What was you're favorite dead show and why?

Oxford, ME '88 was one of the better weekends of my life.

Lots of runner ups :)

I like to hear a good Bucket opener. 

Some good ones in here. 

The Terrapin night, Hampton 87. Why? They were on fire that night. It may have been the single "best played" show I ever saw.

Deer Creek 89. Why? Although the music wasn't spectacular (it as really good), there were about 100 other things about that show that made it one of my top two.

7/19/87 

They played the Addams Family theme.

Probably Copps second night spring '90; it was a great sing-a-long, and, of course, the playing was amazing. 

I'll never forget the entire Copps Coliseum singing Roses along with the band. To me, that's one of the quintessential Dead songs, and it was a stunning moment. 

Of course the Scarlet> Fire is legend, but I can still remember exactly how amazing that transition was, perfect. 

Believe It Or Not was nice that night too. 

It's too bad that Brent blew the second verse of Hey Jude, but I thought the magic was there anyway because Brent made up for it during Fantasy> Jude Finale. 

And that Baby Blue. Wow. 

Not my number 1 favorite but in the top 5.

reason: 1st set Darkstar>elspaso>DS

https://archive.org/details/gd71-11-15.sbd.cotsman.12438.sbeok.shnf

{{{ratskrad}}}

listening ? i love 6/10/73 RFK

Bonner Springs Kansas July 4th 1990

It was not the best played show, but the whole experience of being there was unbelievable 

sorry albany my list is small oh well............

Probably Cedar Falls, IA. Dicks Picks 18. My then bother-in-law's company had the cleaning and concessions contracts for the Unidome. We drove out from Denver. He took me in early for sound check. I was on the rail. Great time.

my last one... because it was all finally over... at least i thought, then came all the off shoots etc..... i tried going punk rock, or metal,  but i got sucked back in... gawd...

attended would be 3/31 & 4/1 91 greensboro. hard to say overall in terms of just listening to a show.

Tough call. 

Englishtown 77

William and Mary 78 was big fun.

Radio City run was awesome. 

Phil's Earthquake show in Hartford 82

Merriweather 83

Santa Fe  83

7.13.84 Greek 

Those were some standouts. 

For outdoor sunshine meltdown, I'd say Laguna Seca, Monterey CA 1988

For East Coast energy and cohesiveness, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton ONT 1990

Phils earthquake

Oxford, Maine

First Saratoga 

Day tripper Portland, Maine

The Midwest shows that I went to had tons of energy. 

It's hard to say which ONE was my "favorite", there were so many.

Without thinking about it too much I'd put at the very top 2/17/79, 12/31/78, 2/17/82, 9/19/90 & 9/11/81, all for different reasons.

If I had to choose just one of those to be able to go back and re-live I'd probably say 12/31/78, but I still can't say that's my favorite all-time GD show.

Now, after thinking a bit about what "favorite" really means to me I guess I would pick 9/11/81, because everything was just exactly perfect that night. Beyond the brilliant music and the good friends and the party from that night, there really was nothing quite like seeing an outstanding Grateful Dead show at the Greek Theatre, and because that was the first true GD show at that venue there is still a sense of awe from that particular show that I felt that night and that continues to reverberate with me to this day.

As for the music on it's own, it's a great show from start to finish but if you just listen to The Other One> Morning Dew you'll get an idea of how good a show it was.

https://archive.org/details/gd1981-09-11.nak700.anon-poris-severson.LMPP...

Warlocks 89 also

All of them up to  1990... Then it was never the same... 

Halloween 1980 with my wife and a bottle of the 300mic drops that Fredo made. Walking out into times square on five of those on Halloween will leave a memory burned forever in your grey matter. So would a three set Show acoustic included. That Fire out of space wow...... still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

 Fuck I saw so many AMAZING shows I can't pick one I was at like six dicks picks.........

