale with Jerry, Brent and Bob giving all the vocals they had. I could still hear some issues with Bob’s guitar and not long after that they left the stage for Drumz which was a touch sad because it seemed like Mind Left Body Jam, or something in that vein, was about to float from the speakers. Drumz was interesting due to what sounded like a loop and some digi-weirdness. I’m not sure how well it ages but at the time I am sure a few heads were exploding. My favourite part about this one is that it inspired me to create a playlist of some of the ones which I find particularly tasty. This stuff always sounds incredible on my main stereo. Bob and Jerry come out to start Space and they create a fantastic canvass of sound together, especially Weir. He sounded perfect to my ears. Great sustain and delay happening from the two of them. By the time Phil had a belly full of wine and joined the stage we were on our way to The Other One. The second verse was really trippy and it was a shame this version ended far too quickly. Comes A Time made an all-too-rare appearance and it’s one damn sweet version. Brent Mydland added the most important colours to Garcia’s solo. I think this was my favourite part of the set but we are definitely heading to the era when his ballads were the best parts of shows that we all waited all night for. Sugar Magnolia inched it’s way out and before you know it we are back into a blazing dance party thanks to Phil getting behind the wheel so he can drive the bus again. Weir’s guitar sounds completely fuckadoozled once again but it’s easy enough to drown him out since everyone else is pounding away. None the less, I could never blame anyone for getting caught up in how bad his guitar sounds here because its almost fun to listen to how shitty it is coming across. Sure enough after Phil hits a note there is a colossal sound of badness. Something bad went down. Before you know it, Bob states “Listen. My guitar is broken. Jerry’s guitar is broken…’and all hell broke loss?’…..we’ll see you all tomorrow” Phil steps up and says “What Bob meant to say was is that Jerry’s fingers are totally frozen his guitar is broken and my mind is blown so I don’t think we are gonna do an encore tonight. We’ll see you all tomorrow” Just like that. Show over. By the way, what were Garcia’s first words when awaking from his coma and seeing a room full of family/friends you ask? "I'm not Beethoven."

