Beyond Description. . .


The newest box set: "Here Comes Sunshine 1973" is already sold-out! The 17-CD set, limited-edition, box went on sale June 30th. The set was limited to 10,000 copies. Featuring five previously unreleased, highly sought-after shows. The shows include: Iowa, Santa Barbara, Kezar Stadium, and two shows from RFK in D.C. One of those shows, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73, is individually available as a 4 CD or an 8 LP set.  


Last year's box set, “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81 ’82 ’83,” is still available on Dead.net. The 17-CD set won the Grammy® Award for the Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Not including their Lifetime Achievement Award back in 2017, this is the Grateful Dead’s first-ever win of a Grammy.


We hear something from "Winterland 1973: Complete Recordings" - a 9 CD box set that came out in 2008.


For the tracks off RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73, we hear an incredible rare show opener and the second set opener!


The set list. . .


Morning Dew
1973-06/10 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73


My Brother Esau 5:27
1983-10/12 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York, New York
In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden '81 '82 '83


Don't Ease Me In 4:37
1973-11/09 WINTERLAND, San Francisco, California
Winterland 1973: Complete Recordings


Eyes Of The World > 22:06
Stella Blue 8:14
1973-06/10 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.  
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73

Beyond Description. . .




We hear Cutler introduce the Grateful Dead at a London show in '72.
Cutler's voice introduces The Rolling Stones on their album: Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!
We hear Cutler address the crowd at the end of a Dead show.


We hear stories about Cutler from. . .

Joel Selvin, author of "Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day"  


Rita Gentry, author "Before I Forget: Moments and experiences with Bill Graham who was an incredible entrepreneur and innovator of the music industry." Rita later worked for Cutler's booking agency.


Amir Bar-Lev, director of "Long Strange Trip," the 2017 documentary about the Grateful Dead and features Sam Cutler.


When Cutler intro'd the Stones: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World…The Rolling Stones!” Sam said: “Mick walked offstage and gave me a dirty look and said ‘I want to speak to you’ and he said ‘we don’t want you to call us the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world, it’s embarrassing’.”


Sam was also the road manager for The Stones US tour of 1969 that ended with the ill-fated Altamont festival in California. After Altamont, Cutler became the Dead's tour manager. Cutler oversaw their 1970 Festival Express Tour through Canada, the famed Europe ‘72 Tour and the massive Watkins Glen Summer Jam festival in 1973 that drew 600,000 people to see the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band. Cutler also worked alongside The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Mike Bloomfield, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot.


Sam Cutler joined the Great Jam In The Sky from cancer on Tuesday, July 11 at his home in Australia.



The Setlist. . .  


Cumberland Blues 5:44
1972-04/08 WEMBLEY EMPIRE POOL, London, England 

Grateful Dead
Europe '72 (50th Anniversary Remaster)


Jumpin' Jack Flash 4:02
1969-11/27 Madison Square Garden, New York City
Rolling Stones
Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!


(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction> 6:10
Brokedown Palace 6:02
1981-03/10 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden '81 '82 '83


Cold Rain and Snow 6:02
1972-05/24 LYCEUM THEATRE, London, England
Grateful Dead
Steppin' Out With The Grateful Dead: Europe '72


Sugar Magnolia 10:15
1973-05/20 CAMPUS STADIUM - UCSB, Santa Barbara, California

Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973

The Official Tapes are uploading!

Beyond Description. . .


We pay tribute to Robbie Robertson who joined the Great Jam In The Sky. Exploring the works of Robbie Robertson through the Grateful Dead's music is a Long Strange Waltz.
Robertson passed away on August 9th - 28 years to the date of when Jerry Garcia joined the Great Jam In The Sky.


The Setlist. . .


The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 10:16
1977-07/24 KEYSTONE, Palo Alto, California
Jerry Garcia Band
More Of The Best


The Weight 9:13
1969-10/14 MANDRAKE’S, Berkeley, California
New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Bear's Sonic Journals: The Dawn Of The New Riders Of The Purple Sage


Broken Arrow 5:52
1995-02/21 DELTA CENTER, Salt Lake City, Utah
Grateful Dead
30 Trips Around The Sun Box Set


Tears Of Rage 7:47
1990-05/20 HILO CIVIC AUDITORIUM, Hilo, Hawaii
Jerry Garcia Band
GarciaLive Vol. 10


Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues 4:29
1989-07/12 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington D.C.

