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The Coliseum is mainly associated with the National Stock Show - and the accompanying smell that floats into downtown annually. At the time it was the home of the Denver Spurs [pro hockey], but it's best Rock history footnote: Zep's first US appearance. It's in an industrial area then as now, under the freeway and by the huge stockyards, which made a weird place for the trappings of a Dead show; their 4th venue in Denver proper out of just 6 shows. Coming a few days after what may be the year's best show [San Diego], it's either surprising it's another killer show, or expected - given this falls in the marathon-length-'73s bracket (it's also the show after the almost-as-good UCLA). The fifteen song 1st set is over 1:45, and the 2nd set is almost 2hrs. Ten of the songs were also played here the next night - all of them but UJB and ½ Step better on this night. Maybe the show isn't the match of 11/14 overall, but with a whopping 1st set and a strong 2nd set sequence, it's one of the year's best. Note: this wasn't a Wall of Sound-PA show. That first traveled to Reno '74 and never went to Colorado.



First Set. The set starts with alacrity and ends after an hour and a half of near-perfection. It's anti-anhedonia. Write home about it. Even the tossed-off Dough Knees is above average. The tight-but-brief Brown Eyed, for example, is bright with Bobby's brilliant rhythm fills. Donna makes it extra for Beat It On Down the Line-4. Though rarely exciting, To Lay Me Down is inimitable. Tennessee is probably not quite as good as the previous few, but it's still brainsmack in the land of downtempo. Weather Report Suite is sui generis. Every last note. It was slowed from others on the tour - in fact the next night is a race by comparison. The level of play in the Let it Grow segment is astounding. Casey Jones is almost as good as 2/15; maybe the best of late '73, because of the way they play together . A crystalline set of white-light purity. The thank yous are cut from some sources.



Second Set. This set is average '73 throughout, though it has some interesting moments, like the incredible seg-in to Bertha (or the odd Donnskreech™ in Greatest Story). The first hints of the 1st Set magic come in Mississippi Half-Step (which has a cut of 32sec @5:58 unless you use the MTX or the miller_clugston SBD). The standout China Cat has a Feeling Groovy, and the jams are lighter fluid. It's usually Bobby that forgets Truckin', but here Jer's the guilty party. Nonetheless the jam section is nice, and it has a Nobody's Fault. So much of the set has been downtempo, but here they perk. The official version of The Other One cuts 1min5sec @3:22. The SBDs have an abrupt AUD patch @3:55. Note that the Mind Left Body Jam was usually in Dark Star in '73, and at this point in the year it began showing up here. Truckin'>TOO>Stella is 40min. The latter is solid batter but not, say, 10/19. A fine, GOGD sequence. Sugar Mag not so much, but the fine jam in Uncle John's leaves 'em happy.



1st Set : A+

2nd Set : C+

Overall = 4½ stars



Highlights:

Entire 1st set.

China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider - a feeling groovy & lighter fluid



SOURCES: The sirmick_76616 SBD is the hollister_1234, but with patches for a few missing sections, and mastering to fix a few glitches. However it has incorrect song order at the beginning of set 2 and has the cut in Mississippi ½ Step. The miller_clugston source required fewer patches, and sacrifices adding extra noise on the top end for some clarity and completeness. But it also introduces some distortion & wow/flutter, and it's pitched slow in some places. A half hour of tunings are trimmed from all SBD sources. The Dusborne matrix, with a hint of AUD, is lively & spacious. Road Trips 4-3 has Truckin'>The Other One>Stella (plus a half minute of Let it Grow in a patch for the next night).

- February 11, 2019A National [stock] Show