Welcome to this month's Grateful Dead Show Listening Guides! If you like these reviews and you want to support me, please consider buying a copy of my book   On This Day In Grateful Dead History: A Daily Listening Journal . They're $50 and I offer free shipping if you subscribe to my mailing list, where you'll get these writeups delivered. No spam, I promise! Over time, as I've written these listening guides, I marked up my copy of the book like this: The underlined songs are

Welcome to this month's Grateful Dead Show Listening Guides! If you like these reviews and you want to support me, please consider buying a copy of my book   On This Day In Grateful Dead History: A Daily Listening Journal . They're $50 and I offer free shipping if you subscribe to my mailing list, where you'll get these writeups delivered. No spam, I promise! Over time, as I've written these listening guides, I marked up my copy of the book like this: The underlined songs are

Hello everyone. I’d like to wish all of you a Happy New Year! This will be my final writeup. I’m going to transition to a different format for 2026. But don’t worry, all of my listening guides will be available on my website. I just can’t do weekly writeups any more. I need to focus on other more personal matters for the time being. But I will try to do some social media posts when I can. Thanks for going on this journey with me over the last year, it’s been a lot of fun, and

For the week of 12/22 – 12/28th, we’re gearing up for New Year’s Eve with some interesting historical year-end shows. It is fascinating to read about the 1970 benefit for Owsley "The Bear" Stanley, where the band likely added a Montessori School to the bill to soften the image of supporting a jailed LSD chemist. I was amused by the 1969 show where Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir had to improvise an acoustic set because drummer Bill Kreutzmann was delayed on a flight over Omaha.  Th

For the week of 12/15 – 12/21, the history of the Grateful Dead offers several deeply emotional and significant moments. I was particularly struck by the description of the crowd's deafening reaction to Jerry Garcia's return to the stage in Oakland in 1986 following his diabetic coma, which marked a joyful reunion for the community. It is also fascinating to read about the 1973 shows in Tampa where Donna Godchaux was absent due to being extremely pregnant, a situation that re

For the week of 12/8 - 12/14, I found myself immersed in a fascinating mix of eras, ranging from the raw, psychedelic country sound of 1969 to the polished, high-energy arenas of 1990. It was particularly moving to see the band remembering John Lennon on the day of his passing in 1980, adding a layer of historical gravity to the music. I was also struck by how prominent Pigpen was in those early St. Louis and Los Angeles shows, driving the energy with his bluesy grit before t

For the week of December 1st through December 7th, I feel that the band’s history is defined by incredible runs, including the intimate Felt Forum shows in New York. It seems to me that Pigpen was really hitting his stride during that 1971 run after his medical leave, noted for "cranking things up several notches" compared to previous shows. Furthermore, I notice that this week holds the somber anniversary of the Altamont Speedway Free Festival tragedy, which occurred on Dece

For the week of 11/24 - 11/30, we have fifteen unique Grateful Dead performances spanning 1966 to 1994, showcasing various eras of the band. It includes some notable performances from Pigpen, whose strong presence was evident on the early 1966 recording from The Matrix, and Hamza El Din, who joined the band for "Ollin Arageed" during the phenomenal 1978 show at the Capitol Theatre. The recordings highlight different era sounds, such as the "pure Texas-style high-energy Gratef

For the week of 11/17 – 11/23, includes a significant period of Grateful Dead history, covering shows from 1970 through 1985. Notable non-Grateful Dead events include an acoustic Bob Weir Band set for the Hunger Week Benefit on 11/17/1978, during which Phil Lesh did not attend, but which debuted rare songs. The 1972 shows frequently highlighted specific band members, such as Phil Lesh laying down bold, melodic leads that shaped the direction of the jams. Historical context fo

For the week of November 10th through November 16th, we have several significant historical events and performances by the band. The period is marked by the passing of Ken Kesey on November 10, 2001. Kesey was a prominent central figure of the Grateful Dead, and the larger Beat Generation. On top of being an extremely talented writer (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), he was the leader of the Merry Pranksters. The band’s performances spanned decades for the dates this week, i

