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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!

Well, I'm wishing you all a happy Hanukkah, or happy Kwanzaa, merry Christmas, or happy Festivus, or whatever you celebrate. Or just peace and happiness if you don't celebrate any of that. I was reading that this year is one of only five times since 1900 that Hanukkah falls on December 25th. I don't understand how that works, but my hope for everyone is peace and happiness. It's the run-up to the big New Years Eve shows this week, and there is a LOT of music out there, so let's get right into it! Here's the highlights for Issue 48, for the week of December 23rd, 2024, so check it out:

December 23rd

12/23/70 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - There's not much music on the circulating tape, and I doubt it's complete, but what's there is really good and the sound quality is excellent (I'm using SHNID 132343 to review this). This was a benefit show for "The Bear", aka Owsley, who had just been re-arrested and was in a lot of legal hot water (he would land in prison in the not so distant future), and The Montessori School. The esteemed blogger who writes "Lost Live Dead" theorizes that they advertised the benefit for "The Bear", and added The Montessori School to help "neutralize" (chemistry pun intended) any perceived toxicity or bad vibes about helping out an LSD chemist. Read all about that and other events going on at the time here: https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/03/december-23-1970-winterland-grateful.html. Highlights are "Deep Elem Blues", which is an electric version, and has a unique shuffle to it, very different from the later acoustic (or even electric) versions. Other highlights are "King Bee", "Me & Bobby McGee", "Dire Wolf", "Good Lovin' > Drums > Good Lovin'", "Casey Jones > Uncle John's Band".

December 24th

12/24/68 The Matrix, San Francisco, CA - This isn't the Grateful Dead, but it's sometimes included in GD set lists. There wasn't anything else available on this day in Grateful Dead history, so I decided to throw it in. Merry Christmas, I guess. It might be a little difficult to track this one down, but I'm listening to SHNID 82321 for this review. This is Jerry Garcia with Harvey Mandel (guitarist who played with Charlie Musselwhite and in Canned Heat), Stephen Miller (keyboards player from Linn County, Harvey Mandel's Band, Elvin Bishop's band, and The Allman Brothers Band). It was billed as a kind of open-ended jam session "with Jerry Garcia, Harvey Mandel, Jack Cassady and others". It must have been incredible to be able to walk into a tiny club like that and witness this massive throbbing jam! The music on this tape is pretty awesome. It starts out with a 36+ minute jam. The tape fades in, and at first the jam is pretty mellow, almost like a Santana vibe. It builds into an pure blues/rock jam, almost like a CSNY style jam, if that makes sense. The guitarists take turns soloing over and over, until a tempo change, and the jam takes on an entirely different feel. The drummer doubles the beat, and the whole jam re-launches into another orbit. The guitars scream and the organ wails and the bass thumps heavily. They work it into a frenzy and it all comes to a crescendo, and then a break. Now the beat is slow, and it's much more of a mellow groove. After a few minutes the beat changes again, into more of a shuffle. This theme continues for several minutes until the whole thing dissolves into a puddle of dissonance and feedback, until they decide to let it fade out. After a few seconds the crowd realizes the jam is over and there's applause from what sounds like 6 people in the audience. The other song titles are a bit of a guess, but "Don't Fight It" aka "We Got The Feeling" features Harvey Mandel singing. It's supposedly a Wilson Pickett song. "Three O'clock In The Morning Blues" is next. It's a nice blues shuffle. The final songs on the tape are "Mojo Worker > Jam" and constitute about 27 minutes of groovy blues and sweet jamming.

December 25th - Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa! No known shows on this day in Grateful Dead history.

