February 18th, 1971- Dark Star/Wharf Rat/Beautiful Jam
Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

A truly unique moment. Nothing like it before, nothing like it after. 1971 Grateful Dead isn't necessarily a 'standout' year like, say, 1973 or 1977. BUT. This moment alone makes up for the entire year. Maybe, perhaps, the best thing they ever did. (Although it's impossible to say that.) The 'beautiful' jam comes out of the first ever Wharf Rat, and is the most elusive of all Grateful Dead creatures, never played before, never to be played after. 

June 18th, 1974- Weather Report Suite/Let it Grow/The Other One
Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky

You can't get much more '74 than Weather Report Suite and Let it Grow. Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow's evocative, almost biblical imagery give way to the space jazz sound of '74. The Wall of Sound was in full effect by now, and the summer tour of this year was one of the highlights of their career. 

July 16, 1976- Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Playing in the Band/Stronger than Dirt/Cosmic Charlie/Samson and Delilah/Spanish Jam

1976 is probably the Dead's most underrated year, for a lot of reasons. But the thing is, it's one of the best. It's the secret, deep catalog, year. Coming off of an almost 2 year hiatus, the boys are tanned, rested, and ready to play. You can hear the hints of what would become the greatness of 1977. 

May 2, 1970- The Other One
Harpur College, New York

May 2nd, 1970 is legendary because of arguably the best first set the band ever did. But...! The 2nd set is just as good, and this 'The Other One', in my humble opinion, is the BEST version of this song in their 30 year career!

February 28th, 1969- St Stephen/William Tell bridge/The Eleven

Experience the raw energy and power of 1969. The true star of this 3 song piece is The Eleven. Composed by bassist Phil Lesh, 'The Eleven' showcases the Dead's genius of improvisation and odd time signature. Jerry's unique '69 tone will take you away to the far regions of the cosmos. 

April 21st, 1978- Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky

The Music Never Stopped

1978 is an often-overlooked year, due to the legendary status of '77. While I would agree that '77 is better than '78, '78 has some true gems, and is underrated in my opinion. This whole show is great, and this is one of my favorite versions of The Music Never Stopped. This is not an insult to Phish-- I'm a Phish fan as well-- but the jam in this song is very Phish like. I can't help but think it helped forge their sound. 

October 9th, 1989- Hampton Coliseum 'Mothership', Hampton, Virginia

Feel Like a Stranger

From the mothership itself, one of the great openers of all time- Top 5. The band is firing on all cylinders and Feel Like a Stranger lends energy to the entire show. 1989, in my very humble opinion, is the last GREAT year of the Dead. Everybody is playing in top form.  

October 10th, 1982- Lost Sailor/Saint of Circumstance
Frost Ampitheatre, Palo Alto, California

Lost Sailor and Saint of Circumstances are some of the most beloved Bob Weir/John Perry Barlow collaborations. They were a mainstay to 1980's shows. Listen closely to the music in Saint of Circumstance and you'll get the perfect example of how all the instrumentation fits in intricate fashion, from the 2 drummers weaving in and out with Phil's bass, to Brent's perfect harmonies. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

I added a premium Grateful Moments channel to Patreon. It's exclusive content for $2.24/month. Go to Patreon.com and in the search bar type in 'Grateful Moments'. Content will feature more of the Grateful Dead's straight forward, rock, and country tunes.  The release schedule will be roughly the same as Grateful Moments. Thank you for listening!

May 9th, 1977- Not Fade Away
Buffalo, New York

Revisit one of the greatest, if underappreciated, Dead shows of all time, May 9th, 1977. Not Fade Away showcases how they took a simple structure of a song by Buddy Holly and morphed it into a living, breathing, thing. '77 at its grooviest.