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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!

I hope you're all doing well! I know this time of year can be stressful for many, including me, as we spend more money than usual (or it seems like I do, anyways) and spend time with family. This time of year is bitter sweet for me as I mark the 10 year anniversary of the passing of my father, right before Thanksgiving in 2014. It's a reminder for me to slow down and chill out, and I'm looking forward to it. So my wish for all of you is to be able to enjoy the holidays with your family and just be present and in the moment. "Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present" as my father always used to say (something I think he picked up from AA). So anyways, here's the highlights for Issue 43, for the week of November 18th, 2024, so check it out.

November 18th

11/18/72 Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX- 1st of a 2-show run. Partially officially released on Houston, TX 11-18-1972. The entire show doesn't seem to exist anywhere, including on the official release which was only 8 songs. You can hear the entire 2nd set on any of the circulating sources. I like Charlie Miller's transfer the best (SHNID 123077). Phil is in the driver seat for this show, is very prominent in the mix and lays down some great leads. The highlights are "Bertha > Greatest Story", "He's Gone", and a massive raging "Playing". The jam segment in this "Playing" has a fierce, dark edge to it, unlike many other ones from the time period that have more of a mellow, spacey feel.
11/18/78 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL - 2nd of a 2-show run. This entire show is excellent. The band is hyped up and they put forth a standout performance. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw", "Candyman", "Big River", "Sugaree", and "Music Never Stopped" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire", "He's Gone > Other One > Drums > Ollin Arageed".

November 19th

11/19/72 Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX- 2nd of a 2-show run. Another spectacular performance. 1st set highlights are "Bird Song", "Black Throated Wind", "Box Of Rain", "Tomorrow Is Forever", "Big River", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Playing". 2nd set highlights are "Dark Star > Weather Report Suite > Half Step", "Sugar Magnolia (Jam Anthem version) > GDTRFB".

November 20th

11/20/70 The Palestra, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY - There seems to only be one circulating source for this really hot performance, and it's a pretty good audience recording (SHNID 9001). Fortunately it's very listenable because the music is incredible. Unfortunately however, Owsley was in prison during this time period so the availability of soundboard recordings is spotty so I doubt we'll ever get something from the Vault. The job of running the sound was done by several different people during this time, and I get the sense that if nobody was able or wanted to do it, it just didn't get recorded. 1st set highlights are "Drums > Good Lovin' > Drums > Good Lovin'", "Truckin' > Drums > Other One > St. Stephen > NFA > GDTRFB > NFA > King Bee". The entire 2nd set with Jorma is hot. Highlights are "All Over Now", "Jam > Darling Corey > Jam", "Jam > Uncle John's Band".
11/20/71 Pauley Pavilion, UC, Los Angeles, CA - Officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 48. It takes a few songs for the band to loosen up and stretch their legs, but by "Big RxR Blues" the band catches a spark and never looks back. Other 1st set highlights are "Cumberland Blues", "Casey Jones", "One More Saturday Night". Unlike the 1st set, the 2nd set is a scorcher from the beginning. They launch the set with a massive "Truckin' > Drums > Other One > Ramble On Rose". Other highlights are "Sugar Magnolia", and "NFA > GDTRFB > NFA".
11/20/73 Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO - Partially officially released on Road Trips Volume 4 Number 3. This whole show is expertly played, but as is typical for the time period, the massive first set serves as a warm-up for the insanity of the second set. While every song is well played, it takes about half way through the first set to loosen up and start sounding inspired. 1st set highlights are "They Love Each Other", "Tennessee Jed", "Big River", "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow". 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Truckin' > Drums > Other One > Mind Left Body Jam > Stella Blue", "Sugar Magnolia".
11/20/78 Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, OH - This is one of my most favorite shows of '78, because of the 2nd set. The first set kicks off with "Half Step > Franklin's". It takes a minute for the band to get in the groove, but by the transition into "Franklin's" they seem much more inspired. Other 1st set highlights are "Stagger Lee", "Lazy Lightning > Supplication". The 2nd set is the best part of this show. They roll into the set with a unique "Jam", that starts with the drummers and slowly builds. That gives way to a proper "Drums" segment, then back into another "Jam" that contains a thick signature envelope filter effect on Jerry's guitar that he's known for (think "Estimated" and "Fire On The Mountain" guitar effects). The Jam winds down, and Jerry surprised everyone with a fun reading of "Jack A Roe". That kind of set the mood for the rest of the set, which is some really standout material: "Playing > Shakedown Street > World To Give (final performance, albeit a little rough vocally at times) > Playing > Around & Around".
11/20/85 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA - 1st of a 3-show run. These were the final shows before the New Year's shows the following month. This entire show is really great high energy performance. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw > Peggy-O", "C.C. Rider", "High Time", "Promised Land > Don't Ease". 2nd set highlights are "Iko > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Terrapin > Don't Need Love", and the set-closing "Sugar Magnolia", where Bobby climbs the scaffolding that's holding up the speaker stack with his guitar while Jerry's blasting away a solo on the closing jam segment of the song. You can see a video of it here: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailygratefuldead/video/7145859691585867054