Lucky to be at 10/9/89. I wasn't supposed to go and friends convinced me. Didn't have a ticket for that night and the friends I was with gave me the ticket he bought for his mom because he knew the show would too special for someone going for their first time. It was the only time I saw everyone just stand there and cheer for what seemed like 15 minutes after the lights came on with no expectation of them coming back out just all happy to have been part of it. 

That said Day Tripper in Portland is right up there as well, along with a few others.

Lucky to be at 10/9/89. I wasn't supposed to go and friends convinced me. Didn't have a ticket for that night and the friends I was with gave me the ticket he bought for his mom because he knew the show would too special for someone going for their first time. It was the only time I saw everyone just stand there and cheer for what seemed like 15 minutes after the lights came on with no expectation of them coming back out just all happy to have been part of it. 

That said Day Tripper in Portland is right up there as well, along with a few others.

  Ummm Catch , I think we need to talk off line...

That's awesome Catch! Have you seen yourself in Dead Ahead?

So awesome I made a double post. LOL

Tough one.

Roch. War Memorial 11-7-85

Kingswood '84.

Red Rocks '87, the China/Rider night

HJ Kaiser 12/86. Scarlet/Fire

just saw a friend (who is a bit older than me), after seeing this thread,

and asked him. He had a one word reply:

"EGYPT!!!"

That fucker.

I had a close friend (now passed on unfortunately) that went to Egypt. Those stories always made me REALLY jealous. 

If I'm only naming one, it would probably be Veneta 8/28/82. Sunny day (too hot, but okay) great openers, and GD in fine form. Couple of first-time played songs and just a really nice time.

Orlando '91

Atlanta>Chapel Hill '93

Chicago '94

orlando 91.... man that was a porch burner..... very few people give that show props, but wow, wow, wow.....

i halloucinated that jerry was in a rocking chair the whole show, man we had sweet seats.....

Lance, that Greek show was my first California show. I was on the rail in front of Phil -  thanks to some kind folks I had met on the Northwest leg a month earlier. That MacArthur Court show was pretty epic as well. 

9-13-93 has a smokin bucket

12/28/91 my first cali show with my brother on the floor sat night opener with the reprise to close it out and the same thing bust out

3/10/81. Best first set I ever saw and the second set alternated double shots from Jerry and Bob throughout the set. My favorite Scarlet>Fire and the Wheel>China Doll out of space was Sublime.

Damn fine list Highnote.

Highnote

Stringtwang on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 – 06:27 pm

Englishtown 77

William and Mary 78 was big fun.

Radio City run was awesome. 

Phil's Earthquake show in Hartford 82

Merriweather 83

Santa Fe  83

7.13.84 Greek 

Those were some standouts. 

9/6/80   Lewiston State Fairgrounds, Lewiston ME

Playing > UJB > drums > space > NFA > The Wheel > UJB > Playing > Sugar Mag was pretty intense.

Don't really have a favorite

Slacker, here's a bucket opener and a great show.

Hell In A Bucket, Iko Iko, Little Red Rooster, Ramble On Rose, Memphis Blues, Loser, Let It Grow-> Blow Away Box Of Rain, Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain-> Scarlet Begonias, Estimated Prophet-> Standing On the Moon, Drums-> Jam-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat-> Turn On Your Love Light, E: Knockin' On Heaven's Door

https://archive.org/details/gd89-07-07.aud.wiley.7855.sbeok.shnf

^If I had to pick one, I'd go with JFK '89. An amazing day & fantastic show. I'm so glad they put it out on video. Other than the heat, everything about the day was memorable before, during & after.

Hershey Park '85 was another very memorable time & probably the best Morning Dew from a show I attended.

Fall of 89 was a good time to be a head

3/24/90 Knickerbocker Arena in Albany,NY was the first show I saw with my girlfriend (now wife of 21 years).

We were about 25 rows back on the floor in the Phil Zone.

LTGTR > Help > Slip > Franklin's to open a smoking 3 night stand.

