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January Grateful Dead Show Listening Guides

Updated: Jan 20


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:


A picture of the book On This Day in Grateful Dead History with underlined song highlights and highlighted Jam Anthem songs

The underlined songs are the ones I'm calling out as highlights (songs names that are bolded) in the listening guide, and the songs highlighted in yellow are the ones that Howard Weiner has identified as Jam Anthem renditions. I also write notes in the space provided if I'm feeling inspired or if there are any updates such as newly released material. Ultimately you can use it however you want, but this was my original intent with the book.


By the way, if you're new here, this is my month-by-month archive of my listening guides that gives you the most interesting and significant facts from Grateful Dead History, along with reviews of the music. If you'd like to stay up to date on new reviews and other information, you can subscribe here:


January

For the month of January, looking back at these shows offers a fascinating glimpse into the band's evolution across three decades, filled with high-energy performances and quite a bit of off-stage drama. One of the most interesting storylines to me is the Winter 1978 tour, which kicked off in San Bernardino with Jerry suffering from laryngitis, forcing Bobby to handle most of the vocals while Jerry focused his energy on the guitar. This tour seemed a bit cursed, as not only was Jerry sick, but soundman Dan Healy was actually arrested during the show in Bakersfield on 1/14/1978, leading Phil to announce they wouldn't play an encore and that they wouldn't play there again.

 

I also found the historical context of the 1970 New Orleans run to be incredibly significant. The band was raided and arrested at their hotel in the early hours of 1/31/1970, an event that later inspired the lyrics in "Truckin'". This run was also pivotal because 1/30/1970 marked Tom Constanten's final show with the Grateful Dead. Going back even further to 1968, it is important to clear up some confusion regarding the Seattle shows; while tapes often circulate labeled as January 22nd and 23rd, historians have corrected these dates to 1/26/1968 and 1/27/1968,.

 

There were also some amazing collaborations and unique musical moments in January. I loved reading about the Cambodian Emergency Relief Fund benefit on 1/13/1980, where the band was joined by Joan Baez and members of the Beach Boys and Jefferson Starship. Another standout moment for me was the 1/22/1978 show in Eugene, where Jerry played the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" theme during a jam, the only time he ever did that. It is also worth noting the 1/26/1993 Chinese New Year show, which featured a guest appearance by Carlos Santana.

 

Historically, this month holds several key dates for people in the Dead's orbit. We celebrate Bill Graham's birthday on 1/8 and Steve Parish's birthday on 1/20. We also remember the passing of David Crosby on 1/18/2023. On a more infamous note, 1/18/1985 was the day Jerry was busted with drugs in his BMW in Golden Gate Park.

 

Interesting historical events in Grateful Dead History for January:


Bill Graham's Birthday (1/8/1931)

Kickoff of the Winter 1978 tour (1/6/1978)

Kickoff of the Winter 1979 tour (1/7/1979)

Dan Healy gets arrested by the Bakersfield police during the show (1/14/1978)

David Crosby's death (1/18/2023)

Jerry Garcia drug bust in Golden Gate Park (1/18/1985)

Steve Parish's Birthday (1/20)

Tom Constanten’s final show (1/30/1970)

The band is busted down on Bourbon Street in New Orleans after a show (1/30/1970)

 

January first song performances

Dark Star (1/17/1968), China Cat Sunflower (1/17/1968), The Eleven (1/17/1968), Born Cross-Eyed (1/17/1968), Dupree's Diamond Blues (1/24/1969), Doin' That Rag (1/24/1969), Saw Mill (1/31/1970), Katie Mae (1/31/1970)

 

January final song performances

Clementine (1/26/1969), Old, Old House (1/31/1970)

 

January only song performances

Get Back (1/28/1987)


January Grateful Dead Show Listening Guide index

Index of all 48 shows reviewed in January. Click the link to jump to the listening guide, or just scroll down.



January 1st


Happy New Year! Unfortunately, there aren't any circulating tapes of the two shows on this day (1/1/1966 and 1/1/1967). Maybe go back and pick another NYE show form another year to enjoy today.



January 2nd


1/2/1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY


1/2/1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY

1st of a 2-show run. After the New Year’s Eve show in Boston, the band returned to the Big Apple and delivered an outstanding, high-voltage performance. This one was set up with both an early and a late show.

 

The first set (early show) has some great highlights, including Mason’s Children, a rocking Casey Jones, a heartfelt Black Peter, and a powerful Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical sequence.

 

The second set (late show) is just as strong, with a gorgeous Uncle John’s Band > High Time, a gritty Easy Wind, and a lively China Cat > I Know You Rider. The big highlight for me is the beautiful, exploratory Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Lovelight, which closes things out in spectacular fashion.



January 3rd


1/3/1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY


1/3/1970 Fillmore East, New York, NY

2nd of a 2-show run. Another early/late format show. Partially officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 30 Bonus Disc. The early show has some excellent highlights, starting with a powerful Morning Dew and a lively Cold Rain & Snow. The big centerpiece for me is the adventurous Alligator > Drums > Jam > Alligator > Caution Jam > Feedback, which shows the band stretching out in all directions. They wrap things up with a sweet Uncle John’s Band encore that feels just right.

 

The late show is just as strong, with a gritty Big Boss Man and a dynamic Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical sequence that really delivers. A playful Dancin’ > Drums > Dancin’ keeps the energy flowing, and the closing run of St. Stephen > Midnight Hour is a perfect way to end the night.


January 4th

 

There aren't any circulating tapes of the two shows on this day (1/4/1966 and 1/4/1969). But there are 22 NYE shows to pick from that you could listen to!



January 5th


1/5/1979 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA



This may not be the best show of the year, but since it’s the only one with a circulating tape from this date, I think it’s worth appreciating—and there’s plenty to enjoy. The tapes are all audience recordings, and I prefer SHNID 156053, which captures the feel of the night best. The sound system has some issues, with feedback popping up in spots that can be a little jarring. Jerry’s voice is strained too, so some of the moments where he usually shines vocally don’t quite land. But his guitar playing feels especially inspired, almost like he’s channeling the frustration with his voice into the instrument, and it really comes through.

 

The first set has some strong highlights, including Sugaree, a gritty Minglewood, a lively Mexicali, a sweet Brown Eyed Women, and a fiery Music Never Stopped.

 

The second set brings more standout moments, with a flowing Estimated > Eyes, and then a powerful sequence of Truckin’ > Nobody’s Fault But Mine (a breakout after 98 shows, last played 10/12/1977) > Black Peter > Around & Around. It’s a great way to close out the night.



January 6th

Kickoff of the Winter 1978 tour (1/6/1978)


1/6/1978 Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA



This is the only circulating show on this day in Grateful Dead history. This show kicked off the Winter '78 West Coast tour that would have the band doing 10 shows in California, and 1 show in Oregon between January 6th and the 22nd. If you're a Bobby fan, the first few shows of this tour are for you, because Jerry developed a nasty case of laryngitis during the first set of this show so Bobby had to sing most of the songs. Be forewarned that Jerry's laryngitis would affect him for most of the shows on this tour. For this show, I think it led to some interesting set list selections in the 2nd set, and some nice extended jamming. You will of course notice that the singing is "not the same".

