April 14
“When we’re done with
it, they (Deadheads) can have it,” said Jerry, in response to David Letterman’s
inquiry about the wisdom of letting fans tape their concerts. A night after
playing the Nassau Coliseum, Garcia and Weir appeared on Late Night with David
Letterman on April 13, 1982. Wearing a light blue sports shirt, Weir looked like
a preppy hipster, not a rock and roll veteran who had experienced the Acid
Tests decades earlier. Chain smoking through the fifteen-minute spot, Garcia
appeared like a smiling beard dressed in black. After some light -hearted
banter with Letterman, Jerry and Bob played fine acoustic versions of “Deep
Elem Blues” and “Monkey and the Engineer.” After their TV rendezvous, they
headed north for their next show in the Glens Falls Civic Center.
On April 14, 1982, I
headed north on the New York State Thruway and met some friends at the State
University of Albany, and then boarded a party bus bound for Glens Falls. I had
a tenth-row ticket for the show, and to enhance my enjoyment of the music, I
ingested some potent mushrooms before the show. Everyone in the rows in front
of us were standing on their chairs, so I spent the entire night standing on a
tiny seat cushion trying to balance myself as I chain-smoked Marlboros. I’ll
never understand why at some shows, people feel the need to stand on chairs. The
whole show I was fried out of my mind to the point where I couldn’t focus on
the music—pure fear and loathing. Later that evening, I found myself at a
post-show party coming down from the shrooms, drinking a Molson Ale, and
rocking out to a hot “Jack Straw.” I asked the host where the tape was from,
and with a proud smile, he said, “That’s tonight’s show.”
I
may have missed the performance from my tenth-row seat, but I’ve spent the past
thirty-five years enjoying the soundboard recording of 4-14-82, especially the
first set. The band started late. Weir announced that “certain members of the
rhythm section didn’t make it here on time.”
The “Jack Straw” opener more than makes up for the drummer tardiness. The
urgency in this “Straw” jam is unbelievable. It’s not long, but the intensity
is gripping start to finish. Phil is blasting as Bob and Jerry strum madly—a demonic
release. The jam is at the same time elegant, and as subtle as a ballpeen
hammer to the skull. Weir and Garcia howl, “Jack Straw from Wichita cut his
body down. Dug for him a shallow grave and laid his body down. Half a mile from
Tucson by the morning light (Phil and Jerry wail away) …We can share the women
we can share the wine.” Perfection!
Jerry
spins a gorgeous two-tiered solo in the funkiest version of “They Love Each Other”
since 1973. Me and My Uncle > Big River romps and stomps, opening the flood
gates of Old Weird America. With Jerry and Bobby’s appearance on Letterman
fresh in their minds, the Dead deliver “Deep Elem Blues.” Every guitar note,
and every syllable from Jerry crystalizes and flows from the soul. Between ’81
and ’83, the Dead played their last seven electric versions of “Deep Elem
Blues,” and I saw three of them. Yes, I saw 4-14-82, even if it didn’t register
it in my shroom zoomed mind.
I’m
raving about this set, but the best is yet to come. Song for song, “Little Red
Rooster” is the undisputed champ of Glens Falls, and hands down, the best-ever
version. Garcia’s double-solo rampage could make Eric Clapton blush. If you’re
not familiar with this “Rooster” solo, make a point of checking it out, and
while you’re at it, enjoy one of the elite first sets of the year.
Jerry was an amiable
talk show guest the night before. On this evening in Glens Falls he was
transcendent—Dear Mr. Fantasy in the flesh. On the heels of “Rooster,” the band
rips a robust “Brown-Eyed Women.” If you can deal with another best-ever version,
pay homage to the Glens Falls Lazy Lightning > Supplication. This “Supplication”
jam has the primal power of ’69 Dead. There’s
a brief pause prior to the band launching “Bertha.” Magic! “Bertha” as a set
ender could never sound sweeter than it did as part of this brazen
presentation.
The
level of professional execution never waned in set two, but the raging pulse of
the music eased as the Dead opened with China Cat > Rider. As Jerry thrills
Glens Falls with the exotic “China Cat” intro, he accidentally, or
intentionally, misses one note. Jerry instinctively works the silence to his
advantage and puts a new spin on a familiar lick. This “China Cat” is long,
luxurious, and moody. It’s one of the best post-1974 “Cats.” For Catheads, I’d
also recommend 3-9-81 MSG and 8-7-82 Alpine Valley. The Glens Falls “I Know You
Rider” is smoldering lava.
