The Deadpod

Here is the second set from the Grateful Dead's performance at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on January 25, 1993.  They start with a nice uptempo 'China Cat Sunflower->I Know Your Rider', which gets things off to a very good start. Sadly that tempo is halted with the following 'Way To Go Home'. They then go into another new tune at the time 'Corrina' which however has the virtue of providing an inter...

This week's Deadpod features a nice later day show from January 25, 1993 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. This one opens with a fine 'Shakedown Street' - always a good omen, and I think the rest of the set is quite nicely played as well. 'The Same Thing' makes an appearance, as does a relatively rare 'Loose Lucy'. One of the highlights has to be a wonderful version of 'Maggie's Farm' - I always enjo...

This week's Deadpod returns for the second set of the band's performance at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on December 27th, 1989.  Clarence Clemmons makes a surprise appearance on the opening Iko, Iko and adds a great touch here as the band gets the crowd wound up for what is a fine second set. A spacey 'Playin' In the Band' follows - with some extraterrestrial exploration before going into a lovely...

We're going to closeout our Deadpods for 2023, with this beauty from the New Years Eve run of 1989 .. this one is from December 27, 1989 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.  This first set has some great rocking going on, as is evident from the opening 'Cold Rain and Snow' and 'Greatest Story Ever Told'. Brent supplies 'Never Trust a  Woman' aka 'Good Time Blues'. then we have a fine 'Althea' before a...

This week's Deadpod features the conclusion of the band's performance at McNichols Arena in Denver Colorado on December 14, 1990.  This is a fine, professional performance... starts out with a relatively new song, 'Victim or the Crime', then flows into an uptempo 'Foolish Heart', then 'Man Smart, Woman Smarter'..  The He's Gone that follows flows nicely into a particularly interesting Drums and Sp...

From what I think is the last strongest year of the Grateful Dead, this week's Deadpod comes to us from Denver Colorado on December 14, 1990. This was the last show of a three show run at the old McNichols Arena there, and is a fine culmination of what was a very strong run (you can go back in the Deadpod archives to hear the previous two shows).  There is no Bruce Hornsby this evening, and Vince...

This week we conclude our presentation of the band's performance at the Warfield in San Francisco back on September 26,1980.  This third set starts with Scarlet>Fire and while it is a worthwhile listen the real fire breaks out on the 'Estimated Prophet' that follows.. some great Garcia/Weir interplay and the entire band is cooking here. The 'Eyes of the World' that follows is a bit fast for my tas...

Because I didn't want to orphan the rest of this show, and because it is a fine recording and a good show, I'm going to bring you the rest of the performance we started last week from the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on September 26,1980. This is a fine electric set, with many classic numbers, if not a huge amount of jamming.  The opening 'Feel Like a Stranger' features some interesting Brent...

Happy Thanksgiving!  As always here on the Deadpod, I'm publishing this holiday edition on Thanksgiving day for you to enjoy sometime during your festivities, if you like. As is also the tradition on the Deadpod, this is an acoustic show, and I've managed to find a really beautiful acoustic set for this year, coming to us from September 26, 1980 at the Warfield in San Francisco.  This one starts w...

This week the Deadpod travels to the East Coast for a show that took place around 2 months after last week's show. This is the early show from the Fillmore East in NYC on January 2, 1970. This is quite a nice tape, don't let the few seconds at the beginning fool you.  The 'Mason's Children' opener is a good representation of this somewhat odd song. 'Black Peter' is quite extended, much more than u...

This week's Deadpod contains part two of the band's performance at the Fillmore in San Francisco on November 7, 1969.  Hyper-energetic, this one contains loads of frantic jamming and amazing soaring guitar work by Garcia and Lesh. After a fairly short China>Rider, they go into a deep exploration with 'Dark Star' which goes into an unusual 'Uncle John's Jam', then back out with Lesh leading the cha...

For this week's Deadpod we go back to 1969 for a show at the Fillmore in San Francisco that took place on November 7, 1969.  I'm going to play this music in two parts, although it is unclear whether there were really one set or two.. part one opens with a powerful 'Morning Dew' - Jerry really brings it at the end of this one!  Pigpen follows with a classic 'Hard To Handle' - so great to listen to...