06-24-1985 We are now into the start of summer 1985 and Garcia’s health/addiction problems are really starting to take a hold if you solely base things on his first soloing venture during Alabama Getaway to begin set one. He’s slowing down yet he’s still inside the music. By the second solo you get the feeling he has dusted off his rusty strings and there might be a fine night of music ahead. “Hey, maybe nothing is wrong with him so we don’t have to worry!” Greatest Story Ever Told is up next and the sweating has already begun inside the Rivebend Music Center. They Love Each Other slowed things down a notch but not before you can hear someone say “What are you doing?” just before it starts up. God bless The Good Ole Grateful Dead for having little to no plans. Their controlled chaos could lead to magic for most people at the best/worst of times while either saving your soul or sending you to the depths of insanity. Jerry fumbled through some of the lyrics. It’s a little known ‘fact’ that if he got lost in the words he would look out into the front crowd to read lips to help him get back on track. A dancey Minglewood brought back more stinky summer sweat. I will ALWAYS see this bouncy bald half nekkid Deadhead from Buffalo in 1993 in my head when I hear this song. Tripping balls I still remember thinking “There’s gotta be a way I can find my inner stomp like that guy”. Every time I see Gord at any show I think the same thing. I’m sure he is stomping somewhere as you read this. Tennessee Jed came out as I made these thought patterns and writings and then wondered why there isn’t a song about anyone we know but then I realized I had smoked a gagger so my thought patterns are fucking completely off-kilter. Its times like this Velvet has always helped bring me back to where I need to be. Is that metaphorically ironic or what? Luckily another My Brother Esau has made its way into this massive release. Things got weird at the end. Bob tells the crowd that during the set break there will be a raffle and the winner of said raffle will get to hold the rhythm section hostage. It’s an interesting bit because Esau ended somewhat abruptly and you can hear a little argy-bargee going on. Clearly there are some nonplussed folks onstage so what Garcia does what he does best in these moments. He dials up Loser. Moments like these must be cutting if you know who you are, especially if he comes out smoking like he does on this one. Although I suppose if a great song comes out of brotherly bullshit then who cares in the end? Instead of “Everyone’s bragging and drinking that wine” Jerry sang “Everyone is laughing and drinking that wine” so things feel like a Bob Dylan Idiot Wind scenario. Someone is pissed off. I don’t think he made a mistake. I suspect his intention was clear. If I were a betting man I would say that he was plucking his strings angrily. A great Let It Grow with some dirty Garcia tones set the finale to this first set and I am hoping the animosity seemingly brewing between band members boils over into the second set. There’s no better way to dealing with personal issues on a stage then blowing off some fucking steam. Just ask Coventry Phish how that works out for ya. So the other night I had a dream about Iko Iko because that’s always been one of my favourite dancey Dead covers and sure enough they opened the second set with it. Always enjoyed this song as a set opener. Turn it up boys because go-time has been activated. Everyone doing their Grateful Dead milkshake dance while Bob Weir sang, what? WTF was that? I was in the kitchen dance my ass off doing the dishes and then that happened which leads into an awesome percussively led intro to Samson and Delilah. This is smoking shit that should be turned up really loud because everyone is everywhere which is where you want them to be. I got sore sitting there listening to them pump this one out after I had come into the living room to get more into being enveloped. He’s Gone led us into the other spots we love in the second set. It’s such a perfect pre-Drumz song. No wonder they ended up placing it there for years to come. “Let’s slow slow things down but not do a full-on ballad” yet when you hear this vocal delay you wish they performed it every show especially when they jump into a blues staple like Howling Wolf’s Smokestack Lighting while somehow bleeding into Cryptical Envelopment? Are you fucking kidding me? This is deep bleed material. One can only wonder what they might do after Drumz. A supremely weirded Space that provided hints you are in a jungle constructed by Dr Seuss, that’s what. I loved this segment of these shows from this era and I am guessing Hunter S Thompson did as well because when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Garcia starts throwing around The Other One. Obviously that’s the call here but noooooooo. Somehow the decision to throw everyone off was an interesting choice as Comes A Time makes it’s way onto the stage. Fucking perfection and anyone deeply engrossed in this one can feel Jerry while he sings “and I feel the wind and I taste the rain, never in my life to cause so much pain” And there it is. The segue into The Other One we have all been waiting for. This is the kind of direction Deadheads must have loved where the Dead were heading when it came to these sorts of setlists because it does feel like anything could happen. We look back now post-Jerry and see what Phil/Bob did with all their incarnations but this was a band who seemed lazy when it came to thinking out which songs they should play because as we all know, they had a vast repertoire but songs got slotted and that was that. Having said all that we get to the end of the song which segues back into Cryptical. Thank you. Heads must have been exploding. “I totally forgot they did the first part!” Following Cryptical we get a second post-Drumz/Space ballad from Jerry. Wharf Rat. Again, thank you. Around and Around followed with Bob and Brent having a ton of fun with Jerry doing his standard rhythm guitar but another surprise popped out with a spirited Good Lovin’ with a short Weir speech about the state of the world and why we need to change things. I always love when he invoked Pigpen or was invoked by Pigpen. Fantastic set closer. US Blues was a perfect encore and completely complementary to the speech Weir had just delivered. “Son of a gun, better change your act” God bless the Good Ole Grateful Dead

I think this is old news Bubba but welcomed none the less.

Everyone go. I cant recommend this outfit enough.