The
band had conquered and pillaged. The time had come for them to bask in the
weirdness of “Playin’ in the Band.” It’s a heavy jam that leads nowhere and
dissolves into Drums. The Wheel > Miracle > Black Peter > Playin’
reprise is well done but the set is too short. Maybe they were up against a
curfew due to the late start. If you take the Gens Falls first set and combine it
with the second set of 4-6-82 Philadelphia, you’d have the ultimate historical
document of the Dead on top of their game in 1982.
Let’s
flashback ten years. The Grateful Dead’s crusade through Europe finds them in Tivolis
Koncertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark on 4-14. Since the song selection of this show
is similar to 4-8-72 London, I’m going to cut straight to the meaty part of the
second set. Following an innocent presentation of “Looks Like Rain,” it’s time
for an episode of mind-twisting theater. “Dark Star” is the vehicle, and by
this point in the tour, the band knows that something supernatural is happening
here. Garcia’s latches on to an idea, squeezes a few thrilling musical paragraphs
out of it, and repeats the process, each paragraph has more pizzazz than its
predecessor. You wonder if a verse of “Dark Star” will ever be sung. The music
fades into a vortex of nothingness, and then Garcia picks up the intuitive
again leading the band from darkness to astronomical brightness as one lovely
lyrical lead piles on top of the last, and they’re back in orbit: “Dark Star
crashes, pouring its light into ashes.”
It
took seventeen minutes to land “Dark Star” for a verse, so Billy strikes an
upbeat tempo that keeps the band from straying off course. Garcia and Lesh pick
away as a “Feeling Groovy” jam briefly emerges. The momentum pulses forth
until, suddenly, at the twenty-nine minute mark, the band cuts into “Sugar
Magnolia” without any of the romance of the 4-8-72 Star > Mag transition.
But that’s all right because this “Sugar Mag” shakes and bakes the ancient city
of Copenhagen.
It’s
an interesting change to hear “Good Lovin’” instead of “Caution” after “Sugar
Mag.” Pigpen gives us a Good Lovin’ > Caution > Who Do You Love >
Caution > Good Lovin’ medley. This is impressive but the 4-8-72 “Caution” is
a superior piece of music on its own. For kicks, the Dead tack on “Ramble on
Rose” and a smoking NFA >GDTHRFB > NFA to the end of this epic set in the
thick of their European adventure.
The
other two Dead shows on this day from the ‘70s takes us back to school. There’s
a performance at Virginia Polytechnic University in Blacksburg on 4-14-78.
Towards the end of the first set the Dead play the only “Dupree’s Diamond Blues
of the year. An alluring old-timey feel is prevalent throughout this version,
and Jerry and Donna sound great on vocals. On the negative side, there are no
solos! “Dupree’s” wasn’t played again until 1982. Garcia lacks fire and
creativity on the set ending “Music Never Stopped.” The top jam of the short second
set is “Dancin’ in the street” in the third spot before Drums.
Faring
better on 4-14-71, the Grateful Dead rocked a consistent show at Bucknell
University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. More than any particular performance, or
standout solo, this show has a seductive flow and song sequence that gives it
collective charisma and makes it one of the sweetest tapes from this tour. The
Bucknell show begins to soar mid-set with the Dead’s third performance of “Sing
me Back Home.” Garcia’s yearning vocal unlocks the beauty of this melancholy
tune as he implores his guitar playing friend to “Sing me back home with a song
I used to hear. Make my old memories come alive. Take me away and turn back the
years. Sing me back home before I die.” Jerry bends his strings for a
bittersweet solo.
Garcia’s
guitar rings out and sparkles during China Cat > Rider. Riding the momentum,
they swing into a soulful groove for their third version of “Second That
Emotion,” which bridges Cat > Rider to the set ending “Casey Jones.” Both
sets of 4-14-71 Bucknell have the feel of a well-conceived album. Set two
features a sensational opening solo in “The Other One,” and a strong “Hard to
Handle” after “Wharf Rat.” I like hearing “Handle” late in set two. In the week
to come, the whole scope of “Handle” would change as it transforms from a grooving
Otis Redding jam to a show stopping masterpiece. This happens in Providence a
week later, and I will pontificate on that topic when we reach April 21.