 

The first set doesn't have many highlights but I do like Big River, Looks Like Rain, and Lazy Lightning > Supplication. After realizing that Jerry isn't able to sing anymore, they pull a rabbit out of their hat and manage to string together a rather nice second set. On paper it doesn't look very long, but they substitute song quantity of jamming, which is nice. They kick off with a nice long, tasty Playing that clocks in at over 23 minutes and includes some dramatic exploratory jamming. This leads to a unique segue into Estimated Prophet. Forced by Jerry's laryngitis, this would be the only time they ever played this song combination. They give this song a proper workout. I particularly like Jerry's guitar work here. The outro jam is nicely extended because they realize they need to fill some space. Drums is only about 8 minutes long, and there's no Space, but instead they plow headlong into a powerful Other One, which segues into Truckin', another unusual song pairing that they only performed 6 times: https://bit.ly/40dSNlm.



January 7th

Kickoff of the Winter 1979 tour (1/7/1979)


1/7/1978 Golden Hall, Community Concourse, San Diego, CA



11st of a 2-show run. The second show of the Winter '78 tour with Jerry's voice out of commission. But what he lacks in singing, he makes up for in his guitar playing. I guess the realization that he isn't going to sing has inspired him to focus all his energy on the fretboard, and we're treated to an excellent show because of it. Bobby has also become comfortable with the fact that he's doing most of the singing and sounds very confident. In fact, the whole band sounds better, not being under pressure to figure out how to pull off an entire show without Jerry singing. They obviously took some time before this show to talk about it.

 

The first set is full of highlights. We've got a ripping Minglewood, a beautiful take on Cassidy, a high-voltage Passenger with fiery Jerry leads, a beautiful and emotional Looks Like Rain, and a fierce El Paso > Let It Grow > Promised Land trio to end the set.

 

The second set highlights are Jack Straw, Dancin' > Samson. Playing In The Band is good but average in that it doesn't develop into any interesting jam, but Not Fade Away is incredibly powerful, and probably the peak of the entire show. It's one of my all-time favorite versions and at almost 16 minutes, it's a monster. A rousing Around & Around ends the set, and we get a standout reading of Saturday Night.


1/7/1979 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY



1st of a 2-show run. The Winter 1979 tour was born out of the cancellation of the last 11 shows of the Fall 1978 tour, after Jerry developed severe pneumonia following the 11/24/78 show. This would be the band's first appearance at The Garden, and many of the ticket stubs had the original date of 11/30/78. Like the year before, Jerry's vocal chords are strained, but he manages to keep it together.

 

First set highlights are Jack Straw, Cassidy, Jack A Roe, a standout performance of Looks Like Rain, one of the last ones with Donna (she and Keith would be out of the band in about a month and a half after this). They close the set with a powerful Passenger.

 

Second set highlights are Miracle > Shakedown Street (Phil bombs and super funk!), Estimated (with some very nice guitar work by Jerry in the jam) > Eyes (incredible energy, frantic Jerry solos) > Drums > Space (still possessing that Egypt '78 feel) > Not Fade Away. The rest of the second set is average but I do like the Good Lovin' encore. You'll notice some sound system gremlins on the tape, by the way. Apparently it was pretty jarring for the audience!


January 8th

 Bill Graham's Birthday (1/8/1931)


1/8/1978 Golden Hall, Community Concourse, San Diego, CA


 

2nd of a 2-show run. Jerry still has laryngitis and another Bobby-lover's delight. First set highlights are Jack Straw, All Over Now, Lazy Lightning > Supplication. Second set highlights are Samson, Estimated > Drums. There isn't any Space to speak of on this one, and The Other One is standard but they transition into a fierce Truckin' > Sugar Magnolia. The Johnny B. Goode encore rips.


1/8/1979 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY


 

2nd of a 2-show run. This is an excellent show that's not as well-known because of the issue with Jerry's voice, but his singing is really not that bad. There's a crack in his voice in a few places but all-in-all he doesn't sound bad to me. Bobby's slide guitar on Minglewood is way worse!

 

They open the first set with a fiery Half Step > Franklin's that energizes the audience and sets the pace for the rest of the show. Other 1st set highlights are Friend Of The Devil, All Over Now, Lazy Lightning > Supplication.

 

They kick the second set off with a powerful Scarlet > Fire that includes a nice jam in the middle. Other highlights include a ripping Samson, a delicate Terrapin Station that builds into a big crescendo in the final jam and slams into a great rendition of Playing. Drums features Mickey’s Egyptian sound, and without any Space to speak of it leads into The Other One featuring massive Phil bombs. Wharf Rat is very well done, which segues into a high-voltage Good Lovin’ to close the set. A fun U.S. Blues encore closes out this fine show.


January 9th


There are no known Grateful Dead shows on this day in history!

 


January 10th


1/10/1970 Golden Hall, Community Concourse, San Diego, CA


 

There’s only an hour and a half of music here, but it’s dense with some really excellent music. Highlights include Hard To Handle, Mason’s Children > Black Peter (picked for release on The Golden Road box set), Good Lovin’, and a nicely jammed 25+ minute Lovelight to close it out.

 

1/10/1978 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA


 

1st of a 2-show run. Here’s an excellent, high‑energy show, and once again Jerry’s crackly voice becomes part of the charm. Instead of holding him back, it adds a textured, emotional edge to the songs, and I think that’s a big part of why these versions feel so personal.

 

The first set has plenty of strong moments, with Bertha > Good Lovin’, a warm Brown Eyed Women, and a sharp Deal > Cassidy sequence.

 

The second set keeps the momentum going with a flowing Estimated > He’s Gone > Drums > Other One > Wharf Rat > Franklin’s Tower > Around & Around, a run that captures both the band’s energy and their emotional depth.


1/10/1979 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY


 

1st of a 2-show run. This is a fabulous show with great energy and a killer set list. They kick off the first set with a strong reading of Promised Land, after which we get a perfect upbeat Dire Wolf. Other highlights include Tennessee Jed, Passenger, and Music Never Stopped to close the set.

 

The second set kicks off with a powerful (but on the shorter side) disco-funk version of Shakedown Street. After that you get a really good rendition of a classic trio Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin’. And then the real highlight of the show, the one that everyone was waiting for: Dark Star > Drums > Space > Wharf Rat > St. Stephen > Around & Around. They close the show with a blistering Johnny B. Goode. 



January 11th

 

1/11/1978 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA


 

2nd of a 2-show run. Here’s another blistering high-energy performance. first set highlights are s strong Minglewood opener, followed by Dire Wolf, a mellow but heartfelt They Love Each Other, Brown Eyed Women, and a wicked Let It Grow to close the set.

 

Second set highlights are the big jam segment that accounts for most of the set: Terrapin > Playing > Drums > Space > St. Stephen (Jam Anthem version) > NFA > Playing and the only time they ever encored with Passenger, which I kind of like in that spot, and it’s a ripping version.

 

1/11/1979 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY


 

2nd of a 2-show run. This whole show is outstanding. I prefer SHNID 1861120, which seems to sound the best to my ears. There’s a soundboard that circulates but it’s plagued with a lot of tape hiss.  

 

They kick off the first set with a blistering Sugaree that clocks in at 14+ minutes. Other highlights include a pretty Peggy-O, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw (Jam Anthem version. Bobby says “we used to play for acid, now we play for Clive”, a nod to Clive Davis, the founder of Arista who signed the band in 1976) > Deal.

 

The energy and passion is taken up a notch for the second set, and you’re left with some really great renditions of these songs: Miracle, Estimated > He’s Gone > Drums > Truckin’ > Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin’. You can skip the Casey Jones encore, IMO.



