The Deadpod

This week's Deadpod features the beautiful 2nd set from February 9th, 1973 from Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Plenty of breakouts make this a rare and unusual set, including 'They Love Each Other' , 'Eyes of the World', 'China Doll' and 'Wave that Flag'. Some great exploratory jamming in Eyes marks a unique version that sounds unlike any other played that year. There are a few splices here...

45 years ago today the Dead premiered the 'Wall of Sound'.. they also premiered the following classic songs:  China Doll, Eyes of the World, Here Comes Sunshine, Loose Lucy, They Love Each Other, Row Jimmy, Wave That Flag (Later US Blues).. this week we'll listen to the first set from this spectacular show, from February 9th, 1973 at the Roscoe Maples Pavilion at Stanford University, Palo Alto Cal...

This week we feature the second set from the band's performance on April 10th, 1983 at Morgantown, West Virginia. This is a fine sounding, energetic set, in which I think Brent's contributions really shine. I love the intro out of space into 'the Wheel' and of course the 'China Doll' that comes out of the return into 'Playin'.  The jamming in Playin' may not quite get out there as far as you'd lik...

This week's Deadpod comes as the result of a request by a friend .. some say the highlight of this show is the opener, I wouldn't go that far but it is a surprise, even for a Sunday! The 'Samson & Delilah' opener only happened a couple of times in the band's history but I think the rest of this set is quite entertaining as well. From April 10th, 1983 in Morgantown West Virginia.. I found the i...

Here's hoping that this set of fine early Dead music will help warm  your bones in the middle of this cold cold January... We continue with the band's performance from January 16th, 1970 at Springer's Inn in Portland Oregon. While we start out with a Cumberland Blues that is a bit shortened, this tape more than make sup for it with early versions of classic songs that are delightful to me as I lis...

A fresh new year brought to my mind a good time to hear the band when they sounded fresh and young - - thus this week's Deadpod from 1/16/70 at Springer's Inn in Portland Oregon.  This is the start of what was a momentous year for the band, and we can hear the enthusiasm and talent of each of them on this fine recording. While there are no long jams or songs on this recording, there is a passion a...

We usher in the New Year with a long, fantastic second set from the Dead's performance on 12/30/78 at the Pauley Pavilion in UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. The bands opens with a trifecta of rock and roll -  'I Need a Miracle' (check out Weir's shouting here) into 'Bertha' into 'Good Lovin'. This leads into a fantastic, long Scarlet > Fire (almost 18 minutes). You might think they'd head into Drums and Sp...

First off - Happy New Year! Always a significant date on the touring calendar, the NYE run has seen many great shows over the years. I've decided to bring you one from 39 years ago, 12/29/78 at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA in Los Angeles CA. This rather long first set is a combination of slower Garcia ballads and rockin' Weir covers.. but it all works and I hope you'll enjoy it.  An opening 'Jack Straw...

First off - Happy New Year! Always a significant date on the touring calendar, the NYE run has seen many great shows over the years. I've decided to bring you one from 39 years ago, 12/29/78 at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA in Los Angeles CA. This rather long first set is a combination of slower Garcia ballads and rockin' Weir covers.. but it all works and I hope you'll enjoy it.  An opening 'Jack Straw...

First off - Happy New Year! Always a significant date on the touring calendar, the NYE run has seen many great shows over the years. I've decided to bring you one from 39 years ago, 12/29/78 at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA in Los Angeles CA. This rather long first set is a combination of slower Garcia ballads and rockin' Weir covers.. but it all works and I hope you'll enjoy it.  An opening 'Jack Straw...

First off - Happy New Year! Always a significant date on the touring calendar, the NYE run has seen many great shows over the years. I've decided to bring you one from 39 years ago, 12/29/78 at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA in Los Angeles CA. This rather long first set is a combination of slower Garcia ballads and rockin' Weir covers.. but it all works and I hope you'll enjoy it.  An opening 'Jack Straw...

Our annual Christmas Deadpod features a very entertaining acoustic show from the summer of 1970. While it is true that the mandolin and the guitars are higher in the mix than optimal, I am of the opinion that the quality of the recording, and the originality of the set list, make this a worthwhile pastime on a cold winter's day. I do hope you agree.    I wish for all of you peace and happiness and...

