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Welcome to the weekly newsletter that brings you the most interesting and significant facts from Grateful Dead History, along with reviews of the music for the week ahead! The idea is to give all you Heads a "Heads up" on the interesting and cool stuff the Grateful Dead were up to on this week in history! So tell me what you think!

This week we have Jerry's birthday and the beginning of "the days between". There's a lot of really great music to cover this week. Here's the highlights for Issue 27, for the week of July 29th, 2024, so check it out:

Happy birthday Jerry and Rock Scully (8/1)
First "To Lay Me Down", "Sugaree", "Mr. Charlie", "Althea", "Lost Sailor"
Owsley Stanley prison benefit concert

July 29th

7/29/74 Capital Center, Landover, MD - an excellent Wall of Sound show with lots of great moments. 1st set highlights include "Black Throated Wind", "Cumberland Blues", and an incredible "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow" which is a Jam Anthem version. The second set features some nice jamming highlights, including "He's Gone > Truckin' > Nobody's Fault > Other One > Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat".
7/29/82 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO - The 3rd of a 3 show run at Red Rocks. This is was the best of the bunch. The band is totally on fire, there aren't really any bad notes. 1st set highlights are "Minglewood > Friend Of The Devil", "Cassidy", "Loser", "Looks Like Rain > Might As Well". 2nd set highlights are "Cold Rain & Snow > Samson", "Crazy Fingers", and the post-D/S "Other One > GDTRFB > Wharf Rat" segment.
7/29/88 Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, CA - The 1st of a 3-show run. A very good show featuring some tight jamming and good energy and passion. The fist set isn't as powerful as the second but is still quite good. Highlights are "Iko", and "Cassidy > Deal". The entire second set is outstanding. Highlights are the only-time-ever played combination of "China Cat > Crazy Fingers > I Know You Rider > Playing". There's a very minor hiccup in the transition from "China Cat" into "Crazy Fingers" but given the odd pairing, I have to give them big props for the attempt. They recover in a split second and the rest of the song is beautiful. The transition from "Crazy Fingers" into "I Know You Rider" is much smoother and they play it like they've played it a hundred times before. Pretty cool and unusual, and I love that.
7/29/94 Buckeye Lake Music Center, Hebron, OH - I was at this show, and I thought the band played really well. I went with some friends from college, but we were home in the Cleveland area for the summer break, so we had to make the drive south down I-71 on the day of the show. At the time, I-71 was being widened from 4 lanes (2 on each side) to 3 lanes, but large sections of it weren't completed yet. So about an hour into our drive we hit gridlock traffic and were crawling for about another hour. A drive that should only take 2.5 hours took us about 3.5. So, needless to say the traffic made us miss Traffic, the opening band. How appropriate, I guess. The weather didn't exactly cooperate either, and by the time we got there and were walking from the massive field parking lot into the venue, the sky opened up and a major thunderstorm rolled through. There's really no structures (other than the stage) at Buckeye Lake to take refuge in, so people were just struggling through the rain and mud. The only good part about the weather was that it delayed the Dead from taking the stage for about 30 minutes, which gave us time to push through the crowd and find an awesome spot down close to the stage. People were putting up makeshift rain covers with tarps, and doing their best to stay dry, which was pretty much impossible. The wind calmed down enough for the band to take the stage, but there was still a very heavy downpour through the first set. They open with a perfect version of "Rain", and of course the place went crazy. "Rain, I don't mind. Shine, the weather's fine". This would be the 3rd of only 3 times "Rain" was played to open the first set. Other first set highlights are a nice strong versions of "Stranger" and "Bertha" that follow. The "Deal" that closes the fist set is the best one of the year in my opinion. They absolutely blow the roof off the place! 2nd set highlights are "Foolish Heart > I Want To Tell You", "Uncle John's Band > Saint Of Circumstance", "Standing On The Moon > Lovelight", and "Mighty Quinn".