January 12th

 

1/12/1979 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA


 

An excellent show filled with energy that propels the band to some really nice peak moments. First set highlights are Jack Straw, Candyman, Tennessee Jed, and a rousing rendition of Deal to close the set. Second set highlights are smoking Samson (Jerry absolutely lights his guitar on fire on the solo) to open, Dancin’ > Jam > Drums > NFA > GDTRFB > Sugar Magnolia



January 13th

 

1/13/1978 Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA


 

This whole show is excellent. The boys put on a very fine show for this “Stop Nuclear Power” Pacific Alliance Benefit show. Phil is particularly present on this one, dropping bombs all over the place.

 

First set highlights include Half Step opener, Candyman, All Over Now, Brown Eyed Women, a particularly intense Beat It On Down The Line, Lazy Lightning > Supplication. 

 

The intensity continues as they come back on stage for the second set, charging out of the gate with a rousing Bertha > Good Lovin’. After a fine take of Donna’s song Sunrise, the band fires up the disco engine and lay down a funkified Dancin’ that leads into a short Drums segment, followed by a long spacey Jam, finally ending into a powerful rendition of Wharf Rat, where the outro section builds into an intense free-form jam before fading into a groove-filled Truckin’. After that long, strange trip they segue into a particularly fine Around & Around. Finally, an uncommon Sugar Magnolia encore blasts the roof off the place for the encore. They only encored 11 times with Sugar Magnolia, which is unfortunate because I think it works well in that spot.    

 

1/13/1980 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA


 

A Benefit for the Cambodian Emergency Relief Fund. Check out this Lost Live Dead blog article for a deep dive on this show. This is only a single set of music because of the other bands, but there’s a lot of great moments packed in here. Opening with a strong Jack Straw, the band gets the vibe going right away. They quickly transition into a pleasant Franklin’s Tower. The groove is really strong and the band is in sync. After that, a rousing version of Minglewood emerges, followed by an excellent rendition of Tennessee Jed, which flows right into a passionate reading of Looks Like Rain that segues into a blistering Don’t Ease. The second half of the Dead’s performance is like a mini- second set, and they kick off with a wonderful Playing that is about the length which is typical of the time period and has a nice jam for the outro section. Drums is up next, and is a rhythmic treat. As the transition into Not Fade Away happens, the guitar gods of the Bay Area start to emerge - John Cipollina and Carlos Santana. You gotta love a NFA with those guys adding their style to the music! They stick around for one hell of a Sugar Magnolia, which builds to intense levels before the break and the Sunshine Daydream refrain that we all know and love. They take a short break and come back for a double encore, First up is U.S. Blues with Greg Errico from Sly and the Family Stone joining on drums, and then Joan Baez’s song Bridging The Gap, with a whole host of musicians: Carlos Santana on guitar, Craig Chaquico on guitar, Joan Baez on vocals, Pete Sears on guitar, Brian Wilson on vocals, Carl Wilson on vocals, Dennis Wilson on vocals, and Mickey Thomas on vocals.



January 14th

Dan Healy gets arrested by the Bakersfield police during the show (1/14/1978)


1/14/1978 Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium, Bakersfield, CA


 

This Winter ’78 tour seems to be kind of cursed. First, it’s Jerry’s laryngitis and they have to completely change up how they play a show, and now Dan Healy, the soundman for the band at the time, gets arrested during the show. There’s no encore this night after the second set is cut short after One More Saturday Night, and Phil tells the audience that he’s been arrested and taken away. Huge “boos” erupt, and Phils says they’re not going to play anymore, and he’s terribly sorry. Needless to say, they would never play Bakersfield again, for this reason alone but also because this small, out-of-the-way venue probably wasn’t profitable. Fortunately, as David Davis points out in his book The Economic History of the Grateful Dead, 1978 would propel the band to the #4 spot of all touring rock bands, with total ticket sales of over $5.7 million. Anyways, on to the music. Overall this is a pretty solid show, despite being on the shorter side. Jerry’s singing again on this one, but you can tell his voice isn’t fully recovered and there aren’t any epic jams to compensate. But there is a lot of competent playing, and some good energy here.

 

First set highlights are Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, They Love Each Other, a rare cowboy combination Mama Tried > Me & My Uncle (only performed 13 times), and a rousing Let It Grow to end the set.

 

The second set kicks off with a ripping version of Samson, followed by a tender and emotional Candyman. The jam segment of the show is a little stunted, but I do like the rest of it: Estimated > Eyes > Jam > Not Fade Away > One More Saturday Night.



January 15th

 

1/15/1978 Selland Arena, Fresno, CA


 

Along with 1/14/78, this show took place in a relatively inconvenient location for the average Dead Head. But Bill Graham was trying something different for this tour. As Corry Arnold explains in his superlative Lost Live Dead blog, touring California this time of year made a lot of sense due to favorable weather conditions. The theory is that Bill Graham was seeking pent up demand for the band, and by having a tour this time of year in “secondary” markets might be a way of enriching the band (and himself). The band was normally taking January and February off for the most part (except for Jerry, who tended to always be on the road, filling in gaps with his side projects). Many people rate this show as mediocre, but trust me, there are some epic segments in there. As Corry explains in his blog, there were a lot of non-Dead Heads at this show and the enthusiasm from the audience just wasn’t there.

 

I think that certainly had an effect on the band, and there are some “potholes” in there, but the first set highlights are Bertha > Good Lovin’, Passenger, and Music Never Stopped to close the set.

 

The second set starts off a little slow, but the best part of the whole show occurs with Terrapin > Playing, which evolves into a very unique Jam, that Corry describes in his blog article about this show as “the wildest, weirdest, spaciest jam I have ever heard at a Dead concert”. In totality, this is one of the longest post-74 Playing’s out there at over 27 minutes in length. That jam eventually segues into a powerful Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia to end the show. Since the audience was such a dud, they end it without an encore.



January 16th

 

1/16/1970 Springer's Inn, Gresham, OR


 

This show starts out with some pretty comical banter from the band complaining to Bear about the monitors. Phil says “T-There's n-not much coming out of those m-m-m-monitors B-B-Bear. He always does that to us. It's like, he wants to show us who's boss. So he sticks a needle in through our heads before every performance”. Don’t be turned off by the sound quality of the tape at first, it greatly improves after the first several minutes.

 

They kick off the first set with a short but strong Casey Jones and Mama Tried. Black Peter is a very nice, emotional version. Other highlights include China Cat > I Know You Rider, Good Lovin’ > Drums > Good Lovin’.

 

Second set highlights are Alligator > Drums > The Eleven Jam > Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Cumberland, Me & My Uncle > Dire Wolf, Uncle John’s Band, Easy Wind (officially released on The Golden Road (1965 – 1973). The next segment of Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical > Cosmic Charlie to end the show is all very good, but nothing earth-shattering. They just don’t get into a deep jam in any of it, but there is some very palpable energy none the less.



January 17th

 

1/17/1968 Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA


 

At the very beginning of the tape, you can hear someone’s child introducing the band: “Grateful Dead!” Based on videos and pictures of the San Francisco scene in 1968, I have this image of a 5-year-old kid running around the Carousel Ballroom barefoot, looking for their dad, so they can climb up on their shoulders to watch the band play. What a wild time it must have been! The circulating tapes of this show all kind of sound the same, with the guitars way up front in the mix. This is a neat opportunity to really hear Bobby’s rhythm guitar work.