By the time they played Brokedown Palace on night 3 I knew she was the one I would be with the rest of my life.

Long live the Grateful Dead!

these "favorite show" threads make me wish i had more of a cap on alcohol consumption during the 80's.

i was at tons of east coast shows during this period but have only sparse memories.

Raven show sobered me up and found a place in my long term memory.

back to back stephens MSG and Hartford. Spectum was always a grand time but that had more to do with alcohol consumption if i recall.............

oxford was fun and so hot outside excessive drinking was not even safe so a hazy memory exists.

terrible

A Phil or DSO recreation show might help you, Eddie.

My favorite singular show may very well be 9/14/82 University of Virginia.

Grateful friends were made. Great pre-show volleyball game: Heads vs. SGA, then Heads vs. Roadies.

A beautiful day and the band literally played a perfect show.

Just about every post after my initial one makes me realize why I try not to pick just one. Fall tour '89, Knickerbocker & the rest of Spring Tour 1990 etc. All fantastic times!

Eddie, I missed that St. Stephen @ the Garden by one night. Made the mistake of skipping it because I had a test at school the next day. Went to the 10/12 show & everyone was still glowing from the night before. A very good show also, but still wish I caught that St. Stephen. Never made that mistake again. 

Just about every post after my initial one makes me realize why I try not to pick just one. Fall tour '89, Knickerbocker & the rest of Spring Tour 1990 etc. All fantastic times!

Eddie, I missed that St. Stephen @ the Garden by one night. Made the mistake of skipping it because I had a test at school the next day. Went to the 10/12 show & everyone was still glowing from the night before. A very good show also, but still wish I caught that St. Stephen. Never made that mistake again. 

>> Egypt!! <<

>>That fucker <<

I'll 2nd that.

My very first cherry pop:

Radio City Music Hall on 1980-10-25

Deep Elem Blues, The Race is On, I've Been All Around This World, El Paso, To Lay Me Down, Monkey & The Engineer, Bird Song, Heaven Help The Fool, Dire Wolf-> Ripple

Mississippi Half Step-> Franklin's Tower, Me & My Uncle, Big River, High Time, Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, Looks Like Rain, Deal

Cold Rain & Snow-> Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance-> Uncle John's Band-> Playin' In The Band-> Drums-> The Other One-> Black Peter-> Around & Around-> One More Saturday Night,

E: U.S. Blues

This experience made me want to be both and acoustic and electric musician and I've been pursuing that muse since this moment at Radio City.

The show I always seem to go back to is Kingswood 87. Sooo many stories and memories. Narrowing escaping the border crossing after getting pulled over at customs. The amusement park filled with deadheads and tie-dies everywhere. The show was great, nice 11 song first set and crazy second set with Healy swirling sounds all over the place. The crazy dark jam after Eyes into a wild drums with what sounded like a chainsaw to my ears. China Doll !!! The drive back to the hotel which took as past the airport runways, still dosed to the gills, with the runway lights everywhere was surreal. What a great day!

https://archive.org/details/gd1987-06-30.sbd-mtx.hinko.tetzeli.34404.sbe...

Set 1

Touch Of Grey ->
Greatest Story Ever Told
Loser
New Minglewood Blues
Candyman
Far From Me
Mama Tried ->
Big River
Ramble On Rose
When I Paint My Masterpiece ->
Don't Ease Me In

Set 2

Scarlet Begonias ->
Fire On The Mountain
Estimated Prophet ->
Eyes Of The World ->
Jam ->
Drums ->
Space ->
The Other One ->
China Doll ->
Dear Mr. Fantasy ->
Around And Around ->
Good Lovin'

Encore
Box Of Rain

Forgot to mention it was also my favorite Estimated ever... check out Bobby's vocals all swirled and warped out ... Say No!   

That Kingswood show was fun. Definitely crazy times at the border. I took the Amtrak from NYC to Toronto, and they hauled my ass off the train to search me. It held up the train for over an hour, and I got some nasty looks when Border Patrol escorted me back to my seat.