July 30th

7/30/70 Lion's Share, San Anselmo, CA - This was a nice little acoustic set featuring David Nelson. This was a flip from previous NRPS + Grateful Dead shows, where the Dead opened with an acoustic set for NRPS. This is the first performance of "To Lay Me Down", and it's a beautiful, soulful version. "Dire Wolf" is next, and it's a good version. I always preferred acoustic versions of this song. "Candyman" has a nice sway to the beat and is also well played. David Nelson joins for an excellent version of "Rosalie McFall". The mandolin and vocal harmonies are stunning. They finish out the set with some traditional songs - "A Voice From On High", and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". Both with perfect vocal harmonies.
7/30/83 Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, CA - A really good show with tons of energy and passion throughout. 1st set highlights are a monster "China Cat > I Know You Rider" opener, "Brown Eyed Women", "Big RxR Blues", "Cassidy", "Music Never Stopped". 2nd set highlights are "Sugaree", "Playing > China Doll > Jam" and "U.S. Blues" encore.

July 31st

7/31/71 Yale Bowl, Yale University, New Haven, CT - Officially released on Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3 and the Bonus Disc. This entire show is incredible. Lots of energy and passion, paired with tight jamming. 1st set highlights are "Truckin'", "Sugaree", "Big RxR Blues", "Playing", "Dark Star > Bird Song". 2nd set highlights are "Big Boss Man", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Sing Me Back Home", "Sugar Magnolia", "NFA > DGTRFB > Darkness Jam > NFA", "Uncle John's Band > Johnny B. Goode".
7/31/73 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ - 1st of a 2 show run. This is an outstanding show full of energy and classic '73 quality performing. 1st set highlights are "Ramble On Rose" (1st of only 4 times played to open set 1), "Don't Ease" and a monster, explosive and jammed out "Playing" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Promised Land > Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told", and "Truckin' > GDTRFB > Johnny B. Goode" to close it out.
7/31/74 Dillon Stadium Hartford, CT - Officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 2. This is a massive 3-set show with many outstanding moments. 1st set highlights are "Scarlet Begonias", "Row Jimmy", "Jack Straw", "China Cat > I Know You Rider". 2nd set highlights are "Eyes > China Doll", "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow". 3rd set highlights are "Ramble On Rose", "To Lay Me Down", "Truckin' > Mind Left Body Jam > Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat".
7/31/82 Manor Downs, Austin, TX - Officially released on 30 Trips Around The Sun. The band is energized and playing at peak levels throughout the entire show. 1st set highlights are "Candyman", "Bird Song", "Ramble On Rose", "All Over Now", "Brown Eyed Women > Music Never Stopped" and "Deal. 2nd set highlights are a raging "Scarlet > Fire > Estimated > Eyes > Jam" opener., and "Morning Dew" out of "Space".
7/31/88 Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, CA - The 3rd of a 3-show run with some really great moments. 1st set highlights are "Half Step", "Rooster", "West L.A. Fadeaway", "Ramble On Rose", and a beautiful "Bird Song" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Bucket > Foolish Heart > Women Are Smarter > Terrapin" and "Morning Dew".

August 1st Happy Birthday Jerry Garcia (1942) and Rock Scully (1941)

8/1/73 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ - 2nd of a 2 show run. Another outstanding performance with great passion and energy, plus some deep space jamming exploration. 1st set highlights are "Promised Land", "Sugaree", "Bird Song", and "Casey Jones". 2nd set highlights are "Around & Around", "Row Jimmy", "Dark Star > El Paso > Eyes > Morning Dew", "Sugar Magnolia".
8/1/82 Zoo Amphitheater, Oklahoma City, OK - This whole show is outstanding. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw", "They Love Each Other", "C. C. Rider", and "China Cat > I Know You Rider" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Playing > Iko > Playing Jam > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance", and "Wheel > Playing".

August 2nd

8/2/76 Colt Park, Hartford, CT - This excellent show is a turning point for the band in 1976. The band's performance on this show is a departure from the previous '76 shows before it that many people feel are too mellow, relaxed and slow. This show has tons of energy and every song is played with a renewed sense of passion. 1st set highlights are "Half Step", "Deal", "Cassidy", "Big RxR Blues", "Looks Like Rain", "Loser". 2nd set highlights are "Might As Well", "Candyman", "Playing > Wharf Rat > Drums > GDTRFB > Playing", and "Sugar Magnolia" encore.