 

The first set opens with Lovelight, and I’m really impressed at how much intricacy is involved in Bobby’s strumming. While this version isn’t the longest or craziest of them all, it’s a solid reading and has a unique sound that I’ve never heard before because of the mix. Following that is the first known recorded live version of Dark Star. It has not yet developed into the deeply psychedelic jam masterpiece that it would evolve into over the next couple of years. This version, at just under 5 minutes, is edgy, fast and melodic. It quickly segues into the first known live performance of China Cat, which is also a short, fast and very edgy version, much different from the groovy jam that it would become. Pigpen’s organ skills really shine as he competently mirrors the melody along with Bobby. They quickly move into The Elven, which is also the first known live version. It’s a very sharp, tight version. They competently nail all the intricate lyrics and navigate the various complex musical passages. There’s a nice outro jam that builds into a cacophony of sounds, which falls into a short segment of Feedback, then into New Potato Caboose > Born Cross-Eyed (first known live performance) > Feedback > Spanish Jam, which is a Jam Anthem version, and the big highlight of the entire tape. At a little over 15 minutes, it’s raw, fierce, and free-flowing. It builds into a tense feedback-riddled peak and then gently fades out.

 

The same kid is back to announce the band for the second set “And presenting, the Grateful Dead!” after which they launch into a short Cryptical > Other One > Cryptical segment that is straight and to the point. No messing around here! This segues into Pigpen’s spotlight slot with a bluesy, and admittedly inappropriately-themed Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.

 

1/17/1969 Robertson Gym, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA


 

There’s a lot of really well played songs here. The tapes begins with a stretched-out Lovelight featuring all the Pigpen you can handle. Dark Star is next, and it’s very delicately put together, with each band member weaving their part of the tapestry to make it whole. Jerry’s very inspired on the fretboard and Phil wanders all over, expanding the main theme of the song in only a way he can. This one doesn’t build, but just floats out into a beautiful segue into Saint Stephen, reminiscent of what you get on Two From The Vault. This leads to the William Tell Bridge, which was typical, and included in every Saint Stephen up until March, 1970 timeframe, when they dropped it in favor of segueing into songs like Not Fade Away. This version segued into The Eleven, which was very typical of the time. This is a splendid version, vigorously jammed out, and it leads to a highly emotional Death Don’t Have No Mercy with lots of great fretwork by Jerry while his plaintive singing puts it all out there. Cryptical > Drums > The Other One > Cryptical suite is up next, and it’s a powerful version with a meaty jam in the middle. After an extended Cryptical outro jam, the segue into Cosmic Charlie. This rendition starts off rough. Bobby attempts the first verse, but abandons it when he realizes the rest of the band just isn’t ready. It’s not clear from the audio what the delay was about, but they extend the intro for about 3 minutes, regroup, and then restart the song in fine fashion. From there on out, it’s a decent reading of this classic song.

 

1/17/1970 Gill Coliseum, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR


 

This is a pleasant tape consisting of a single set of music. The first half is some standard tunes, all played well enough, just lacking anything special. Things pick up for Cumberland Blues, however. This is a high-energy rendition and was officially released on The Golden Road (1965 -1973). Phil is channeling some serious bouncy, bubbly, bluegrass-style bass riffing. Other highlights include Me & My Uncle, Black Peter, Mason’s Children > High Time. The second half of the show is the jam segment, and it’s all excellent: Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Lovelight.

 

1/17/1978 Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA


 

This is an excellent, high-energy show that showcases the band firing on all cylinders. First set highlights are Cassidy, Loser, Looks Like Rain, Minglewood, Roses, Music Never Stopped. The spark continues , and the entire second set is more red-hot Grateful Dead.

 

They kick off the second set with a rousing rendition of the classic duo Bertha > Good Lovin’. A soft and poignant Candyman turns the boil down to a simmer, but then the psychedelic jamming sets in with Estimated > He’s Gone > Drums > Other One. The Other One builds to an intense peak, then eases into a soft, floating spacey jam, with some unique “plunking” sounds, which I think is Bobby doing something on his guitar. Jerry starts strumming the chords for Black Peter, and they gradually transition from outer space weirdness to the structure of the intro part. Jerry starts singing, and it’s immediately evident that his voice is not 100%, but not in a bad way, it just kind of “cracks”. It adds an interesting layer of texture to this sad, mournful song in my opinion, and I actually like it. This is a monster version at almost 12 minutes in length, and they jam the hell out of it, building to a peak before making a dramatic segue to an excellent Truckin’. They give this some good jamming treatment as well, and build it to a peak before switching gears into Around & Around to close the set. A good but standard U.S. Blues encore sends the audience home happy.

 

1/17/1979 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT


 

This show gets mixed reviews. Yes, Jerry’s voice is not fully healthy but I think there’s plenty of great moments and is worth your time – up to a certain point, and then this show kind of falls apart.

 

First set highlights are a fat, funky Shakedown Street opener, an up-tempo pretty Peggy-O, Brown Eyed Women, and Miracle. Second set highlights are Scarlet > Fire, Estimated > Eyes > Drums > Jam > NFA. The Jam is pretty interesting. It sounds like some type of African marimba, but Jerry’s noodling on top while Bobby plays slide guitar. It develops into a more straight-forward GD-style jam – loose and wandering with multiple themes being weaved together by the various members, until all of a sudden Bobby and Phil switch into NFA. This NFA is on the longer side, at almost 14 minutes, and has that laid-back, slow groove feeling. The jam in the middle is a little edgy, but it doesn’t grow into a powerhouse. It segues into one of the drowsiest renditions of Black Peter I think you’ll ever hear. I love this song, but Jerry sounds like he took a couple of Quaaludes, and they’re kicking in. And this is where the show takes a dive, and never really recovers. Black Peter almost 14 minutes long and there is a gentle, thoughtful solo in the middle. It’s just sleepy. It does build intensity towards the end, and they switch to a standard reading of Around & Around. But at least the energy perks up a bit. The song goes into double time at the end, and we’re finally awake again. They just kind of play out the song without building it up, and it quickly segues into a standard reading of Good Lovin’. After that, they seem to struggle through the Casey Jones encore. Good night.



January 18th

Jerry Garcia drug bust in Golden Gate Park (1/18/1985)

RIP David Crosby (1/18/2023)

 

1/18/1970 Springer's Ballroom, Gresham, OR


 

Partially officially released on Download Series Volume 2. There are only these nine songs that are available on the Vault release, but what we have is really good. Cold Rain & Snow starts off a little tentative, but they quickly fall into a groove. Pigpen shines on Big Boss Man, singing and playing the harmonica. Mason’s Children has a lot of energy and good vocal harmonies (something they didn’t always nail on that song). Black Peter is melancholy and emotional, both with Jerry’s singing and his guitar playing. Things upbeat with Dancin’ with the middle jam morphing from a dance groove to a borderline Dark Star feel for a minute before returning for the last verse. Good Lovin’ is revved up, and typical of the time period with a Drums breakdown, and a return for a jam, and then the last verse. China Cat > I Know You Rider is fast and furious. It’s not one of the huge jammed out versions that it would evolve into, but it’s powerful and clean. Lovelight is the last song, and it’s a monster 18 minute Pig-stravaganza, with a big rap about how to get busy with your lady early in the morning while Jerry streams hot blues licks off his guitar.

Music link: only available on Download Series Volume 2

 

1/18/1978 Stockton Civic Auditorium, Stockton, CA


 

This was the penultimate show of the ’78 Winter Tour, and the last show in California. The band would head up to Oregon for the final show on 1/22. They kick off the first set with a rowdy version of Half Step that establishes the vibe and is carried forward through to a relatively uncommon country song pairing of Mama Tried > Me & My Uncle, only performed 13 times but as you’ve seen they did this combination four days earlier on 1/14/78. They’d do it two more times in the next few weeks, and then drop it from the set list until 9/2/85, and that would be the final performance of that song sequence.

