Jack Straw-> Franklin's Tower-> El Paso, Tennessee Jed, Lazy Lightning-> Supplication, Althea, Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider-> CC Rider, Peggy-O, Far From Me, Uncle John's Band-> Playin' In The Band-> Drums-> Truckin'-> Wharf Rat-> Around & Around-> Good Lovin', E:Alabama Getaway-> E: Johnny B. Goode

sbd>?>dat; there are splices from an unknown



source at Althea and also for the encore; Seeded to etree by Brian Cole

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Reviewer: PFflyerkid - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2019

Subject: **** Stars for China Cat Rider



The China Cat Rider is solid, especially Rider, which really extends China Cat in the beginning. Jerry takes a nice solo *between* Bob/Jerry verses, which went away mostly later, and nails the thing to the wall at least two times throughout. Check out 4:40+ of Rider...tears to my eyes!



The Franklins is inspired as well. Jerry tugs at your heart and gets off around 5:50. Ditto the



I like my aud tape better but this does the job. Saw this show waaaaay in the back of arena and didn't realize how good some of it was until getting an aud tape a few weeks after.The China Cat Rider is solid, especially Rider, which really extends China Cat in the beginning. Jerry takes a nice solo *between* Bob/Jerry verses, which went away mostly later, and nails the thing to the wall at least two times throughout. Check out 4:40+ of Rider...tears to my eyes!The Franklins is inspired as well. Jerry tugs at your heart and gets off around 5:50. Ditto the 11:00 mark.I like my aud tape better but this does the job. - March 9, 2019**** Stars for China Cat Rider

Reviewer: gordon hensley - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 25, 2015

Subject: show kinda grabbed hold of me show really picks up on althea and the china cat>rider and cc rider crank... very good show and sound quality.. an ez 4 - June 25, 2015show kinda grabbed hold of me

Reviewer: banksmc311 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 11, 2014

Subject: revisiting the tunes Lovin' this site! - March 11, 2014revisiting the tunes

Reviewer: ciphher - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 28, 2012

Subject: A Better China-Rider I was at this show and had a blast. There were hot women on the stage sitting on couches and during the double encore were dancing there asses off. Crowd only broke loose during Wharf Rat -- go figure. Anyway, a WAY better and thundering China-Rider is 12-12-80, Swing Aud. That whole show, four days after John Lennon died, is balls out from the first note. Also check out the He's Gone (of course), really amazing solo toward the sky. Funny how the Dead always played so inspired in So Cal, more so than the many S.F. area shows I went to. They did live in LA for some time . . . - March 28, 2012A Better China-Rider

Reviewer: kneadles1 - favorite favorite favorite - August 17, 2010

Subject: from one who was there.... This show had excellent moments. As someone who lived in Santa Barbara at the time, and went to many of the california dead shows, this never ranked near the top for me. First of all, the cops were out in full force busting people in the parking lot for selling t-shirts, smoking pot, etc, and the security in the show made us sit in our seats for much of the show...always loved an Uncle Johns or a Lazy Lightnin......but the selections of CC Rider, Peggy-o and Far From Me in the second set really slowed things down too much, and it was hard to get the crowd up in the nosebleeds back into it....

some great places they go, but not a 5 star for sure - August 17, 2010from one who was there....

Reviewer: themuscneverstops - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 22, 2008

Subject: First One I Got And it's a pretty damn good one. Having not been introduced to the Dead until lat 2005, I never got the chance to download SBDs from here, but I got the second set of this beauty of a show from GDLive when that still existed, and it was the first ever taste of The Grateful Dead live that I got. Prior to getting the set, I'd only heard Truckin', Touch, and Alabama. Two of the three are in the second set, so I downloaded it, and I was pretty happy. This is probably the best first show you could hear, except Brent hadn't yet developed into what he'd become over the next 10 years, and so here he's loud and annoying, but I like his playing better than Keith's, except for 71-73. 4 stars, check out the China/Rider and the Alabama/JBG encore. - April 22, 2008First One I Got

Reviewer: pwpolk - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 15, 2007

Subject: China Cat Rider I am not one to knock one show to hype another but must admit I do enjoy seeking out and contemplating the "best ever" of a particular song. I was pushed to this show by others talking about the "China-Rider" and while it is really powerful, to me the best "modern" China Rider I have come across is MSG 3/9/81. Listen to this one, enjoy it, and then check out MSG if you havve not already - it is completely in a league of its own. - November 15, 2007China Cat Rider

Reviewer: JamminJerome - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 3, 2007

Subject: good show This is a solid all around show. Didn't like the setlist much, though, so I found the show a bit boring at times, but the boys do a good job and the sound on this SBD is fantastic.



Check out the china>rider - April 3, 2007good show

Reviewer: Grateful Jeff - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 16, 2007

Subject: One of the Best! I would say this is one of the best shows of the 80s by far. Everything is real strong and, as others have said the CHINA > RIDER is just scorching. Jerry came to play this night. - March 16, 2007One of the Best!

