The Deadpod

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...

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...