 

The second set kicks off with an out-of-sync intro of Terrapin Station, but they quickly recover and it becomes a nice, floating rendition. The outro builds nicely but not to epic levels before transitioning into Playing. This is a nice, strongly jammed rendition. The middle jam diverges into free-form improvisation, as Jerry and Phil play off of each other’s themes. The jamming becomes kind of frantic and choppy, and it develops a strange type of syncopation, with Bobby doing accents in weird places, and then Keith mimicking it, then Phil. This continues until an interesting thing emerges. Jerry starts to initiate a spacey jam, but Bobby isn’t having it. He steers the ship straight into Passenger! Well, this is different. Too bad the only circulating soundboard tape has some really annoying audio issues right when all of this is happening. It sounds like it’s patched with a couple of different sources, which is nice that it’s patched, but it’s kind of distracting how it cuts in and out. No disrespect to the person (or people) who spent time doing the patching. As Passenger comes to an end, they kind of wind it down and Jerry steers it into that Space jam that he wanted. This goes on for about 5 minutes, until does his trademark 5, 6, 7, countdown for Estimated Prophet. This has turned into one of the oddest 2nd sets ever. After a outro jam, Jerry retakes the helm and it drops into a softly into Stella Blue. It’s a gentle but powerful version, even with Jerry’s voice cracking. The song ends, they pause for a minute and then Bobby starts Sugar Magnolia in a way that I’ve never heard before or after this version. He strums a couple of bars of a pretty little melody, lets the final chord ring out and fade, and then kicks into the beginning of the song. It’s nothing earth shattering, I’ve just never heard him do that before. To end this oddball set, the encore with a song they don’t normally put in that spot: Around & Around.      

 

1/18/1979 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI


 

This is a good, high-energy show with some really nice moments. First set highlights are a rousing Promised Land opener, a mellow, sauntering take on They Love Each Other, a spry Cassidy, Jack A Roe, a rousing Minglewood and Deal to close the set. Second set highlights are a high voltage Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin’ opener, followed by He’s Gone > Truckin’ that builds and segues into a really powerful Other One > Wharf Rat > Around & Around. An upbeat U.S. Blues encore closes out the show.



January 19th

 

There are no known Grateful Dead shows on this day in Grateful Dead history.



January 20th

Steve Parish's Birthday (1/20)

 

1/20/1968 Eureka Municipal Auditorium, Eureka, CA


 

The first two songs of the tape including Viola Lee and School Girl were officially released on Road Trips Volume 2 Number 2 Bonus Disc. This short 33-minute segment of music is raw, high energy Grateful Dead at its best. Pigpen shines on this tape as well as Jerry. Highlights include the segment of Clementine that’s preserved on the tape, and the Jam after Born Cross Eyed which segues into a nice Spanish Jam and then into Caution Jam, but unfortunately the Dark Star is cut. Maybe someday the vault tape will show up and we’ll get to hear the rest of it.

 

1/20/1979 Shea's Buffalo Theater, Buffalo, NY


 

Donna is absent from this whole show, and it’s reported that it started about 2 hours late. This was a few weeks before Keith and Donna left the band because of “issues” between them and the rest of the band, and it’s not clear to me whether her absence and late start of this show is related to that drama or not. However, this whole show is really good and the band is energized and playing well together. Shows from this tour sometimes don’t get the best reviews because of repetitious song selection but the energy and passion is on full display here.

 

First set highlights for this show include Sugaree, Peggy O, Minglewood, Stagger Lee, and a powerful Jack Straw to end the set. The second set is where most of the highlights for the show can be found. Highlights are Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin’ to open the set, and the jam segment Estimated > Other One > Drums > Space > Other One > Dark Star. They then finish out the show strong with some classic rock and roll selections including rousing versions of NFA > Sugar Magnolia and One More Saturday Night encore.



January 21st

 

1/21/1979 Masonic Temple, Detroit, MI


 

While this show doesn’t get as good of a review as the previous night, and truthfully, it’s not as energetic as the 20th, but there are still some excellent highlights in this performance. Main problem seems to be that there’s only one circulating source for this show (SHNID 19083), and it’s a rather muddled sounding audience recording (no disrespect to the unknown taper who, I’m sure jumped through hoops and risked getting ejected to get his recording gear into the show). Maybe there’s some taper out there that has a better recording stashed away. If so, I'd love to hear it so let’s put this on the list of shows that need an upgrade.

 

First set highlights include a nice, laid back Sugaree opener, Dire Wolf, Looks Like Rain, and Friend Of The Devil. The second set opens with an upbeat Samson and Delilah but the real highlight of the second set comes with Terrapin > Playing in the Band. The outro jam from Terrapin contains some really excellent fretwork by Jerry, combined with creative contributions weaved into the mix from Phil and Bobby.



January 22nd

 

1/22/1978 McArthur Court, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR


 

Officially released on Dave’s Picks Volume 23. This whole show crackles with energy and has a plethora of interesting nuances that make for a unique performance. First set highlights include a spy rendition of Minglewood Blues to kick off the set and get people dancing, followed by a perfect reading of an up-tempo Dire Wolf. The Cassidy that follows contains a seductively thick groove in the middle. Other highlights include Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, and Music Never Stopped.

 

The second set charges out of the gate with Bertha > Good Lovin’ that bubbles over with energy. A soft and poignant Ship Of Fools comes next, and cools the tempo but not the passion. A rousing Samson builds the tempo again. The rest of the show is one big highlight, full of skillful jamming and excellent song selection: Terrapin > Drums > Other One > Close Encounters Jam, which is Jerry is on the stage by himself noodling around with his envelope filter when he hits on the notes from that infamous melody from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and he briefly plays an approximation of it. The movies had just been released about two months prior, so it was probably fresh in people’s minds at the time. If it were played today, you probably wouldn’t make that association, but either way, this was the only time he ever did that. The segue into Saint Stephen is pretty neat, and they finish out the set with a powerful NFA > Around & Around, and then U.S. Blues encore.



January 23rd

 

1/23/1970 Honolulu Civic Auditorium, Honolulu, HI


 

Officially released on Dave’s Picks Volume 19.  1st of a 2-show run. This would be the Grateful Dead’s first of only two appearances in Hawaii (all in 1970), however they were previously scheduled for 3 concerts in 1968, but those were cancelled. The band actually received a lot of fanfare around these concerts. There were several different news articles announcing the concerts, and then later announcing that the band was on their way, and then finally that the band had arrived at the airport. There was even a reporter standing by at the airport when the band got off the plane. Deadsources blog and Grateful Seconds blog have excellent articles about these concerts.

 

First set highlights include China Cat > I Know You Rider > Black Peter, Good Lovin’ > Drums > Good Lovin’. Pretty much the entire second set is one big highlight: Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical > Dark Star > St. Stephen > Lovelight. Lovelight is one of the longest ones I know of, clocking in at over 38 minutes!



January 24th

 

1/24/1969 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA


 

1st of a 3-show run. This was the first show at the Avalon after its closure due to issues with excessive noise and the behavior of the crowd around the venue. The Family Dog had been running shows there but lost their ability to have concerts after their dance permit was revoked due to noise and other complaints. In order to regain their permit and hold concerts again, the new company called Soundproof Productions had made some soundproofing improvements to the building along with hiring police officers for the events, as well as a full-time janitor on staff to clean up the outside area after the shows. This whole recording is primal Grateful Dead at its peak.