Of
the three ‘80s gigs on this day, 4-14-84 Hampton Coliseum and 4-14-85 Irvine
Meadows have noteworthy performances. I was in Hampton on April 14 for the
second show of the East Coast tour. Physically, Garcia was in poor shape and it
took the band a while to heat up. “Let it Grow” ends a short first set with
some garrulous and grandiose guitar improvisation. After Drums, “Morning Dew”
arises out of space. Garcia’s voice is a touch depleted. He makes up for that
by belting out the anthem out with deep emotion, and Healy turns up the echo
and reverb. Both solos are gripping, and Brent’s organ playing is the catalyst
for a moving final jam. Garcia wants to split as he breaks into a “One More
Saturday Night” riff, but Weir vetoes that and keeps the band on stage a little
longer with Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away. This thirteen-show tour also
featured excellent “Morning Dews” from 4-20-84 Philadelphia, and 4-26-84
Providence. Garcia’s voice was shot in Providence, but that final solo is
heroic, definitely an elite “Dew” jam.
120
years before the Dead played in Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre on April 14, 1985, President
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, shot while attending a play in Ford’s Theatre.
The only shots heard in Irvine Meadows ’85 were the creative triple shots to start
off all four sets. On 4-13-85, the first Irvine Meadows show commences like a
speeding bullet with Why Don’t We Do It in the Road > Bertha > Jack Straw
and set two takes off with Terrapin > Playin’ > Crazy Fingers. Good times
with triplets continue on 4-14-85 with a Touch of Grey > Hell in a Bucket
> Sugaree opener and set two has an I Need a Miracle > China Cat >
Rider blastoff.
As
enjoyable as it must have been to be in Irvine Meadows on 4-14-85, the X-factor
doesn’t take hold until the band breaks into “Dear Mr. Fantasy” after Drums
> Space. This Traffic classic started out as a vocal duet by Jerry and Brent
in June ’84, but now this was Brent’s baby. Garcia rips a solo and Brent
follows with one of his own before the band charges into “The Other One.” It’s
a concise version with Garcia and Lesh on fire before the opening verse,
between verses, and after. A surprisingly up-tempo “Wharf Rat” segues into a
rowdy “Sugar Magnolia.” The crowd is thrilled with the “Gloria” encore. This is
the fourth version of “Gloria,” and it’s played as an encore for the first
time. Energy ripples through this rock and roll spelling bee. When the Grateful
Dead are on their game on nights like this in 1985, the music is exhilarating—a
sonic psychedelic train high on cocaine in the express lane.
April 17
Deadheads
converged in the Niagara Falls Civic Center to see their heroes on April 17,
1984. This was the Dead’s only appearance In Niagara Falls, and it gave tour
heads a chance to soak in the majesty of the falls which straddles the U.S./
Canadian border. Who in their right mind would travel to Niagara Falls and not
take the time to view this wonderous sight? I wasn’t in my right mind when I
arrived in Niagara Falls on April 17. After driving to Hampton, and then all
the way to Rochester for the first three shows of the tour, I was exhausted and
burnt to the bone by the time I checked into the Niagara Falls Holiday Inn.
While the rest of my crew took acid and went to see the falls, I passed out and
dreamed of Jerry, and the jams that were merely a seed in his mind. I was in a
strange young man in 1984. Being well rested for a hot “Jack Straw” was more
important than seeing Niagara Falls.
The
ceremony begins with “Jack Straw.” Garcia’s peppering the jam, notes are
fluidly flying this way and that way. This is going to be an enormous “Straw,”
but out of nowhere Weir pulls the plug, “Jack Straw from Wichita cut his buddy
down.” Oh well, maybe next time I’ll hear that killer “Straw” I was dreaming
of. The set rolls on and nothing extraordinary happens until the eighth and
last song of the set. Nobody pulls the plug on Garcia during “Deal” as he works
over the fretboard for a satisfying conclusion to the set.
To
ease the crush of the crowd, the band starts the second set with a brief “Take
a Step Back” march. It’s ironic, but almost every time the Dead asked the
audience to take a step back, they would follow that by playing something
outrageous, sending the crowd in a state of delirium. If you’re going to be
smashed by the masses, you might as well experience transcendent music. After
their plea to the audience, the Dead bounce into “Help on the Way.”
Garcia’s
guitar dominates with a demonic tone and Coltrane like flow as the band ascends
into “Slipknot.” Garcia’s playing is borderline belligerent in a redeeming way.
His communique to his fellow band mates is “follow me if you can.” Fragments of
the “Slipknot!” melody are explored and magnified. Garcia’s zipping through
scales, striking up dark chord riffs, and milking the licks that he likes
during this aggressive yet smooth nine-minute “Slipknot”.