December 26th

12/26/69 McFarlin Auditorium, South Methodist University, Dallas, TX - Officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 43 & 44. The entire show except for "Cold Rain & Snow" was released on 43. "Cold Rain & Snow" didn't fit, so they decided to put it on 44. This is a great show. It starts out with an acoustic set. Jerry announces to the crowd that Billy, the drummer, is currently on an airplane "somewhere over Omaha" and he's on his way, and informs the audience that "Bobby and and I are going to regalia with some old standards". This short acoustic set is magnificent. Highlights are "Little Sadie", "Long Black Limousine", "All Around This World", "The Master's Bouquet" (only known performance), "Black Peter". One Billy shows up, the electric set takes off. Highlights are "Casey Jones", "Hard To Handle", "China Cat > I Know You Rider > High Time", "Dark Star > New Speedway", "Lovelight".
12/26/70 Legion Stadium, El Monte, CA - 1st of a 3-show run. This whole show is excellent. We're probably missing some music from the second set, but there's some really nice versions of some songs that are worth listening to. 1st set highlights are "Mama Tried", "Easy Wind", "Till The Morning Comes" (final performance), "Truckin'", "Candyman", "Big RxR Blues", a fine example of the early original arrangement of "New Minglewood Blues", "Black Peter". Second set highlights are "Morning Dew", "Casey Jones", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Good Lovin' > Drums > Good Lovin'", "Uncle John's Band".
12/26/79 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA - Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 5. This is a really hot show. The band is just dripping with energy and they put out an incredible performance. 1st set highlights are "Cold Rain & Snow", "C. C. Rider", "Brown Eyed Women", "Minglewood", "Looks Like Rain", "Alabama Getaway > Promised Land". This show is mostly known for the incredible second set, all of which is one big highlight. The boys bust out "Uncle John's Band" to open the set, the first time played since 10/6/77 (172 shows). And it's a monster version. No wonder Howard picked it as a Jam Anthem version! Next up is "Estimated Prophet", and it's also a Jam Anthem version. This one has a long jam, which leads into a "Caution Jam", which segues into "He's Gone > Other One". Out of "Space" emerges a nicely jammed out "NFA" which segues into the second breakout song of the night: "Brokedown Palace", which was last performed 10/14/77 (167 shows). They finish the show out in hot rock and roll fashion with rousing renditions of "Around & Around > Johnny B. Goode". But wait, there's more! After a short encore break, they emerge onto the stage and put forth a monster, funky "Shakedown Street" - one of my all time favorite versions that clocks in at almost 14 minutes. But they couldn't leave without closing the night with "Uncle John's Band Reprise", to complete the song. Absolutely outstanding second set!

December 27th

12/27/77 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - 1st of a 4-show run. This show was added as a 4th show at a later date. This whole show is excellent. 1st set highlights are "Bertha > Good Lovin'", "Brown Eyed Women", "Peggy-O", "Looks Like Rain", "Dire Wolf", "Passenger", "Candyman", "Friend Of The Devil", "Music Never Stopped". The entire 2nd set is one big highlight, but I especially like "Lazy Lightning > Supplication", "Scarlet > Fire", "He's Gone > Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Around & Around".
12/27/81 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 5-show run. This whole show is excellent, especially the 2nd set. But the 1st set has plenty to like as well. The band is energized and setting the stage on fire with rousing, passionate versions of almost every song. 1st set highlights are "Minglewood > Sugaree", "Cassidy", "Deep Elem > C. C. Rider", "Friend Of The Devil", "Passenger", "Deal". 2nd set highlights are "To Lay Me Down > Playing > Drums > Space > Wheel > Playing > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia".
12/27/86 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA - 1st of a 4-show run. Here's a really awesome show in terms of playing and set list. I refer to this as "the Playing show" because they start and end the show with "Playing In The Band", plus a "Playing Jam" thrown into the second set for good measure. The entire 1st set is great. Highlights are "Playing > Bertha", "Ramble On", "Little Red Rooster", "Bird Song". 2nd set highlights are "Mighty Quinn", "Dancin' > Black Muddy River > Playing Jam", "Space > Truckin' > Smokestack Lightning > Comes A Time > Around & Around > Playing".

