The Deadpod

While this week's Deadpod may be one of the shorter 2nd sets of the year in 1973, there is still plenty to love in this week's setlist. The set opens with a wonderfully crafted Playin' in the Band, which leads into Row Jimmy and El Paso.. the Loose Lucy that follows has drawn complaints due to its slow tempo.. I also think this song works best when it bouncy, but the boys go into a pretty good Tru...

When Charlie Miller releases a new master reel sbd source, especially from 1973, i almost feel an obligation to get it on the Deadpod.. this is one of those rare occasions and it also coincides with a request I recently received from a contributor to the Deadpod so all signs pointed to playing this show on this week's Deadpod. This performance took place on July 1st, 1973 at the Universal City Amp...

For this Valentine's Day edition of the Deadpod i chose this set from February of 1986 - true 86 is not on my list of 'great' years, but this is a very fun show, one where the Neville Brothers opened and came out to guest with the band in set 2. The first set sets  the tone for a high-spirited, fun evening I think.. the band opens with a rare China->Rider, which, while perhaps a little rushed,...

I felt it was high time for some vintage Dead.. here's a show from one of my favorite places that showcases the boys sick run of shows that occurred back in February of '69. This night they were opening for the Iron Butterfly - the story goes that once IB heard their set they refused to come out for awhile, so the band came back with the smokin' Cryptical ->Other One->Cryptical sandwich.... In any...

A truly special show for Super Bowl weekend ;) - the second set, aka  the 'Close Encounters' show - from McArthur Court at the University of Oregon, January 22nd, 1978. I still remember when I first heard this show, it blew me away, and not only because of the weirdness of hearing Jerry quote that theme from the Spielburg movie - but the entire jam that builds up from the Drums and the Other One i...

The anniversary of this show rolled around this week, and as far as I can tell I've never played it on the Deadpod which is astonishing to me as its truly a great one, so I decided to feature it this week and next. This one comes to us from early 1978, While this show is deservedly famous for its second set, in particular being known as the 'close encounters' show, the first set we'll hear this we...

A classic second set from the great year of 1971 on this week's Deadpod. This one features a massive Other One, an early look at Keith who was playing with the boys without Pigpen on this night and a very well played Goin' Down the Road Feelin Bad->NFA->GDTRFB sandwich.. definitely a favorite!  Phil is all over this massive Other One as well, and I think this is a good choice to warm those bone on...

Here's a show that was recently requested over on the Deadpod's Facebook page.. since this is an excellent recording, I decided this would be a good time to play it. It comes to us from October 29th, 1971 from teh old Allen Theater in Cleveland Ohio. While I never saw the Dead at this venue it was an old movie house that saw lots and lots of rock shows around this time. The band was going through...

This week we stretch out the New Year festivities with a really BIG Deadpod featuring the 2nd and 3rd sets from the NYE show of 1979-80. This is a very long show, so I suppose that we  might forgive Jerry for getting lost occasionally.. he more than makes up for it on some really excellent numbers in these two sets.  The boys' ring in the new year with, as often the case, Bill Graham's favorite, S...

Happy New Year! Well close enough ;) that said I decided to bring out one of the band's famous NYE performances for this week's (and next week's) Deadpod. This is from 12/31/79 at the Oakland Auditorium Arena in Oakland CA. While many would argue that this was not the best show of this NYE run (after all 12/28/79 was released as Road Trips Vol 3 #1, and 12/26/79 was Dick's Picks #5) there is still...

I've always been fond of how the band sounded in 1979, and this week's Deadpod shows some of the reasons why. Brett hadn't been in the band a year yet, but by now he is well integrated in the sound and you can really hear his contributions in this show from Kansas City. The rest of the band is quite tight as well, and in this first set the solid 'Jack Straw' and 'Loser' openers show us that we're...

This week the exciting (and super long!) second set from the band's performance at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester NY on November 8th, 1970. The band was clearly developing quickly at this time.. and in many ways we can look upon this as a turning point, away from perhaps the rawer, more psychedelic sound to a more polished version that would come to dominate in 1971 and beyond. The set list c...