This week's Deadpod features a one-set wonder (as it is only the 2nd set that we have a soundboard tape of) of a superb show from December 1st, 1971 from the Boston Music Hall in Boston MA. This is a beautiful recording of the young Dead and I'm quite certain you'll enjoy both the stand alone songs and the insane jamming of 'The Other One'. The ending 'Not Fade Away'>Going  Down the Road Feelin' B...

This week - a really fun second set from the early Winter/late Fall of 79. This set starts out with a great Shakedown Street into a drummer's favorite - Samson and Delilah. Jerry slows things down a bit with a beautiful 'High Time' bu tthey pick back up with a long and well jammed-out Estimated->Eyes of the World. The jam going into Drums is particularly tasty. 'Black Peter' comes out of Drums,...

This week - a show I really don't think I've broadcast before :) this one from my old hometown of Cleveland Ohio back on 11/29/79 at Public Hall. The boys always seemed to rock in the Land and this night was no exception as they started out with a great 'Alabama Getaway' into 'Promised Land'. Je4ry slows it down a bit with 'Candyman' but the 'Mexicali' is smokin'. A beautiful 'They Love Each Other...

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm hoping you'll enjoy this early acoustic Deadpod as my holiday present to you... This comes to us from November 8th 1970 from the famous Capitol Theater in Port Chester New York. As is my tradition, we'll enjoy the fine acoustic set for Thanksgiving and then next week I'll present the tasty electric set. 'Operator' and 'Wake Up Little Susie' make their final appearance in th...

This week we hear the conclusion of this great, fresh sounding show from April 14th, 1971 at Bucknell University. This set starts with a great and somewhat longish for the period, Bird Song, and just keeps getting better.. with a unique Sugar Magnolia, a psychedelic Crypical, and the Pig on 'Hard To Handle'. The closing jam on 'Not Fade Away'-> 'Goin' Down the Road'->'Not Fade Away' is great...

This week's Deadpod takes us back to the early days of 1971, to a performance that was before a small crowd at Davis Gymnasium on the Bucknell University Campus in Lewisburg PA on April 14th, 1971. This is a wonderful tape, despite a little static here and there.. it has by and large excellent sound and the band is really energized. There's a great mix of rocking numbers like 'Truckin' and 'China...

This week we bring you the historic second set from the Dead's performance on Holloween night, 1991 in Oakland California. This one is powerful, dark at times, rocking at times. Very introspective I think. A great 'Scarlet->Fire' leads it off, followed by Bobby on Truckin' and Spoonful. The Dark Star is the heart of the matter of course, wonderful flights of imagination and highlighted by Ken Kese...

This week I've decided to bring you the first set of what might very well be the band's most historic Halloween show - 10/31/91 in Oakland. The run was historic because it occurred the week of the passing of Bill Graham in a tragic helicopter crash. A great friend of the Dead, Bill's passing was marked in the second set of this show during a eulogy from Ken Kesey, which we'll hear next week. This...

This week's Deadpod features a rather historic show in the band's history - this was the very first show with Keith Godchaux, on October 19th, 1971 in Minneapolis Minnesota. Not only was this Keith's first show it features the premier of six songs that would all become staples in the band's repertoire, Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Mexicali Blues, Comes a Time, One More Saturday Night and Ramble On R...

This week's Deadpod features the 2nd set of the band's performance on October 14th, 1977 from the Hofheinz Pavilion at the University of Houston in Houston Texas. They really come out rocking here with a great Bertha into a sweet Good Lovin'.  Candyman follows, with Garcia in fine voice. Then they move out into space with a fine, long 'Playin In the Band'... some great explorations here. They tran...

This week we'll feature a fine show from the Fall of 1977, a period which doesn't get as much attention as the Spring but which nevertheless contains some very fine music. This fine show from October 14th, 1977 at the Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston Texas has some wonderful harmonies - check out the wonderful Mississippi Half-Step and the really beautiful Friend of the Devil. Passenger and The Music...

We'll close out September with the second set of this fine show from September of 1982.. September 21st at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It starts with an interesting combo of  'Touch of Grey' into 'Samson and Delilah'. 'High Time' follows, a song far too infrequently played, in my opinion. Estimated Prophet goes into He's Gone - marked by a loud M-80 which was set off during the song. P...

Happy Autumnal Equinox!  While it still feels like summer here, we have a wonderful show from 1982 to celebrate the arrival of Autumn. This comes to us from September 21st, 1982 at Madison Square Garden, N.Y., N.Y. This first set  has been called the best of the year and while I'm not quite certain I'm willing to crown it that I will say I found it very enjoyable and hope you do as well. This is o...