Just listened to this. That is quite cruel. Reminds me of the time Garcia teased Cosmic Charlie in 1994. Didn't they tease Dark Star a few different times during it's 'hiatus' in the mid-80s?
All things considered, though, I think we're all better off that he didn't try to play or sing "Cosmic Charlie" with (I'm guessing) zero rehearsal in 1994.
There is a short Dark Star quote during Birdsong on 8 October 1984 in Worcester. The previous Summer Dark Star made an appearance at the Greek Theater, so the east coast got a tiny amount of cosmic love.
I'd guess they did rehearse it and he lost his nerve. They reportedly soundchecked "St. Stephen" in late '94.
Part of the energy is the anticipation: will they or won't they? The music built to a crescendo, and there was a tiny moment of utter silence as we collectively held our breath, then they dropped it back into Birdsong and the final chorus. So close!
Could be. Either one probably would have been a crapshow at that point. I read an interview with Garcia ca. 1988 where he complained about certain songs (citing "St. Stephen" specifically) as being too complicated, in that you had to do each verse in the correct order or it would get all screwed up (as opposed to songs like "China Cat" where you could sing the verses in basically any order). That was in 1988. By 1994, he was having trouble remembering the songs that were in regular rotation.
1972-08-27 I can't remember exactly where I left off commentary on this: China Cat and Bird Song are the best of 1972 probably. GSET one of the best. Bertha one of the best. Jack Straw, on the other hand, is totally uneventful--Garcia lays out for about half of his last solo segment. Nevertheless this is rated #2 on Heady Version. Dark Star--it's great, I have to remind myself. It's more monochromatic than some and there are a good handful I like better, but I could see it being ranked in the top 10-15 of 1972 I suppose.
In the “Dark Star is always playing” concept, I’d say that Bird Song in the 80s-90s frequently dipped into those waters.
Listened twice on the way home. I both agree and disagree. There's a lot of Dark Star in the middle of that Birdsong. Maybe more than "usual", but that was just a particularly good jam in an 80s Bird Song. Can't say that it was significantly more than usual. It's a shame the 80s don't consistently have better tapes available.
I love this show and acquired it some time ago. I also have some cool cover art for it, but can't seem to find it now. Spent a good bit of time the other night when I saw this post, trying to track it down.It has a wolf within a nice light green collage at the top with a b & w performance shot of the band, nice,,, one of my favorite covers... ... and just like that, just. like. that. I dive into a millisecond search and find it in a millisecond. I hate it when that happens. I call it a 'mind swipe' //; {.., here. NP... for a long time this was considered to be a favorite DiP. It is a go-to that I constantly play. Opened with Sugaree tonight, with that cool coda the Jerry does at the end of it. Dancing,., is flying all over the room as I speak, notes crashing about the walls and betwixt me ears... May, what a month that year! disc 1 and 2
1972-09-03 Strong Bird Song, although not up to the last one (Veneta). Strong PiTB. Strong China>Rider, a minute or so of Garcia after Weir. Truckin’ is cooking but then ends due to broken string, I think. He’s Gone is good—Garcia sings “Like I told you…” again at end of 2nd verse, then “Cat on a tin roof…” at end of last verse. Everything is good, but Other One is one of the best ever! The jamming is less original perhaps than some from this era, but very focused and intense. Phil pokes around a little after the verse, but then he plays his intro and the band swings back into it! And there is a meltdown that suddenly pulls back into the theme and then the second verse. Rockin’ Pneumonia>NFA>GDTRFB>NFA is a great sequence, R Pneumonia may be the best one yet and things heat up in the back half of GDTRFB and the return to NFA, which is jammed out this time. Folsom Field is in Boulder, I guess, which made me think, what would be the "Folsom Field Blues"? "I gave a man a miracle/Just to watch him smile" ...kind of anachronistic, though.
The Boulder Dealers Association was throwing free baggies of cannabis off the stage into the crowd at this show. Also, the stage was set up at the 50 year line of the football field, playing into the horseshoe at the south end of the field.
I don’t think I can pick a best live version of Box of Rain, but the funniest is 4/7/87 Brendan Byrne, where Phil paid tribute to the Joisey audience by singing, “What do youze want me to do, to do for youze, to see youze through.”
Back and still gradually catching up. It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a long time to catch up on several weeks of the Grateful Thread. Or something like that.
The thread is turning and you can't slow down, You can't let go and you can't hold on, You can't go back and you can't stand still, If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will. Wont you try just a little bit harder, Couldn't you try just a little bit more? Wont you try just a little bit harder, Couldn't you try just a little bit more? Round, round robin run round, got to get back to where you belong, Little bit harder, just a little bit more, A little bit further than you gone before. The thread is turning and you can't slow down, You can't let go and you can't hold on, You can't go back and you can't stand still, If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.
I suspect it isn't - as far as I recall, the only music circulating from the Master Reels of this night is the beginning of the electric set (& the New Riders set), with the rest being varying quality dubs of dubs, dating back to copies first made in the early 70's. All that said, given that we're now probably past the point of ever seeing the full set of reels from all 4 nights showing up, we have enough hot music from 9/18, 9/19 and 9/20 to make an absoutely KILLER compilationsuction of this run - unfortunately, the Dave's Picks series doesn't really lend itself to this sort of concept anymore, but it NEEDS to be done someway somehow.