Grateful Dead
Postcards Of The Hanging: Grateful Dead Perform The Songs Of Bob Dylan


Info Capsules: I Shall Be Released 1:36
1990-09/01 SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, Mountain View, California

Jerry Garcia Band
Live at Shoreline


I Shall Be Released 8:44
1990-09/01 SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE, Mountain View, California

Jerry Garcia Band
Live at Shoreline

Beyond Description. . .


We celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the album: Wake Of The Flood! The Grateful Dead vaults have been reopened to reveal a treasure trove of studio material that Dead Heads have never heard before. For the third edition of The Angel’s Share series, more than two hours of expertly-curated, previously-unreleased session tapes are now available from Rhino. Similar to previous installments that accompanied milestone reissues of Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share brings together the outtakes, alternate versions, and in-studio conversations behind the creation of the album.


Wake Of The Flood (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) arrives Sept 29th as two-CD and digital sets.
Single 180-gram black vinyl LP
Limited edition 12” vinyl picture disc
Limited edition “coke bottle clear vinyl”
Limited edition “Watermark” Custom Vinyl.



In addition to the 2+ hours of tapes featured on Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share, the complete 6+ hours of never-before-heard material from Wake Of The Flood sessions will drop on October 15th, exactly 50 years after the album was first released. The recordings will stream live as a YouTube Live Exclusive Event, synced up to the original tape box so viewers can experience it all in real time.


The Setlist. . .

Mississippi HalfStep Uptown Toodeloo
(Take 10) [Slated] [8-6-73] 1:23
(Take 9) [Not Slated] [8-6-73] 7:35
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share


Big River 5:08
1973-06/09 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.  

Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973


Stella Blue
(Take 1) [Not Slated] [8-7-73] 1:32
(Take 4) [Slated] [8-7-73] 0:59
(Take 5) [Not Slated] [8-7-73] 7:23
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share


China Cat Sunflower > 7:35
I Know You Rider 5:27
1973-11/09 WINTERLAND, San Francisco, California
Grateful Dead
Winterland 1973: Complete Recordings


Eyes of the World
(Run-Through) [Not Slated] [8-10-73] 0:40
(Take 1) [Slated] [8-10-73] 1:03
(Take 6) [Not Slated] [8-10-73] 6:09
(Take 15) [Not Slated] [8-10-73] 0:34
(Take 16) [Not Slated] [8-10-73] 6:19
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share

Beyond Description. . .


Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett joined the great jam in the sky at the age of 76. Passed away on the evening of September 1st.


Legions of loyal "Parrot Heads" all over the world are raising their margarita glasses high to mourn the passing of Jimmy Buffett, the musical mayor of that mythical place known as "Margaritaville." His music would combine country, rock, folk, calypso and pop, he created a unique musical style known as “Gulf & Western.” His relentless touring earned him a legion of fans known as "Parrotheads."


“Parrotheads” — dedicated fans of Buffett. The same way that “Deadheads” obsess over the Grateful Dead


Over the course of a half-century career, Buffett released nearly 30 albums, but it was the unexpected success of his quickly written, hangover-themed hit "Margaritaville" that became the cornerstone of a lucrative business and lifestyle branding empire that included restaurants, resorts, housewares, a Broadway musical and retirement communities.
Along with non-"Margaritaville" entities such as his children's books, "Land Shark Beer" and "Coral Reefer" cannabis brand that accorded Buffett billionaire status by Forbes earlier this year.


An avid environmentalist and philanthropist, he dedicated himself to marine conservation and disaster relief efforts throughout his life.


The Grateful Dead are back on the Billboard charts. The band’s new release, Dave's Picks, Volume 47: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO, 12/9/79, debuts on the Billboard 200, the all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed albums and EPs in America, at No. 27.


The Grateful Dead have now sent 119 different projects on the Billboard 200, which is likely an all-time record for the most charting titles on the chart. Most superstars are lucky to reach 20 or 30 so the fact that the jam band’s career sum is now into three-digit territory is amazing.


Among the band’s 119 Billboard 200 charting albums, only one has broken into the top 10. Back in 1987, their set In the Dark rose to No. 6, and it still stands as their only placement inside the highest tier on the tally.


It’s somewhat odd that The Grateful Dead are popular enough, even years after their official split to reach the Billboard 200. The band doesn’t promote their efforts in traditional ways.


