This Week In Grateful Dead History #11 (Week of 3/17)

For the week of 3/17 – 3/23 we’ve got the first show with the full Wall Of Sound system, some big song debuts, including the first performances of Fire On The Mountain, Scarlet Begonias, Cassidy, Blues For Allah, Stronger Than Dirt. We also have the only performance of Alhambra. I’ve written listening guides for 20 amazing shows this week. Enjoy!

3/17/1970 Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

3/17/1988 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA

3/18/1971 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO

3/18/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA

3/18/1990 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT

3/19/1973 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

3/19/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA

3/19/1990 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT

3/20/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA

3/20/1981 Rainbow Theatre, London, England

3/21/1973 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY

3/21/1981 Rainbow Theatre, London, England

3/21/1990 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada

3/22/1972 Academy of Music, New York, NY

3/22/1973 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY

3/22/1987 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA

3/22/1990 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada

3/23/1972 Academy of Music, New York, NY

3/23/74 Cow Palace, Daly City, CA

3/23/75 Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA

So grab your copy of my book On This Day In Grateful Dead History: A Daily Listening Journal if you have it to follow along. Ok, let's jump into it. Here's the highlights for Issue 11, for the week of March 17th, 2025:

Interesting historical facts for this week:

First performance of Fire On The Mountain, Scarlet Begonias, Cassidy, Blues For Allah, Stronger Than Dirt
Only performance of Alhambra
First Wall Of Sound show

By the way, if you're new here, this is my weekly listening guide that brings you the most interesting and significant facts from Grateful Dead History, along with reviews of the music for the week ahead. The idea is to give all you Heads a "Heads up" on the interesting and cool stuff the Grateful Dead were up to on this week in history. So hit the Subscribe button below to go to the top of my blog page where you can enter your email to get this delivered to your email every week!

March 17th

3/17/1970 Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY – The Dead do a benefit concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. (McNally) "The Dead, a local rock band, and members of the orchestra played an improvisational piece that involved having the orchestra members stand up, flap their arms, and make strange noises." "The audience suddenly took the initiative and began making music themselves by imitating the instruments & calls of the musicians." Unfortunately, there's no known recording but it's well documented and you can read all about it here.
Music link: No known authentic recording exists
3/17/1988 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA – 2nd of a 3-show run. This entire show is excellent. 1st set highlights include a rowdy Hell in a Bucket > Sugaree opener that has Bobby wailing and Jerry soaring. Other highlights include Bobby's first rendition of Dylan's Memphis Blues, Ramble On Rose, and a smoking rendition of Let It Grow to close the set. The energy and excitement caries through for the 2nd set, which opens with a nice reading of China Cat > I Know You Rider. The connecting jam is the peak of the song. After that, a fine Estimated > Eyes emerges and contains some nice jams. GDTRFB out of Space is a treat, as is Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude Reprise and the Black Muddy River encore.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1988/03/17?source=343083