It was Canada Day weekend and the park was packed. Heads made up such a small demographic. The Canooks thought that we were a park attraction. The sweet smell of black hash everywhere, too!

Catch...We were at a bunch of the same shows...my first being 6/10/73 and bunch of great 77's spring and fall. A bunch n 78 as well. Drove x country to see my first Cali shows...Egypt with love WInterland. Last good show I saw was 8-16-91...What a long strange trip it's been. I'll go with 11-4-77 as the most fun due to a confluence of factors...

Actually in retrospect - aside from my first, I think the most fun I ever had at a show had to be Calaveras in August of '87.

It easily wins for my greatest GD weekend ever.

2 days of bliss in the rolling CA foothills with thousands of hard partying heads camping out.

The Shakedown scene was more than mile long with vendors on both sides rolling out to the hinterlands.

Full on aerial sky show with Paragliders, Parasailers and dog-fighting biplanes putting on amazing shows and displays before and between every set.

David Lindley and El Rayo Ex opening with blistering Santana set to follow and a smoking full Dead show with Carlos guesting both days with rarely heard gems at full strength.

6 G Transitions and incredibly potent L around at that time.

I have never felt more like an over-stimulated dog with my ears flapping in the breeze driving home from this intensely pleasing experience.

I was at Calaveras, too.

I thought the music was better at Oxford '88.

Tastes and opinions vary.

I really enjoy listening to those Calaveras shows. The Carlos sit-ins have some great interplay between him & Jerry IMO.

Indeed, Treble.

I had a blast at Calaveras. I thought the 1st show was a bit sluggish, especially the first set until Carlos came out.

This may have been mostly me, since we tripped hard at Park West and the drive to Calveras (and traffic getting in) was a long haul.

2nd night was fantastic.

Oxford Speedway was just pure bliss for me. They came out guns a blazin' in the set 1, and 7/2 second set is one of my best sets ever to witness live.

Not sure which is my favorite, but, whatever it is, it was surely one prior to 1979.

I remember several from 82

5-21-82  Greek

12-28-82  Kaiser

They were peaking a bit around then- IMO

9-12-81 Greek was a hotty also- and being down close that night was superb

But wait -there was 1973 Winterland

and 1974 Winterland- so many choices

05/06/89, my only show at the Frost, stands out for sentimental reasons.  My future wife and I arrived early for an afternoon show (my brother happened to be attending Stanford at the time as well).  Just a beautiful, intimate (at the time) space.  I remember hanging out in the shade of some nice trees with my girlfriend, preshow.  Music was pretty mellow, which felt just right for the time and setting.

There were others that tripped me out more (one of those Irvine '88 shows, Oakland '91 day after New Speedway breakout, and a Long Beach '87 come to mind).  Some of that was related to my extra curricular activity at the time.

I was at many shoes which people regard as their Favorites; Oxford, Lake Placid, Copps Coliseum, Hershey, Merriweather. Hard to pick just one Favorite, but the Red Rocks 1982 run was quite unique, and St. Paul same tour was one of those which found everything working out just exactly perfect.

>05/06/89

Jerrys solo on Ship of Fools is killer. Quintessential afternoon CA Dead show. 

I honestly can't nail down my favorite show. 

Dug out this old photo that I took of Jerry. 9.11.81 Greek.  Might even be Morning Dew. 

Can I change my vote? 

So,  9.12.81. China Rider, shrooming back by the sound board. 

This was when I decided to move West permanently. 

