While the Grateful Dead never performed live at any of the Farm Aid concerts before Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, they did appear off-site via satellite at the 1986 and 1987 installments of the benefit concerts. On July 4, 1986 the Grateful Dead played a show at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, while the second annual Farm Aid concert took place at Manor Downs Raceway in Austin, Texas.
Three songs from the Dead’s show in Buffalo were broadcast live to the Austin crowd – The Wheel, I Need A Miracle and Uncle John’s Band. Just as the band was about to begin The Wheel, guitarist Bob Weir stepped to the mic and stated “America is an agrarian nation, let’s keep it turning” in tipping their hat towards Farm Aid’s goal. A few minutes ago Farm Aid organizers posted the three-song segment that was broadcast at Farm Aid II to the organization’s YouTube channel…
[via Copperpot5]
6 thoughts on “Pullin’ ‘Tubes: Grateful Dead Farm Aid Contribution 1986”
That does sound familiar. I was at the Dead show seem to remember something about this. Very cool.
You forgot when they played Maggie’s Farm at MSG 9/19/1987 or might have been 9/20/87 – either way it rocked!
Jerry in red, trouble ahead!
A guy on my hall freshman year of college had a VHS compilation of Dead video highlights recorded directly off TV (a real treat way back pre-YT). This three song set was on there – and much fuzzier! Makes ya think: merely weeks before the coma and Jerry and Team sounded solid. I have seen some other 86 GD live video and also thought Jerry was pretty spry. Good energy. Also love the late 80’s sunglasses. Big, bad Bolles! And I think 86 was also the year that Billy and Brent had that little bar band… what was the name of it?
Set 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7OxHbhHlak
My first show!