March 18th

3/18/1971 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO – Officially released on 30 Trips Around The Sun. The boys are in fine form, and playing with plenty of “spark”. They kick off the 1st set with a laid-back but tight Casey Jones, followed by a nice Me And My Uncle. Pigpen really shines on Big Boss Man, and Bertha has a nice edge. Other highlights include Loser, China Cat > I Know You Rider, The Rub and a stomping Cumberland Blues to close the set. They waste no time in getting the jam on for the 2nd set. After a hot Truckin’ it sounds like they’re headed for the Other One straight away, but Jerry pulls back and lets the drummers loose. They pound out long drum solo, and then make their way into The Other One. It’s not a mammoth version but it has some nice peaks, and they make all the notes count. The outro jam segues into a passionate Wharf Rat. Bobby delivers everyone’s feel-good party song Sugar Magnolia, and it’s a Wah-Wah drenched version. After a quick Greatest Story > Johnny B. Goode we get a hot NFA that leads kind of predictably into GDTRFB. But that’s were they decide to wander off into new territory. As GDTRFB is wrapping up, Jerry plays the signature strumming for Caution. Pigpen pulls his harp out and goes to town. It would be the only performance of Caution for the year. Pig shines throughout, delivering an extended rap and some nice harmonica riffs. The jam at the end builds up intensity like a locomotive until it's at full throttle. The jam ends, and they slip into a short but powerful Feedback. A smooth and tight Uncle John’s Band encore sends the audience home smiling.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1971/03/18?source=336016 or 30 Trips Around The Sun
3/18/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA – 1st of a 3-show run. The entire show is wonderful. The first set kicks off with a tentative Promised Land, but they quickly find their footing with a perfect rendition of Mississippi Half Step. Bobby gives us a strong All Over Now, and Jerry outdoes him on a roaring Jam Anthem version of Sugaree. We also get a pretty Peggy-O, a breathtaking Cassidy and the real gem of the set: a killer Scarlet Begonias that connects for the first time into the first performance of Fire On The Mountain. Not a bad way to end the set! They start off the 2nd set with strong readings of Samson and Brown Eyed Women. After good but standard renditions of Good Lovin’ and Ship Of Fools they launch into a short but powerful standalone version of Estimated. The first of three-in-a-row performances of Terrapin is up next, but what makes this one unique is the only performance of Alhambra which leads to a furious NFA. St. Stephen > Around & Around close out a noteworthy second set. The UJB has some lyrical missteps but they pull it together and send the crowd home smiling.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/03/18?source=337264
3/18/1990 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT – 1st of a 2-show run. Officially released on Spring 1990 (The Other One). Overall, a very good show with plenty of passion and energy. The 1st set serves as a nice warm up for an even better second set. They kick things off with a funky Shakedown Street that maybe isn’t as big as some of the best versions but still very tasty. Bobby does his best to contain his slide on Rooster, and then Jerry delivers a nice Stagger Lee. Bobby’s cowboy two-piece of Me And My Uncle > Mexicali has plenty of excitement. After a few good but average tunes, the band is feeling inspired again with a rousing version of Ramble On Rose. Brent’s playing in particular is inspired. They close the set with a hot Music Never Stopped. The 2nd set kicks off with a rousing Iko Iko complete with plenty of authentic zydeco sounds compliments of Jerry’s MIDI and Brent’s keyboards. A beautiful and not-at-all boring rendition of Looks Like Rain is next, and then they hit the jam segment of the set with a very nice He’s Gone. The segue into Truckin’ is performed with finesse and passion. It’s immediately obvious on the first verse of Truckin’ that they are in complete control, both vocally and instrumentally and it makes for a very enjoyable rendition. Brent leads the way into Spoonful, and The Wheel emerges predictably from Space but it’s a very airy, powerful version. They run through an average reading of Watchtower and then Jerry delivers an emotional version of Morning Dew. U.S. Blues encore closes out this fine show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1990/03/18?source=344701

