The Deadpod

Happy New Year!  Well.. not so happy NYE for me -- as my computer was infected with a zero day malware attack that has encrypted much of my digital music files (as well as the rest of my files)..  but the show must go on! So this week we will bring you the excellent 2nd set from the band's performance on 12/28/91 at Oakland CA.  I think this is quite a strong second set. with a nice 'Foolish Heart...

Our post-Christmas Deadpod for this week features a show from the band's New Year's run in 1991, this one from Saturday night December 28, 1991.  While it is a Saturday night, the band surprises us by opening up with a (partial) version of  'One More Saturday Night' before heading into 'Jack Straw'. Bobby screws up his line, resulting in a roar from the crowd, but the real story of this set is tha...

This week's Deadpod celebrates the season with a show from December 23, 1970 at the Winterland in San Francisco CA. I have three different sources for this show, each of them slightly different - I decided to put two of them together. I'm sure the order is probably not right, but the recordings each sound quite nice and I'm hoping that you'll enjoy them this week, as we celebrate the holidays and...

Lucky us! We get to listen to this wonderful second set from December 1, 1979 at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh PA on this week's Deadpod.  This is a fine recording and the music is quite good, even thrilling at times. The China>Rider opener is just right, then pay attention to the fine opening to 'Looks Like Rain'.. quite unique. 'He's Gone' is done quite well alos, and leads into a wonderful...

Here's a show that I attended and found to be quite magical at the time.. it is from December 1st, 1979 at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh PA. A beautiful, small venue, the energy on this night was unmatched and I'm sure it comes through on this nice recording. The show starts with a smoking 'Jack Straw', which Jerry then takes into a long and beautiful 'Sugaree'. After this we know we're in for...

Happy Thanksgiving!    As always we present an acoustic performance from the Dead for your Thanksgiving listening and relaxing pleasure. This one is from June 4, 1970 at the Fillmore West in San Francisco California. A fine recording, with a minimum of flaws, I hope you enjoy this as I wish for you a peaceful and happy holiday.    Grateful Dead Fillmore West San Francisco, CA 6/4/70 - Thursday    ...

Hey Now! Here's a great second set for your pee-Thanksgiving preparations.. from 11/2/84 at the Berkeley Community Theater, this was probably the highlight of the run, as the band turns in a solid performance highlighted by some great Garcia licks, some amazing Phil sounds and some excellent work from Bobby and Brent. The 'Help>Slip>Frank' is as always, a great opener, and the band revs it u...

This week I chose to bring you an unusual show from November 2, 1984 at the Berkeley Community Theater. This was the 4th show of a 5 show run at this small venue, close to home for the band and their fans and it has an intimate feel to it. The band is quite loose, too loose sometimes (listen to Bobby completely lose the lyrics to El Paso) but also interested in mixing things up as you can see from...

'I want to tell you how it's gonna be.....' and let me tell you this second set from November 24, 1972 in Dallas Texas is one rockin' hour + of fine Grateful Dead music. Unlike most of their four other Texas shows during this leg of the fall '72 tour there is no 'Dark Star' or 'Other One' here.. and this second set is notable for being fairly straight-ahead rock and roll. The show really gets movi...

On this week's Deadpod we feature a somewhat rare 'ish' show from November 24, 1972 Dallas Texas.  Quite a well-played show, it has  a few hiccups here and there, but overall a nice recording as well. Bobby tells us that Pigpen isn't here, at the end of Don't Ease, as he is home sick. I think Jerry throughout is quite on it. Some of my highlights are the Brown Eyed Women, a very nice Black Throate...

This week's Deadpod features the second set of the band's 'From Egypt With Love' performances at Winterland on October 18, 1978. This is an interesting set, it starts out rather slow, with a less than inspired 'Bertha'>'Good Lovin'. If you're a fan, Donna Jean's 'From the Heart of Me' follows.. I rather enjoy it, but it may be an acquired taste. 'Ship of Fools' follows, then the pre-drums highl...

We go back 41 years to this day in 1978 at Winterland in San Francisco to revisit the band's 2nd in the series of  'From Egypt with Love' concerts. This is a tight, well-played set with the band playing as well together as anyone could ask. The opening 'Sugaree' is massive - don't let the first few minutes of audience patch deter you from listening to this - Garcia soars here. I have to mention 'B...