The Grateful Dead have clearly developed a massive fan base, one which has stuck with them for decades. Their music lives on through dozens of live recordings, and they regularly send these releases to the Billboard 200 with ease, racking up huge sales for a band that hasn’t returned to the studio in a long, long time.



We celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the studio album: Wake Of The Flood!
Wake Of The Flood (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) arrives Sept 29th as two-CD and digital sets.
Single 180-gram black vinyl LP
Limited edition 12” vinyl picture disc
Limited edition “coke bottle clear vinyl”
Limited edition “Watermark” Custom Vinyl.


The Grateful Dead vaults have been reopened to reveal a treasure trove of studio material that Dead Heads have never heard before. For the third edition of The Angel’s Share series, more than two hours of expertly-curated, previously-unreleased session tapes are now available from Rhino. Similar to previous installments that accompanied milestone reissues of Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share brings together the outtakes, alternate versions, and in-studio conversations behind the creation of the album.


The latest single from Stephen Marley’s upcoming album ‘Old Soul,’ Marley unites Bob Weir & Jack Johnson.
The track features Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios with his Wolf Bros band, including Don Was and Dead & Company members Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane.


“Winding Roads,” metaphorical of life’s journey, struggle, and eventual salvation, soulfully closes out the new Old Soul LP with interlacing guitar and vocal trade-offs from Weir, Marley, and singer/songwriter Jack Johnson, creating an unforgettable bluesy classic and the only song from the album recorded with a full band.


Old Soul explores a musical palette that spans a variety of cultures and genres alike, with hand-selected special guests furthering the spiritual journey that encompasses the album. Stephen Marley has just unveiled “Winding Roads,” the latest single from his highly anticipated album Old Soul. Release Date: September 15. His first full-length project since 2016. The new album is a departure from his previous Reggae repertoire, showcasing more of his bluesy, acoustic soul side. The song selection on the new album demonstrates Stephen’s courage to defy expectations. Among the more unexpected selections embedded on Old Soul are a disarmingly sweet cover of Sinatra’s “These Foolish Things (Reminds Me Of You),” as well as Marley’s take on The Beatles’ perpetually pleading “Don’t Let Me Down.”


Stephen is the child of reggae legends Bob Marley and Rita Marley.
 

The Setlist. . .


Scarlet Begonias 4:33
Jimmy Buffett
License To Chill


Winding Roads 4:27
Stephen Marley ft. Jack Johnson, Bob Weir
Old Soul


Row Jimmy
(Take 1) [Not Slated] [8-10-73] 1:50
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share


Row Jimmy 7:15
1973-10/15 studio release, WAKE OF THE FLOOD
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood 2004/2006 Reissue


Candyman 8:01
1979-12/09 KIEL AUDITORIUM, St. Louis, Missouri
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 47


New Minglewood Blues 8:37
1985-06/24 RIVER BEND MUSIC CENTER, Cincinnati, Ohio
Grateful Dead
30 Trips Around The Sun Box Set


Eyes Of The World 5:20
1973- Wake Of The Flood
Grateful Dead
The Very Best Of Grateful Dead


Looks Like Rain 8:03
1973-06/10 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.  

Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973 

Beyond Description. . . 

As consumers begin to make preparations for the fast-approaching holiday season, local businesses are doing the same as they ready their biggest promotions in anticipation of Black Friday.

Independent record stores nationwide are primed to get involved in the biggest shopping day of the year with their RSD Black Friday event – an extension of the annually occurring Record Store Day – which aims to attract business to local, independent locations during the holiday shopping season.

Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day. Here are few releases for the Deadheads. . .

JERRY GARCIA & DAVID GRISMAN
So What
Format: 2 x LP
Quantity: 2400

JERRY GARCIA & JOHN KAHN
Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA - February 28, 1986
Format: 2 x LP
Quantity: 7500

GRATEFUL DEAD
Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA 3/2/1969
Format: 5 x LP
Quantity: 7500

SO WHAT is an acoustic jazz album by Jerry Garcia and mandolinist David Grisman, originally released on Grisman's Acoustic Disc label in August 1998.
Garcia and Grisman were friends and collaborators for over three decades. A rare opportunity to hear Garcia playing straight-ahead jazz music, a genre which he loved but rarely performed. The album is finally coming to vinyl for its 25th anniversary with a double LP.

