Unofficial 31 Days of Dead – 2012 Edition: Day 30

December 30

Not Fade Away > Turn On Your Lovelight
9/19/70 Fillmore East, New York, NY

Here is some high-energy Grateful Dead to get us all primed for New Year’s Eve. Before Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad was introduced in the repertoire (that would happen a few weeks following this show), a Not Fade Away > Lovelight combo was somewhat common. This version is probably one of the finest performances of that pairing (5/7/70 from MIT is a strong contender but the abysmal audience recording makes it almost unlistenable).

This version of Not Fade Away is a personal favorite because Garcia slips in two dazzling thematic jams – a few China Cat licks immediately preceded by the most-developed Darkness, Darkness jam ever played (The Youngbloods). The transition back into Not Fade Away is seamless and the screaming finale led by Weir and Pigpen is exceptionally hot.  Without a moment to catch your breath, the band begins the opening notes of Lovelight.

This filthy version of Lovelight has become legendary because Pigpen drops the F-bomb like a dirty sailor. It actually was a pretty radical thing to do at the time and certainly caught Bobby off guard who asks, “Uh Pigpen, did you say fuck?” Seizing the opportunity, Pigpen emphatically responds, “I said FUCK.” This energizes both the band and audience even more, bringing things to a boiling point. The thermonuclear finale is one for the ages. Following the last crashing note Pigpen drops a huge Hiroshima F-bomb on the already frenzied audience leaving them in a prurient mushroom cloud of sweaty pheromones.

Appropriately enough, the post-show house music is Get Together (The Youngbloods, again) which is a nod to both the aforementioned Darkness jam during NFA and Pigpen’s salacious rap during Lovelight.  Just as you are relaxing with a post-intercourse cigarette Phil brings Pigpen out for a final “encore” so that he can ask, “Why don’t you guys go home and fuck somebody?”

Just another evening of magic at the Fillmore East with the Good Ol’ Grateful Dead. Bring on NYE.

Download Link:  http://www.mediafire.com/?ha9zht4m6d1p1cp
LMA Link: http://archive.org/details/gd1970-09-19.mtx.sbeok.flac16

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