This week's Deadpod features the second set from the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta Georgia on October 29, 1985.  They come out strong with a fine version of 'Mississippi Half-Step' into 'Franklin's Tower' - lots of energy and interplay here, and the first Franklin's not out of Slipknot since '83. . This then goes into a very good 'Sailor>Saint' .. one of the last five times they would ever play...

This week's Deadpod takes us to the Fabulous Fox theater in Atlana Georgia for the boy's performance on October 29, 1985.  We have an energetic first set, out of the gate with a fine 'Feel Like a Stranger', the 'Friend of the Devil' that follows is very good, Jerry is in excellent voice for this period, much better than many nights during '85. I love how Brent sounds here, personally. I quite enjo...

 It's Friday the 13th, but I hope you'll feel lucky to listen to this fine second set from October 18, 1978.  The second night of the 'From Egypt with Love' run at Winterland, this set features some very strong Drums and Space, highlighted by a guest appearance from Lee Oskar, giving it a decided Egyptian feel. While Jerry flubs the lyrics to 'Terrapin Station' a fine 'Samson and Delilah' more tha...

This week on the Deadpod I've decided to feature the second night from the historic 'From Egypt With Love' run at the Winterland in October of 1978. While the opening 'Sugaree' is patched for about the first minute, don't let that dissuade you this one- the sound is crystal clear throughout afterwards, and the band is listening to each other and the result is a dynamic, lovely evening of music.  D...

This week we continue with the second set from the first night of the band's historic 9 night run at Madison Square Garden in September 1990.  This set sparkles with some excellent Garcia leads throughout, starting with the Scarlet, but Jerry soars in the transition to Fire and in the solos there. The set includes not only a nice jammed out 'Truckin' but a sweet 'Terrapin Station' all before drums...

This week I've decided to feature the first show of the historic 9-show run at Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 14, 1990. This was without Bruce Hornsby, who didn't make his appearance with the band until the following night; nevertheless this is a fine show, with the band displaying lots of energy  and enthusiasm as they return to the Garden for this nice long run of shows.  Ea...

A massive second set of classic Grateful Dead for your listening pleasure this week on the Deadpod. We present the second set from September 9, 1972 at the Hollywood Palladium.  There is a whole lot of beautiful music here, starting with a fine China>Rider with a great transition. The 'Friend of the Devil' is nicely done, and its nice to hear the faster original tempo. I also welcome hearing the f...

The Fall of 1972 was an interesting transitional period for the Grateful Dead. They began to explore longer shows with more exploratory jamming. This week's Deadpod, from September 9th of that year, showcases some of these changes. In this week's first set, we have plenty of classic songs, as well as some intense jamming. Some of the highlights for me include the sweet 'Sugaree', 'Bird Song' and K...

We continue this week with the second set form the band's performance at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View CA. on August 25, 1993.  This is a fine setlist - highlighted by some outstanding work by Garcia especially during the transitions between songs. A Scarlet>Fire opens things up and Jerry gives us some remarkable work during the transition and in the opening solo of Fire.  'Estimated...

 I've had some requests for later day concerts, so here is a good one that is only 30 years old ;)  This was the first night of a three day run at Shoreline, and the band sounds as though they are happy to be there and playing well together! This is a fine recording as well, with only a few minor glitches. The first set has plenty of energy throughout, and while it is marred, in my opinion only wi...

We continue this week with the concluding set from the band's performance on July 25, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois.  Things start out with a standalone 'Scarlet Begonias', including some very nice guitar work from Jerry, then they go into a really rockin' 'Big River.  A sweet Roses follows with Jerry in good voice. Following 'Jack Straw' they go into one of the few '74 Dark Stars - this one quite cos...

Another great show from the summer of 1974 is up on the Deadpod this week, this one from July 25 in Chicago. This first set features 13 (!) songs - and sadly the opening 'Me & My Uncle' doesn't exist in listenable format! This set is typical tight, jazzy Dead of the period. Some of the highlights for me are Keith on  'Brown Eyed Women', a wonderful 'Row Jimmy', and the roaring 'Let It Grow'.  I'll...

  A torrential rain accompanied the opening 'Box of Rain' on this second set of the band's performance in Washington DC on July 12, 1990.  While the rain doesn't dampen spirits, they do go into a 'Victim or the Crime'. Luckily they follow that with the meat of this second set, a great 'Foolish Heart' into 'Dark Star' and  Drums and Space into 'All Along the Watchtower'. In one of his last great pe...