PURE JERRY: Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium showcases a quintessential Jerry Garcia/John Kahn acoustic duo performance. The archival album is presented on vinyl for the first time featuring newly remastered audio and all new artwork. The release includes several Grateful Dead fan favorites like “Friend Of The Devil,” “Ripple, and “Bird Song,” plus much more.

The 2-LP set is pressed onto gold vinyl in a limited edition of 7,500 for RSD Black Friday.

Widely considered one of the greatest runs in Grateful Dead history, FILLMORE WEST 3/2/1969, is the fourth night of the famed Fillmore West run that produced the bulk of the album: Live/Dead. An exceptional example--going back more than 54 years—as to why you never miss a Sunday show. Opening (!!) with what would later be known as the Live/Dead suite, 3/2/69 demonstrates the Dead had not only NOT run out of steam after three magnificent shows, in many ways they surpassed the previous nights' wildly powerful music. When your first set is the entire Live/Dead suite, what do you do for a second set? Simple! You play for more than an hour and half, making sure everyone goes home way too late, but unimaginably happy.

After the first set's Dark Star>St. Stephen>The Eleven>Lovelight, the second set puts so much icing on the cake that it almost becomes a cake made of nothing but frosting: That's It For The Other One, Morning Dew, Alligator>Caution, and so much more.


The Jerry Garcia Vault announced the first installment of a new LP archival series, Heads & Tails, which is designed to showcase exciting, unheard performances that each fit onto the single side of a record, paired with evocative and detailed album art that’s fun to swim inside.

Heads & Tails: Volume 1 is pressed on cloudy blue vinyl, bringing music from 1988 and 1972. January 19th, 1972 audio features Jerry with Merl Saunders, featuring guest Paul Butterfield on harmonica. And from February 5th, 1988 in Santa Rosa brings the classic Jerry Garcia Band lineup, laying into their jam standard “Don’t Let Go” and a version of “Think.”

The Setlist. . .

Friend Of The Devil 6:19
1986-02/28 MARIN VETERANS AUDITORIUM, San Rafael CA
Jerry Garcia & John Kahn
Pure Jerry Volume 8

So What (Take 01) 6:55
1991-03/08
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
So What

They Love Each Other 7:10
1982-06/18 CAPE COD COLISEUM, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Jerry Garcia Band
GarciaLive Vol. 20

Cassidy 5:32
1979-12/09 KIEL AUDITORIUM, St. Louis, Missouri
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 47

Morning Dew 10:16
1969-03/02 FILLMORE WEST, San Francisco, California
Grateful Dead
Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings

Bird Song 12:08
1973-06/10 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.  

Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973 

Beyond Description. . .


We get ready for Dave's Picks Volume 48! The complete previously unreleased show from UCLA's Pauley Pavilion 11/20/71 will be the newest archival release from the Grateful Dead's vault.


The Jerry Garcia Vault announced the first installment of a new LP archival series, Heads & Tails, which is designed to showcase exciting, unheard performances that each fit onto the single side of a record, paired with evocative and detailed album art that’s fun to swim inside.


Heads & Tails: Volume 1 is pressed on cloudy blue vinyl, bringing music from 1988 and 1972. January 19th, 1972 audio features Jerry with Merl Saunders, featuring guest Paul Butterfield on harmonica. And from February 5th, 1988 in Santa Rosa comes the classic Jerry Garcia Band lineup, laying into their jam standard “Don’t Let Go” and a version of “Think.”




The Setlist. . .


Mexicali Blues 3:39
1973-11/17 PAULEY PAVILION, UCLA Los Angeles, California
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 05


Brown-Eyed Women 5:55
1979-12/09 KIEL AUDITORIUM, St. Louis, Missouri
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 47


Valerie 7:06
1982-06/18 CAPE COD COLISEUM, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Jerry Garcia Band
GarciaLive Vol. 20


Dark Star > 12:49
El Paso > 4:55
Dark Star > 7:45
Casey Jones 5:52
1971-11/15 AUSTIN MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM, Austin, Texas 

Grateful Dead
Road Trips Vol. 03 No. 2: Austin November 15, 1971 

Beyond Description. . .


Each day in November the band's official website - Dead.net - gives away a high-quality MP3 download. That's 30 days of unreleased Grateful Dead tracks from the vault, selected by Dead archivist and producer David Lemieux.


Guess the venue and date correctly and you'll be automatically entered to win the prize of the day. At the end of the month, there'll be a grand prize.