“Franklin’s Tower” isn’t as pretty as it is
gritty. The band sounds a little detached in the first half, but they rally
with a ridiculously hot jam near the end making this a contender for best Help
> Slip >Franklin’s of the year. After “Women Are Smarter,” “Eyes of the
World” is an exciting follow-up, but there’s no meat on the bones of this
sloppy offering. On the other side of Drums, space segues into “Black Peter,”
making that a rare five of six Jerry tunes to start set two. Throwing
Stones> Not Fade Away concludes a set that ran out of gas after Slipknot >
Franklin’s.
On
April 16 and 17, 1983, the Dead played their first gigs in the Brendan Byrne
Arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex located in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Located ten miles from Manhattan, and 90 miles from Philadelphia, this building,
and the adjacent Giants Stadium, became hotbeds for Dead shows as their rabid
East Coast fans electrified and inspired the band.
The
first set of 4-17-83 has a smoking “Little Red Rooster” in the two-hole.
Garcia’s double decker solo awes the Brendan Byrne Arena. Hot “Roosters” from
Garcia became a rarity after this show. I guess the thrill was gone. Jerry
keeps the set suspenseful with an unexpected “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” in the
third spot. “Cassidy” and “Big Railroad Blues” back to back in the thick of the
set keeps the mojo rolling. A late set “Peggy O” gives way to “Let it Grow.”
The nuances of song selection on 4-17-83 enhance the performances, and the
enjoyment for seasoned aficionados. Typical of “Let it Grows” from the period,
this one delivers a welcomed abundance of virtuosity from Garcia. Brent is very
active, sprinkling tasty keyboard fills behind Jerry. Having too good of a time
to head off for break, the Dead finish the eleven-song set with “Might as
Well.”
Help
> Skipnkot!> Franklin’s on 4-17-83 is a stronger group effort than the
one from Niagara Falls. Exhilaration fills the Brendan Byrne as the band
confidently and gracefully transitions and weaves through their masterwork
which had been in hibernation for six years. This was their fifth rendition
since breaking it out a month earlier, and it’s one of the best up to this
point. As “Slipknot!” winds down and the bridge is built towards “Franklin’s,”
it sounds like astronauts are successfully navigating their way back into the
Earth’s atmosphere, and the thrust into “Franklin’s” triggers the ticker-tape
parade on Broadway. The power of the 4-17-83 “Franklin’s Tower” builds
incrementally, and there’s a screaming solo at the end of the parade route.
Stephen
Stills joins the festivities after Drums > Space. The evening before he
appeared in the same spot and played “Black Queen.” On this night he played
another tune off Stephen Stills, his
iconic, and vastly underrated solo album. Everybody knew the tune they were
playing, “Love the One You’re With,” even though it was a raw and choppy
performance. Stepping into the Grateful Dead Universe is rarely an easy
experience regardless of your rock and roll pedigree. Garcia worked in a
succinct solo, and Stills stepped aside as “The Wheel” began to spin. After a
thunderous “Playin’” reprise Weir segues into his pride and joy, “Throwing
Stones,” which of course, segued into “Not Fade Away.” This was my third time
seeing this combo, and I was already loathing it. There were few things less
interesting than a crappy cookie cutter version of a formerly great song, but
on this night Stills came back on stage and the jamming was much better than
usual. This is another outstanding show in a year that doesn’t get enough
respect.
April
17 often finds the Grateful Dead in the thick, or towards the end of a spring
tour as it did on 4-17-82 in the Hartford Civic Center. A show in Hartford or
New Haven means a hot “Sugaree” is likely, and The Boys deliver after they open
with “Minglewood.” Jerry gives us three solos, but they all just miss being
noteworthy. If you look at this show on paper, or listen to the tape, there’s
nothing wrong with it, but Jerry walks most of his jams to the precipice of
ecstasy, yet never brings it on home. This show doesn’t compare to the great
nights already discussed from this tour: 4-6-82 Philly, 4-12-82 Nassau
Coliseum, 4-14-82 Glens Falls. However, I’d recommend listening to the 4-17-82
“Shakedown Street” that opens set two in Hartford. During the big ending jam,
Garcia and Mydland trade licks as the did in Philly on 4-6-82. Brent’s playing
is extraordinary as Garcia plays repetitive funky licks. The jam took on a
Miles Davis quality where Brent had an opportunity to shine as if he was Herbie
Chick Correa. If Jerry wasn’t feeling good or zonked out, I could empathize. I
was at home taking antibiotics and nursing bronchitis after the Glens Falls show
three nights earlier. The Hartford affair was one of those ‘82 shows that was
professional yet lackluster. The band was super tight most of the year, and on
some nights, Garcia was content to ride that wave.