March 19th

3/19/1973 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY – 3rd of a 3-show run. This is a monster of a show (the tapes are almost 3.5 hours long), and the boys are in fine form for the whole thing. The 1st set highlights are He's Gone as the second song (unusual song placement) and they jam it out nicely. Looks Like Rain is delivered with extra emotion from Bobby, and China Cat > I Know You Rider are exceptional for the intensity and the jams. They close the set with a nicely jammed, 15+ minute Playing. They open the 2nd set with a rare Loose Lucy (2nd of only 4 times). But deep in the second set is where things get really spry. Truckin' gives way to a really nice Nobody's Fault Jam which leads to a short Drums, after which Phil drops his Other One bombs. After that frantic psychedelic bus ride, we're treated to a mellow jazzy Eyes. This one has that perfect tempo that I really like - not too fast, and not slow at all with just the right amount of a dance beat. Jerry pulls out a passionate version of China Doll to bring everyone back down gently. They close with a rockin’ Johnny B. Goode and encore with Casey Jones.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1973/03/19?source=1919192
3/19/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA – 2nd of a 3-show run. Overall, I think the band displays more cohesion, mastery and control than the previous night, and for me the more interesting song selection pushes this one over the edge to easily make this one of my favorite shows of the year. The 1st set is over 2 hours of magical Grateful Dead, and is not only one of the longer ones of the period, it’s one of the best in my opinion. Kicking off with a rousing Bertha it’s obvious the band is “on”. Mama Tried is well done and has plenty of interesting country flare. Loser is passionate and well played. Big River has lots of spark and They Love Each Other takes the intensity down a few notches but not the passion. Continuing with a more mellow vibe, Bobby delivers a nice Looks Like Rain featuring beautiful accompaniment by Keith and Donna. Keith in particular really shines through this whole show and is a great example of how good it can be when he’s at his best. After a hot Tennessee Jed they launch into Estimated. The song was less than a month old and this was only the 4th time played publicly, so they had not yet developed all the nuance but it’s still interesting to hear it in this first set position. The rest of the set is an incredible, jam-filled segment of Terrapin > Playing > Samson > Playing and we still have a whole second set to go! Terrapin is energetic and powerful and the outro jam confidently lands on Playing. After the first verse, a long 10+ minute wondering jam develops. Jerry takes us to the edge of space with the Wah-Wah. The energy builds to a nice peak. Keith’s piano is mesmerizing. As they work out where to take it, the drummers work up the beat for Samson, and the rest of the band jumps on board. This is a scorching version with a big build up at the end. They know they need to finish Playing, but the transition back is a little awkward on the last “Tear this old building down”. They decide to reset into a long, soft, subtle jam featuring Jerry noodling his way back into the Playing melody. Gradually the rest of the band joins in and they confidently finish out strong. Overlooking the clunky transition back into Playing, I think this is actually a very interesting piece of music. The 2nd set kicks off with a super-charged version of Eyes. If you like them long, fast, powerful and confident this one’s for you. It dissolves into a free-form dissonant jam at the end and they land on a fast and funky rendition of Dancin’. There’s a raging ending jam that takes it to great heights before settling down into a powerful Wharf Rat. A rousing Franklin’s emerges from the outro jam. They take their time with it, and build it up to a nice crescendo at the end before switching into a rowdy Sugar Magnolia. We’re treated to a nice double encore of Saturday Night and Uncle John’s Band to close out this epic show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/03/19?source=337229
3/19/1990 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT – 1st of a 2-show run. Officially released on Spring 1990 (The Other One). There is a lot of raw power present for most of this show as they continue the trend of delivering excellent shows on the Spring 1990 tour. They charge out of the gate with a gritty Bucket followed by a rousing Bertha. Other highlights include Jack A Roe and Brown Eyed Women. A hot Deal closes the set. The 2nd set opens with the beloved Phil song Box Of Rain and is followed up with a beautiful stretched out reading of Foolish Heart that includes a nice jam. They segue confidently into a short but powerful Playing. The outro jam wanders into an up-tempo Eyes that sparkles with lots of expressive details. There is a long outro jam that leads into Drums > Space, and a delicate China Doll emerges. Jerry’s poignant signing and sparkling guitar work make it a very nice rendition. The final segment of the show contains interesting song selection and powerful presentation: Good Lovin’ > GDTRFB > Around And Around. Brokedown Palace encore is a sweet way to end the show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1990/03/19?source=344205

