This week we wind up our 'holiday' series of Deadpods with the fabulous third set from the band's New Year's Eve performance in Oakland on December 31st, 1982. This third set features guest appearances with Etta James and the Tower of Power horns. The band clearly has a blast here, and despite it being the third set play with a great deal of passion and energy.. Phil opens with that familiar bass line from 'Lovelight' and Bobby leads them into it. After a couple of verses and a quite interesting solo from Garcia, Bobby introduces Etta James who takes command of the song, and indeed most of the set! This is a great blues set with 'Tell Mama' coming next. They slow things down with a funky 'Baby What You Want Me To Do' but then the spirit of Pigpen returns with a fine 'Hard to Handle' - Etta is really digging Garcia's work here as you'll hear. They close with a fine 'Midnight Hour' to wind down the set.

The boys come back, by themselves to deliver a sweet 'Brokedown Palace' encore. On the tape we get to hear Bill Graham send the crowd home as only he would...

Oakland Auditorium Oakland, CA 12/31/82 - Friday Three Turn On Your Love Light > Tell Mama ; Baby What You Want Me To Do ; Hard To Handle ; In The Midnight Hour Encore Brokedown Palace Comments Third set with Etta James and tower of Power

Now I decided since this was a shorter set, to include some music I've been wanting to play over the holidays that is just a hot little jam.. this comes from a set variously labeled 'Mickey and the Heartbeats' or 'Jerry Garcia and Friends'.. from Christmas eve, 1968 at the Matrix in San Francisco. I think the sound is out of sight for such an old tape..

The Matrix San Francisco CA, 12/24/68 - Tuesday Mickey & The Heartbeats Jam

You can listen to this week's Deadpod here:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod011521.mp3

Thanks so much for your kind support of the Deadpod!!

a small reminder that we are also on Facebook and I post the links on Instagram weekly.