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Mason's Children

This Week In Grateful Dead History #31 (Week of 8/26)

Welcome to the weekly newsletter 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 tell me what you think!


Here's the highlights for Issue 31, for the week of August 26th, 2024 so check it out:

  • Pigpen goes on hiatus for health reasons

  • Final "Empty Pages"

  • First "Wang Dang Doodle", "Day Job", "West. L.A. Fadeaway", "Stagger Lee", "Miracle", "If I Had The World To Give", "Shakedown Street", "From The Heart Of Me".


 

August 26th


  • 8/26/71 Gaelic Park, Bronx, NY - This show absolutely sizzles. If there was a roof on this outdoor venue, the energy level would have blown it off. You'll find flawless versions of every song, some of which are top-whatever versions. Especially the Pigpen songs. This would be Pig's last show until 12/1/71, as he takes a break for health reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if we see this as a Dave's Picks release at some point. That said, my highlights in the first set are "Bertha", "Mr. Charlie", "Big Boss Man", "Hard To Handle", "Empty Pages" (final performance, only played twice), "Good Lovin'". I always wondered if Pigpen didn't have health issues, we might have seen him perform "Empty Pages" more. 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Cumberland Blues", "Truckin' > Drums > Other One", "Next Time You See Me", "St. Stephen > NFA > GDTRFB > NFA".


  • 8/26/83 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR - An excellent, high energy performance from beginning to end. There's a lot a great moments in here. This one only circulates as audience tapes, but fortunately the Severson-Miller FOB (SHNID 148832) is very nice, with good presence and tonal balance. The levels seem a little low to me, but nothing that a volume knob and a slight boost on the low end equalizer can't fix. I'd love it if someone made a matrix of that recording and one of the others that have more low end presence. Anyways, 1st set highlights are "Bertha > Promised Land", pretty "Peggy-O", "West LA Fadeaway", "Minglewood", "Loser > Let It Grow". 2nd set highlights are a monster "Scarlet > Fire", "Space > Truckin' > Wang Dang Doodle (first performance) > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia", and "U.S. Blues" encore.


 

August 27th


  • 8/27/72 Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, OR - Officially released on Sunshine Daydream. This is probably one of the most infamous Grateful Dead shows of all time, and so much has already been written about it that I'll be short here. Yes, this is the "naked pole guy" show. Maybe some day we'll find out who that was, and if he's still kickin' it, we can interview him, although I doubt he would remember much. This entire show is epic, in terms of performance and song selection so I don't skip any of it when I listen to this one, but my personal highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Playing (Jam Anthem version) > He's Gone", "Jack Straw", "Bird Song" (Jam Anthem version), "Dark Star > El Paso".


  • 8/27/80 Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI - A very good show with plenty of energy. The band is in sync and they came to entertain. 1st set highlights are "Promised Land" and a rare "Feel Like A Stranger" to close out the set (4th of 6 times played). 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Estimated Prophet > Eyes", and "Stella Blue > Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin'".


  • 8/27/83 Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA - A very peppy, high energy show that will keep you grooving from beginning to end. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw", "Deep Elem Blues", "Brown Eyed Women", "Ramble On Rose", "Looks Like Rain > Deal". 2nd set highlights are "Playing > Uncle John's Band", and "Space > Throwing Stones > Black Peter" and "Baby Blue" encore.


 

August 28th


  • 8/28/81 Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - A very good show, with inspired playing by the whole band. The first set is all Bobby, however. He seems to be especially inspired, but the rest of the band is there to back him up. 1st set highlights are "Jack Straw", "Me & My Uncle > Big River" and Jerry finally shows in force for the "China Cat > I Know You Rider" set closer. 2nd set highlights are a monster "Shakedown Street" opener. This one has some really nice fretwork by Jerry, and some unique vocal work between Jerry, Bobby and Brent. After that, a very inspired "Sailor > Saint" gives way, after a short spacey jam, to a nice "Wheel", which segues into a mean version of Brent's "Good Time Blues". After "Space", they settle into an extended "Spanish Jam", which segues nicely into the rest of the set: "Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia". The "U.S. Blues" encore rocks out the end of the show.


  • 8/28/82 Oregon Country Fair, Veneta, OR - The 10 year anniversary performance of the 8/27/72 Veneta performance. This event was again put on by Ken Kesey and held on the same site as the original show, so a lot of people were ecstatic when this was announced. For many, this was a chance to experience a legendary moment in Grateful Dead history. Let me say, I think this show is good, but not as epic as the '72 show, but then again, this was a completely different band at this point. They had all new material in circulation, and had settled into their rigid 2-set format with a "Drums > Space" segment in the middle of the second set by this point. So to try to compare the '72 performance with this will only lead to disappointment. I think people had such high expectations at the time, that this show garnered a bad reputation after the fact. So let's take it at face value, which is a nice '82 show with good energy and performances by the band. 1st set highlights are "Bertha > Minglewood", and "China Cat > I Know You Rider" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Day Job (first performance) > Women Are Smarter", "West L.A. Fadeaway" (first performance), "Playing > Drums > Space > Wheel > Other One > Truckin' > Black Peter > Playing > One More Saturday Night", and the surprise breakout of "Dupree's Diamond Blues" as an encore (346 shows, first one since 4/14/78). This was also the 2nd of only 2 times played as an encore.