 

The first set kicks off with a furious Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical. The Cryptical outro jam leads into a picture-perfect rendition of New Potato Caboose. Phil and the drummers dominate during the big meaty jam in the middle. The first known performance of Duprees follows, with Pigpen playing his harmonica, and it adds a really interesting layer to the song. The first known performance of Doing That Rag closes the set, and despite a couple of rough patches at the beginning, has a powerful outro jam.

 

They open the second set with Dark Star, and it’s a beautiful, dramatic rendition with a nice long intro jam before the first verse, a deep psychedelic spiraling jam in the middle before the second verse. The tape concludes with a powerful Lovelight with a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ and a Pigpen rap. After about 13 minutes they segue into a short Drums segment, which ends with a bunch of calamity on the stage and someone yelling into the mic “The Grateful Dead!”, and the show is over.

 

1/24/1970 Honolulu Civic Auditorium, Honolulu, HI



Officially released on Dave’s Picks Volume 19.  2nd of a 2-show run. The level of performance is better on this one than the 23rd, but the set list doesn’t contain any big jam segment. I wonder if there is a missing reel? It seems odd to me that they would only play for an hour given all the media coverage, promotion and the fact that they were headlining. Either way, highlights of the existing music include Cumberland, King Bee, Mason’s Children (also released on The Golden Road (1965-1973), Good Lovin’. After that, they played Feedback > And We Bid You Good Night, which isn’t on any circulating tapes, but is on Dave’s Picks. The Feedback track fades in, further making me believe there is a bunch of missing music. The Dead played Feedback 78 times, and it typically followed Caution, but sometimes Alligator, Viola Lee Blues, or The Eleven, and a couple other one-off songs. Dancin’ In The Streets closes out this apparently short show. But who knows, we could be missing an hour’s worth (or more) of music.

 

1/24/1971 Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA


 

This is a nice little 2-hour single set marathon of classic ’71 Grateful Dead music, mostly played with fervor and excitement. Highlights include Truckin’, China Cat > I Know You Rider, Hurst Me Too, Cumberland Blues, Casey Jones, and Hard To Handle, after which Bobby announces that they’re running short on time and are going to do “one more”, at which time they proceed to play another hour of music. This is the best part of the whole show, consisting of no less than five songs and a drums segment all strung together: Lovelight > NFA > GDTRFB > Lovelight > Drums > Good Lovin’ > Uncle John’s Band.



January 25th

 

1/25/1969 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA


 

2nd of a 3-show run. Partially officially released on Aoxomoxoa 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.  The band returns for another impressive performance. Kicking off the first set with an excellent Dark Star, this one features weird and wonderful licks by Tom Constanten on his organ. He’s turned way up in the mix, and you can really hear his contributions. After bringing the jam to a peak, they settle it down, and it gradually fades into a powerful St. Stephen. Typical of the time period, it segues into the William Tell bridge, which has a fierce jam that leads to an even more dramatic The Eleven. Again, TC’s keys are spiraling and perfectly complimenting Jerry, Phil, Bobby, and the drummers. It’s completely satisfying and they spin the energy up into a massive peak before the first verse. The mix on the tape is way off, and you can barely hear the singing. The benefit of that however, is that you can hear every incredible nuance of TC and Jerry as they trade harmonic riffing back and forth. Check this out at about the 8:30 mark of the track with headphones on and it will blow your mind! I think this is my favorite moment of the entire tape. After that they slide so perfectly into Lovelight, that it has to be one of the smoothest transitions ever captured on tape. This is a powerful 21+ minute version, as the energy and momentum from The Eleven is carried straight into this song. There’s an obligatory Pigpen rap, but it’s hard to hear. It’s almost as if you’re hearing the vocals from another stage mic, because Pig sounds distant and low.

 

The second set kicks off with  much different energy, and fortunately a better soundboard mix. Dupree's > Doin' That Rag > Cosmic Charlie are all very well played. This is followed by a brief Alligator > Drums > Alligator > Caution > Feedback > And We Bid You Goodnight sequence that’s perfectly executed and builds to a powerful crescendo, but at 20+ minutes for the entire segment, it just doesn’t develop into any extended jamming. They were probably running out of time at the end of the night and under pressure to wrap it up.



January 26th

 

1/26/1968 Eagle's Auditorium, Seattle, WA


 

First of all, let’s set the record straight: the music on Archive and Relisten, and many other places for 1/22/68 are actually from this date, according to several prominent Grateful Dead historians. See this Hooterollin blog article and the JGMF blog article by the esteemed Joe Jupille. Likewise, anything labeled as 1/23/68 is actually from 1/27/68. However, these shows live on with the wrong date in many set list web sites like Etree and music sites like Lossless Legs, archive.org, etc. Jerrybase on the other hand has made the smart decision to mark 1/22/68 and 1/23/68 as spurious dates. Maybe someday the incorrect information will get corrected everywhere else, because having that stuff out there only contributes to the confusion. I’ll get off of my soapbox for now, but if you follow my blog long enough and read my books, you’ll see I’m pretty vocal about eradicating the bad information.

 

Now that we’ve established the correct date of this show, let’s talk about how good it is. First off, the entire tape is outstanding. Opening with a tight 16+ minute Alligator, this version contains a nice extended jam that reaches stratospheric heights before falling back to Earth and dissipating into an edgy free-form cacophony that verges on becoming a Feedback jam for a brief moment, but quickly gets extinguished. Next up is an early (only 7th known performance) of Cryptical > Other One (with some interesting alternative lyrics that Bobby was trying out as he was developing this song) > Cryptical. This falls naturally into a perfectly executed New Potato Caboose, featuring a youthful Bobby singing sweetly while Jerry and Phil layer on a complex harmony over top. All this while skillfully navigating the song’s complex musical phrases.

 

That passage inevitably builds to a jam which presents the perfect opportunity to segue into Born Cross-Eyed, which is short and serves as a way to get to the spacey part of the show: Feedback > Spanish Jam > Dark Star. Here Feedback is much more subdued than other renditions (including the one that would come later in the set) and start off with a deep bass tone reminiscent of what Phil would do several years later with Ned Lagin on Seastones. Instead of intensifying Feedback, they opt for Spanish Jam, which builds slowly after several hints – first by Billy on the snare drum, then by Bobby and Phil. It develops into a type of marching jam, which splits into a soft, gentle, spacey Spanish theme. All of a sudden, Phil weaves in the Dark Star melody on his bass, and Jerry and Phil quickly follow suite. This was still the dawn of the age Dark Stars (this being only the 3rd known performance of the song), so like all the other ones from this time period, this one is relatively short and fast tempo. But don’t let that turn you off because this is actually one of my all-time favorite versions. It’s so perfectly done, and has everything you need packed in that 5+ minutes, that it doesn’t need to be 20+ minutes long. Jerry’s singing and fretwork is pristine. Bobby’s delicate and smooth rhythm guitar perfectly blending with Phil’s bass and Pig’s organ. I’ve decided that this is the perfect version of Dark Star to play for someone who is new to the music so they can get an understanding of the essence of this cosmic, psychedelic, spacey Grateful Dead music without losing their attention. It’s got everything you need to show someone, all presented into a nice little package. Play this version, and then play a “fully developed” version like 2/18/71 afterwards.  

 

As Dark Star winds down, it slips seamlessly into China Cat. Again, this is an early version of the song and has a raw, edgy feel. From there they fall perfectly into a powerful ending sequence of The Eleven > Caution > Feedback > And We Bid You Goodnight. This Feedback is much more outrageous and pushes the limits of your ear drums. I can’t even imagine how loud it must have been in the room!