Greek Theater 9.12.81

Shakedown Street
Greatest Story Ever Told
Friend of the Devil
El Paso
Bird Song
Cassidy
Tennessee Jed
Looks Like Rain
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider

Scarlet Begonias
Fire on the Mountain
C.C. Rider
Estimated Prophet
Eyes of the World
drums
Not Fade Away
Wharf Rat
Around and Around
One More Saturday Night

Baby Blue
Good Lovin'

https://archive.org/details/gd1981-09-12.nak700.wagner.miller.105584.flac16

First show i saw was blown away but that was a young mind being exposed to L and LIVE GD, November '79, i was in the 8th grade...selling bootleg T's @ Nassau...got a tik and a tab and went in knowing only radio Dead...head exploded, questioned every single thing i ever was taught in Catholic School, got a seat on the bus and havent looked back - saw a few good early 80's Red Rock runs while i was in HS out there but the Miami 89 run, especially night 2 stands out for me the most...anytime i put that show on i get goose bumps

Peace

That one at the Kaiser.  11-21-85.  or  with the  Neville Brothers sitting in, 2-12-86.

Goose bumps...^^ gotta love it when music gives you a physical reaction....doesnt matter where i am, if im with my son, and box of rain comes on.?...Luke will look at me and say "let me see your arm"...and , of course, to oblige, ill have to roll up sleeves or just pass him my arm to show him the BUMPS....never fails

MSG 09/18/90

Set 1

Mississippi Half Step, Minglewood Blues, Loser, Picasso Moon, Row Jimmy, Desolation Row, To Lay Me Down, Promised Land

Set 2

Eyes Of The World-> Estimated Prophet-> Foolish Heart-> Drums-> Jam-> The Other One-> The Wheel-> Sugar Magnolia, E: Knockin' On Heaven's Door

I like Jerry with the 9/11/81 button shirt. A different look.

My other go to's are 9/18/87 and 3/27/88 offhand.

Wow! This band played for us in our lifetimes. We are more lucky than many!

It is so hard to pick one.  I like to think of consecutive shows, and how well they played, when I think of best experiences or shows.

Copps Coliseum and Knickerbocker Arena on Spring Tour 90 were 5 shows of bliss and long, long, crazy crazy nights.  The people I shared it all with, the level of play...it's hard to top that.

Deer Creek and Alpine Valley Summer of '89.  I took a bunch of friends to their first shows, and the band sealed the deal by delivering 4 wonderful nights of music that drove insanely fun nights of good,  less than clean, but more than fun, times we still talk about today.

UIC Pavilion '87.  Final shows of Jerry's triumphant post coma return to the East, Chicago was host to the last 3 high energy affairs in a very small arena.  UIC  Pavilion felt smaller than Hampton, and the energy of that 2nd night makes me smile a smile that is extra smiley.  My 4th and 5th shows changed me, and cemented my love for this light.

Louisville 1990 was my favorite one off experience.  5th row seats between Bobby and Phil.  The band was rippin it up, the crowd was eatin it up, and x factor liftoff was definitely achieved.  From Ramble on Rose on...mmm mmm good.  We had cut the ties holding the chairs together throughout the first set, and stacked them in 2 stacks in our area at the start of the 2nd set creating a great little boogie spot that we took great advantage of throughout that great grateful dead set of magic.

^ yeah man, that He's Gone>KY Jam is the shit! X-factor indeed

>>>9.12.81. China Rider<<<

Yeah, that's some pretty primal Grateful Dead there.

And Highnote, that shot is really from 9/11/81?

I love it.

Jerry was so...  Jerry Garcia... that night.

He sang so brilliantly that night.

And his guitar, well...

Ah memories.

BTW, another person involved in the Bay Area Grateful Dead world passed yesterday.

Always remember to enjoy every moment.

Carry on.

Nancy, I also really enjoyed both of those Kaiser shows.

>>>That one at the Kaiser.  11-21-85<<<

Could be?

If not exactly it's close.

Good shows for that era.

I'm not big on detail

cal expo in 93 was where my soul fellout into fullout dancing like never before

that edie space msg show 

Jerry's last bday shows.  the bittersweetest, without knowing why at the time 

also my first China Cat show in Albany 90

I can't believe I forgot Spring Tour '89.  I did from Pittsburgh to Louisville.  Great shows, great energy, a great time in my life, great memories from start to end.

