Laissez les bon temps roulez ! Yes this week (and next) I decided we should celebrate Mardi Gras with a wonderful Mardi Gras show from back in the spring of 1990. This show from the Oakland Arean,has a very laid back vibe that builds and becomes more and more psychedelic and interesting as the show went on. I really liked the jam in Sugaree and the Bird Song that ends this first set is excellent. I hope you enjoy this week's Deadpod - Fat Tuesday may be over but we can still roll it! Grateful De...
Feb 20, 2015•1 hr 8 min
Yowza! When a tape such as the one we're going to hear this week sees the light of day I simply can't contain my enthusiasm.This tape comes from June 5th, 1970 - Fillmore West San Francisco California.. that's right 1970.. one of the greatest watershed years in the band's history and one that has always been sadly underrepresented in terms of recordings.. Furthurmore the provenance of this tape traces back to Bear who recorded it on a Sony 770 reel to reel deck. We have both an acoustic and elec...
Feb 13, 2015•1 hr 55 min
This week's Deadpod features a darn good second set from November 2nd, 1977 when the boys played at Seneca College in Toronto Canada. This set features a kind of slow build up to a real apex of jamming and finishes off strong as well. This second set has a somewhat unusual order.. it starts with a nice Sampson and Delilah goes into a rather slower Ship of Fools. Then we get an uptempo Good Lovin' followed by Donna's 'Sunrise'.. then we get one of the highlights of the show, a killer Scarlet->...
Feb 06, 2015•1 hr 33 min
Brrrrrrrrrrrrr... given that many of us are in the icy grips of old man Winter, I thought it appropriate to fulfill a request for a show from north of the Border.. yes the Great White North, Canada.. This is I believe one of the better shows from that great country, from November 2nd, 1977 at Seneca College in Toronto Canada. In this week's first set you'll immediately tell the band hasn't lost the magic that made this one of the great years in Grateful Dead history, as the band is tight and sou...
Jan 30, 2015•1 hr 2 min
I'm hoping that this high energy second set from the New Year's Eve show of 1969 helps to warm you up if you are stuck in the deep freeze as I am this week.. This tape has some choice early versions of some classic tunes as well as some that were played very infrequently that you may never have heard.. Alligator and the jams that come from it are a great start, The Eleven is fab, the early version of High Time - a favorite of mine. There are several cuts on this tape, and I hope that they don't ...
Jan 09, 2015•1 hr 52 min
Happy New Year!! While I toyed with the idea of not featuring a New Years Eve show the fact is that it is one date that the band was well-known for their performances. I did however choose the band's only non-bay area New Years Eve Performance - this takes place 12/31/69 at the Boston Tea Party in Boston, MA. The band puts on a great performance here and we're lucky to have a very good recording of their efforts. We'll listen to the first set this week and set 2 next. The band starts with an int...
Jan 02, 2015•1 hr 12 min
This week's Deadpod features some ferocious Garcia jamming, and again, while the tape is not perfect, for fans like us, this is well worth listening to and experiencing. Of course this week is the remainder of the show from 12/10/72 at Winterland in San Francisco CA. This show features a spectacular 'Other One'.. the band drifts into this following some very interesting jamming out of Truckin'. Sit back and experience where this jam takes you, I think you'll be quite surprised at the varied land...
Dec 19, 2014•1 hr 17 min
While this week's Deadpod features a tape that is not complete, and has some cuts, I still believe it is strong enough to feature for this week and next. This show comes to us from Winterland Arena, where the band performed after a short break from touring on December 12, 1972. Unfortunately most of the first set is missing. What we have starts with a great 'Bertha', following that is Garcia at full force during an incendiary 'Playin' In the Band'. This beauty goes on for about 20 minutes of fir...
Dec 12, 2014•1 hr 9 min
There is no way I wouldn't come back to this show this week and present this wonderful second set. Of course this is from December 12th, 1990 at McNichols Arena in Denver Colorado. While it takes a few verses for the boys to catch on fire, once they do they roll on through a 2 hour set full of passion and energy that makes this one of the best shows of a very good year. They start with a nice China ->Rider that rolls into a really pretty Looks Like Rain.. Hornsby adds some wonderful touches h...
Dec 05, 2014•2 hr
Our day after Thanksgiving Deadpod takes us way back to a famous date in Grateful Dead history - January 31st, 1970 - the day the band was 'set up like a bowling pin' down in New Orleans. Yes the boys were arrested earlier this day but played that same night the set that we are going to listen to this week. This show is quite odd, in that the first set is electric, the second is acoustic - mainly due to Phil blowing his amp at the end of set 1. This gives me a chance to present some great acoust...
