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This falls right between the final Palladium show and the beloved Golden Trinity, receiving little attention for a long time. Though it's not the equal of those peaks, there are the usual May '77 highlights. Like the Palladium, the New Haven Coliseum had a relatively small capacity. The 1st set is over 1½ hours and longer than the 2nd set! Having spent more time on the other May '77 shows, my opinion of this one has lessened slightly - even though, listening to the official, the long tunings are cut. While not in the top 20 from the spring '77 tour, it has plenty of GOGD. Donna is great on this show.



First Set. Promised Land is sluggish but Sugaree takes off. Though it's not 5/19 or 5/28, they stretch it out and take a few risks that mostly work. Keith tries for Mexicali but it's Mama Tried and El Paso - both perfunctory (by '77 standards). Tennessee Jed is also a bit sluggish and not near as ON as others this week (cf. the 9th & 12th). The set then takes off starting with Looks Like Rain with Keith & Donna both top of their game. Garcia's use of placeholder notes in Peggy-O is magical and the way he expresses the very end of the solo is insane while Bobby is more active than usual. It's one of the greatest Peggy-Os period. Everyone listens closely to intertwine with Jer on a magnificent Music Never Stopped.



Second Set. Starts great but then flags. Bertha is wrangled until it becomes hot and Scarlet is even better. Hang with it until it soars.The beginning is cut on the SBD and patched on the official with the first 12sec of 5/13. After Fire the set's average to below average (for '77), but in Good Lovin' Phil offers a perfect boat launch with his Bass waves. St. Stephen makes a great setlist, though it's an average version. Sugar Mag is cut in the middle (smoothed on miller SBD) but it's a rough version anyway. The official is patched with 5/17 (@1:47>2:23) and sped-up to match. Johnny B. Goode is a wash.



1st Set : B-

2nd Set : C

Overall = 3 Stars



Highlights:

Looks Like Rain - One of month's best (up there with 5/11)

Peggy-O - Jer's expression this night is magical, as many have noted

Music Never Stopped - Almost as good as 5/7

Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain - The former is nearly as good as 5/25



SOURCES: There's finally an AUD for patching Scarlet. The 123485_sbd_miller (Betty Board remaster) is still the best source. The others are slightly boomy by comparison. The show is on May 77 Get Shown the Light with long tuning gaps cut and a couple patches from other shows.

- June 13, 2018Shoulder Show