This Week In Grateful Dead History #13 (Week of 3/31)
- Mason's Children
- Mar 30
- 13 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
For the week of 3/31 – 4/5 there were again an abundant amount of shows to pick from. Way more than I could possibly have time to review, but that leaves plenty to explore for next year (and the year after, and the year after, and…). This week we have some notable first performances of Feel Like A Stranger, Candyman, Take Me To The River, Final performances of Ballad Of A Thin Man, Easy Wind, Day Job, Hand Jive, and the only time they ever performed what I’m calling an “inverted” Playing In The Band, where they start the song with Playing Reprise segment (which is normally played at the end of the song) and then play the song from the beginning. We also have April Fool’s Day this week, and we’re revisiting the time the band switched instruments and attempted to play Promised Land. Bobby was on keyboards, Brent & Jerry on drums, Billy on bass, Mickey on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Phil on lead guitar 🤪. I’ve written listening guides for 12 awesome shows, so check it out:
3/31/1985 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME
3/31/1988 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
4/1/1980 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
4/1/1988 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
4/1/1990 The Omni, Atlanta, GA
4/2/1973 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
4/2/1989 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
4/3/1970 Field House, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
4/3/1989 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
4/4/1985 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
4/5/1982 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
4/6/1982 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Someone recently told me they didn't understand the connection of how to use these weekly listening guides with my book, so I wanted to explain that in more detail. This picture below is from the book, and is typical for what an entry looks like for a show. Normally what I do is underline the songs in the book that are called out as highlights in the listening guide, like this. In this case you can see there's also highlighted songs, which is the way I identify songs that Howard Weiner labels as Jam Anthem versions (basically epic versions of those songs, as identified in his excellent book Deadology II - see below for more info). And you can also write any notes of your own in the space provided after each show. Ultimately you can use it however you want, but this was my original intent with the book.
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 13, for the week of March 31st, 2025:
Interesting historical facts for this week in Grateful Dead history:
First performance of Feel Like A Stranger (3/31/1980), Candyman (4/3/1970), Take Me To The River (4/1/1995)
Final performance of Ballad Of A Thin Man (4/1/1988), Easy Wind (4/4/1971), Day Job (4/4/1986), Hand Jive (4/4/1987)
Only performance of an “inverted” Playing In The Band, where they start the song with Playing Reprise segment, which is normally played at the end of the song.
“April Fool’s” Promised Land (Bobby on keyboards, Brent & Jerry on drums, Billy on bass - Mickey on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Phil on lead guitar)
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 31st
3/31/1985 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME – 1st of a 2-show run. The 1st set features all well-executed songs. Highlights are Music Never Stopped which served as a bold, unusual opener. A nice fluid rendition of Candyman follows, which slides straight into the blues standard C.C. Rider. They keep the momentum going nicely with a quick segue into Loser. Brent's calliope sound added a lighter touch to the somber Dupree's Diamond Blues. The set was tight, with no extended jams, but none were necessary. The 2nd set kicked off with an energetic burst, highlighted by a funky Iko and Samson, both nice sparkling renditions. He's Gone slowed the tempo, but maintained a nice soulful vibe. The band quickly transitioned through a rare and oddly-placed Miracle and into an up-tempo China Doll. As the band left for Drums, Jerry remained onstage, soloing pensively over Mickey's delayed marimba sounds for a few minutes before heading back stage for a smoke break. The drummers shifted into an Egyptian theme, with tabla sounds. Wheel emerges from Space. As it winds down, they transition into the Playing theme, which gets explored for a few minutes. The energy peaks and instead of the normal first verse of the song we find ourselves in the midst of the Playing Reprise segment. After a couple more minutes they decide to go back and start at the beginning of the song. There’s no middle jam, and it abruptly ends into a lively rendition of Day Tripper. The U.S. Blues encore was straightforward yet satisfying.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1985/03/31?source=108202