The Setlist. . .


COMES A TIME
Cleveland, OH, Cleveland Public Auditorium
August 26, 1980
30 Days of Dead 2023


The Music Never Stopped 8:52
1978-04/24 HORTON FIELD HOUSE - ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY Grateful Dead
30 Days of Dead 2010


HIGH TIME
New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
September 16, 1987
30 Days of Dead 2023


Dupree's Diamond Blues 6:04
1982-09/20 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden '81 '82 '83


FEEL LIKE A STRANGER>BERTHA
New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
October 19, 1994
30 Days of Dead 2023 

The Tapes are uploading!

Beyond Description. . . 

We talk with author Michael Kaler about his new book: "Get Shown the Light - Improvisation and Transcendence in the Music of the Grateful Dead." Michael Kaler examines how the Dead’s dedication to improvisation stemmed from their belief that playing in this manner enabled them to touch upon transcendence. Drawing on band testimonials and analyses of early recordings, Kaler traces how the Dead developed an approach to playing music that they believed would facilitate their spiritual goals.



The Setlist. . .

Scarlet Begonias* 7:12
1974-07/29 CAPITAL CENTRE, Landover, Maryland
Grateful Dead
30 Days of Dead 2022


Tastebud 6:37
1966-07/03 FILLMORE AUDITORIUM, San Francisco, California 

Grateful Dead
30 Trips Around The Sun Box Set


Terrapin Station 10:22
1977-11/02 SENECA COLLEGE FIELD HOUSE, Toronto, Ontario

Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 12


China Cat Sunflower> 8:20
I Know You Rider 5:22
1974-05/17 P.N.E. COLISEUM, Vancouver, Canada
Grateful Dead
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings 

The Tapes are uploading!

Beyond Description. . .


We chat with author Ray Robertson! We spoke with Robertson in the past about his liner note contributions: 

- Dave's Picks Volume 45 showcasing two shows from October of 1977 in Portland, Oregon.
- His essay for the Here Comes Sunshine 1973 box set. A 17-CD box set, containing five complete concerts that were recorded in May and June 1973.


In his newest book: "All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows," Robertson listens to and writes ecstatically about fifty of the band's most important and memorable concerts in order to better understand who the Grateful Dead were, what they became, and what they meant—and what they continue to mean.


The Interview:

https://officialtapes.com/ray-robertson-2/

The Setlist. . .


Brokedown Palace 5:51
1971-11/15 AUSTIN MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM, Austin, Texas
Grateful Dead
Road Trips Vol. 03 No. 2: Austin November 15, 1971


Black-Throated Wind 6:52
1974-05/14 ADAMS FIELD HOUSE - UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, Missoula, Montana
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 09


El Paso 4:23
1973-05/20 CAMPUS STADIUM - UCSB, Santa Barbara, California

Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973


A Sample of Jack Straw
1978-01/22 McARTHUR COURT - UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene, Oregon
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 23


A Sample of Jack Straw
1972-05/07 BICKERSHAW FESTIVAL, Wigan, England
Grateful Dead
Europe '72: The Complete Recordings


Jack Straw 5:04
1977-10/02 PARAMOUNT THEATRE, Portland, Oregon
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 45


Deal 6:35
1978-02/05 UNI DOME - UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 18


We Can Run 6:04
1990-03/29 NASSAU COLISEUM, Uniondale, New York
Grateful Dead
Wake Up To Find Out 

Beyond Description. . .


Grateful Dead in 2023! We hear covers and material with a Grateful Dead connection that was released in 2023!


Grateful Dead's Bob Weir teams up with country singer-songwriter: Tyler Childers!


Jaime Wyatt, one of the “most exciting and skillful storytellers” working today, covers Althea!


Guitarist John Scofield named his latest album after a Grateful Dead track!


LP Giobbi, a forward-thinking, boundary-breaking dance artist remixes a solo Jerry track!


Up and comer Logan Ledger covers a Grateful Dead track that has an "archaic zen folk mystery to it."


Stephen Marley’s latest album ‘Old Soul,’ features Bob Weir & Jack Johnson.


A Dead track taken from Tom Petty's 20-show run at Fillmore in 1997.


The heaviest thing on six legs: Jeff Beck (Guitar/Vocals), Tim Bogert (Bass/Vocals), and Carmen Appice (Drums/Vocals) dig into the archives to release an album of rare live material! Including a folk song that the Dead covered as well!