August 3rd

8/3/69 Family Dog At The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA - Ok, this is a really interesting single set show with an incredibly unique and long jam segment so I'm going to do an extended in-depth breakdown, because it's unlike anything else from this time period that you'll hear, I guarantee it. I used SHNID 137365 to do this review, which is the 24-bit Charlie Miller transfer of the Rob Eaton tape, and sounds the best in my opinion. So first off, they're really causing a ruckus here, and you can tell everyone is having fun. The first couple of songs "Hard To Handle" and "Beat It On Down The Line" (about 30 beats!) are sloppy, but things pick up with a rowdy "Hi-Heel Sneakers". Jerry starts off singing, then some mystery guests storm the stage (someone on sax, violin and maybe electric guitar). "High Time" is almost spooky, and has some interesting twangy guitar accompaniment mixed with Pig's organ and maybe very light and brief pedal steel? Maybe it's just the mix, but the drummers are very aggressive on this version too. "Mama Tried" is next, and because of all the guests on the stage it has a unique sound. There are moments where it borders on sloppy but in a split second they recover and it's good. The best part comes next with the jam segment. It start off with "Dark Star" which is an absolutely incredible 23+ minute version, with, I swear to god, what sounds like a cat purring into a microphone during the first few minutes. That sound is especially noticeable around the 0:36-0:38 second mark, but again around 0:48 - 0:54 second mark of the track but occurs several times after the 1:00 minute mark as well. I'm sure it's a byproduct of some instrument but it's just something that I've never heard before. But I digress. All that is really minor compared to the beautiful, magical sound of when the mystery saxophone player bursts in at around the 2:00 mark. You have to hear it. It gives me chills. After hearing this version, I'm astonished that it took the band over two decades to introduce a saxophone on "Dark Star" with Branford Marsalis. The guest violinist then joins the fun around the 5:00 mark. The song kind of just floats along, very different from their normal performance because of the guests, but then around the 7:00 mark the guests musicians fade away but come back strong around the 10:00 mark, and the structure takes on much more intense, harder playing that builds to a crescendo, then a break back to the main theme of the song and we finally get the first verse around the 12:00 minute mark. The middle part of the song then takes on a similar feel as the first, but the guest are echoing the main "Dark Star" riff, and it's super cool. The band heads into dissonant "Space" sounds, and the guests lock in on that as well. Jerry does some really nice runs up and down the fretboard and Bobby strums along with some cool qualities of syncopation. Around the 16:00 minute mark, the saxophone starts whaling and the intensity builds again. We aren't sure who the sax player is, but they definitely have some jazz style to the playing and it fits perfectly within the song. It all builds and builds, in whales an moans until another break around the 18:45 minute mark, and a return to the main theme of the song, but a little more upbeat. Almost funky now. This continues until about the 21:30 mark and things start to mellow out and we get the second verse. The song floats out gently, as was typical of the time but with the addition of the saxophone following along until fading gradually out with the rest of the band. Damn! It goes down as one of my all-time favorite "Stars". A short but awesome "Alligator" is next, after a few seconds of applause. This time our guest violinist is in the spotlight and adds a nice and unique dimension to the song. It gives it more of a "Bayou" or "Cajun" feel, if that makes any sense. Again, one of my favorite versions just because of what these guest musicians add to the sound. You just never hear these songs performed like this! After a couple of minutes of "Drums", we get a nice "Alligator running around my door" rap by Jerry and Bobby for a minute, then a return to "Drums". That builds into a long (17+ min), rolling, scorching "Other One" full of intense riffs and jams, with the addition of the electric violin. It temporarily moves into a bluesy them, but then snaps back into the main theme of the song for the second verse. The guest sax returns around the 10:00 minute mark for some nice riffs, and again adds a completely unique feel to the song. That causes the intensity to build, and everyone is locked in tight, listening to each other, and playing off of what the other person is doing. Phil is a little light in the mix, but is the center of it all, while the sax goes off in crazy runs, then it's Jerry's turn, then there's a little electric violin, then the organ. Around the 15:30 minute mark things get a little dissonant, then sparse, but with the sax constantly riffing in the back, then building intensity again, which leads straight into a mind-blowing "Caution", with the whole band and guests locked in and just absolutely wailing on their instruments. The tape gets a little weird here with the mix, probably because the sound was so fucking intense. I can imagine someone running to the soundboard to correct the levels because the building was about to collapse. They almost go into a "Space" sequence, but then Phil lights it up with the main "Caution" theme, and the band follows along. At about the 4:00 minute mark the mix starts to come back, but kind of fades in and out the rest of the time which is a little distracting but still listenable. That leads into a "Space", almost "Feedback" territory but doesn't quite develop, and towards the end, around the 16:30 minute mark the guest violinist starts playing what sounds like fast bluegrass riffs. Phil starts to lock in on that for a minute but nothing develops out of it. Crazy stuff. That dissolves straight into "And We Bid You Goodnight". This would definitely be one for the time machine, in my opinion, just to hear that "Dark Star" through the end, and to figure out who these mystery guests are.
8/3/82 Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO. This entire show is outstanding. There are lots of sources available, and most of which I don't think sound that great. I like the Chris Chappell Matrix the best (SHNID 30705). If you want a pure audience source I like the Paul Hogan recording (SHNID 5984), and the best SBD source is the Charlie Miller (SHNID 77196) in my opinion. 1st set highlights are "Half Step > Franklin's Tower", "Althea", "Women Are Smarter", "Might As Well". 2nd set highlights are "Shakedown > Samson", "To Lay Me Down (honestly one of my all-time-favorite versions) > Let It Grow", "He's Gone > Other One".