3/31/1988 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ – 2nd of a 3-show run. This whole show exudes great positive energy. The 1st set kicks off with a strong reading of Hell In A Bucket, followed up by some sharp energy in Sugaree. The transition from Me and My Uncle to Mexicali Blues, is exciting. The highlight of the first set is Let It Grow, and includes Bobby's passionate singing. The 2nd set begins with the always-popular Scarlet Begonias > Fire which contains lots of great energy and a smooth transition jam. Samson includes some strong jamming, and Terrapin includes an unusually long outro jam, which involves the development of some interesting musical themes. GDTRFB > Miracle out of Space is particularly hot and Brent shines on Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude. The Knockin', encore is delivered with strong emotion and confident playing.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1988/03/31?source=343088
April 1st
4/1/1980 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ – 3rd of a 3-show run. This is an excellent show from start to finish, except for the comical April Fools Promised Land which features the entire band switched positions. Bobby is on keys, Brent & Jerry on drums, Bill on bass, Mickey on guitar and vocals, Phil on lead guitar. You can see some pictures of them on stage here. Funny for sure, especially if you were there but it's kind of tough to listen to. They play the whole song but it comes to a kind of abrupt end and Phil howls "April Fools!" They then switch to their spots and replay the song properly. You can tell they're in a good mood, and the entire show is a banger. This would be the last time they ever played at this iconic venue. The 1st set includes a pretty standard song selection but overall, a really strong performance. Highlights include Me And My Uncle, Big River, It's All Over Now, Don't Ease Me In, Looks Like Rain, Deal. They open the 2nd set with a funky Stranger, which had just debuted the night before. They flowed from China Cat into I Know You Rider after this new Weir song, and then He's Gone into Other One right out of Estimated. It was like they were painting with sound and everything just sparkled. Brent was totally in his element, too, with this sweet little keyboard interlude between Other One and Drums. The Space segment was still finding its groove, but you could feel the Dead pushing the boundaries of their music, reaching for something beyond the ordinary. The encore with a really nice Shakedown like the band to say thanks for the good vibes during their three-night run in Passaic.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1980/04/01?source=1862170
4/1/1988 Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ – 3rd of a 3-show run. This fine show which was mostly released on Road Trips Volume 4 No. 2. The closing of a three-night series at the Meadowlands on April Fools' Day featured an outstanding show. The 1st set highlights include the second performance of To Lay Me Down since its return to the repertoire, with emotional solos from Jerry. Also notable was the second performance of Bob Dylan's Ballad of a Thin Man, which was removed from the repertoire after this performance. A well-executed Deal completed the first set. In the 2nd set, China Cat and I Know You Rider elevated the energy, with Jerry and Phil standing out. Estimated showcased Bobby's passion, and Eyes was a display of Jerry and Phil, although it ended soon in Drums. The Other One emerged from Space, followed by an incendiary Wharf Rat. Bobby led the group into an interesting Throwing Stones, which culminated in a thumping take on Not Fade Away. The show concluded with a heartfelt delivery of Brokedown Palace.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1988/04/01?source=100569
4/1/1990 The Omni, Atlanta, GA – 1st of a 3-show run. Officially released on Spring 1990 and some songs released on Without a Net. The Atlanta run of the 1990 spring tour, despite being overshadowed by other performances, is a very fine run of shows. This April Fool's show, in particular, is highlighted for its lengthy 1st set that offers a diverse song selection. It begins with an energetic Touch of Grey, followed by a powerful rendition of Minglewood featuring impressive slide work by both Bob and Jerry. Just a Little Light stands out as well, comparable to other exceptional versions performed on this tour. The last four songs of the set are all very strong, including Althea and Victim. The evocative rendition of To Lay Me Down stands out, as does the set-closing Music Never Stopped, which blew the roof off the Omni. The 2nd set is equally remarkable, maintaining its strength from start to finish. The China Cat > I Know You Rider opener is full of adrenalin, and Women Are Smarter is fun and bouncy. The particularly strong section post-Drums > Space segment is a treat and includes a powerful Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude > Truckin’ > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia. The encore, Baby Blue, is noted for its beauty and serves as a fitting conclusion to what is described as a legendary spring tour.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1990/04/01?source=611408