December 28th

12/28/78 Golden Hall, Community Concourse, San Diego, CA - 2nd of a 4-show run. This is a fun, energetic show. The first set kicks off with an outstanding 14+ minute "Sugaree". Other fist set highlights are "Beat It On Down The Line", "Dire Wolf", "Stagger Lee", "Me & My Uncle > Big River", "Minglewood", "Lazy Lightning > Supplication". 2nd set highlights are "Shakedown Street", "Estimated > Eyes", "Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia".
12/28/79 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA - 3rd of a 3-show run. Officially released on Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1. The closing night at the Oakland Auditorium Arena was the best of the 3 shows, in my opinion. The band would actually play 6 shows in a row, but the next 3 shows move to the Winterland Arena for the final New Years run. This entire show is excellent. 1st set highlights are "Sugaree" (Jam Anthem version), "Mama Tried > Mexicali", "Row Jimmy", "High Time", "Music Never Stopped". 2nd set highlights are "Terrapin > Playing > Drums > Space > Uncle John's Band > Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin'", and the double encore "Case Jones", "One More Saturday Night".
12/28/86 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 4-show run. The band is in fine form as they return for night 2, and continue the excellent performance like the night before. The entire 1st set is outstanding, and the whole thing is a highlight: "Cold Rain & Snow", "Minglewood", "Row Jimmy > El Paso", "Stagger Lee", "Box Of Rain > Big RxR Blues > Promised Land". 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire > Looks Like Rain > He's Gone", "Other One > Black Peter", "Sugar Magnolia", "Baby Blue" encore.
12/28/87 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 4-show run. Here's an excellent, high-energy fun-fest. The band's energy is crackling and they put on a killer show. 1st set highlights are "Stranger > Franklin's", and "Masterpiece > Sugaree", and "Bucket". 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Women Are Smarter", "Wheel > Truckin' > Smokestack Lightning > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia".
12/28/91 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 4-show run. I call this "the Saturday Night Show". If you look at the set list, you can see why - they start the show with "One More Saturday Night", but don't finish the song. Instead they (rather clumsily) segue into "Jack Straw". The transition isn't the smoothest, but I give them extra points for being creative on this one. People complain that they band fell into a strict formula in the last few years, and this is a perfect example of them being spontaneous, and I'm here for all of it. Other first set highlights are "Minglewood", "Cassidy > Deal". 2nd set highlights are "Foolish Heart", "Uncle John's Band > Same Thing (1334 show breakout, last time played was 12/31/71!) > Jam", "Standing On The Moon > Throwing Stones > Saturday Night".

December 29th

12/29/77 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - 2nd of a 4-show run. Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 10. This whole show is excellent not only because of the quality of the playing, but also the set list. 1st set highlights are ripping "Jack Straw", "They Love Each Other", "Loser", "Tennessee Jed", "Minglewood", "Sugaree". The entire 2nd set is some of the best music of the year, which is saying a LOT because it is, after all, 1977! It's probably one of my all-time favorite second sets. A cool "Bertha > Good Lovin'" gets us kicked off in proper style. A gorgeous "Must Have Been The Roses" is up next, and Jerry's voice is pure and a little plaintive, and I love it. The big highlight of the set comes next: "Playing > Jam > China Cat > I Know You Rider (which hadn't been played since 10/20/74 - 103 shows) > China Doll > Jam > Playing > Drums > NFA > Playing", and the double encore of "Terrapin Station" and "Johnny B. Goode".
12/29/88 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA - 2nd of a 3-show run. This whole show is really good, both in terms of the set list selection and the performance. Unlike the night before, this is a complete "day and night" show, with lost of energy and inspired playing. 1st set highlights are "Bucket > Sugraree", "Minglewood", "Friend Of The Devil", "To Lay Me Down > Let It Grow". The entire second set is one massive highlight, but my favorite part is "Playing > Crazy Fingers > Samson > Jam > Eyes", and "Space > Other One > Stella Blue".

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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