August 4th

8/4/71 Terminal Island Correctional Facility, San Pedro, CA - Partially officially released on Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3 Bonus Disc. This was a benefit show for Owsley, who was incarcerated here on drug charges. The show reportedly took place in the library, and had to have been a surreal experience for the band and the inmates. It's unclear if Owsley was in attendance or not. Based on the lack of reporting that he was there, and the fact that they don't do any kind of "shout out" to him, it doesn't seem like he was there. There are also stories of inmates and guards getting dosed, but I don't know how likely that would have been. The band was on a tight 2-hour schedule, so there isn't a lot of time for extended jamming, but the level of passion and performance is top notch. Many of the songs are purposely chosen, given the nature of the venue and the situation of the audience. They contain themes of crime, drugs, getting busted, killing, brutal working conditions, and the like. I think the audience can relate! They open the show with a very appropriate "Truckin'". Many lyrics are sung with extra emphasis. This is followed by an equally-appropriate "Bertha". Other highlights are "Bobby McGee", "Hard To Handle", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Next Time You See Me", "Me & My Uncle", "Casey Jones", "Cumberland Blues", "Big Boss Man", "Sugaree", "El Paso", "NFA > GDTRFB > Lovelight".
8/4/74 Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA - Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 31. This is an excellent show with many great moments. 1st set highlights are "Scarlet Begonias", "Black Throated Wind", "Jack Straw", and a monster "Playing" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow > Jam > Wharf Rat.
8/4/76 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ - Another hot show from this period in 1976. The first set is good, but the highlight is definitely "Scarlet Begonias" to close it out. 2nd set highlights are "Help > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower". This "Slipknot!" is over 10 minutes and expertly jammed out. Other highlights are "NFA > Drums > Other One".
8/4/79 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA - A very good show played with passion and energy. 1st set highlights are "Althea" (fist time played), and "Lost Sailor (first time played) > Deal". 2nd set highlights are "Passenger" (only time played to open the second set), "Friend Of The Devil", "Shakedown Street > Playing".
8/4/82 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO - A really good show with some great moments. 1st set highlights are "Friend Of The Devil > C. C. Rider", "Brown Eyed Women", "Mama Tried > Mexicali". 2nd set highlights are "Estimated Prophet > Terrapin", and "NFA".

BTW, If you're not yet familiar with Jam Anthem versions of songs you can read all about it in Deadology II by Howard Weiner. Check it out here along with all his other great books.

And that's all for now! Of course, if you want to follow along in your very own copy of my book On This Day In Grateful Dead History: A Daily Listening Journal I still have some copies available here. Once they're sold out, I will have to decide whether or not I'm going to have more made. The costs of printing and shipping have gone way up in the last few years since I had them printed so I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. So get one now while you can! https://www.gratefuldeadbook.com/tigdh

Peace out my good people. Until Next week!

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