April 2nd
4/2/1973 Boston Garden, Boston, MA – Officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 21. The 1st set is full of great, energetic playing, albeit not very jammed out. Highlights include a strong but predictable Promised Land, followed by a stomping rendition of Deal. Jerry belts out a nice version of Brown Eyed Women, and the band delivers a ripping version of Wave That Flag. Donna projects some serious cattiness on a defiant rendition of You Ain't Woman Enough. The set also includes a lively Don't Ease Me In but the improvisational highlight of the first set is Playing, which, despite being relatively short (for the time period) at 16 minutes, explores interesting polyrhythmic guitar work over Billy’s jazz drumming. The 2nd set kicks off with a fiery Greatest Story, featuring Jerry Garcia's wah-wah guitar and Donna's powerful vocals. Stella Blue can be described as dreamlike and ethereal, while Loose Lucy leans towards a bluesy swagger reminiscent of its late-eighties arrangement. Here Comes Sunshine transitions into a classic Space jam, characterized by unnerving sounds and Garcia's eerie guitar work, creating a disorienting atmosphere. This leads into a well-executed Me and Bobby McGee, noted for its excellent singing and flawless Garcia solo. The Weather Report Suite Prelude serves as a brief interlude before launching into a dynamic Eyes of the World, with interesting jamming that can best be described as an irresistible flow of ideas. The sequence concludes with a delicate and poignant China Doll.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1973/04/02?source=90289
4/2/1989 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA – 1st of a 2-show run. Most of this show was officially released on Download Series Volume 9. The band is fired up, and they play an excellent show. The 1st set highlights include a fun, groovy Iko opener really sets the party mood, and the enthusiastic delivery of a Tennessee Jed > Music Never Stopped two-piece set closer. The second set is full of great music. Highlights include a power-funk rendition of Shakedown Street, followed by more Mardi Gras Creole flavored music with the performance of Women are Smarter. Jerry’s cautionary love tale Foolish Heart is passionately delivered. The post-Drums > Space segment of Wheel > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude Reprise is all very enjoyable and gives us a front row seat to Brent’s incredible musical chops. Bobby gets all worked up on Around And Around and Jerry spins us directly into an upbeat GDTRFB, but Bobby takes one more turn with a lively delivery of Lovelight. Jerry gets the last say with an emotional rendition of Baby Blue as the encore.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1989/04/02?source=343814
April 3rd
4/3/1970 Field House, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH – This show features an acoustic set sammiched between two electric sets. The highlights from the 1st electric set include China Cat > I Know You Rider, delivered with strongly emotive signing and a smooth connecting jam. There’s also strong muscular jamming in Dancin'. The backing vocals are a tad off-key but they jam it way out, and bring it back nicely. The acoustic set features the first performance of Candyman and Jerry improvises an extra verse in Friend of the Devil. Wake Up Little Susie is excellent, as is Katie Mae. The highlight of the 2nd electric set is Cryptical > Drums > Other One > Cryptical > Cosmic Charlie. The Other One seems to wander aimlessly in places, but the instrumental at the end of Cryptical Envelopment is interesting, beginning with the stunning quiet guitar work that then builds back up until Phil goes wild, launching it into a big peak. The transition into Cosmic Charlie emerges from some brief space. The set ends with a bang after a low-key NFA that segues into Lovelight. This version is shorter than average for the time period because there isn’t much of a Pigpen rap, but they build it up to a big, powerful crescendo at the end.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1970/04/03?source=384240