Nov 28, 2014•1 hr 38 min
All the snowy weather this week reminded me of a show I saw out in Denver at McNichols one year.. this is a great show, I think, and I decided that it would be fun to share it with you. This one highlights the rejuvenation I think Hornsby sparked in the Dead, and especially in Garcia. He's all over this one and lots of fun throughout.. This first set is marked by a fine Candyman, a crazy Mexicalli->Maggie's Farm, a simply rocking Loose Lucy and a fantastic Deal. McNichols Arena, Denver, CO (1...
Nov 21, 2014•1 hr 10 min
We're lucky enough to hear the second set from the Dead's performance on 10/29/77 at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Illinois this week. This is a fine recording of a strong set.. Bertha opens with that unique tempo the band was working on at this time and it sounds mighty fine.. Good Lovin' is better than usual.. Friend of the Devil and Estimated are played crisply but for me the magic starts with the jazzy Garcia guitar in Eyes.. very nicely done and one of my favorite versions of this ...
Nov 14, 2014•1 hr 44 min
One of the joys of producing the Deadpod comes from the many fine folks I've met, even if only through the medium of the internet, since I started to publish these shows. This week's show comes from a suggestion from one of those old friends, and it is an excellent suggestion.. This show comes to us from DeKalb Illinois and was performed during the Fall tour of 1977, on 10/29/77. The show begins with an unusual but rocking 'Might As Well'. A nice version of Jack Straw is followed by the appearan...
Nov 07, 2014•1 hr 15 min
Halloween always seems to be a favorite holiday for Deadheads so seeing as this Halloween fell on a Friday I thought I should play one of the band's shows that took place on this date. This one comes to us from 1985.. sure not the band's strongest year but I think this first set is alot of fun, especially here at the start, so I'm hoping you enjoy the frivolity and enjoy yourself as you reminisce perhaps of Halloween's past and enjoy the present.......... Carolina Coliseum (U of South Carolina),...
Oct 31, 2014•1 hr 2 min
In casting about for a show to fit some recent requests, I came across this well-known yet astonishing work of unparalleled psychedelia. Unfortunately there is no Pigpen on this night (or the next) which is what my listener had requested, however I'm confident that the peerless jamming and enthusiasm present on this recording will allow me to be excused for that omission. This show starts with an excellent Dark Star (and its so nice to hear it in one of its earlier formations), then goes into a ...
Oct 24, 2014•1 hr 22 min
This week's Deadpod, the second set from Barcelona Spain on October 19th, 1981, bursts out of the gate with a smoking Scarlet Begonias into Fire on the Mountain. Garcia clearly wants this one to stand out, and his leads throughout are choice. Garcia is clearly inspired throughout.. even on the Sailor ->Saint, Garcia shines on one of the best versions ever... there's a nice little space that follows, then after a short drums an excellent, if too short, full blown Spanish Jam leads into a very ...
Oct 17, 2014•1 hr 28 min
As far as I know, this was the Dead's only performance in Spain, and while I recall wearing this tape out at one time I hadn't thought about it for some time, until I came across it again searching for a show for this week's 'pod. I'm thrilled to have rediscovered it. There's plenty of energy here as the band, and Garcia, seem pumped for the end of this European tour. This set starts off plenty hot with Jack Straw leading into a sparkling Franklin's Tower. Even the cowboy tunes shine from Garcia...
Oct 10, 2014•1 hr 21 min
This week's Deadpod features the second set from the Dead's performance at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse NY on September 24th, 1982. This is quite a fine set, and opens with an unusual Brent opener - Far From Me.. always a song I enjoy hearing. They follow that up with a very well executed Playin' In The Band->Crazy Fingers, and Jerry does some fine work on that latter number. Weir's new song, Throwin' Stones, follows and leads into Drums and Space but they come out of that with an unusual Iko...
Oct 03, 2014•1 hr 34 min
This week we feature a show that marked the end of the Fall East Coast tour of 1982 - this one took place in the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University in Syracuse NY. This show was widely praised in its day and I think much of the playing holds up today as an example of a good early 80s Dead show. The band opens with a Jack Straw that is on fire.. and leads nicely into a very fine Friend of the Devil. Brent has some nice runs here.. The CC Rider is fun and of course Ramble on Rose br...
Sep 26, 2014•1 hr 7 min
This week's Deadpod takes us back to Dijon France for the second set of the band's amazing performance which took place back on 9/18/74. I have however, taken some liberties with this presentation however, as I omitted the first two songs of set 2, Loose Lucy and Big River, because the vocals in these two are hopelessly lost and cannot be heard. In place of those, I decided to include the 3 songs done as a soundcheck for this show - something titled 'Jerry's Space', as well as Cumberland Blues a...