 

1/26/1969 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA


 

3rd of a 3-show run. Band caps off an epic three show run and serves up some epic primal Dead jams. This performance is infamous for having a couple of songs selected for its inclusion in the band's Live Dead album. The show opens with a powerful Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical segment that includes an extended jam that winds its way into the final performance of Clementine. This song is complex rhythmically and melodically, and was never fully developed.

 

1969 was a year of major shifts band’s sound. They dropped this song (and others) in favor of songs filled with “story telling” and rich vocal harmonies like Mama Tried, Dire Wolf, Black Peter, Uncle John’s Band, Cumberland Blues, Casey Jones, and other “Bakersfield Country” songs. This style would emerge over the next few months as they worked towards albums like Workingman’s Dead and then American Beauty and this would provide a much-needed injection of new material into the band’s live performances. As good as these powerful primal Dead anthems like Other One, Alligator, Caution, Viola Lee Blues are, the band would never have reached the level of success without those two pivotal albums.

 

After Clementine, the jam settles down and floats delicately into an impassionedly-sung Death Don’t Have No Mercy. TC’s organ provides an extra layer of spooky on this one. The middle gains intensity and edge as Jerry rips some stabbing guitar leads and TC sprinkles his funeral procession style organ riffs. The entire second set is one big highlight: Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Lovelight. The Eleven and Lovelight are the versions that appear on Live Dead. Needless to say, they are iconic versions of those songs for that reason alone, but also because they’re so skillfully performed.      

 

1/26/1993 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA


 

3rd of a 3-show run. For the first time since 1987 the band played some shows in January. This wasn’t exactly a Winter Tour however, because they would only play 3 shows in January in Oakland, and 3 shows in February in Oakland before kicking off their Spring Tour in March in Chicago. Overall, this is a very good show with great energy and some impressive guest performances.

 

First set highlights are Row Jimmy, Brown Eyed Women, Ramble On Rose, Promised Land. The second set is where much of the magic happens on this one. Opening with a hot Women Are Smarter they establish a strong dancing vibe from the get-go. A lively and pretty rendition of Eyes follows, and the band takes their time with it. There’s a nice intro jam and middle jam before making the segue into Estimated Prophet. This is given the same attention to detail and they let the improvisation take the lead into a standout Terrapin Station with a powerful extended outro jam that reaches great heights before settling into Drums.

 

This is Chinese New Year, so there’s a Dragon Parade on the stage. After Space, Santana joins the stage and they develop into a nice little Oye Como Va jam before shifting suddenly into The Other One. Santana doesn’t seem to add any flavor to this song, even though I know he’s on stage. A very delicate and pretty rendition of Stella Blue comes next. There’s a nice little sprinkling of a bluesy Santana solo at the end before segueing into Lovelight. Jerry and Santana each sprinkle some nice riffs throughout but I’m a little let down by the fact that there isn’t any big powerful Santana solo. They seem to have squandered Santana’s presence in my opinion. They encore with a fierce take on Gloria, but again, no big Santana solo. In fact, when you look at all of his time on the stage the Oye Como Va jam ended up being his biggest moment. Oh well, I guess he just wasn’t feeling it this time. If you’d like to explore more shows featuring Santana, check out this list.



January 27th

 

1/27/1968 Eagle's Auditorium, Seattle, WA


 

Partially officially released on Road Trips Volume 2 Number 2 Bonus Disc. If you recall last week, I reviewed 1/26/68 Eagle’s Auditorium, and pointed out that the music that circulates under the spurious date of 1/22/68 actually belongs to 1/26/68. Well, this week we have the 2nd show of that 2-show run, and there is music that circulates out there labeled as 1/23/68 Eagle’s Auditorium, and guess what? It’s been shown to actually be from 1/27/68. If you want a really nice in-depth analysis of all of this, check out John Dunn’s comprehensive writeup on Corry Arnold’s blog Dead Essays.

 

So now that we’ve got the right date, let’s talk about how good this music is. The exact order of the songs played is not certain, but the tape starts with a powerful Cryptical > Other One > Cryptical (which contain those interesting alternate early lyrics). There’s a nice outro jam which segues into that strange, pleasant and elusive number known as Clementine. I love this song, and wish they had developed it more before dumping it. It has that jazzy shuffle, and I feel like it had a ton of potential, but I don’t think it ever coalesced with Jerry lyrically. He seems to be very confident on the guitar, but not when singing the song. Soon enough it segues into the last segment of music on the circulating tapes: New Potato (vocal harmonies are perfect, and Pig’s organ riffing is pretty hot) > Born Cross-Eyed > Spanish Jam (which unfortunately gets cut on SHNID 97343, but you can hear the rest of it on SHNID 97344 which is linked below). On Road Trips you can pick up where that left off and hear more of this fantastic show: Lovelight, Dark Star > China Cat > The Eleven, Viola Lee, Beat It On Down The Line, Hurts Me Too.



January 28th

 

1/28/1987 San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA


 

1st of a 3-show run. This was a highly anticipated run of shows, since there was still some pent-up demand from a truncated ’86 touring schedule due to Jerry’s coma. Jerry and Bobby both struggle vocally throughout this show, but it’s the only show with circulating music on this date and there’s still some great music to appreciate so we’ll make the best of it.

 

First set highlights include the Shakedown Street opener, followed by the only performance of Get Back. Musically they nail it but Bobby struggles, as it seems to be just outside of his optimal vocal range. Dan Healy applies some annoying chipmunk vocal effects on Bobby’s mic, and it just makes it worse in my opinion. Other highlights include Walkin’ Blues, Must Have Been The Roses, Row Jimmy, Brother Esau, Bird Song, Jack Straw.

 

Second set highlights are He’s Gone > Spoonful > Drums > Jam with Jose Lorenzo and Sikiru Adepoju on percussion. They do not play Space at this show. Eyes suffers from being a very rushed, short version but Black Peter is pretty powerful. Jerry musters up some extra effort vocally on the song, in stark contrast to some earlier moments. Around & Around and Sugar Magnolia are good but standard renditions. Bobby’s voice seems to be in jeopardy by the end of the show. After a short break they encore with an average U.S. Blues.



January 29th

 

1/29/1987 San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA


 

2nd of a 3-show run. Returning for a second night, the boys come charging out of the gate and kick off the first set with fine Bucket > Sugaree combo that establishes the vibe and gets the party started. Healey adds his chipmunk vocal effects to mess with Bobby. No way in hell he would do that to Jerry! Or did he…? El Paso is up next, and it’s kind of a disaster. They seem to get lost in the middle of the song, Bobby is very distracted and either forgets the words or is preoccupied with his gear (Jerry mentions that he’s having issues before they start the show), and they just kind of end it. Moving on. Loser is a standout version and all is forgiven. It’s funny how the band could just flip a switch and sound completely different. Other highlights are Brown Eyed Women, and a nice Cassidy > Don’t Ease to end the set.

 

Second set highlights are a strong Scarlet > Fire to open, a delicate Looks Like Rain that builds with intensity at the end. Terrapin Station emerges from the thunder of Looks Like Rain, and they give it a good workout. After the extended outro jam, Drums takes over and it’s Chinese New Year, so there’s a procession with lots of Chinese symbols. There’s no time for Space, and the rest of the band emerges back on stage. Phil drops a massive bomb on the audience and they go straight into I Need A Miracle. A soft and emotive Stella Blue follows with lots of nice inflection and passion. They quickly switch gears into a nice upbeat Going Down The Road Feeling Bad and a rousing rendition of Johnny B. Goode. Bobby sings “he could play a guitar like a bat out of hell” which I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say before. Bobby’s voice seems to struggle at points but they’re really playing their hearts out. Jerry sings sweetly on Baby Blue for the encore.



