31 years ago… Jerry helping Bobby out…
31 years ago… Jerry helping Bobby out…
Right there with you. Spring ‘90 shows are sporadic listening for me. I saw a bunch of that run and don’t typically listen to many of the shows I was at but still recognize it was excellent and love spinning here and there. But yeah, almost too polished to listen to all the time. If memory serves me right it didn’t feel that polished at the time. Just real good shows.
Polished?
I guess maybe like 1977 or 1972 were polished—or maybe just an incredible band firing
I love how Garcia is so commanding. Phil’s playing is amazing. But yeah I loved attending fall 89 and spring 90 and am biased (I’m a big early 80s fan too… check out November Florida, Atlanta and 12-12/13 1980–I’ve been listening to every show in a row for a while now…. I did 85-90, now doing 78-84)
I think of ‘72 and ‘77 as tight but electric and exciting as hell, spring ‘90 lacks the electricity, it’s kinda boring actually.
crab in my shoe mouth
^ agree on 72 & 77, 90 is a different but still great energy that is harder to define. They are riding the peak of the wave of their popularity from In the Dark, Jerry is probably as healthy and on his game as he'd been since 77, Brent is a driving force both creatively and on stage (Blow Away) and Phil's playing and sound is on point every night regardless of whether the band was there with him.
The Cap Centre shows with the bust outs nightly, Nassau with Brantford obviously, RFK, Deer Creek and Sandstone are all great energy shows where you can hear and see the band was enjoying the hell out of playing together. Add in the buzz created by Dark Star being back in the rotation and there was, at least for me and most who I toured with, the feeling that any night could be a "can't miss show." Not saying they all were because they weren't but there are more on nights in 90 than off imo and I'd say the most consistent night to night in the 10yrs (85-95) I saw the band. A sleeper show (10/20) from 90 post Brent.
https://archive.org/search?query=sou...MD%3ED%3ECD%22
I am the outlier here I know, but there are some very good moments from the Europe tour that carried over into some phenomenal 91 shows. Bruce brought a new and different energy to the band that certainly sparked and challenged Jerry (and Phil) in ways nobody else in the band could.
I do like fall ‘91, Phil’s tone never sounded better. I’m kind of the freak that loves ‘78 and ‘84 with ‘85 being my favorite year.
crab in my shoe mouth
I almost fell asleep driving to a spring ‘90, Standing on the Moon, two days ago!
Drink some coffee, Jerry!
crab in my shoe mouth
Polished or not, y’all should be spinning 3/29/90 today. At least the Eyes.
Yeah that’s the good stuff right there -
In the same vein- go here next - 3/27/85
First night of a red hot run out on the island- was front and center, Tom Thumb!
Listened to this one yesterday… it has the Quadfecta of Scarlet>Fire Estimated>Eyes. I about wore this section of tape out back in the day.
Ha! That was my first low-gen SBD tape, that Scarlet>Fire is the one I judge all Scarlet>Fires on. I wore it out also.
crab in my shoe mouth
^
The Brent meltdown show as your first, as if the "normal" circus wasn't enough you got some added band drama to set the hook even harder.
Check that, different Maybe You Know show, that was 4/21/86 Greek, this was the first Maybe You Know which clearly caught the rest of the band off guard.
Jazzy AF Scarlet. There really is something to the argument that solo Billy really let the band swing.
Umm, the Dancing in the Streets from this show, I think I need to fire it up.
crab in my shoe mouth
fyi sphere prices should come down quite a bit from face on secondary market with lots of tickets still available. demand does not seem to be that high if anyone is contemplating a trip.
3 minutes of Jerry getting super funky courtesy of Christopher Hazard
https://x.com/hazardc/status/1788534637288993008
Best version of each song played during May 1977 (as determined by yours truly):
NEW YORK
It's All Over Now - 1977.04.30
It Must Have Been the Roses - 1977.05.04
NEW HAVEN
Peggy-O - 1977.05.05
BOSTON
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo - 1977.05.07
Friend of the Devil - 1977.05.07
The Wheel - 1977.05.07
ITHACA
New Minglewood Blues - 1977.05.08
Loser - 1977.05.08
They Love Each Other - 1977.05.08
Jack Straw - 1977.05.08
Deal - 1977.05.08
Brown Eyed Women - 1977.05.08
Mama Tried - 1977.05.08
Row Jimmy - 1977.05.08
Scarlet Begonias - 1977.05.08
Fire on the Mountain - 1977.05.08
St. Stephen - 1977.05.08
Not Fade Away - 1977.05.08
Morning Dew - 1977.05.08
One More Saturday Night - 1977.05.08
BUFFALO
Help on the Way - 1977.05.09
Slipknot! - 1977.05.09
Franklin's Tower - 1977.05.09
Big River - 1977.05.09
The Music Never Stopped - 1977.05.09
Bertha - 1977.05.09
Good Lovin' - 1977.05.09
Ship of Fools - 1977.05.09
Comes a Time - 1977.05.09
Sugar Magnolia - 1977.05.09
ST. PAUL
Brokedown Palace - 1977.05.11
CHICAGO
Cassidy - 1977.05.13*
Looks Like Rain - 1977.05.13*
ST. LOUIS
Iko Iko - 1977.05.15
TUSCALOOSA
El Paso - 1977.05.17
Jack-a-Roe - 1977.05.17
High Time - 1977.05.17
Terrapin Station - 1977.05.17
ATLANTA
Promised Land - 1977.05.19
Ramble on Rose - 1977.05.19
Uncle John's Band - 1977.05.19
China Doll - 1977.05.19
LAKELAND
Me and My Uncle - 1977.05.21
Tennessee Jed - 1977.05.21
He's Gone - 1977.05.21
PEMBROKE PINES
Sugaree - 1977.05.22
Lazy Lightning - 1977.05.22
Supplication - 1977.05.22
Dancing in the Street - 1977.05.22
Sunrise - 1977.05.22
Estimated Prophet - 1977.05.22
Eyes of the World - 1977.05.22
Wharf Rat - 1977.05.22
RICHMOND
Mexicali Blues - 1977.05.25
The Other One - 1977.05.25
Around and Around - 1977.05.25
Johnny B. Goode - 1977.05.25
BALTIMORE
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad - 1977.05.26
HARTFORD
Candyman - 1977.05.28
Passenger - 1977.05.28
Samson and Delilah - 1977.05.28
Playing in the Band - 1977.05.28
U.S. Blues - 1977.05.28
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