This week's Deadpod features the band's performance at the Rainbow Theater in London England on Saturday October 3rd, 1981. This second set contains some wonderful improvisational music and both a fabulous pre-drums setlist and a spectacular Morning Dew. I think you'll agree that the music here flows beyond the structure of these songs to explore some unexpected places before settling back into fa...

We start out October with a show from across the pond in London, England on October 3rd, 1981. A well-played, rockin' first set gives a few hints as to the improvisation that will follow in set 2 next week. 'Alabama Getaway' is the opener, not uncommon for the time, and while the sound is a bit dicey at first things clear up nicely for the rest of the set. There's a really nice 'Peggy-O' here, and...

This week we mourn the passing of the great Robert Hunter. The Grateful Dead would not have been what they were and are without his voice, his words and his wisdom. Sleep in the stars, Robert.   In his honor I present this wonderful set from September 28th, 1977 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle Washington. Although the first five songs are missing from this Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard the r...

This week's Deadpod features the strong second set from the band's performance at the Boston Garden on Sunday, September 26, 1993. A strong outing from start to finish, it starts with a rockin' 'Iko' which got the place bouncing. Then a well played 'Saint of Circumstance' leads into Jerry's 'Ship of Fools'. Truckin' follows and while Weir does mess up a verse, its a fairly minor slip up in a stron...

Never miss a Sunday show! Especially on Friday the 13th :) This week I'm stepping a bit out of my comfort zone to bring you a pretty wonderful show from September 26th, 1993 at the old Boston Garden in Boston MA. This show starts with a fine 'Jack Straw' then Jerry goes right into an excellent version of 'Althea'. In fact I even find the 'Walkin' Blues' here to be above average.. 'High Time' is qu...

This week's Deadpod features a *monster* Scarlet>Fire from the second set of the band's performance on September 1st, 1979 in Rochester New  York. But first, take a moment to appreciate the unusual intro from Bobby to this second set :) This Scarlet>Fire is one of those rather underappreciated jams that can stand comparison to the best of  '73 or '74 Dead. Enjoy the places Garcia takes you a...

Happy Labor Day weekend! This week's Deadpod takes us to New York state, up to Rochester, where the Dead played a fine outdoor show during the day of September 1st, 1979.  The first set which we will hear this week, breaks from the gate with a fine 'Mississippi Half-Step' > 'Franklin's Tower' combination. This is for me the highlight of this set, almost 20 minutes long. The rest of the first set i...

This week we follow up last week's Deadpod with the second set from the band's performance on August 16, 197 in Telluride Colorado. I have to admit to scratching my head at this 'Push' opener, but the 'Samson and Delilah' that follows is always on point for a Sunday show :) 'He's Gone' leads into a mildly interesting Drums and Space, but the highlight for me is the quite good 'Other One' for the t...

This week's Deadpod features the anniversary of a show that took place 32 years ago at Town Park in beautiful Telluride Colorado. It was the weekend of the celebrated 'Harmonic Convergence' which marked a globally synchronized mediation event as well as an exceptional alignment of planets. Needless to say it did not bring about an era of world peace or contentment. Nonetheless, the boys played an...

That today marks 24 years since Jerry Garcia died, strikes me as a sobering reminder of my own mortality, of how quickly our lives pass, but also as a reminder that I was fortunate to get to see him perform and experience the magic that was in this music. Like every edition of the Deadpod, this week we again celebrate that music, this time with one of their earlier performances, when they were all...

For this 'Days Between' week, on the day following what would have been Jerry Garcia's 77th Birthday, we feature a wonderful set from July 29th, 1974. The band returns following a Seastones' set and leads off with an unusual 'He's Gone'. 'Truckin' follows and while Weir screws up the lyrics, Garcia breaks out into what becomes around a 23 minute jam, in and out of a hint of 'Spoonful' then 'Nobody...

  Dog days of summer? Nothing beats them like some good 'old Grateful Dead - and this somewhat overlooked classic from the summer of 1974 is sure to leave you smiling.. This comes to us from July 29th, 1974 at the Cap Center in Landover Maryland.  This first set contains some of the classics, of course, as well as some surprises, like the stand alone Scarlet Begonias and the beautiful 'To Lay Me D...

'm hoping that this week's Deadpod will help keep you cool during this hot, hot weather many of us are experiencing this week. This second set starts off with a cover of the Beatles' 'Why Don't We Do It In The Road?' .. clearly a goof, or so I hope :) They get into the real show with a 'China Cat>I Know You Rider' which features some nice work by Jerry and Brent (if a bit speedy :).  'Playin' I...