In
addition to playing three consecutive years on April 17 in the ‘80s, the
Grateful Dead played that date consecutively from 1969 – 1972, with the first
and last of those shows being the most rewarding. In the middle of April ’69 the
band’s rambled through the Heartland and landed in St. Louis to play Washington
University on 4-17. The show starts with a “Hard to Handle” tribute for Otis
Redding. This was the their fifth “Handle,” a raw foray with Jerry playing
slide guitar. The show rolls along with adequate renditions of the usual
suspects: “Morning Dew,” “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” “Dark Star.” A
sparkling “It’s a Sin” is sandwiched inside “St. Stephen.” The return to “St.
Stephen” is awkward, and consequently, they never went down that road again.
“That’s
It for the Other One” is outrageous all the way—unholy alchemy to open the
second set. The Dead raged into “Caution” and the plug was literally pulled
before they were two minutes in, by order of the cops. An extraordinary finish
to the set was nullified. This show was released as Volume 12 of the Download
Series. The bonus tracks on that release are rehearsal performances of “The
Eleven” and “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” from the Avalon Ballroom. These are
stunning performances played with same temperament that the band had on
4-17-69. Awesome selection and editing!
Johnny Cash played in Washington, D.C. on
4-17-70. This was stranger than anything the Dead did in Washington University
a year earlier. The Man in Black performed “A Boy Named Sue” for Richard Nixon
in the White House—weird, whacky times in America.
The
best of the rest of the April 17 shows brings us back Europe ’72 and another
night in Copenhagen. This Tivoli show opens with a gorgeous “Cold Rain &
Snow” that trickles down like snow flurries on Christmas. The piano runs by
Keith are heavenly. As much as I love the wildness of ’69, this is special,
beyond what they were capable of St. Louis, or a year earlier in Princeton
University’s Dillon Gym on 4-17-71.
The music and song
selection are incredible in Tivoli. “Me and Bobby McGee” is tender and succulent.
“China Cat” would go on to have longer jams, but the aura and essence of the
performance is divine in Copenhagen. Phil’s bass blasts open the sonic
landscape to new dimensions as Keith and Garcia fill the vacuum with splashes
of Asian art. Tivoli gives us the debut version of “He’s Gone,” a sly shuffle
that would morph into a heart-tugging dirge. This is a three-set show, and the
opening set concludes strong with “Black Throated Wind.” Parts of the first set,
and the entire second set were recorded for Danish TV.
The ever expanding
“Playin’ in the Band” kicks off set two. Although it’s a few years away from
becoming an iconic Garcia guitar extravaganza, “Sugaree” is stunningly sweet. The
performances of “It Hurts Me Too” and “Ramble O\on Rose” are robust and album
worthy, although nothing from this show ended up on Europe ’72. For a band performing at peak professional levels, they
were still pranksters at heart as they donned clownish masks before tearing
into “Big Railroad Blues.” A spiraling, breathtaking jam brings “Truckin’” and
set two to a rousing conclusion.
In between the Tivoli
shows, the Dead played at Aarhus University, Denmark on 4-16. The college crowd
was treated to a rocking affair, but Tivoli was treated to “Dark Star” on both
nights. Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia > Caution comprises set three on
4-17-72. Garcia’s guitar howls at the
moon as “Dark Star” lifts off. His sublime playing tranquilizes the audience,
and future listeners. There’s no jarring twists or movements, just a straight
line of virtuosity until Garcia lovingly croons, “Dark Star crashes.” The post
verse jam builds slowly with the same serene tone as earlier. Jerry and Keith
play off each other delicately as the sound piles up like leaves falling from
trees. Twenty-five minutes disappears as the listener is drawn into blissful
trails.
A
jarring movement begins to develop towards the end of the 4-17 “Dark Star.”
Even though the band hasn’t composed “Let it Grow” yet, Weir and Garcia strike
up a rhythm like the opening of “Let it Grow,” and Lesh blasts his bass as if
they’re segueing from verse to solo. This tinkering goes on four three of four
minutes until the band jumps into “Sugar Magnolia.” “Dark Star” was an extreme
rarity throughout most of the ‘80s. Yet there was no shortage of sublime
playing that can be traced back to “Dark Star.” It’s there in the 4-17-84
“Slipknot!” and the 4-17-83 “Let it Grow.”
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