The Grateful Dead: 50 for 50

Nine years ago today, on July 3, 2015, Chicago’s Soldier Field hosted the first of three nights of Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead. Relix/Jambands.com has put together a program for each of these shows (President Obama contributed a welcoming essay).

Here we look back by presenting an article that spanned all three days, highlighting one show per year by the group and the various projects of its members from 1965 to 2014.

We hope that the following suggestions will provide a quality soundtrack during the upcoming holidays…

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11/27/65 The Warlocks, Ken Babbs’ Place, Santa Cruz, California.

While it would certainly have been a pleasure to attend one of Magoo’s Pizza Parlor’s shows, overall the Acid Tests were crucial to the development of the good old Grateful Dead (before they gave themselves that name).

1.12.66 Grateful Dead, The Matrix, San Francisco, California.

“Welcome to another evening of confusion and high frequency stimulation,” greeted Jerry Garcia. That’s enough said.

10.11.67 Grateful Dead, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California.

Current Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux assures: “This has always been my favorite show since 1967. It bridges the gap between the early Grateful Dead sound of late 1966/early 1967 and the newer Grateful Dead sound that was shaped by Mickey’s membership in the band. The energy is palpable.” It is part of the upcoming 30 Trips Around the Sun box set.

14.02.68 Grateful Dead, Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, California.

This show has long been a tape trading favorite and was finally released as Road Trips, Volume 2, No. 2 in 2009 (and named Phil Lesh’s top pick). Jerry dedicated the second set, which contained the Anthem of The Sun material in the same order as the record, to the memory of Neal Cassady.

02/22/69 Grateful Dead, Dream Bowl, Vallejo, California.

Let’s assume you have Undead (or if you dig a little deeper, Fillmore West 1969: The complete recordings (on which the band was recorded from February 27th to March 2nd, 1969). In this case, your next stop is the Dream Bowl.

02.05.70 Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage, Harpur College, Binghamton, NY

Not only do you get three sets from the Grateful Dead (one acoustic, two electric, available for your listening pleasure on Dick’s Picks Volume 8), BUT you also get a performance by New Riders of Purple Sage (unfortunately not on DP 8) with Garcia on pedal steel guitar and Bob Weir guesting on a few songs.

18.02.71 Grateful Dead, Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

A night full of debuts (“Playing,” “Bertha,” “Wharf Rat,” “Loser,” “Greatest Story Ever Told”) and much more to come. Fare Thee Well promoter Peter Shapiro also now owns the store.

11.05.72 Grateful Dead, Grote Saal, De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands

It’s the Grateful Dead in 1972, what could go wrong? How about a trip to the legendary 1972 European tour, with a nod to the legendary Springfield Creamery benefit in the equally epic heat (8/27/72)? That night in Rotterdam was archivist Dick Latvala’s favorite show from the series, featuring a “Dark Star” that lasted over 48 minutes.

08.10.73 “Old and in the Way”, The Boarding House, San Francisco, California.

Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Peter Rowan and John Kahn played traditional bluegrass songs and originals. You can listen to them on the live album by Owsley “Bear” Stanley. What is it, you feel more like the Grateful Dead? Good: 02/15/73, 07/28/93 (Watkins Glen) or 09/15/73 (with Martin Fierro and Joe Ellis).

18.06.74: Grateful Dead, Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky.

A fan favorite from the Wall of Sound era, part of this show ran on Road Trips Volume 2, No. 3.

05/21/75: Legion of Mary, Keystone, Berkeley, California.

During a period of limited performances by the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia focused some of his live energy on this wonderful combo, which also included Merl Saunders, Martin Fierro, John Kahn and Ron Tutt.

16.07.76: Grateful Dead, Orpheum Theater, San Francisco, California.

In June, the Grateful Dead resumed touring after a two-year hiatus and delivered this gem that mixed the band’s experimental side with raw energy and some excellent tunes.

08.05.77: Grateful Dead, Barton Hall, Ithaca, NY

There’s nothing wrong with a classic. Of course, there are many Deadheads who make convincing arguments for February 26, 19, 1977, and September 3, 1977.

12/31/78: Grateful Dead, Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California.

New Year’s Eve was a tradition for the Dead until the death of legendary concert promoter Bill Graham in 1991, and this performance, which coincided with the closing of Graham’s Winterland, featured three outstanding sets and two encores.

08.03.79: Reconstruction, Cabaret Cotati, Cotati, California.

Although there are many Dead highlights from this year (some of which appear on Road Trips, Vol. 1 No. 1), 1979 also marked the debut of one of Garcia’s least-known side projects, the horn-inspired jazz-funk sextet Reconstruction, which performed exclusively for eight months. Check it out if you haven’t already.

31.10.80: Grateful Dead, Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY This Halloween show ended the famous series of three-part acoustic/electric shows taped for Reckoning and Dead Set. Senator Al Franken, who participated in the simulcast, talks about this show on Friday’s edition of the program.

06.05.81: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

A favorite of the late Grateful Dead archivist Dick Latvala (who published it as Dick’s Picks, Vol. 13), this show documented Brent Mydland’s journey of discovery with the Dead.

10.04.82: Jerry Garcia, Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ

That evening, Jerry Garcia made two rare solo appearances. He felt so uncomfortable that he hired John Kahn as bassist for the next “solo” performance.

02.04.83: Bobby and The Midnites, Hammersmith Odeon, London

The last night of a short European tour was also the last show for this version of Bob Weir’s band, which included two renowned fusion musicians, Alphonso Johnson and Billy Cobham.

13.07.84: Grateful Dead, Greek Theater, Berkeley, California.

A great show under a full moon on Friday the 13th turned into an epic evening thanks to a “Dark Star” encore.

06/30/85: Grateful Dead, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland.

Two performances from the same region compete for first honors: 6/30/85 from the Merriweather Post and 11/1/85 from the Richmond Coliseum, both vying for the best performances of the year.

15.12.86: Grateful Dead, Oakland, Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California.

The show was a poignant return to the stage for Garcia after he fell into a coma earlier this year, and the crowd’s reaction to the opening track “Touch of Grey” (and the chorus “I will survive”) still gives you goosebumps.

12.07.87: Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

This was a historic pairing that was preceded by two actual Dead performances, although the Dead’s most stirring moment in the Tri-State Area was probably the “Morning Dew” at MSG on 9/18/87.

02.07.88: Grateful Dead, Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine.

The following night is part of the upcoming “30 Trips Around the Sun” box set, but July 2nd also has many supporters.

09.10.89: Formerly The Warlocks, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Va.

Some people left the stage after the previous night’s “Help” > “Slip” > “Franklin” eruption and missed the big events: the first “Dark Star” in five years and the first “Attics of My Life” since 1972.

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