Happy Thanksgiving (and Hanukka)! While this Deadpod comes on the day after I hope you'll enjoy this week's show as a tasty desert and a sweet way to start off your holiday weekend. I always enjoy bringing you acoustic Dead on the holidays and while I was tempted to save this tasty nugget for Christmas I decided I would play it right now instead. The last official acoustic set of the 70s, the band...

On this week's Thanksgiving Eve Deadpod :) we get to hear the second set from a wonderful show that took place on November 14th, 1973.. This second set in many ways is a long improvisational jam on the Other One theme, for after a nice Truckin' the band goes in and out of The Other One for much of the remaining set. Of course the set is punctuated with a delightful 'Eyes of the World' and a great...

There is no other month in Grateful Dead History that moves me as much as the music the band made back in November of 1973. Yes I am well aware of how good May of 1977 was, and I do dearly love that period as well, but overall, show in and show out, those played in November of 1973 are simply sublime. I am happy to be able to share this show with you this week and next. So far as I know, there are...

This week we go back 26 years for a fine second set from the Fall of 1987 - this again from the Henry Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, this second set has a unique 'Uncle John's Band' opener.. and in fact a very tasty set list. They then move into a nicely jammed out version of Playin' In the Band.. we then make a stop at Terrapin Station - I believe they some interesting explorations in that...

This week's show was a Rex Benefit, which often meant a good show was in the offing.. this one comes to us from 1987, a year that I've recently had a request for more of from one of my wonderful listeners so I thought I"d bring you this show from November 7th, 1987 at the Henry J. Kaiser Center in Oakland, The first set, which we'll hear this week, start out strong out of the gate with a wonderful...

Whether it was the fact that my mind has been turned toward this era of Dead by the release and success of  'Sunshine Daydream' or the fact that I"m not really ready to face another Winter, I ran into discussion of this gem of a show and decided I had to feature it on this week's Deadpod. This is the 2nd set of a show that took place just after the band came back to the States from their famous 19...

This week's Deadpod features this fine second set from October 21st, 1983 from the Centrum in Worcester MA.  While the Scarlet->Fire might be the highlight of this set (be sure and pay attention to the transition and to Jerry on that Fire), the Uncle John's -> Playin' is almost as great. Personally I'm a fan of the space in this set.. I think you'l hear some elements of Sage and Spirit in th...

This week's Deadpod had been on my list of requested shows for quite some time, and I'm really glad to have gotten to it this week. It comes from the Fall of 1983, a year that I think is often underestimated among Deadheads as I feel there are some very good shows that took place that year, and this is clearly one of them. This week we'll listen to the very good and unique first set. It opens with...

More '71 goodness this week as we get to dive into the second set of the Dead's performance on 8/26/71 at  Gaelic Park in the Bronx, New York, New York. This set has plenty to keep your interest including Weir singing 'I wish I was a  headlight..." in I Know You Rider, a smokin' hot Other One, a fine Uncle John's Band, and THEN we get to the conclusion.. a rockin' Saint Stephen->NFA->GDTRFB->NFA.....

On this Friday the 13th edition of the Deadpod I decided it fitting to honor the great Pigpen, seeing as his birthday was just a few days ago on September 8th, and this show, long a request from one of my listeners, was one of his great performances. This one comes to us from the Bronx New York, on August 26, 1971, at Gaelic Park. This week's first set is filled with great Pigpen performances, inc...

I realize not everyone is a fan of this lineup of the Grateful Dead. Some people really don't enjoy Hornsby's contributions to the band, and you certainly will hear them in this second set from September 4th, 1991. I happen to think this is one of the best Scarlet->Fires of the 90's. I can't say that it is Hornsby's contributions that make it so but I think its undeniable that he did spark some...

Here's a labor day weekend show for you from the Fall tour of 1991.. This was a request from one of our facebook friends, for a show from the run that took place at the Richfield coliseum in Richfield Ohio.. I decided to play the first show from this run, but it wasn't an easy choice as all three shows have their moments.. while the real highlights from this night come in set 2, this week's first...

I was pleasantly surprised by all the positive responses I received to last week's Deadpod -so I am pleased to be able to present the 2nd set of this great show from August 16th, 1980 at the Mississippi River Festival on this week's Deadpod. This set starts off rocking just as hard as set 1, with a hot CC Rider going into a really excellent China Cat -> I Know You Rider.. Estimated is quite strong...