Grousing The Aisles VI: Jerry Garcia

• Jerry Garcia Band 8/29/87 SBD MATRIX (SHN)
• Sendspace of the first two sets (320kbps MP3)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. When I got my first CD burner some years ago, this show was the cleanest sounding JGB concert I could find…and eight years later this is still the case. Both the acoustic and electric sets are well played, and because I’m trained to accept Jerry flub Run For The Roses, it’s weird to hear this perfect version. This review is certainly more in-depth and comprehensive for those of you looking for more than a quick take on the show.

• Grateful Dead – 4/18/82 SBD (SHN)
• AUD STREAM

1982 wasn’t exactly a landmark year for the Dead. But the band had its moments, and this here show could be the best one of the year, despite the venue. I personally can’t think of a worse arena to see a show than the Hartford Civic Center. Every time I visited that place and its steep aisles, I felt I was gonna take a tumble and land on my ass, yet bands always seemed to rise to the occasion at this shithole. It is, therefore, fitting that Phil Lesh busted out his Earthquake Space in Hartford during the second set. And Sugar Magnolia > Playin’ Reprise > Sunshine Daydream is one helluva way to end an already scorching second set.

• Grateful Dead – 11/14/73 SBD (FLAC)
• SBD STREAM

You can’t compare the band from that 1982 show to the band that played this show from 1973. The early ’70s saw the Dead at its peak, weaving psychedelic jams with tight progressions that left audience members freaked out in the best possible usage of that phrase. This show has just recently circulated, and the sound is nothing short of unbelievable. Yet as good as the sound is, the playing is even better: The first set features perfect versions of the songs you love to sing along with, and the second set kicks out the jams. It’s also obvious Mickey Hart was not missed, as Bill Kreutzmann rolls with the changes like none other.

• Grateful Dead – 10/9/89 DVD VIDEO
• SBD AUDIO STREAM

The Grateful Dead returned to form for awhile in 1989 following a mediocre decade. Banned from the Hampton Coliseum, the band got around the locals by billing the shows as “Formerly The Warlocks.” These two shows were among the best the band ever played, featuring numerous bustouts and tasty jams. One of the biggest moments in GD history happens when the band plays its first Dark Star in five years, which results in about as thunderous applause as I’ve ever heard. Listening to that on CD gives me the chills, but it is a revelation to actually see the smiles on the band member’s faces. The quality on this DVD is awesome (the picture above is an actual screen capture), and you should invite some friends over, imbibe a bit, and let the Dark Star pour its light into ashes on you.

Here are YouTube links if you just want to see the Dark Star, just bear in mind the video quality on this DVD is MUCH better:

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• Garcia, Saunders, Fogerty, Vitt, Kahn – 9/24/71 SBD (SHN)

There was no such thing as an off-night in the world of Jerry Garcia. Regardless of the fact that the Dead played upwards of 125 shows in 1971, the man still put together bands like a neighborhood kid putting together a pickup basketball team. This soundboard features one of the first collaborations between Garcia, Kahn, and Merl Saunders, a trio that would play a number of shows together over the next four years. Check out the instrumental version of John Lennon’s Imagine, which was actually a new song when this show was played.

So there you have it…What are your favorite Jerry shows? Sound off.