The Setlist. . .


Greatest Story Ever Told (Featuring Tyler Childers) 5:45
2022-04/03 RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, New York, New York
Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
Ace (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)


Althea 4:12
Jaime Wyatt
Feel Good


Winding Roads 4:27
Stephen Marley ft. Jack Johnson, Bob Weir
Old Soul


Ripple 4:21
Logan Ledger
Single


Loser (LP Giobbi Remix) 4:47
LP Giobbi
Garcia (Remixed)


Uncle John's Band 6:27
John Scofield
Uncle John's Band


Friend Of The Devil 5:52
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Live At The Fillmore 1997


Morning Dew 14:13
Beck, Bogert & Appice
LIVE 1973 & 1974

The Tapes. . .

Beyond Description. . .


We talk with author, John Brackett, about his new book: "Live Dead - The Grateful Dead, Live Recordings, and the Ideology of Liveness."


The Grateful Dead were one of the most successful live acts of the rock era. Performing more than 2,300 shows between 1965 and 1995, the Grateful Dead’s reputation as a “live band” was—and continues to be—sustained by thousands of live concert recordings from every era of the group’s long and colorful career. In Live Dead, musicologist John Brackett examines how live recordings—from the group’s official releases to fan-produced tapes, bootlegs to “Betty Boards,” and Dick’s Picks to From the Vault—have shaped the general history and popular mythology of the Grateful Dead for more than fifty years. Drawing on a diverse array of materials and documents contained in the Grateful Dead Archive, Live Dead details how live recordings became meaningful among the band and their fans not only as sonic souvenirs of past musical performances but also as expressions of assorted ideals, including notions of “liveness,” authenticity, and the power of recorded sound.





The Setlist. . .


Mama Tried 3:24
1976-06/11 BOSTON MUSIC HALL, Boston, Massachusetts
Grateful Dead
June 1976 Box Set


<Dear Mr. Fantasy 5:45
1990-04/01 THE OMNI, Atlanta, Georgia
Grateful Dead
Without A Net


New, New Minglewood Blues 6:26
1978-09/16 GIZAH SOUND AND LIGHT THEATER, Cairo, Egypt
Grateful Dead
Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978


Dire Wolf 4:24
1970-02/14 FILLMORE EAST, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 04


China Cat Sunflower> 5:14
I Know You Rider 5:14
1972-04/26 JAHRHUNDERTHALLE, Frankfurt, West Germany
Grateful Dead
Hundred Year Hall 

Beyond Description. . .

 
We look back on 2023 and the musicians and friends of the Grateful Dead that we lost.


Early recording of "Early Morning Rain" which was written by renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.


Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's take on Scarlet Begonias.


David Crosby, co-founder of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had members of the Dead help record his debut solo album.


Grateful Dead's tour manager, Sam Cutler.
Grateful Dead engineer and producer, John Cutler


New Orleans R&B pioneer, Huey “Piano” Smith, gave us Rockin' Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu


Sideman, David Lindley, can be heard on a cover of Casey Jones.


Essra Mohawk, prolific singer-songwriter with ties to everyone from Frank Zappa to Schoolhouse Rock, was on a studio recording of "Tangled Up In Blue" with Jerry Garcia.


Production Manager for Woodstock festival and, before that, managing director of Fillmore East, John Morris, who can also be heard at Woodstock.


Wayne Shorter, jazz saxophonist and composer who co-founded the fusion band Weather Report.


Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter for The Band, passed away on August 9th - the same day Jerry Garcia joined the Great Jam in The Sky in '95.



The Setlist. . .



Early Morning Rain 3:22
1965-11/03 AUTUMN RECORDS DEMO - GOLDEN STATE STUDIOS, San Francisco, California
Grateful Dead
Birth Of The Dead: The Studio Sides


If I Could Only Remember My Name
Tamalpais High (At About 3) 3:33
1971-02/22 WALLY HEIDER STUDIOS, San Francisco, California

David Crosby
If I Could Only Remember My Name... [Bonus Track]


Tangled Up In Blue 6:20
Jerry Garcia
All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions [Disc 5]


Casey Jones 4:18
Warren Zevon
Deadicated


Scarlet Begonias 4:33
Jimmy Buffett
License To Chill


Rockin' Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu 5:13
1972-05/23 LYCEUM THEATRE, London, England
Grateful Dead
Europe '72: The Complete Recordings


Bring Scully His Asthma Pills 0:54
John Morris
Woodstock - 40 Years On: Back To Yasgur's Farm


The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 6:34
1974-08/11 KEYSTONE, Berkeley, California
Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders
GarciaLive Vol. 09


Weather Report Suite 12:52
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Beyond Description. . .


