favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite

The Bertha opener is so hot Jerry has good trouble keeping his lyrics together.

They wisely let Weir pony up a BTW to get everybody back in synch.

Garcia gives that extra twang to Black Throated after the line "City of Blues"

Sweet climax--"That is what I am gonna do"

CT Shuffle-Great tune, short and to the point.

No toll on the Brooklyn Bridge.

B.E. Women- one of my favorites

Good backing vocals

China>Rider -Great vocals-especially Phil

Me & Bobby-Not sure why they ditched this tune

Garcia's backing-vocals are great

and Weir just perfect

telling this story song.

Mr Charlie-One of those tunes that had to go away

when PIG departed. This is very much an old school dead tune with Pigpen spurring the boys on. It had to be quite a sight with Pig singing and the rest of the band backing him up-- plus the jam is pretty fierce. "Can't do nothing wrong"

Bob has some mellow ballads this set, probably none more laid back then LOOKS LIKE RAIN. For me this run is his best version of the song and then later the tune takes on a new twist with Donna Jean. and this run features Phil so prominent on backing vocals and Garcia sitting on Pedal Steel seals it. seals the

DEAL- oh so nice

And folks are calling for Box of Rain!

Hurts me too..This is another solid Pigpen show.

Cumberland-Not sure any version can top some of those acoustic 1970 versions but this is very good with hot picking and laid back vocals.

Playin' --Might just as well say it. I LUV DONNA!

Her intro and outro are just fine.

She has the southern roots sound!!!



Greatest-Wow, a crazy pandamonium version with Donna Jean all over the map. The jam outro is blistering.

Ramble On Rose-A nice one two opener for Second set. Not two songs I really remember hearing in close proximity

even though they both settled into the 1st set over the years. Here they are opening Set Two

Big Boss Man-Remember when Jerry sang this in 85. A very different take on this rowdy PIGPEN standard. If you listen closely this shares a New Speedway riff here and there. Pig with the harp. The Dead didn't get much harmonica after Pigpen until Matt Kelly sat in here and there also in '85 mostly' from what i remember.

This 2nd set is kinda in 1st set mode. They seem pretty content to just play the standards without going all in for the extended jams tunes. My guess would be they were probably fairly confident in the DARK STAR and Other ONE whereas some of the 1st set tunes needed to be road tested with both Keith on stage and Donna mostly in the wings.

El Paso- always one of my favorites. A song I can still sing from memory acapella.

They give the extended piece of the night over to PIGPEN for some Good Lovin' -Best version of this to me is still MIT steps 1970. Weir did a good job of kindling the flame with those PUSH BACK THE NIGHT raps in the 80's.

Nice to hear Keith interjecting piano into this jam. Garcia and Lesh could fire up this tune. While PIG steers the tune with his version of scatting.

"Every which way but loose!"

I keep expecting a juicy drum solo in the middle of Good Lovin.

Me & My Uncle- more proof that the Dead were outside the box on this night.

Two Souls In Communion, Sugar Magnolia, Loser, Casey Jones, E: One More Saturday Night--I like LOSER in the final ballad slot Ha!HA!

So this is not the blow out show of the run-- it still has more umph then

a heck of a lot of shows post 90-91

Observation-Europe 72 shakes the Dead out of a little funk they got into with their own audience. if you notice during these shows there is at times some animosity by the band toward comments made from the crowd.

After Europe 72 the Band tends to keep it's comments more to themselves ie-you have to listen carefully to the band's banter encrypted into the Soundboards rather than over the house mics.

Now there are some famous exceptions like when they talked down the blockhead at SPAC.

But for the most part it seems like the Dead tend to shut out a lot of the crowd requests and general insanity.

Another exception might be the "LET PHIL SING" --WE WANT PHIL--some of those were hilarious! "We are keeping him for awhile"-Jerry

P.S- This is a mellow TWO SOULS! "Help me somebody!"

What exactly is the sound during Sugar Magnolia. Is it from Bill the Drummer. Sounds kinda like squeaky springs?

Drinking that wine!!

Driving that Train!!!

Turn up the house lights! Sat Night.

- August 31, 2017Bertha- Don't you come round here, Anymore!