9/15/85-Chula Vista-

beautiful sunny day in San Diego area, cushy grass under my barefeet,  great friends and a second set with an hour (okay 53-minutes) pre-drums

Set 1

Alabama Getaway>Promised Land

West LA Fadeaway

Mama Tried>Mexicali Blues

Dupree's Diamond Blues

Smokestack Lightning

Deal

Set 2

Twilight Zone space>Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain

Samson and Delilah

She Belongs to Me

Truckin

Comes a Time

Around and Around

Drums>Space>US Blues>Satisfaction

E: Brokedown Palace

Lance, that Jerry pic is definitely 9.11.81 - I didn't bring a camera to any other shows other than that Greek Theater run that I can recall. The Friday show was the only one that I was on the rail. No big lens, just a 35mm film camera. 

Only saw the Pittsburgh shows on that '89 Spring Tour, but they were fun, minus of course the obvious problems outside,. Kind of a bleak outlook on where the scene was headed by that point.

Here's the top 3 that came to my mind when I first saw this thread...10/9/89 is not included even though it should be.  There was a special current inside that place that night and it deserves mention (because of the second set) but since it's already been talked about, I don't feel guilty about it.  It's a difficult exercise due to all the magic that I saw up and down both coasts and in the Midwest and some of the South.  Feels like so many supernatural moments which contained so much power and so much glory are being thrown to the wolves but, such is life. 

07/06/84
Alpine Valley

Set 1:
Iko Iko
Jack Straw
Big Railroad Blues
Little Red Rooster
Candyman
Me And My Uncle
Mexicali Blues
Bird Song
Let It Grow

Set 2:
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Ship Of Fools
Man Smart-Woman Smarter
Drums
Dear Mr. Fantasy
The Other One
Black Peter
Why Don't We Do It In The Road
Around Jam
Sugar Magnolia

Encore:
Touch Of Grey

Alpine Valley was a special place in the Midwest for a lot of us.  They really rocked it this night--the post space is something.  For some, the Mr. Fantasy was a biblical kind of thing.

09/18/87
Madison Square Garden

Set 1:
Hell In A Bucket
Sugaree
Walkin' Blues
Candyman
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Bird Song

Set 2:
Shakedown Street
Man Smart-Woman Smarter
Terrapin Station
Drums
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
All Along The Watchtower
Morning Dew
Good Lovin'
La Bamba
Good Lovin'

Encore:
Knockin' On Heaven's Door

This show is famous as all get out--everyone knows it up and down.  Most also know from experience that the building MSG and the man Jerry Garcia made for some special meetings of greatness--this was one of them.  Majestic versions of Sugaree, Birdsong, Watchtower, Morning Dew, Heaven's Door--all time stuff in terms of the modern world of the Grateful Dead.  When Garcia belted out "Soy Capitan" in only the way he could, the building itself came unglued because of the rapture within it--honest to goodness genuine abandon.  No one will ever forget the way he sang the penultimate 'Guess it doesn't matter' line and the reaction to that kind of emotion. That moment is captured on tape pretty magnificently thanks to Rob Eaton but to be witness to it was a different story. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwvtQnIOkYc

03/27/88
Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA

Set 1:
Iko Iko
Little Red Rooster
Stagger Lee
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Cumberland Blues
Me And My Uncle
To Lay Me Down
Let It Grow

Set 2:
Sugar Magnolia
Scarlet Begonias
Fire On The Mountain
Estimated Prophet
Eyes Of The World
Drums
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
I Need A Miracle
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Sunshine Daydream

Encore:
U.S. Blues

I needed that Garcia post-space ballad like I need my wife's face.  The show just isn't worth as much if it's missing.  But this one had the To Lay breakout that changed the landscape of many lives who were inside that place.  The vocals are as good as anything ever sung--if felt like his life and the lives of everyone inside that treasured East Coast venue were hanging in the balance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKgV1JuXyw8

That is the reason this post-space balladless show gets included.  It shreds from the first note of Iko to the last note of US Blues--not every great show has to do this but this one does (as did the MSG before it).

