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With a Red Rocks rainout, the backup system and ghost crew at McNichols in Denver was set up and the Heads who hadn't heard it on the radio had to beat it the 16mi downtown. The arena was rented in advance - you wouldn't do that today. It was the first show here in two years (and second time ever). That meant the third show had to be here too, with more of the gear arriving for the full-array final show. The middle show of the run is known for its 1st set.



First Set. It's a Shakedown opener and this one just gets better and better. This is the bonus Shakedown in the Beyond Description box. Bobby enunciates Denver for Me & My Uncle, and Jer whips. That flow fans Big River, where Jer second solo seems to defy physics. Little of the rest reaches these heights. Jer forgets the 1st verse of Candyman and sings the 3rd, but it's Bobby's turn to lose place on El Paso, skipping three(!) of the verses. Friend of the Devil is average but Jer freestyles the beginning of Minglewood, then threads it. Althea is just the 4th one, and is played the second day in a row (trainwrecked the day before). Jer takes a gap again, skips to the 2nd verse (but nobody probably knew, since it was new!). Not square on the rails either. Lost Sailor is also the 4th one/2nd in a row and, notably, this is the last one before Saint was attached. It's shaping up, and played cleanly, but it's not punchy yet and was better the night before. Deal leaves 'em happy for the break - this is the fast, '79 era and does not disappoint.



Second Set. After a perfunctory start, the middle of Bertha starts to soar. The rest is oddly lifeless until the jam 14min into He's Gone (on the miller, sectored onto Other One). Unfortunately they're out of tune. How could Bobby forget "rainbow spirals round" all of a sudden for The Other One? Again the end jam is best. The rest is below average for '79, with a trainwrecked Truckin', saved again by the jam (which has a 1½min Spoonful Jam @6:30).



1st Set : B

2nd Set : C-

Overall = 3 stars



Highlights:

Shakedown Street - precisely traveled

Me & My Uncle - as a Denver man can be

Big River - Jer defies physics

Deal - fine example of '79



SOURCES: The miller_119999 has Charlie's complete mastering treatment, and with the Drums patched (the previous miller_87271 was just the 1st set and the channels were switched). The seamons matrix is the miller SBD and the AUD that used to circulate, with great results. Shakedown Street is on the Beyond Description bonus disc.

- August 1, 2017Show delayed and a caravan for downtown