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Favorite Dead Performances

AustinTXCat

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Jan 7, 2003
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Free Mashburned, Willy, ymmot31
Without a doubt, Laguna Seca in 1987.



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Huge Dead fan, don't know if I could pick a favorite. Just about every show I listen to I find something I haven't heard played that way before.

I do know my least favorite is anything with Donna Godchaux, absolutely loathe her voice.
 
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Personally, I thought the Dead were arguably the most overrated band in history. Cannot name you one song that I really liked.

Yet they have millions of fans who have followed them all over the country. Either you get it or you don't, and obviously, I never have.
 
Personally, I thought the Dead were arguably the most overrated band in history. Cannot name you one song that I really liked.

Yet they have millions of fans who have followed them all over the country. Either you get it or you don't, and obviously, I never have.

There's an excellent multi part documentary on Amazon prime, great on its own merits whether you like the music or not.

They were a unique, distinct phenomenon the likes of which will never be replicated.
 
Personally, I thought the Dead were arguably the most overrated band in history. Cannot name you one song that I really liked.

Yet they have millions of fans who have followed them all over the country. Either you get it or you don't, and obviously, I never have.

Me, either, bro. I would've voted for 'none of the above'.
 
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Hard to narrow it down to one show. Early 73 and the fall of 73/77 were pretty special. The 71 Filmore shows were all pretty damn good, and of course the NYE Winterland 78 was great. The summer run in 89 was another good tour. The Alpine Valley shows especially so. The 10 night run at MSG that year, was fun. The acoustic 1st sets were always fun, not to mention the epic Eyes and Birdsong with Branford sitting in. The Red Rocks shows we’re usually hot, 78 especially. Everyone wants to talk about Cornell being the best ever, possibly the best 2nd set, but I liked the next night at Buffalo War Memorial even better. I could go on but I guess you get my point.

-a quick edit. While 77 NYE show was good I was thinking of the 78 Winterland NYE where they brought back Dark Star & St. Stephen in the legendary 3rd set.
 
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A few of my personal favs below. I havent revisited the 80s/early 90s shows in years. Been going back through 72-73 and 77-79 lately.

Oakland 79
Tampa 73
San Fran 77

Is that Oakland show the NYE show? Was that the one that Etta sat in on the 3rd set? Nice show

The Tampa 73, the 19th, is a Dick's Pick. They went back and forth on whether it should be the 18th or 19th and from what i remember the HCS & PITB on the 19th pushed it over the top. Which is a shame because my birthday is 12/18/73 and it would have been pretty cool to share it with a DP.

SanFran 77 is good but 78 takes it by a nose.
 
It's amazing at the amount of soundboards that are out there. Shit, there's pristine recordings of Acid Tests shows from 1966. Thank you, Owsley. For all the great LSD and for the knowledge and motivation to record all those shows.

I'm going to see Weir three times next month with his trio and it looks like Dead and Company will be announcing a summer tour soon. Let us not forget Phil will be reuniting the Quintet this summer as well. The music never stops, indeed.

As for the topic, I've probably listened to 10-9-89 Hampton the most. Some epic returns to the setlist that show, but the Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again and Dear Mr. Fantasy are all-timers. Late 89 into spring 1990 would've been a great time to hit a shitload of shows. The band was on fire and Brent was the driving force. When he OD'd the rest of the band died a slow death.
 
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It's amazing at the amount of soundboards that are out there. Shit, there's pristine recordings of Acid Tests shows from 1966. Thank you, Owsley. For all the great LSD and for the knowledge and motivation to record all those shows.

I'm going to see Weir three times next month with his trio and it looks like Dead and Company will be announcing a summer tour soon. Let us not forget Phil will be reuniting the Quintet this summer as well. The music never stops, indeed.

As for the topic, I've probably listened to 10-9-89 Hampton the most. Some epic returns to the setlist that show, but the Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again and Dear Mr. Fantasy are all-timers. Late 89 into spring 1990 would've been a great time to hit a shitload of shows. The band was on fire and Brent was the driving force. When he OD'd the rest of the band died a slow death.

Ah yeah, the return of "The Warlocks" show. Add in an re-appearance of Dark Star and ya got a classic show. Crowd goes bananas when Jerry hits that first lick of DS and they realize what is happening.
 
^I'll give it a listen today. I've heard that show before. It's generally considered a top-10 all-timer.