Sep 19, 2014•1 hr 48 min
This is such a great show that I'm astounded that I've not played it on the Deadpod until today.. as the 40th anniversary of this great show approaches I will right that oversight. One of the greatest first sets ever.. from Dijon France, September 18th, 1974. It opens with a warm, delightful Uncle John's Band.. then the great songs roll on, Jack Straw, Friend of the Devil, Black Throated Wind, Scarlet Begonias (!).. its an insane first set and the recording is magnificent as well. There's no rea...
Sep 12, 2014•1 hr 35 min
his week's Deadpod features a beast of a second set.. but what else can you expect from a show from 1972. This one features some great interplay between Lesh and Garcia throughout. Innocently enough the set starts out with a fat Big River followed by a standard Friend of the Devil and Me & My Uncle, things start getting interesting on the Bird Song.. here we find quite an interesting jam after the first verse as Garcia begins to take the music to some very nice places.. personally I enjoyed ...
Sep 05, 2014•1 hr 40 min
Labor Day weekend.. summer's swan song so they say with the kids going back to school .. or college.. and lots of folks getting one last weekend of warm weather activities.. well I decided to bring you a show from a fall tour.. the Fall of 1972.. had a request for one of these wonderful shows so I'm bringing you the last night of a great three night run at the Fabulous Fox theater in St. Louis, October 19th, 1972. I played the 2nd set of the night before about four years ago.. but this one is a ...
Aug 29, 2014•1 hr 22 min
A classic second set from 1989 on this week's Deadpod.. marking the band's final appearance at the Alpine Valley Music Theater and in a way, the end of an era, as the scene was becoming so large that places, like Alpine Valley, felt they had no choice but to ban the band from returning. The second set took place in a downpour, and its reflected in some of the song choices.. a beautiful Box of Rain to start the set, then the band goes into one of my favorites that I always felt they didn't explor...
Aug 22, 2014•1 hr 36 min
"Summer flies and August dies the world grows dark and mean" I had a request for something from Alpine Valley, and it seemed to me that this show fit best right now, this is the last show that the band ever played at that storied venue, July 19th, 1989. Surely not the best show of the year, or even of that monstrous Summer Tour, but a show that displayed the band as it was at the end of an era of sorts. A very good show in which we see the band playing as a pretty well oiled machine.. The set st...
Aug 15, 2014•1 hr 15 min
Here we are on what would have been Jerry Garcia's 72nd birthday.. whew .. hard to imagine how much music he would have produced had he stuck around these last 19 years. We get to share what we have, and this week that is the second set from the Grateful Dead's performance at the Greek Theater in Berkeley California on July 15th, 1988. We start out with a great choice for a summer night, Scarlet->Fire... the transition is perhaps not as long as some, but there's plenty of energy here.. that e...
Aug 01, 2014•1 hr 37 min
Summer keeps rollin' by... and I thought it just wouldn't be right if I didn't find a proper Shakedown Street to mark the season.. I think this one should fit the bill. Here is a high-energy show from 1988, originally a Rex Benefit show, that gives us plenty to like during these long days of Summer. This one comes from the Greek in Berkeley, where the boys always enjoyed playing. After the strong Shakedown opener, they move into a pretty good Walkin' Blues and a decent Friend of the Devil. The Q...
Jul 25, 2014•1 hr 5 min
The second set of the show the Dead performed on July 13th, 1985 from Ventura California. In my opinion this is a fine second set, highlighted by a very nice drums/space into the Wheel, then a rare Cryptical into a very jammy Other One. That is followed by a particularly touching 'Comes A Time', always a favorite. While there may be better versions, I think this set stands up to scrutiny as the boys put out some great energy in this second set. They close with the summertime favorite 'U.S. Blues...
Jul 18, 2014•1 hr 31 min
While we are in high summer my thoughts turned to great summer tours and despite my reservations about some shows from this year, I couldn't help but realize that this year had to be represented - 1985. The band played an amazing summer tour with such a wide variety setlists filled with extraordinary breakouts that the year deserves to be honored despite the well-known problems with Garcia's voice and the all-too-obvious tendency to overindulge in certain stimulants.. This week's show is a great...
Jul 11, 2014•1 hr 3 min
Happy 4th of July! With the 4th falling on a Friday it just seems to be fitting that I play one of the seven shows that the boys played on this date. Since I've already played the 7/4/90 show on the Deadpod, I decided to bring back this beauty from the Summer of 1984.. I happen to think the boys were on a peak during this time (the night before when they played Kansas City is a great show too!), and I decided it would be best to bring you this nice long second set for this holiday Deadpod. Any s...
Jul 04, 2014•1 hr 43 min
