Does anyone know if George R. R. Martin is a fan of the Grateful Dead? I’m sure that I’m not the first Dead fan to read the Song of Ice and Fire series and have my attention pulled toward House Stark because their symbol is the Dire Wolf.

Dire Wolf was played 4 times on the Europe 72 tour (also 4/26, 5/24, 5/26) but this was the first one on the tour and the first version in almost a year. The last one being played on 4/27/71 as the Dead played their final run at the fabled Fillmore East in New York. Armed with that knowledge it’s easy to see why this version might seem a bit rusty in places, but that’s part of the fun, too!

Also, is it just me or does anyone else get visions of little red riding hood when they hear this song? The anthropomorphic wolf and the “timbers of Fennario” in the narrative trigger that story for me. Can’t explain it, but it’s an association I’ve always made in the back of my mind with this song.

This Dire Wolf is almost a country shuffle. There is a lot of nuance in Billy’s drums here, but they sound great to my ear. Keith leaves a lot of breathing room in his playing here, but his additions are tasteful and interesting. Jerry’s first solo is a bit restrained, but he doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room in the more structured songs right? Gotta keep moving along! A bit later his second solo foray has a lot of potential, but is cut short right as it’s getting good. Argh! Oh well, the crowd doesn’t seem to mind and they show their approval as the song ends. This version was a bit rough at the outset, showed some nice potential, and ended up being a fairly standard attempt when all is said and done, but the band kept us (or at least me) on my toes in between. I guess that’s all we can really ask for, eh?

Complete Setlist 4/16/72

Previous Dire Wolf DFAY Selections