November 21st

11/21/73 Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO - Officially released on Road Trips Volume 4 Number 3. This whole show is great. The first half of the first set is good but standard. They catch fire starting with "Big RxR Blues". Other highlights are "Looks Like Rain", "Here Comes Sunshine", "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow". This show is known for the magical 2nd set. The entire thing is a highlight, especially the "Playing" "Three-peat": "Playing > El Paso > Playing > Wharf Rat > Playing > Morning Dew".
11/21/85 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 3-show run. The boys return for night two, which ends up being another knockout, high energy performance like the previous night. 1st set highlights are "Big Boy Pete", "Little Red Rooster", "Me & My Uncle > Mexicali", "Ramble On Rose", "Might As Well". 2nd set highlights are "Shakedown Street > Crazy Fingers > Playing > She Belongs To Me", "Gimme Some Lovin' > Midnight Hour", and "Walking The Dog" encore.

November 22nd

11/22/72 Austin Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX - This whole show is excellent and contains some truly masterful versions of many songs. 1st set highlights are "Sugaree", "Mexicali", "Loser", "Black Throated Wind", "Candyman", "Bird Song", "Playing". 2nd set highlights are "He's Gone > Truckin' > Drums > Other One > Stella Blue".
11/22/85 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA - 3rd of a 3-show run. The band caps the run off with a stellar, high energy show. The whole first set is outstanding. Highlights are "Bucket > Sugaree" (lots of vocal effects courtesy of Dan Healey), "Minglewood > Althea". 2nd set highlights are "Estimated Prophet > Eyes", "Morning Dew", and "Brokedown Palace" encore.

November 23rd

11/23/73 County Coliseum, El Paso, TX - Here's a standout show with lots of great energy. You know Bobby was just chomping at the bit to play "El Paso" in El Paso, and it's probably one of the best versions out there! Other 1st set highlights are "Bertha", "Mexicali", "Looks Like Rain", "Jack Straw", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Big River", "Row Jimmy", "Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow". 2nd set highlights are "He's Gone > Truckin' > Other One > Space > Bobby McGee", "Eyes".
11/23/79 Golden Hall, San Diego, CA - This is a high energy show throughout. Jerry's playing and signing has that "extra sparkle". 1st set highlights are "Alabama Getaway > Promised Land", "Big River", "Minglewood", "Deal". 2nd set highlights are "Music > Sugaree", "Estimated > Eyes", "Space > NFA > Black Peter". Brent puts a really nice fat funky spin on "NFA" that I don't think I've heard before.

November 24th

11/24/72 Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, TX - Here's some really big Texas-style high-energy Grateful Dead. 1st set highlights are "Don't Ease", "Black Throated Wind", "Bertha", "El Paso", "Jack Straw", "Playing" (Jam Anthem version). 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Truckin'", "Sugar Magnolia", "NFA > GDTRFB > NFA" (Jam Anthem versions).
11/24/78 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ - This entire show is phenomenal. This is a rather well-known "Thanksgiving day" show which took place the day after the holiday. It features a lot of "extra sparkle" on almost every song and is on the list of best shows of 1978, without a doubt. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw", "Sugaree", "Stagger Lee", "Candyman", "Minglewood". 2nd set highlights are "Miracle > Good Lovin'", "Estimated > Shakedown Street > Drums > Ollin Arageed (with Hamza El Din) > Fire On The Mountain > Sugar Magnolia".

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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