Reviewer: early 80's meltdown - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 20, 2006

Subject: Smokin' China>Rider Jerry goes liquid early 80's meltdown -- April 20, 2006Smokin' China>Rider

Reviewer: dcain - favorite favorite favorite - March 26, 2005

Subject: Supplication, sound quality, and...WOW



Jack Straw is also hard on the ears. At



The sound on I Know You Rider is a bit louder, with the volume still on "10." This is a spirited version from the start. Garcia has almost too much energy, like an excited kid running out all over the fretboard. He hits a nice little peak in his first solo at around 2:35. The first line of his headlight verse is followed by some of Brent's great sparkly piano. In the following chorus, Garcia is again chomping at the bit, providing some fun fills. At



The buried treasure here is the China Cat jam. The pace is perfect, a joyful, rollicking quality that reminds me of 10/28/79. At various points, you can hear Garcia thinking about going off into other places.



P.S. This is the last night of the tour, where the band often seemed to supply a little extra. If the overall quality was better, I'd give this a 4. Supplication features torrents of speedy notes from Garcia, a feverish pace like 2/17/79. But the sound quality is dim. I had the volume all the way up, and was straining to hear it. Also, at 2:18, there seems to be a major splice; Weir doesn't give us his "WOO!" he just fast forwards into the lyrics. At 3:30 he's done, and Garcia races on til it ends at 4:20.Jack Straw is also hard on the ears. At 3:15 the major jam begins, and it's a pretty long one, about 18 or 19 times through. Weir pulls out his first trilled chords on the 8th run. But then suddenly Brent is heard on the recording, so loud that he drowns out Garcia, and this continues for three more runs. There seems to be some excellent things, but difficult to hear it.The sound on I Know You Rider is a bit louder, with the volume still on "10." This is a spirited version from the start. Garcia has almost too much energy, like an excited kid running out all over the fretboard. He hits a nice little peak in his first solo at around 2:35. The first line of his headlight verse is followed by some of Brent's great sparkly piano. In the following chorus, Garcia is again chomping at the bit, providing some fun fills. At 3:56 he takes off on solo #2, and runs through it three times. At 4:48 he gains a little too much altitude, and nearly veers off course as he navigates into the F-C chord changes .The buried treasure here is the China Cat jam. The pace is perfect, a joyful, rollicking quality that reminds me of 10/28/79. At various points, you can hear Garcia thinking about going off into other places. e.g 6:40 sure sounds to me like a sketch of the First There Is A Mountain theme. He pencils in a diffferent one around 7:19, and the band keeps on rambling down the tracks....great stuff, and a real treat to hear for the first time (thanks for sharing the recording, and thanks to the other reviewers for their notes).P.S. This is the last night of the tour, where the band often seemed to supply a little extra. If the overall quality was better, I'd give this a 4. - March 26, 2005Supplication, sound quality, and...WOW

Reviewer: ToneDaCrone - favorite favorite favorite - November 10, 2004

Subject: STRONG ENOUGH OPINION? Uncalled for type of review. We ALL have our own opinions and ways to word them. Wasted minutes?? No one made you read anything. The guy was only trying to shed some light for all of us using this privilage Please show some respect here. Thank you As for the show the China Rider is REALLY nice. Great sound as well. - November 10, 2004STRONG ENOUGH OPINION?

Reviewer: Seperation of Dead and State - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 28, 2004

Subject: Cocaine Decision Best China>Rider ever.....I'll put it up against any other version. Sheer powder energy from the devils and Garcia/Mydland.....nice second set Peggster and a thoughtful Farfme....second set cassette is higher gen than set one.....enjoy - July 28, 2004Cocaine Decision

Reviewer: Augy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 28, 2004

Subject: Ya, man your absolutely right, so I rewrote this ! My favorite of this year, (besides Long Beach later in December) ! Let me be quite clear in saying here is another case in which, I still haven't heard this copy yet, so I can't comment on the quality. Therfore my rating is strictly bsed on performance !

Since I can't remember why I didn't record this show myself after having recorded the previous show at UCLA; I'm sure glad there is a board recording of this. Although my analog copy of Ron Elner's master of this show, which I have in storage is quite good, like most of his; even given the Sports Arena's only marginal acoustics; I'm confident that even if my other copy from elsewhere online, isn't the same as this, I can say unequivocally, that this summer night's consistantly hot performance is surely worth collecting !

Hypothetically speaking from the the stand point as if I hadn't been in attendance, ie. just from the songlist, besides the obvious potential highlights, such as Lazy Lightin'; there are many other less obvious strengths. Such as a really excellent version of Althea, a relatively early version, (for Weir that is), of C.C. Rider and so forth, on to the smokin' double encore !

Not only better than the previous UCLA show, (not that that was bad, just not the best they've done there), but comparable to other shows they played in San Diego. Either at the Golden hall or Sports Arena, before and after etc., ie. this show stands the test of time in my humble, or not so humble opinion ! - July 28, 2004Ya, man your absolutely right, so I rewrote this !