The Deadpod

Somehow the month of May slipped by without my having posted something from that unbelievable month in GD history. I'm going to make up for that this week and next with this fat show from the GD archives. This show is somewhat overlooked all in all, with all the attention paid to some of the more famous shows during this month - but its well worth a listen.. Grateful Dead The Palladium New York, N...

This week we have the pleasure of listening to the second set of 8/29/80 from the Spectrum in Philadelphia PA. This is a tight and rockin' second set, the boys start with an excellent greatest story into Althea. Then a wonderful version of Let It Grow goes into He's Gone.. I'm sure you'll notice Phil and Brent's contributions on this one.. after space and drums, the band goes into a marvelous Whar...

This week we have a great new soundboard of a show from a year that's often under appreciated - 1980. This comes to us from August 29th, 1980, when the boys played the Spectrum in Philladelphia. The first set, which we'll hear this week, starts off with a rockin' Alabama Getaway->Promised Land opener. The band proceeds to play a really high energy twelve song first set, nicely played and sounding...

This week we'll hear the second set of this beautiful audience recording of the Dead at the Frost, 10/10/86. This set starts off with a beautiful Playin, then Jerry really tears up Crazy Fingers. I'm also quite partial to the NFA->Black Peter. The fact that they do a double encore is an indication, I think, that they were happy with their performance as well.... Grateful Dead Frost Amphitheatre -...

This week we get to savor a truly outstanding audience recording of one of the best shows of the early 1980s - October 10th, 1982 at the Frost Ampitheater in Palo Alto CA. The band comes charging out right from the gate, with of all things, a mad "Minglewood Blues" that will blow you away. Brent really shines on the 'Far From Me' a little later in the first set, and the China-Rider is exquisite. A...

I've had a request for this show for almost a year and for one reason or another never got around to playing it.. but some recent requests for Pigpen and a stroke of good fortune caused me not to overlook it any longer.. This piece of primal Dead has some wonderful versions of some classic early songs; I particularly like the Pigpen numbers and 'Sittin On Top of the World'.. 'Doin' That Rag' is al...

This week we listen to the second set from September 21st, 1973 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. This set starts with the last version of a song that I happen to really like, "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away", but when you hear it you can understand why it got dropped.. the rest of the set is much better however, and the addition of Joe Ellis and Martin Fierro on trumpet and sax respectively is amazin...

This week a truly great show suggested by one of my wonderful listeners in honor of the passing of Martin Fierro - The Spectrum, September 21st, 1973. Although Martin doesn't play sax until the second set I couldn't bare to not play the entire show so we will get to his performance next week. This week, I hope you enjoy the wonderful and well-played first set, including such gems as "Here Comes Su...

Hello Friends! This week we'll listen to the conclusion of the Dead's show at Alpine Valley on August 8th, 1982. I think you'll really enjoy the wonderful Scarlet Begonias, the crazy drums with guest Zakir Hussein, as well as John Cipollina's guest guitar work on "The Other One", "Wharf Rat" and "Not Fade Away". Check out the crazy version of Satisfaction as well.. Whew! :) Just a note, my compute...

This week we get a nice recording of a wonderful early 80's show - this one comes to us from Alpine Valley, August the 8th, 1982. This week we'll hear the first set (and the opener of the 2nd), next week we'll finish up the show.. I really enjoyed the Alabama Getaway openers of this period and this is no exception. I also think you'll like the Little Red Rooster, Looks Like Rain and Peggy-O in thi...

This week we'll listen to the remainder of the Dead's performance at Cal Expo, August 6th, 1989. The rest of this second set is a pleasure to listen to - highlighted by a wonderful 'Other One'. I've also been told that its a sure sign that the band enjoyed themselves when they encore with 'Johnny B. Goode' :) Grateful Dead Cal Expo Amphitheatre Sacramento, CA 8/6/89 - Sunday Samson And Delilah [6:...

This week I have an excellent show from 1989 for your listening pleasure - we'll be hearing the first part of August 6th, 1989 from Cal Expo. The show starts with a 'Let the Good Times Roll' that the band ends perfectly and rolls into 'Feel Like a Stranger' and then Franklin's Tower.. A very interesting and well played start to a wonderful show. I really enjoy this first part of the show - highlig...

This week I'd had a request for some '68 Dead, and just happened to have just gotten this remastered beauty. This is quite an amazing recording for a 40 year old show, even more amazing is how accomplished the band sounds when I think of how young they were. I think the power of this music, especially in the second set, is really amazing.. Grateful Dead Carousel Ballroom San Francisco, CA Date 2/1...

Hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day! This week we'll finish listening to the conclusion of the fabulous show from 6/10/73, Washington D.C. The highlight of this week's show of course is the entire, unusual third set, featuring members of the Allman Brothers Band and Merle Saunders. This includes a smoking That's All Right, Mama and some huge guitar licks from Dicky Betts on Not Fade Aw...

This week is a very special Deadpod, as it marks the start of our Winter pledge drive for our community radio station, KOPN 89.5 FM as well as for the Deadpod. Musically, we'll continue where we left off last week - we'll be listening to most of the second set from RFK Stadium, June 10th, 1973. This is truly classic Grateful Dead - Eyes of the World into Stella Blue, a Big River, Here Comes Sunshi...

This week we have a new release of a classic Dead show, this one from the start of the summer of 1973. This week we'll listen to the first set, which as you can see from the setlist below contains plenty of surprises for a first set! Besides the very unusual opening Morning Dew, it contains the last version of 'Wave that Flag' before this song morphs into US Blues. I think you'll agree that Garcia...

This week we'll listen to the second set from the first of the fine 'From Egypt with Love' concerts - October 17th, 1978. A wonderfully well played set - I really enjoy the space, actually and of course, Jerry's "If I Had the World to Give".. Enjoy Grateful Dead Winterland Arena San Francisco, CA 10/17/78 - Tuesday Scarlet Begonias [9:35] > Fire On The Mountain [10:50] ; Estimated Prophet [11:45]...

Hello again Friends!! This week I have a wonderful show from 1970 to share with you.. its full of energy and life and you can just feel how happy the boys are to be playing on this one.. I especially enjoy the Mason's Children->Black Peter... just check out Jerry's singing on this one!!! Here's the setlist: Grateful Dead Golden Hall - San Diego Community Concourse San Diego, CA Date 1/10/70 - Satu...

Happy New Year everyone! While I was looking through the collection for some requested music from Reconstruction, I came across this gem which I thought I should share with you as the first show of the new year.. This comes to us from 1975, and I really enjoy the sound on this even though it *is* an audience front of board recording.. I hope you enjoy it too.... Legion of Mary, 5/22/1975 Keystone,...

Another year has come and gone, and I just want to thank all of you for listening and picking up the Deadpod and of course for your kind support.. This week, a nice second set from a 1982 post-Christmas show, that I hope you enjoy.. I especially enjoyed the Scarlett->Fire ;) Grateful Dead Oakland Auditorium Oakland, CA 12/27/82 - Monday Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Playing In The Band...

This week a Christmas time show in its entirety for your enjoyment.. This show features a well played first set highlighted perhaps by Phil's "Tom Thumb" and a great Bird Song.. The second set features a wonderful Iko, Iko to open (with Clarence Clemmons on sax) leading into a great Playin'->Crazy Fingers->Uncle John's Band.. The double encore is also quite satisfying. Grateful Dead Oakland-Alamed...

This week I'm playing a really interesting show from May 7th, 1984 from the Hult Center in Eugene Oregon. There's a lot of wonderful Brent and Phil in this recording .. so watch the volume and save your ears! :) Grateful Dead Silva Hall, Hult Center, Eugene, OR 05/07/1984 China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider ; Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones >...

This week we will finish listening to the 2nd set of the Grateful Dead's historic 10/16/74 performance at Winterland in San Francisco. This is a very jamming, almost experimental piece of music as the band really explores some different spaces, especially on songs like Eyes of the World. I hope you'll enjoy it.. Grateful Dead Winterland San Francisco, CA 10/16/74 Wharf Rat > Space >Eyes Of The Wor...

This week a new soundboard release of the first of the five "retirement" shows from the Winterland from October of 1974. These justly famous shows were of course immortalized on "The Grateful Dead Movie" but deserve to be enjoyed individually as much as possible. Phil's spectacular playing more than makes up for Donna's occasional off-key wailing ;). Grateful Dead Winterland Arena San Francisco, C...

This week I'm trying something crazy - this week's Deadpod is an entire, complete show from 1976. This is a *huge* file folks, and I hope that you are all able to listen to this and enjoy this really unique show. I'm doing this as a favor to one of the friends of the Deadpod who is running in this weekend's NYC Marathon, and hoped to get to hear a complete show. I've also had requests for a mid-70...