Update: 11/3/2025 Today we received the sad news that Donna Jean Godchaux has passed away yesterday, November 2nd. Donna forever changed the trajectory of the band in 1971, when she successfully advocated for her husband Keith to become the keyboardist for the band. It took no time at all for the band to realize how good Keith was, and that his style melded perfectly with the new material that was being introduced into their repertoire. But Donna was an extremely accomplished

For the week of 10/27 – 11/2, several historically significant events are noted, including the heavenly birthday of Rex Jackson on October 27th. The show on October 27, 1984, was the first to feature an official, dedicated taper’s section. Two days after Bill Graham’s passing, the band delivered an emotionally charged tribute performance on October 27, 1991, opening with his favorite song, "Sugar Magnolia". During the performance on October 31, 1991, Ken Kesey delivered a pow

For the week of 10/20 – 10/26, we have several historically significant events, including the heavenly birthday of keyboardist Brent Mydland on 10/21 and the commemoration of the passing of Phil Lesh and legendary promoter Bill Graham on 10/25. The period captured drummer Mickey Hart’s return to the lineup on October 20, 1974, which also marked the date of the final “Wall Of Sound” show before the band took a year-and-a-half hiatus. During the October 1971 Chicago run, Keith

For the week of 10/13 – 10/19, Grateful Dead history spanned significant milestones across multiple decades. This week includes the celebration of Bobby Weir's 78th birthday on October 16th. October 19th, 1971, marked the first show featuring Keith and Donna Godchaux, which also saw the debut of six songs, including "Tennessee Jed," "Jack Straw," and "Ramble On Rose". Historical events during this period also included the final performance of the full "Weather Report Suite" o

For the week of 10/6 – 10/12, Grateful Dead history features unique side projects, guest appearances, and historic performances. In 1968, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Phil Lesh played loose, exploratory gigs at The Matrix, sometimes joined by Elvin Bishop and Jack Casady, while in 1981 Jerry and Bobby played a rare acoustic set for a tiny audience in Amsterdam. Guests like Grace Slick joined the band for an electrifying jam in 1972, and the band honored what would have been

For the week of 9/29 – 10/5, the Grateful Dead delivered numerous memorable shows, with the date October 4th marking the anniversary of Janis Joplin's death in 1970. Many performances from this week were later featured on official live albums like Reckoning  and Dead Set , while entire shows from 1976, 1977, and 1994 were released as part of the 30 Trips Around The Sun  and Dave's Picks  series. This week in history saw the live debut of "Heaven Help The Fool" in 1980, the fi

For the week of 9/22 – 9/28, the historic Fall 1980 “For the Faithful” tour began, reintroducing an acoustic-electric format that would supply material for the Reckoning  and Dead Set  albums. These shows featured the return of many classic songs that had been absent for hundreds of performances. Throughout the years, this week also saw many notable guest appearances, including Spencer Davis, saxophonist David Murray, harmonica player James Cotton, guitarist Mick Taylor, Suza

For the week of 9/15 - 9/21, the Grateful Dead played several historically significant shows, including the conclusion of their epic concerts at the Gizah Sound and Light Theatre in Cairo, Egypt. The week also marked Bruce Hornsby’s debut performance as a member of the band on September 15, 1990, at Madison Square Garden. Guest horn players Martin Fierro and Joe Ellis joined the band for second sets on multiple dates, adding unique textures to performances in 1973. Renowned a

For the week of 9/8 – 9/14, Grateful Dead history was marked by several notable events and performances. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan's heavenly birthday was celebrated on September 8th, while Mickey Hart's birthday fell on September 11th. This week also saw the band's infamous journey to Egypt for shows at the Gizah Sound and Light Theatre in 1978. The year 1987 brought first performances of songs like Hey Pocky Way, Devil With The Blue Dress, and Good Golly Miss Molly, and a uniqu

For the week of September 1st-7th, Grateful Dead history is rich with significant moments. This week we’re remembering the late roadie and road manager Rex Jackson, who’s namesake was used when the band founded The Rex Foundation in 1983, which is their charitable organization. We also have Vince Welnick's debut show with the band on September 7, 1990. Musically, this week features a wide variety of styles from the band, along with Jerry Garcia's debut with his new Wolf guita