High note I'm with you since the Radko City shoes, might add Portland 9 17 82 to the list oh and Ventura 84? 85  Frosts.... all of em ,  Telluride, but My favorite was the shitiest show ever, Boreal 84 got to the parking lot with a newbie gf kinda that was as hot as the place... ate a gargantuesque handful of boomers passed around a joint between 10 er so friends,, it just kept getting bigger Probably the best I ever had,, almost didnt go in tooo hi... cool clear water well you cant ever tell saved my ass' made love in the hills , yeah my favorite.....wbat d they play? Who da fuck cares?..

I feel differently and would like to change my pick to 10/29/80 Radio City or 12/31/82.

>>>It's too bad that Brent blew the second verse of Hey Jude, but I thought the magic was there anyway because Brent made up for it during Fantasy> Jude Finale. 

Are you kidding?  He made up for it starting with the 'Don't let me down' verse.

He sang the rest of that song so powerfully it was breathtaking.  It literally took our breath!

Maybe it didn't make up for the fuck-up, but jesus, the fact that anyone can sing like THAT is pretty fucking cool.

Reminiscent of the otherworldly Red Rocks 9/7/85 Jude Reprise.

Boston Music Hall 12/2/73.

Watkins Glen was probably more fun, just cause there were two other notable bands, but in terms of quality of the music played, this Music Hall shoe was breathtaking.  

I could think of a few other shoes that were good, but that Music Hall shoe qualifies as my personal best of the best.   

^^Nice, Dave.  Some extraordinary stuff was laid down on you guys that night.  One of my all time favorite pieces of improvisation after that Playin.

I'm guessing some worm holes opened up in that place--glad you made it back. 

It's hard to wrap one's head around a single set that has a Rat, Stella and Dew.

GD 5/13/77

https://archive.org/details/gd1977-05-13.sbd.unknown.6690.sbeok.shnf

Set 1

The Music Never Stopped
Ramble On Rose
Cassidy
Brown Eyed Women
New Minglewood Blues
Friend Of The Devil
El Paso
Jack-A-Roe
Looks Like Rain
Scarlet Begonias ->
Fire On The Mountain

Set 2

Samson And Delilah ->
Bertha
Estimated Prophet ->
Drums ->
The Other One ->
Stella Blue ->
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad ->
One More Saturday Night

Encore
U.S. Blues

---------------------------------------------------------------

This show gets overlooked due to the other dates around it that are well known. Just come from Yosemite climbing for months and I come home and bro says the GD are playing tomorrow and I have tickets for you. My brother is having a huge party at our house for the dead shows when I arrive home from Yosemite and my parents are out of town..

Had not slept for 36 hours on the drive home from yosemite and was tired. Slept for a day got up and go to these shows. I was on the floor at this almost perfect sounding aud. Had seen the GD before though never like this. Every song just was well played. Like not sure they could play much better. One of the best first sets I have seen and it ends wtih Scarlet > Fire. Also could not believe the band could go from diminuendo to crescendos so easily. I really liked the opener song TMNS though that friend of the devil just does it for me. The stella blue just blew me away had never heard that song before and could not believe Jerry could sing it that well. I will never forget this show.

I remember thinking how could a band play this well?

Your, not youre

>>>Highnote

Stringtwang on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 – 06:27 pm

Englishtown 77

William and Mary 78 was big fun.

Radio City run was awesome. 

Phil's Earthquake show in Hartford 82

Merriweather 83

Santa Fe  83

7.13.84 Greek 

Those were some standouts. 

_______________________________________

Boy, are they ever...

listened to Wm & Mary today on way to work...NFA>Dew...amazing.

I would add:

Nassau 5/6/81 for the GDTRFB alone....Jerry, Bob, and Phil just jump to a magic spot...

