The Deadpod

This week's Deadpod is a bit unusual, as I decided to bring you an audience recording of a show that took place 33 years ago on the banks of the Mississippi River... at the Mississippi River Festival across the river from St. Louis in Edwardsville, Illinois. While I wasn't at this show, I've heard many reports from friends over the years that this was a complete *blast*, probably due, at least par...

Hard to believe its been 18 years since we lost Jerry...and since this week's Deadpod falls on that sad anniversary I felt that this week's show should commemorate that loss perhaps more than most do. One thing that unites us all as Deadheads is the fact that we all feel that loss.. I decided to bring you a show from the summer of 1995, not to depress you or to point out how far Jerry had slipped...

This week's Deadpod features some really unique music from the summer of 1976.. this one comes from the famous run at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco, from July 16th, 1976.. We only have the 2nd set of this show in soundboard quality so that is what I'm going to present.. I think you'll agree that this is a fine example of the more exploratory side of the band that was unfolding after the hia...

Ah summer.. in the midst of its heat and humidity its wise for us to sit back and breath it in.. and savor it for passes like dew.. this week's Deadpod is of course the second set of a show that seems to me to embody the kind of setlist that a summer GD show should have.. lyrics that speak of starlight and songs that twinkle and sparkle like the summer night sky. Crazy Fingers.. Uncle John's Band....

Here's a show that several folks have requested recently..and since it recently marked its 25th anniversary I thought it would be a great time to feature it on the Deadpod. This comes to us from July 2nd, 1988, from the Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford Maine.. I wasn't there but all accounts of this weekend seem to suggest it was a blast.. its a fun show and you can certainly tell that Jerry and t...

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone! I do hope you had a great holiday, and I hope this second set from 6/22/73 helps make the rest of your holiday weekend even better! This is really a fine set, and as fine an example of the Dead improvisational skills as any of their shows. While this is almost a complete show in itself, this 2 hour second set features both more straight ahead songs as well as so...

Here is a show that is on many folks' Desert Island list of shows they absolutely must have.. its from 40 years ago, back on June 22nd, 1973 at PNE Coliseum in Vancouver British Columbia.. This is clearly one of the classics from that great year, and I was surprised when I realized I hadn't featured this on the Deadpod before.. even thought this is the last Deadpod before July 4th, I think a great...

The second set from Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford NJ, on June 17th, 1991 was one of the best played sets of that year. I think you'll agree that the Saint of Circumstance through Drums the band is tightly wound and playing and listening well to each other. Hornsby continues to scatter the Dark Star theme throughout the set, culminating in a flatout Dark Star Jam after Ship of Fools, (the first sin...

This week's Deadpod has been a often requested show for some time.. I think I hesitated in putting it on the Deadpod because it was such a well-known show, and it had been broadcast back in the day on TV. Still its probably one of the finest shows of 1991, and since its anniversary was coming up, I decided it would be a great time to break it out here on the Deadpod.  This show occurred back on Ju...

This week I decided to feature a nice counterpoint to last week's show so naturally I turned my attention to an earlier era of Grateful Dead... 1970 has always been a favorite year, the band had grown and matured into a tight cohesive whole and the performances still contained plenty of vigor and raw energy.. That energy is readily apparent in this week's performance. This tape, unfortunately is o...

This week's Deadpod comes as the result of a request from a great supporter of the Deadpod.. for many folks the only show or shows they were able to see happened late in the band's tenure. This show takes place in the Fall of 1993... while I find most shows from '93 pretty uninteresting, I do think the second set from this show offers plenty for us to chew on, so I'm going to play just that second...

Welcome to Summer! Yes Memorial Day weekend is the 'unoffical' start of summer, and while it is still feeling like early spring at times here, hopefully this smokin' hot set of live Dead from May of 1977 will put  you in the mood for some fine Summertime relaxing.. This second set from T uscaloosa Alabama features a remarkable Terrapin Station and a great Playin' sandwich.. It's really a strong sh...

During May of each year, I always try to pay recognition to the superlative run of shows the band played during May of 1977. This year as most of you probably know, the organization has finally decided to release a box set of some of these shows.. While I do not generally play shows that have been officially released, I've decided to feature one of these shows that is going to be released this wee...