 

August 29th


  • 8/29/69 Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA - 2nd of a 3-show run. The Family Dog was an important venue for the burgeoning rock and roll scene in San Francisco in the mid- to late '60's. The venue changed hands a few times, but came under the ownership of Chet Helms who was responsible for getting some incredible bands to play in this small 1,000 person concert hall. You can read the venerable Grateful Dead historian Corry Arnold's informative writeup about these shows and the venue itself here: https://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2021/08/august-28-30-1969-family-dog-at-great.htmlThere's about an hour and 20 minutes worth of music here, and it's all great, especially "Easy Wind", "New Orleans > Searchin'", "King Bee", and "Lovelight".


  • 8/29/80 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - 1st of a 2-show run. The Dead always seemed to play well at the Spectrum, but this entire show is outstanding. The band is playing with passion and energy, and they're giving it their all on every song. 1st set highlights are "Alabama Getaway > Promised Land", "Candyman", "Me & My Uncle > Big River", "Row Jimmy", "Brown Eyed Women", and "Deal" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Greatest Story > Althea", "He's Gone > Other One", "Wharf Rat > GDTRFB > Around & Around > Johnny B. Goode"./8


 

August 30th


  • 8/30/69 Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA - 3rd of a 3-show run. Another hour and a half-ish of good ol' Grateful Dead. While not the most mind-blowing performance of '69, this little show packs a lot into that short time. One-third of which is all "Dark Star", so I'm game. It starts off with a solid (but short) "China Cat Sunflower", which having been in rotation for about a year and a half at this point was much more refined and developed than the early versions, but still hadn't found it's soulmate pairing with "I Know You Rider" and the accompanying transition jam yet. That would happen 3 shows from this one, on 9/30/69 however. This one segues into a nice version of "Doing That Rag". The highlights for me are "Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Drums > High Time".


  • 8/30/70 KQED Studios, San Francisco, CA - The band dropped by the PBS TV studio for a short live on-air performance. You can get the Christopher Hazard remaster video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2pAqKtzDFU. Highlights are "Easy Wind", "Candyman", and "Brokedown Palace".


  • 8/30/80 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - 3rd of a 3-show run. The boys try to keep the momentum going from the outstanding show from the night before, but this one doesn't quite live up to that level in terms of energy, but there are plenty of great moments none the less. 1st set highlights are "Stranger" (Jam Anthem version), "Cassidy", "Easy To Love You", and "Jack Straw". 2nd set highlights are "Estimated > Eyes", and "Space > NFA > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia".


  • 8/30/81 Compton Terrace Amphitheatre, Tempe, AZ - This entire show is excellent. It's full of energy and tight musical improvisation between the band members. They seem especially tuned into each other, which makes for songs with a little extra sparkle added. 1st set highlights are "Half Step > Franklin's", "Minglewood", "Roses", "Cumberland Blues", and "Might As Well". 2nd set highlights are "Samson", "Ship Of Fools", "Estimated > He's Gone", "Other One > Stella Blue > GDTRFB > Good Lovin'".


 

August 31st


  • 8/31/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO - 2nd of a 2-show run. The Dead return to Red Rocks as the first show after the infamous 7/7 and 7/8/78 shows. These shows aren't quite at the same level as those epic shows, but this one has some very notable moments. 1st set highlights are "Half Step", "Peggy-O", "Minglewood" and "Jack Straw". 2nd set highlights are "Shakedown Street" (first performance), "Terrapin > Playing", "Ollin Arageed (first performance) > NFA > Nobody's Fault Jam > NFA > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia".


  • 8/31/80 Capital Center, Landover, MD - This entire show is great. The band is playing with lots of great energy and you can tell they're having fun. 1st set highlights are "Alabama Getaway > Promised Land", "Mama Tried > Mexicali", "Althea", "Tennessee Jed", "Lazy Lightning > Supplication", and a scorching "Deal" to close the set. The entire 2nd set is one big highlight, but I especially like "Greatest Story > Uncle John's Band > Lost Sailor (Jam Anthem version) > Saint Of Circumstance (Jam Anthem version) > Comes A Time (Jam Anthem version > Truckin' (Jam Anthem Version)".


  • 8/31/81 Aladdin Theatre, Las Vegas, NV - This entire show is excellent. 1st set highlights are "Stranger", "Jack A Roe > El Paso", "Cassidy", "Let It Grow > Deal". 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire > Playing" and "Morning Dew > Playing".


 

September 1st


  • 9/1/69 Baton Rouge International Speedway, Prairieville, LA - This was Dead's performance at the New Orleans Pop Festival. It's a single, short set that amounts to about an hour and a half of music on tape. The highlights are "Easy Wind", "Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Lovelight".


  • 9/1/79 Holleder Memorial Stadium, Rochester, NY - This an odd show with some really big highlights, but it's definitely on the shorter side. There aren't any other shows (at least that we know of) on 9/1, so we just have to make the best of it! I understand it was a swelteringly hot day, and maybe the band was struggling. There may not be as much creativity as some other '79 shows, but there are some big moments here, including "Half Step (Jam Anthem version) > Franklin's Tower" to open set 1, and "Scarlet > Fire (Jam Anthem versions)" to open set 2. This one is noted for the very early "Drums > Space" right after "Fire", which is unusual. But take a listen to those Jam Anthem versions, if nothing else.


 

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 will have to decide whether or not I'm going to have more made. The costs of printing and shipping have gone way up in the last few years since I had them printed so I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. So get one now while you can! https://www.gratefuldeadbook.com/tigdh





Peace out my good people. Until next week!



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