Rochester 11/5/77 for the Sugar Mag

I'd have to go w/my 1st 2 shows, 8/5/74 & 6/22/76 (& to a slightly lesser extent my 3rd - 4/22/77), even tho @ the time I was young, inexperienced, & didn't really know how GRATE it really was (but I did really LOVE it @ the time).  Until I got a few years older & started seeing shows regularly, still trying, like a junkie trying to regain that 1st really intense buzz, to futile-ly chase the magic of those 1st 2/3 shows did I become the jaded cynic I've been ever since.  As far as in era's where I've been fully AWARE of what I was seeing (say, post 1977), my fave would have to be 10/9/89, probably followed by the 3 shows I saw w/Branford Marsalis (3/29/90, 9/10/91, 12/31/90), then maybe 9/26/91, 4/17/83, 9/16/90, 9/20/90 (yeah you get the picture I like deep dark jazz psychedelia).

Oh I forgot 9/6/80, how could I forget that one?  Only UJB reprise I ever caught . . .

I'd also have to nominate Buffalo as the city with the highest percentage of Awesome shows (3 for 3) in my relatively early showgoing days (1/20/79, 11/9/79, & 9/26/81)

9/26/81 was a blast indeed!

Probably no cross talk in terms of shows mentioned like in AA/NA would be appropriate but not sure how 9/26/81 right after 3/29/90.
 

I know you said the bit about psychedelia but still....that show deserves better.

End of cross talk. 

Cant pick one, but here are some standouts:

1. Hampton 86... Box break out...

2. Hampton 89.... Need I say more??? 

3. New Years 85-91..... All were amazing.....

4. Fall tour 87, Providence and MSG.... Devil>Molly>Devil by Brent.. La Bamba>Good Lovin> La Bamba.. Drumz...

5. 12/27/83..... First Back Stage show... 12 years old.....

6. Feb. 89 Forum with Dylan on Sunday on the rail.....

7. Frost 88...Black Peter comes to mind.....

8. Pittsburgh 88..... After 10 days of dusty hot in Alpine and Buckeye... An indoor AC show doing mop ups.....

9. Haloween 91... Kesey Space... 

10. Bill Graham Memorial... Rail center.... There with Charlie Miller... It was his birthday...

11. Calaveras County 87 with Santana

12. The whole Europe 90 tour......

Shit, they were all the best.... But those were my favs off the top of my head.....

>>>>>>> not sure how 9/26/81 right after 3/29/90.

That was 9/26/91 not 81, so now you are even more offended.  Sorry but as Magical as 9/26/81 was (the Jerry lead run @ the very beginning of GDRFB, Jerry blowing Bobby's attempt to bring the NFA reprise back via a huge sustained wall of feedback that drops SOOOOO Majestically into the Dew, that confused trainwreck 1st instrumental break of the Dew that completely & perfectly lands on it's feet @ the conclusion), it still won't make any Top 10 list of mine, as the energy was just not that "solid", it was more "etheral";  Good but not worthy of Top 10.  If I was gonna list an '81 shoe in my Top 10 it would be 12/5/81, now THAT was a Rager!

I'll run this by the Buckey/Keyshawn Axis, they attended both of those '81 shoes . . .

>>>That was 9/26/91 not 81, so now you are even more offended. 

I had some stupid typos.  Yeah, I think the Buffalo 9/26/81 show goes right after the 3/29/90 show on your list...but it's your top ten, not mine.

We all have different things that get us off regarding Garcia and company.  9/19/91 and 9/26/91 and 9/16/90 are all great and all (and I happened to be at all of those) but they all are looking up to 9/26/81 from a decent distance...at least in my book.

I'm not trying to change your mind cause that'd be stupid, this is your book...I'm just standing up a bit for Buffalo 81 is all. 

Rochester War Memorial always seemed, how should I say it.....raw....Giants stadium 78 during the day was rather brilliant, I keep coming back to that in my brain