This week we get to hear set 2 of this fine show from May 5th, 1990 at Cal State, Dominguez Hills California. This is a fine second set and starts off with a rockin' Truckin to get things rolling. The Playin'->Uncle John's Band leads into a strange and wonderful Space and Drumz. The polst-drums highlight is probably the Dear Mr. Fantasy which leads into a nice Goin' Down the Road.. The Around and...

Oh the glorious month of May! I'm sure its one of everyone's favorite times of the year, and of course one of the great traditions in the first weekend of May is the Kentucky Derby.. this week's Deadpod features a show that paid tribute, as the band often did, to that grand event, by playing the late George Jones' "The Race Is On".. and a fine version it is .. I really felt I needed to play it thi...

This week's Deadpod features set 2 from 4/27/85 - the Frost Ampitheater at Stanford University.. This is a fine set, and as it opens with a Scarlet Begonias, we can imagine the delight when Jerry leads the band not into Fire on the Mountain but rather into a sweet version of Eyes of the World.. This duo is such a sweet combo that it alone would justify rating the show highly but the band turns on...

This week we get to move on to the second set from April 12th, 1982 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale NY. I think you'll agree that this is one of the more interesting and well played sets of the Spring '82 tour.. it starts off with Man Smart, Woman Smarter - an usual choice given that they opened the show with Iko, Iko.. then Jerry moves into a Sugaree which is clearly one of the best of the ye...

Here's a show that has been on my request list for some time.. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten around to playing it aside from the fact that I did play most of the 2nd set back in '06.. at any rate its one of the best from the Spring of 1982.. this is from the Nassau Coliseum on 4/12/82. A fine first set is highlighted by an unusual "Iko, Iko' opener, a beautiful Peggy-O and a pretty crazy Mama...

As we prepare to turn the page on March, I thought it might be nice to pull out a really smoking show from way back in 1969.. this one comes to us from 3/28/69 at the Modest Jr. College Civic Center in Modesto California.. yes a unique venue..but quite a strong outing for the boys. This one starts out with a strong Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, but follows that up with a deep space Dark Star......

This first Deadpod of Spring we will be hearing the second set from the bands' performance on St. Patrick's Day, 1991 at the Cap Center in Landover MD. A fine pre-drums segment, highlighted for me by 'Crazy Fingers'... but what really brings the crowd to their feet is the east coast breakout of 'New Speedway Boogie' for the first time in over 20 years. This tune had been played on the west coast a...

Well it's St. Patrick's Day weekend! so i decided to bring everyone a dose of St. Patrick's Day Dead for this week's Deadpod... This show comes from the Spring of 1991, so there's both Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick in the mix.. This one starts with a nice Hell in a Bucket and a pretty good Sugaree.. Bruce is especially prominent during a squeeze box solo during Queen Jane.. the highlight of this...

This week I'm thought I would share this very interesting show from way back in 1969 .  This is quite a fine recording, and I thought I'd go ahead and bring you the entire show this week, although it makes for a bit longer Deadpod than usual. As you can see below the show features a number of tunes without Garcia and Pigpen; the story goes that each were too incapacitated in their own way, to cont...

This second set from 6/11/93 features the only Eyes of the World performed on  the summer tour that year, as the opener. Its quite nicely done, and followed by another well-played Playin' In the Band... the band and Jerry in particular do a very credible job on these.. out of space, the Wheel and Watchtower are a pleasure to hear as well, but the Black Peter is a personal favorite and I think Jerr...

I've had some requests for a 90s show and I thought this would be a nice change of pace this week. This was one of my favorite outdoor venues as a show here was, for all the hassles, usually a gas. This show, from Buckeye Lake in the summer of 93, was a blast. I think the band was having fun and playing well. The Jerry tunes here are fun to hear and I'm a real fan of the Tom Thumbs if this era as...

Nothing beats a fine second set like this one from fall of 73.. a great mix of songs.. starts off with some great classic, rocking numbers, then a truly fine Weather Report Suite - be sure and listen to the wonderful ensemble playing at the end.. I think you'll find the Dark Star that follows to be quite memorable.. it starts off quite softly .. but it certainly explores some unexpected spaces.. t...