Born this day 1931 - Dickie 'Shoot Da Puck' Moore

10-12-1984 Stranger opened again and right off the bat I had to get used to the sound because it was quite open when you heard the vocals although there were some cool delays. Dan Healy wanted to have some fun which I always welcomed. It’s too bad they didn’t continue along this path for at least one song a show but that probably proved to be a next to impossible task once the larger venues started happening a few short years from here. Totally locked version with all members firing right off the bat. It Must Have Been The Roses was a great second song call with the slightest of delay from Jerry’s guitar, tune your ears to hear it folks, and a touch on the vocals on the again which continues through On The Road Again. This one feels nostalgic because I used to love getting tapes that sounded like this, which tended to be in this era. I wonder how people here would feel about this sound if they haven’t been exposed to it. I would totally understand if they didn’t get it but hot-damn if this stuff doesn’t sound incredible when you crank it on a proper system (ie: not your phone or pc). It’s an interesting dynamic that also provides a further aspect to “No two Dead shows are alike” and something that adds to my appreciation of their music and what they offered. We used to refer to these as the “trippy” tapes, as much for the band’s playing as the sound we could hear. It wasn’t so much in your face as it was dancing around your mind. This isn’t the best example right now but I am guessing it’s coming so if you hear me say it’s a trippy tape or sound then you will know what I am talking about. Jack A Roe featured Jerry doing his runs and gave credence to a band having fun. It’s All Over Now followed and you can almost hear the crowd hopping along. Whenever I listen to this cover I think of the amazing guitar player Johnny Cash got to play with, Luther Perkins. I can’t say why, perhaps Velvet will help me frame this thought pattern some day but it’s definitely been there for quite some time. A well intro-d Cumberland Blues followed which fit perfectly…….oh, and we get another audience tape mix near the end of Cumberland? I was in the kitchen and something sounded weird there. Perhaps Ringo Starr hit a button and fucked things up for a moment. He’s a natural born button pusher don’t you know? The Music Never Stopped ended this set and I am sure more than a few people were more confused than normal. While unbelievably short, it’s still fun containing three songs from Reckoning and three from the first set of my first show. Let’s all remember that I we all contain bias so I am going to put this set on cd just for those drives that I know will be laborious this coming winter as I skid towards my office but I doubt this will be a go-to set for most folks. They all cant be home runs. Speaking of which, I love love love my Dead/Baseball analogies so here is one Blue Jay fans might appreciate. This is akin to when Rickey Henderson would lead off with a solid single off the first pitch and we waited in breath for him to try and steal second……….. Sure enough, Rickey got the pitch he was looking for while Devon White was at bat and he took off during what is normally a first set song if not an opener – Cold Rain and Snow. Phil was leaping from the bench in excitement while Bobby and Brent ensured Jerry was making sure he was still focused on batting cleanup. Rickey slid safely into second without a throw from the catcher. Bobby Alomar sat there taking throws to tire out the pitcher while fouling off the strikes with a great at-bat of Lost Sailor and Saint Of Circumstance. He hit an easy double at one point but a fan reached out and caught the ball on the first bounce (great bare-handed catch though). Luckily the umpire ruled it foul. Brent was up third and also took a walk with an all-too rare Don’t Need Love. He had eyes in the back of his head as he watched breaking balls just miss outside. Four pitches, four balls. It’s time to lose it because the bases are fucking loaded fanners. Jerome Joe Carter Garcia sat there and fucking nailed the first pitch he saw which grazed the foul pole but since instant replay wasn’t a part of major league baseball they missed it and Uncle John’s Band wasn’t what we had hoped it should have been. To this day there is a pile of lament but we got to see the rest of that at-bat and for that we praise what came. Another pitch that Jerry missed because he was butting out his unfiltered Camel beside the plate, without touching it of course because that would be on out. Drumz was a ball. 1-2. Space? Ball. 2-2. Playing in the Band? Ball. 3-2 A reprise into Uncle John’s Band? Another big foul off “I saw that pitch all the way. I dare you to bring it again.” And then it happened. That moment we all go pay attention to everything. There is nothing like sitting on that very first pitch to when you hair is standing on end because you are now inside the batter’s box while simultaneously throwing. It’s a full count and a blazing fastball comes down the middle with no movement. “I dare you” Jerry mouths to the pitcher and then swings for the fence. BLAMMO! The bases are cleared and it’s 4-0 nothing Grateful Jays. As he rounds the bases the entire Skydome is dancing to the sounds of a thunderous Morning Dew. It’s pretty much game over as Duane Weird and Bob Henke come out together to close things off with Good Lovin’ PS: Having said all that, it’s a crying shame Don’t Need Love wasn’t done more than the 10 or 12 times it was performed. CD 3 is an absolute gem. I cant believe I never got this one on tape. Perhaps it wasn’t in wide circulation when I was trading or no one talked about it to me but I love this one. PPS: I had one helluva buzz while listening to this one. I barely recollect it now that I am posting it from a saved file. “I listened to this show?” PPPS: and I aint sober now

This is pretty fucking cool and we all should learn it