4/3/1989 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA – 2nd of a 2-show run. Most of this show was officially released on Download Series Volume 9. This is a strong show with 1st set highlights including El Paso (160 show breakout), and Victim. 2nd set highlights include Estimated > Crazy Fingers > Uncle John's Band before Drums, and a solid Gimme Some Lovin' sung by Phil out of Space. A double encore is always a sweet end to a show. They belt out Johnny B. Goode and Jerry cools it off with Black Muddy River which was a nice choice given that Pittsburgh sits at the convergence of three muddy rivers.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1989/04/03?source=343489
April 4th
4/4/1985 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI – a really special night and an absolutely blistering show, full of spark and energy. The 1st set was captivating, highlighting Jerry's delivery. Highlights include Alabama Getaway > Jack Straw (Jam Anthem version), a stunning, emotive rendition of She Belongs to Me (1667 show breakout - last time played was 1/7/66!), a strong Brother Esau, and raging versions of Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > Deal (all three are Jam Anthem versions). The 2nd set maintained the energy with a punchy I Need a Miracle to open. Brent transitioned into Crazy Fingers. Samson and Delilah provided an energetic interlude, followed by a soulful He's Gone. A surprise came with a vibrant version of Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad, leading into a rocking jam with hints of Caution and an impressive drum solo. The Wheel offered a mesmerizing breather. Jerry’s delivers some compelling vocals on Black Peter that leads into Bobby's dynamic performance of Around and Around, which transitioned into a fiery conclusion with Lovelight.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1985/04/04?source=1109744
April 5th
4/5/1982 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA – A hot show that was partially released on Road Trips Volume 4 Number 4. This show has a solid first set. But check out the second set which is energetic, passionate and playful. A triple-play Playing in the Band is weaved throughout most of it. The 1st set highlights include a strong Jack Straw opener, a tight performance of El Paso with Jerry and Brent both adding extra flair. Dark Hallow has a deep groove and the middle jam in Cassidy soars. Tennessee Jed and Althea are pleasing, and a fun surprise (3 of 4) performance of Women Are Smarter that energizes the crowd and closes the set. The energy and excitement carry forward into the 2nd set with a rousing Bertha opener. After that they launch into a strong rendition of Playing that includes an extended jam segment. They eventually work their way into Ship Of Fools then back into a Playing Jam. Brent’s piano add lots of nice texture to the jamming. A Drums segment follows, and then a captivating Wheel emerges and then it’s back into a quick Playing Reprise to finish the sammich. After that, Jerry delivers a strong Wharf Rat and Brent’s organ leads the way through a nice Good Lovin’ to close the set. An upbeat Don’t Ease encore closes the show.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1982/04/05?source=402646
April 6th
4/6/1982 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA – 2nd of a 2-show run. The entire show was released on Road Trips Volume 4 Number 4. Another solid well played first set. The second set smokes! The 1st set is very competent, with minimal mistakes and the band was fully engaged for all 12 songs. It kicks off with a competent but laid-back Cold Rain And Snow but they dial up the intensity for Promised Land. We slow down to catch our breath for a smooth Candyman which segues quickly into a rowdy C.C. Rider. Big Railroad Blues is punchy. Phil Lesh requests something bluesy from Bob Weir, leading into Looks Like Rain and Jerry's vocals on Might As Well are sweet. Before the intermission, Weir humorously announces, “We're gonna take a short nap.” The 2nd set kicks off with three powerful Jam Anthem songs: Shakedown Street, highlighted by an impressive instrumental exchange between Jerry and Brent Mydland, followed Lost Sailor and a strong Saint of Circumstance, featuring great jams and backup vocals. The outro builds perfectly with the line "'Cuz I'm on the road and I'm feelin' fine now!!" After the "Drums" segment, the mood turns a bit spooky but quickly brightens with a solid rendition of Truckin', despite a distracting whistle at the start. The transition into The Other One is notably brief, with the song being a short, second-verse-only version that doesn't last long enough for a signature Phil bomb. Morning Dew provides a slower, welcome addition to the set, leading into an energetic Sugar Magnolia that excites the crowd, with Phil bombs and even the security guards dancing. The show concludes with a mellow Baby Blue, sending the audience away feeling joyous.
Music link: https://relisten.net/grateful-dead/1982/04/06?source=1919684
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
Peace out my good people. Until next week!
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