March 20th

3/20/1977 Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA – 3rd of a 3-show run. Returning to cap off an epic run of shows, we’re treated to another incredible performance that showcases the band’s ability to deliver the goods. Overall, it’s not as epic as the night before, but there is plenty to love here. The 1st set has very nice renditions of some favorite songs including Ramble On Rose, El Paso, and Deal which features especially nice fretwork by Jerry. A pretty Peggy-O is a perfect mid-set song and they kick up the intensity with Beat It On Down The Line. Another first set Estimated is a nice treat, but the real highlight of the whole set is the monster standalone Scarlet Begonias to close the set. The band had just debuted the Scarlet > Fire combo that would become the de facto standard pairing for years to come just two days before on 3/18. This however would be the final standalone version and it’s a powerful treat. Donna’s contributions are unique and pleasing. Jerry builds up the final outro into a big pleasing crescendo. Since it’s Sunday the 2nd set predictably kicks off with a strong presentation of Samson and is followed up with a surprise Row Jimmy and Promised Land not normally played in that spot. Saint Stephen gets off to a tentative start but they confidently pull it together and deliver a long but straight forward middle jam. After the final verse they quickly switch gear and launch into a powerful Other One. They immediately take the intensity up several notches with a swirling jam led by Phil. After about 6 minutes Bobby sings the first verse, and Jerry takes off with an incendiary guitar solo. The whole thing comes floating gently back down to earth through a quiet, subtle passage that leads to several minutes of Jerry noodling. They abandon the second verse and head into a stirring rendition of Stella Blue instead. Bobby rocks out the end of the set with a rousing Around And Around. After a perfectly polished U.S. Blues we get the first of only 7 Terrapin encores, 5 of which were all performed in 1977. I love the song, but don’t love it in that spot because the outro just begs to be taken somewhere. But maybe that’s why they tried playing it in that position? Always leave them wanting more, as they say.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1977/03/20?source=337233
3/20/1981 Rainbow Theatre, London, England – 1st of a 4-show run. Kicking off a short tour in Europe with 4 shows in London and 1 show in Germany, this show is considered by many to be the best one of the run. Every song is played with high energy and conviction. There aren't any dull moments here! Kicking off the 1st set with a fat, funky Stranger they get the party started in fine fashion. They follow up by bringing the intensity down with a stretched out reading of Friend Of The Devil. A lively C.C. Rider is up next and features blistering guitar solos followed by a sauntering take on Althea. A brisk country duo of Mama Tried > Mexicali follows. Loser, Minglewood, Candyman and Looks Like Rain are all tasty treats but the fierce set-closing Deal is the cherry on top. The 2nd set opens with the same intensity and the band delivers a highly charged Scarlet > Fire. Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance is a common but enjoyable follow up and it leads to a powerful rendition of He's Gone that contains one of the best outro codas I know of. For almost 4 minutes the band stretches out the “no one’s gonna bring him back” segment which leads to a unique “drums and slide” jam. Bobby builds the drummers up and they finally take over. This Drums > Space is interesting and enjoyable. Jerry noodles the intro to Truckin’, and they launch into it after Bobby’s signature whistle. There are some nice peaks in the middle and they confidently steer the outro jam down into a gorgeous Wharf Rat. Bobby takes the intensity back up with spry renditions of Around And Around and Johnny B. Goode to close out the set.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1981/03/20?source=395882

