favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite

This show was the day after my two best friends (and roommates) left for Oregon in wedded bliss and left me crying in my schnops. I went by myself and quickly remedied the loneliness by indulging in a routinely supreme effort by a band that was literally on fire and couldn't quit burning.



Though it's not the best night of the run it's still a great one. All four of these of the BCT's that August were tremendous. Unfortunately, because BCT was a sitdown theater the faithful didn't like it too much and neither did the ushers who gave up midway thru the first set and disappeared leaving the rowdy headbashers to leave their assigned seats and do their thing up front. I was positioned on the floor's midsection and, dancing alone in my seat, was quite happy to merely stay put where my ticket dictated.



Like the night before, This show just gets better and better and ends on a blasting note. Then, after a night off on Wednesday, the Thursday show starts right up where this one leaves off. And then, of course, comes Friday's veritable unheralded masterpiece, and then two days later Veneta. "Shoot," I raged within, "everyone's going up to Oregon!"



Say what you will about The BCT being unfriendly to crowd wandering Dead Heads, the GD always played well here because they COULD hear. BCT has great acoustics and, that night, it was simple for Betty and Bear to quickly dial the boys right in -- well, after all, they'd had enough practice behind the board from the night before. Twas truly all that was required.



You take a song like Black Throated Wind. The consensus about this song is generally that BTW is a buzzkill. Not so on this night! Ohhh, no, you hear the delicious warbling tones of Jerry's squeaking white Strat dodging in and out of Bobby's gleeful and engaging Gibson counter punching.



The sound within this venue is disclaimed such that the listener can hear every instrument and every vocal clearly.



Hence, perhaps here resides the GD's best singing days -- as they were in the summer of 72 before Phil's voice went south. Berkeley Community Theater's beautiful ambiance, a competent band, a dutiful sound and equipment crew all made these the Dead's best singing days ever.



Truly remarkable sound for a two track-off-the- board mix with very little technical adjustment. I know. I was there. Here was a clear formula for the GD in 1972: Do four nights in a great sound venue. Dial-a-magic. Land.



Before the end of the first set, Jerry turns to the audience and says in reply to a crack in the nut gallery, "Oh, relax, we'll get to all that top 40 shit later."



Check out Phil's bass solo in Other One. Notice that you've spilled your drink.



Yes, for the audiophile there are many minor glitches obvious in this (these) recording(s)

yet Mssr Miller did it again for us and put together a most listenable device from various and disparate sources. Hats off, Monsiuer Charles!



Really superb effort displayed, and on every song.



Veritably the best time you can have with yourself standing up... "Less yer locked up in a closet in Oregon."



No, not tonite.

- August 21, 2011The Day After