Re: Dark Star: the return of it at Hampton Coliseum was awesome but my favorite (and Dick Latvala's) was Miami 1990. Brent's dead, Jerry's back on opiates and his voice sounds like shit, but it's the most f'd up song the band ever did. I remember reading a review years ago where someone compared it to being trapped in a pinball machine while on acid. An apt description.

Weir and the Wolf Bros are playing the Palace and Ryman Auditorium next month. Anyone going? I've caught the band a few times. It's stripped really raw, but you'll get a new-found respect for Bobby's guitar playing. Hearing him play stuff like Eyes of the World acoustically is a real treat.
 
Saw Bob Weir with Phish once in Nashville a few years ago, probably the closest I'll get...

The dudes around us were fanboi-ing out pretty hard over Bob. Wife and I had almost as much fun listening to them geek out as we did at the show.

Saw Phil Lesh with somebody about 15 years ago. I want to say it was Bella Fleck or maybe Victor Wooten. Seems like his band toured with AKUS for a minute, too.
 
^I wish I would've gotten into Phish years ago. The only time I've seen Trey was at the Dead's 50th anniversary shows in Chicago. Spent an obscene amount of money, but the hype got out of control leading up to those shows. They literally took over the city that entire weekend. It was quite the sight.

Phil randomly played the Exit-In in Nashville a couple years ago. It wasn't long after Malcolm Young died and they played a brief Back in Black jam in the middle of Saint Stephen. He always manages to throw in cool surprises like that as well as off-the-wall setlists. Hope I can see him again but he's not playing many shows these days. I've probably caught him 20-30 times over the years in various bands. I'll surpass 80 times seeing Bobby this year. Figure I'll go as much as possible while they're still around. The legends are slowly dying off.
 
I really enjoy Phish musicianship aspect, it's Trey's nonsensical lyrics that's hard for me to overcome on some songs. But when they are just playing it's another world, love it.

I'm a big DMB guy, 50+ shows including Gorge every Labor Day weekend. I actually got into the Dead because of them.

Bob is here in Knox March 5th but it's cutting close to when I may move so not for sure if I'll be able to catch it.
 
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The Stones announced their tour this morning and I think Dead and Company will announce theirs later today. I've seen rumored dates and booked hotels based on that. St. Louis, Indy and Cincinnati seem to be a go. Hopefully.

Weir and Wolf Bros x 3
Dead and Company x 3
Stones x 2
Roger Waters x 2

Going to be an expensive year.
 
Anything with pigpen and Brent. And I know a bunch of folks revere Keith's time at keys, but meh. Anything late 60s early 70s with pigpen and 80-86 with Brent get my vote.

I thought JGB was better than the Dead in the 70s.
 
Hoping Dead & Co do Red Rocks this year. If so I'm going, one of my last bucket list venues.

The Gorge and Alpine are my top 2 right now, just another world being in those 2 places.

Definitely doing DMB x 6 (right now), Dead & Co x 1-2, Phish x 1, Hopefully Widespread a couple times. Then I always hit 1-2 smaller venues every month or so.
 
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Would love to hit a dead and Co show this year. I’ve yet to catch them, timing just hasn’t worked out.

I did pick up a couple of tickets to Roger waters in Cincy in August. I’ve seen him twice, which have been two of my favorite shows.

I’ll have to find the 74 Freedom Hall show. I saw them at freedom hall for two nights in 92 or 93, don’t remember .
 
Summer tour dates just got announced.
  • Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado
  • Monday, July 13, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater - St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Missouri
  • Wednesday, July 15, Ruoff Home Mortgage Center, Noblesville, Indiana
  • Friday, July 17, Truist Park, Atlanta
  • Saturday, July 18, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Monday, July 20, Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati
  • Wednesday, July 22, DTE Energy Music Theater, Clarkston, Michigan
  • Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25, Wrigley Field, Chicago
  • Monday, July 27, Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
  • Wednesday, July 29, Herseypark Stadium, Hershey, Pennsylvania
  • Saturday, Aug. 1, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
  • Monday, Aug. 3, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York
  • Wednesday, Aug. 5, Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Virginia
  • Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8, Fenway Park, Boston
 
They seem to prefer Folsom Field over Red Rocks, damn.

I'll be doing Raleigh for certain since I'm moving there.
 
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