March 21st

3/21/1973 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY – This astounding show is one of the best of the year (in a year that has some truly incredible performances). The band presents themselves full of inspired energy and in fine fashion throughout this entire marathon of a performance. There’s also a lot of great song selection. The 1st set soundboard tape cuts in on a stomping rendition of Bertha and it makes me wish the whole thing was there. You can hear the whole song on one of several audience tapes which validates that it’s a keeper. This is a long set with a total of 17 songs played. You can pick any one of them, and you’ll find a sparkling rendition. Other highlights include Me And My Uncle, Wave That Flag, Tennessee Jed, Box Of Rain, Here Comes Sunshine, China Cat > I Know You Rider, and a massive 16 minute Playing that includes an incredibly interesting exploratory middle jam to close the set. The energy and enthusiasm carry straight through to the 2nd set. The first segment of the set consists of seven very well played songs including a hot Greatest Story opener followed by a rollicking They Love Each Other that includes the extra bridge that was later dropped. The second half of the set is the jam segment of the show starting with an interesting Weather Report Suite intro that, after about a minute in, it takes a hard left turn and heads straight into Dark Star instead. I don’t know about you, but I was never lucky enough to see them play Dark Star live. I’m not sure what caused them to pivot so suddenly but I would have been ecstatic. This Star is very pretty and includes a long, almost 10-minute intro jam before we get the first verse. Phil’s 6/8 time jazz jam makes an appearance, and the middle jam is a long deep space exploration that builds to a big peak of frantic atonal sounds, which falls back down and gradually makes its way into a gorgeous rendition of Eyes. Jerry’s incredibly inspired and his solos soar. After about 10 minutes of hypnotic jamming, they segue into a standout Wharf Rat. Bobby brings back the party vibes with a hot Sugar Magnolia and they end with a rousing Casey Jones.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1973/03/21?source=90274
3/21/1981 Rainbow Theatre, London, England – 2nd of a 4-show run. The Dead return for night 2 the Rainbow Theatre, and give the audience another banger of a performance. Maybe not as good as the night before but this whole show is outstanding. Opening up the 1st set with a scorching Alabama Getaway > Promised Land it’s clear the band isn’t messing around. A pretty Peggy-O is up next, followed by an inspired reading of Me And My Uncle > Big River. Tennessee Jed and Rooster both smoke. Althea has an emphasis on the song’s upbeat shuffle and Jerry’s outro solo reaches great heights. After that we get a powerful Let It Grow treat that sends the band into a wicked swirling middle jam. After the last verse they head into another interesting stretched out jam that builds up into a big crescendo. As they’re searching for where to take it next, Jerry suddenly flips a switch and starts playing the China Cat riff, and they charge headlong into it. The band is having a lot of fun, and they deliver a perfect version. The connecting jam is one of the finest musical Rider bridges you’ll ever hear. This version builds on the momentum laid down by China Cat and allows them to take it even higher. You’ll get goosebumps on the “north bound train!” segment. The energy and intensity is carried through to the 2nd set as they stroll out a hot Jack Straw to open it up, followed by a passionate Ship Of Fools. The big jam segment is up next, and begins with excellent readings of Estimated > Eyes. They take their time with both songs and I especially like the interesting connecting jam that features soaring guitar work by Jerry. Eyes is taken at a faster pace and has a strong feeling of purpose and mission, complimented by Jerry’s inspired signing. There’s a long outro jam that flirts with treading into total chaos but they reign it in before Drums > Space. A powerful NFA emerges from Space. A poignant Black Peter reminds us that our time on this earth is never guaranteed. Bobby returns us to a party vibe with One More Saturday Night and Jerry delivers an inspired Don’t Ease encore.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1981/03/21?source=338722
3/21/1990 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada – 1st of a 2-show run. Officially released on Spring 1990 (The Other One). This would be the first of only 4 shows at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, and the boys deliver one hell of a show. Opening with arguably one of the finest “later” versions of Half Step you can see why this inspired rendition was selected for release on Without A Net. They follow up with a rousing Minglewood. Next up are Far From Me and Queen Jane, both of which are good. The crowd goes crazy at the appearance of only the second Loose Lucy since its revival a few days earlier on 3/14. A gritty Victim segues into a beautiful Standing On The Moon and they rock out the end of the set with an upbeat Promised Land. The 2nd set starts with a lively Hey Pocky Way, one of a handful of lighthearted party songs that the Dead had in their repertoire that could just make you dance and smile. A beautiful rendition of Crazy Fingers brings the intensity down a few notches, but not for long as they throw out a curve ball and segue into a blistering Cumberland. Estimated > He’s Gone provides a platform for the fist exploratory jamming of the night. After Drums > Space a short but raunchy Miracle slowly emerges and it’s a hot one. Phil is thundering and Jerry’s firing off incendiary riffs as Bobby belts out the words. Jerry takes over and cools us off with an inspired reading of Wharf Rat. They’re in no hurry to go anywhere as they treat the audience to a stretched-out version of Throwing Stones and a bonus Lovelight to end the set. Jerry gives us a lovely Knockin’ encore to end this excellent show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1990/03/21?source=470550