January 30th

Tom Constanten’s final show (1/30/1970)

The band is busted down on Bourbon Street in New Orleans after a show (1/30/1970)

 

1/30/1970 The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA


 

1st of a 3-show run (2 scheduled and 1 impromptu). The band rolled into town on January 30th for what would be one of their most infamous moments in the band’s history. It’s an adverse event that would later inspire those well-known lyrics in the song Truckin’, thereby successfully parlaying a physically and financially painful incident into an extremely profitable situation.

 

In the early morning hours of 1/31, the New Orleans police would launch a drug raid at the hotel that the bands were staying in, and arrest the entire band. You can read all about it here and here. This would also turn out to be Tom Constanten’s final show, although it’s generally understood that he was informed of this decision when the band was in Hawaii for the 1/23-1/24 shows. For some reason (likely because they already purchased travel arrangements for him and couldn’t afford to send him home) he decides to go with the band for this show. I also wonder if they hadn’t been busted, if he would have played the show on 1/31. Anyways, you can read more about TC leaving the band here and here.

 

Now, on to the show. The music from this night isn’t earth-shattering or adventurous, but it’s all pretty strong for the time period. The tape cuts in on the last couple minutes of Casey Jones. It sounds like they’re having fun. There doesn’t seem to be many people in the audience based on the amount of applause afterwards. A good but standard Me & My Uncle is next. After that, Black Peter is the first highlight of the tape. Jerry sings with some nice emotion, although the levels on his mic are kind of low in the mix. Other highlights include Cumberland, Easy Wind, Mama Tried > Good Lovin’ > Drums > Good Lovin’, Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical. They segue into Cosmic Charlie, but unfortunately the tape is cut after about 30 seconds.

 

1/30/1978 Uptown Theater, Chicago, IL


 

1st of a 3-show run, and the kick off of the Winter 1978 Midwest tour that would have the band playing 6 shows in 3 states in the Midwest (IL, WI, IA). This was the first of 19 times total the band would play the beautiful Uptown Theatre, located at 4816 N. Broadway, in a northern city section of Chicago just west of the iconic Montrose Park along the north shore of Lake Michigan.

 

The first set kicks off with a perfunctory Promised Land followed by a nice rendition of Dire Wolf. Following that are good but standard renditions of Mexicali > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women, Peggy-O, It’s All Over Now. Then they flip a switch and turn on the heat for rousing renditions of Deal, Lazy Lightning > Supplication to end the set.

 

The energy put forth at the end of the fist set carries forward into the second set with a powerful Bertha > Good Lovin’ opener, then a soft and poignant Ship Of Fools. The jam segment of the show is the big highlight, featuring a funky Estimated Prophet with an extended wandering outro jam full of juicy envelope filter effects by Jerry, which melds into a fierce Eyes that has a long intro jam, and a perfect pace – not too fast, and not slow at all. The band is in sync and clicking. For the first solo Jerry plays some frantic fanning on the guitar, and it builds the energy up to a nice level, and then he gently brings it down for the second verse. The audience loves it, and it’s met with lots of applause. The middle jam is nicely extended, and Phil is chasing Jerry up and down the fretboard resulting in a seductively thick groove. The outro jam gets real spacey, real quick. It dissolves into a cacophony of instruments which lands very gently and beautifully onto Stella Blue. Jerry sings it with strong emotion and passion. The buildup in the middle has a massive peak, followed by a floating solo that gently makes its way back down to Earth for the final verse and the outro jam. It’s a gorgeous rendition. And then, the curve ball. Seemingly out of nowhere, at the end of Stella Blue, Jerry starts strumming the intro chords to Franklin’s Tower. This version exhibits the total control and finesse that the band was capable of achieving. There are multiple natural build-up and releases built into this song as it progresses, but what’s unique about this version, at about 9 minutes into the song they finesse it down to an extremely quiet, delicate level, to where the instruments are almost inaudible. There must have been near silence in the room at that moment. They then build it back up for the final verse in a dramatic manner and segue into a fine reading of Around & Around to close the set. The Johnny B. Goode encore is a fierce and satisfying way to rock out the end of the show.



January 31st

 

1/31/1970 The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA


 

2nd of a 3-show run. After lots of harassment and negotiations with the New Orleans police, the band makes bail and is able to get back on stage for the second night. Other bands playing were Fleetwood Mac and the Flock, so the Dead seemingly only played for about an hour and a half, but we’re treated a short acoustic set after a truncated electric set because of a breakdown of Phil’s bass amp.

 

All the music is well played. Highlights are Cold Rain & Snow, Dire Wolf, Big Boss Man, Morning Dew, Hard To Handle. Right when things are starting to heat up in Hard To Handle Phil’s amp starts to have trouble, so they switch to acoustic and it’s Bobby country music time. He plays Long Black Limousine, Seasons Of My Heart, the first performance of Saw Mill, the final performance of Old Old House, and The Race Is On. Since they only have one acoustic guitar, it’s passed to Jerry, and it’s his turn. A nice version of Black Peter emerges, followed by Little Sadie, I’ve Been All Around This World. After that, the acoustic guitar is passed to Pigpen for the world premier of his blues song Katie Mae. A fun rendition of Cumberland Blues with some excellent vocal harmonies is the last song on the tape. I don’t know if they fixed Phil’s amp and played more music, or if that was the end of it.      

 

1/31/1978 Uptown Theater, Chicago, IL

 

2nd of a 3-show run. This whole show is incredible and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it officially released someday. It features strong, energetic and passionate playing throughout. All-in-all, this is one of the best first sets of the entire tour.

 

First set highlights include a monster Half Step opener, and a rousing Passenger and Tennessee Jed. Other highlights include Candyman, They Love Each Other, and Let It Grow to close the set. The energy and enthusiasm flow straight on through to the second set as they come charging out of the gate with a standout Scarlet > Fire, followed by a ripping Samson. The jam segment starts off with a soft and floating Terrapin Station, that progresses nicely to a powerful outro Lady With A Fan segment that takes you up to great heights. They smash the pedal to the metal, and then gently bring you down into the intro of Playing In The Band. It’s one of the most undeniably satisfying segues that the band can produce. Clocking in at about 11 minutes, this version of Playing isn’t as long as some of those monster version of ’72 – ’74, but they certainly don’t waste any notes. Phil has a strong presence, especially towards the end as he weaves an interesting melody in between spooky, spacey piano and guitar sounds. This is brief, however, and Drums > Space quickly takes over. A soft and poignant Black Peter emerges from Space, followed by a rollicking take on Truckin’ which segues perfectly into a lively Good Lovin’ to end the show.   




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 won't be getting any more made. The costs of printing and shipping has almost doubled in the last few years since I had them printed, and I've decided it's just not worth it. So get one now while you can! https://www.gratefuldeadbook.com/tigdh


A picture of the book On This Day in Grateful Dead History

A picture of the inside of the book On This Day in Grateful Dead history opened to the chronological show list section

A picture of the inside of the book On This Day in Grateful Dead history opened to the monthly summary calendar page for the month of June

A picture of the inside of the book On This Day in Grateful Dead history opened to the page for the shows on June 24th

Peace out my good people. Until next week!



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