March 22nd

3/22/1972 Academy of Music, New York, NY – 2nd of a 7-show run. Starting on March 21st, the band began a 7-show run at the famed Academy of Music in New York City. This would be the bands longest-running string of shows on the East Coast until Radio City Music Hall in 1980, which was a total of 8 shows. These shows served as a kind of warm up for the big Europe ’72 tour that would begin about a week after these shows ended, and they’re packed with some incredible moments. They open the massive 16-song 1st set with a rowdy Greatest Story, followed by a laid-back Deal. Pigpen shines on Mr. Charlie. Bob delivers a powerful Black Throated Wind and then the band explodes with a fierce China Cat > I Know You Rider. The connecting jam reaches a nice peak. The band is energized as Mexicali is taken at a furious pace and even Tennessee Jed has a faster tempo. A passionate reading of Two Souls is up next, and Pigpen is given the spot light. Excellent renditions of Me And Bobby McGee, Loser, Big Boss Man, and Jack Straw fill in the middle of this long set. A fierce Big Railroad Blues featuring Pigpen on harp makes this one extra special and it makes me wish he did that more often. A delicate Looks Like Rain with Jerry on pedal steel is up next, followed by a rousing version of the ever-popular “hit” song Casey Jones to close out the set. The 2nd set is a continuation of the energy. Kicking off the set we have a lively version of Me And My Uncle and a hot Sugaree. After Pigpen’s China Town Shuffle we get an oddly-placed Playing, and while they do jam it out in the middle it doesn’t stretch as much as some of the colossal versions. Some fine versions of Hurts Me Too, Brown Eyed Women, El Paso and Brokedown Palace and Sugar Magnolia follow, and then we get the big jam segment of the show with an immediate segue out of Sugar Magnolia into a monster 25-minute Caution that contains some big muscular jamming. Afte the final crescendo, they dissolve into a unique connecting Jam that eventually segues into Uncle John’s Band. This connecting Jam is a wonderful, mellow instrumental that’s reminiscent of an Allman Brothers song chord progression to my ears.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1972/03/22?source=336092
3/22/1973 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY – 2nd of a 2-show run. This entire massive show is outstanding. They open the marathon 17-song 1st set with a blazing Promised Land and follow up with a fine Sugaree and fast tempo versions of Mexicali and They Love Each Other after which they finally pause to slow down for Looks Like Rain. They pick up the pace once again for Deal and Beat It On Down The Line and then lay out a gorgeous Bird Song that contains a nicely stretched out jam. The fire marshal threatens to shut the show down, so Phil has to plead with the audience to stay out of the fire aisle. He also takes that opportunity to warn people about the Narcs, and to not get busted. Maybe people were calling for Phil to sing after that, because they immediately leap into a nice version of Box Of Rain. After a few more songs they close the set strong with a hot China Cat > I Know You Rider and a 15 minutes Playing. The 2nd set opens with a rare (2nd of only 3) and energetic rendition of Big River. The good times continue with fine renditions of Wave That Flag, Me And My Uncle and Here Comes Sunshine. The big jam segment of the show kicks off with a rowdy Truckin’ that has a big outro jam. Jerry dials up the intensity before putting his slide on for a Nobody’s Fault Jam. They eventually make their way into a long, powerful Other One that clocks in at a little over 19 minutes. Jerry initiates the segue, then Keith jumps on board, and finally Phil and Bobby. They take their time getting to the first verse with nice intro jam. There’s a nice long middle jam that contains Phil’s 6/8 jazz jam theme, but it doesn’t hold and the whole thing melts into a sparce, spacey passage. Jerry does some introspective noodling as Phil plunks down his own complimentary melody. Eventually the drummers join in with some bizarre percussion sounds until the whole thing builds back up into the second verse. They quickly segue into a long, strong Eyes. It’s a standout 15+ minute version that takes you through several different interesting musical themes that were common at the time during the outro jam. As the outro jam winds down Jerry seizes the opportunity to take it into a delicate China Doll. They close the show out with uplifting versions of Sugar Magnolia and One More Saturday Night.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1973/03/22?source=1919193
3/22/1987 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA – 1st of a 3-show run. This was the opening show of the '87 east coast Spring tour, and since there was no '86 Fall tour due to Jerry's coma, the anticipation was really high for this run of shows. Reviewers recall massive ticketless crowds hanging around outside the venue. Overall, this is a very well-played show. Kicking things off for the 1st set is a high-energy Bucket > Sugaree. They quickly follow up with a spirited rendition of the classic Bobby Womack song All Over Now. The first set includes strong performances of every song, but other highlights include Push Come To Shove, Cassidy and a rousing Deal to close the set. The 2nd set is completely bookended by a Sugar Magnolia and Sunshine Daydream split, but the majority of the set is a Jerryfest. They typically only do the Sugar Magnolia split for New Year's Eve shows, and was last performed on 12/31/82 (255 shows). It's as if the band wanted to give these east coast Heads a makeup for missing Fall tour. After the opening Sugar Magnolia they play a strong Scarlet > Fire > Estimated combo that contains some nice peak moments. Back-to-back Jerry songs Wheel > Black Peter out of Space is a nice nod to Jerry being back. Jerry delivers an inspired Baby Blue encore to end this special show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1987/03/22?source=1920217
3/22/1990 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada – 2nd of a 2-show run. Returning for the second show, the boys are all warmed up and ready to go, and this entire show is outstanding. A hot Stranger kicks off the first set and sets the pace early. Nice renditions of West L.A. Fadeaway, Easy To Love You follow. An upbeat Beat It On Down The Line turns the intensity up a few notches, and then Jerry cools it off with a gorgeous rendition of Must Have Been The Roses. Nice versions of The Last Time and Picasso Moon precede a hot Don’t Ease set closer. The 2nd set opens with a long, winding Scarlet > Fire. Fire especially has several big peaks and is extremely satisfying. A furious Samson lets everyone know the passion isn’t going anywhere, and they follow that up with a soulful rendition of Believe It Or Not. Bobby takes the spotlight and they launch into a smoking version of Truckin’. The outro jam is nicely stretched out before yielding to the drummers. A powerful Other One emerges from Space. It’s an extended version because Jerry breaks a string but that allows Brent to step up. He eventually guides the band toward a nice version of Hey Jude, which falls neatly into Dear Mr. Fantasy. In an interesting twist, they end up going back into the Hey Jude coda part, and Brent weaves lyrics from both songs together. Bobby rocks out the end of the set with Sugar Magnolia and Jerry passionately delivers a Baby Blue encore.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1990/03/22?source=1863561

March 23rd

3/23/1972 Academy of Music, New York, NY – 3rd of a 7-show run. There’s a lot of very well played music to enjoy here, and it’s another marathon of a show with an impressive 18-song first set. The problem that I have with this show is that there isn’t any “flow” to the song selection, despite there being a lot of songs. Anyways, they come charging out of the gate with a hot China Cat > I Know You Rider, and followed up with exemplary readings of Black Throated Wind, China Town Shuffle, and Brown Eyed Women. Beat It On Down The Line is taken a breakneck speed, and it’s quite impressive and it leads to a particularly fast and incendiary version of Cumberland. Bobby cools off the intensity with Looks Like Rain that features Jerry on pedal steel. Other first set highlights include Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Playing, Comes A Time, and Casey Jones set closer. The 2nd set kicks off with a standalone version of Truckin’, which doesn’t have the biggest middle or outro jam, but it’s a powerful version. A rousing Ramble On Rose and a poignant Two Souls In Communion are up next. After another breakneck tempo Mexicali, we get a long and mellow Dark Star. There’s an extended middle jam after the first verse that leads to a big frantic buildup and a cacophony of sounds followed by a Feeling Groovy Jam. It eventually gives way to the second verse, and then the song kind of fades out as if they don’t know where to take it and they stick an out-of-place Big Boss Man in there. A rousing NFA > GDTRFB > NFA closes out the show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1972/03/23?source=336251
3/23/74 Cow Palace, Daly City, CA – The first concert featuring the full Wall of Sound setup. Many songs officially release on Dick's Picks Volume 24. This whole show is excellent. The 1st set delivers some really nice moments, including U.S. Blues opener, Brown Eyed Women, Tennessee Jed, and the first performance of Scarlet Begonias. Hot versions of China Cat > I Know You Rider, and Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow end the set. There’s also the first performance of Cassidy in the first set, but it’s just not the fully developed song that it will become so it's only notable because it’s the debut. The 2nd set is where the magic happens when they launch into a mind-altering Playing > Uncle John's > Morning Dew > Uncle John's > Playing sequence to open the second set. The jamming in that sequence creates an other-worldly experience that would never be replicated. It's a must-listen segment of music and I can see why Latvala released it. But wait, even after all that there’s still 10 more songs in the second set! The other highlights are exceptional renditions of Big River, Ramble On Rose, Bertha, and Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1974/03/23?source=1121435
3/23/75 Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA – Mostly officially released on Beyond Description (1973–1989) Bonus Disc. This SNACK Benefit show with Merly Saunders and Ned Lagin on organ and electric piano would be the band’s first appearance after their “retirement”. They give the audience a taste of what they’ve been working on in the studio as they’re recording Blues For Allah. This entire short set is basically instrumental versions of Blues For Allah and Stronger Than Dirt, but it’s fascinating music. The band is tight and in sync as they work their way through these complicated and abstract musical pieces. If you’ve never heard this one, check it out. They encore with a rousing Johnny B. Goode.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1975/03/23?source=1861844

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