The Owsley Stanley Foundation have announced their newest release - "Bear's Sonic Journals: Sing Out!" The show took place at Berkeley Community Theater on April 25th, 1981 and features members of the Grateful Dead.


Sing Out! features a stellar line-up of acoustic performances by Bay Area folk heroes, including Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Country Joe McDonald, Kate Wolf, Rosalie Sorrels, and a percussion set by the Dead’s drummers – billed as the Rhythm Devils. The event was described by Wavy Gravy as a “mini-Woodstock,” and it is the last major show to be mixed and recorded by famed Grateful Dead soundman Owsley Stanley, aka “Bear.” It is also the final live recording he made of any members of the Grateful Dead.

We stick with the acoustic theme and hear music from GarciaLive Volume 14 - a unique Jerry Garcia & John Kahn acoustic duo performance at The Ritz in New York City, NY in '86.


Recordings from another acoustic duo: Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman.

. . . and acoustic Jerry under the lights of Broadway! 



The Setlist. . .


I've Been All Around This World 8:09
1987-10/28 LUNT-FONTANNE THEATER, New York City, New York 

Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
On Broadway: Act One


Fever 4:11
1989-09/05 HARTFORD CIVIC CENTER, Hartford, Connecticut
Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman
Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound


Run For The Roses 4:38
1986-01/28 THE RITZ New York, New York
Jerry Garcia & John Kahn
GarciaLive Vol. 14 Bonus Disc


Wavy Introduces Kate Wolf 1:17
You're Not Standing Like You Used To 4:37
1981-04/25 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California 

 Kate Wolf
Bear's Sonic Journals: Sing Out!


Deep Elem Blues 5:32
1981-04/25 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California 

 Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir
Bear's Sonic Journals: Sing Out!


El Paso 4:56
1972-08/25 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California 

 Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 24


Truckin' 12:19
1972-09/17 BALTIMORE CIVIC CENTER, Baltimore, Maryland
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 23

Beyond Description. . .
We learn more about "Sing Out!" A 3-CD set features the final recording Owsley Stanley made of any members of the Grateful Dead. Bear, Owsley Stanley, recorded a stellar line-up of acoustic performances by Bay Area folk heroes at the Berkeley Community Theater on 4/25/1981.


The Owsley Stanley Foundation discuss the "issues" Bear encountered at the venue.


Other audio treats include Jimi Hendrix at Berkeley Community Theater!


A Mama Tried Owsley Stanley Recording Montage featuring a full recording of Mama Tried from the Grateful Dead's album:"Family Dog at The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 4/18/70"


New Riders Of The Purple Sage including Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar, Mickey Hart on drums, and Bob Weir on guitar & vocals.


A Mama Tried take from Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen!


And Mama Tried from Dave's Picks Vol. 43!


We hear clips from Ali Akbar Kahn at Family Dog in 1970.


The Setlist. . .
The Promised Land 3:37
1972-08/25 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California 

Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 24


Johnny B. Goode   [Clip Only]
1970-05/30 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California
Jimi Hendrix
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set


Red House   [Clip Only]
1970-05/30 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California
Jimi Hendrix
West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology


Bird Song 11:15
1981-03/09 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
Madison Square Garden 3/9/81


Mama Tried 3:23
1970-04/18 FAMILY DOG AT THE GREAT HIGHWAY, San Francisco, California
Grateful Dead
Family Dog at The Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 4/18/70


Mama Tried [Clip Only]
1969-08/28 THE FAMILY DOG AT THE GREAT HIGHWAY, San Francisco, California
New Riders Of The Purple Sage
Bear's Sonic Journals: The Dawn Of The New Riders Of The Purple Sage


Mama Tried [Clip Only]
1970-03/29 FAMILY DOG AT THE GREAT HIGHWAY, San Francisco, California
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
Bear's Sonic Journals: Found In The Ozone


Mama Tried [Clip Only]
1969-11/02 LIVE AT FAMILY DOG AT THE GREAT HIGHWAY, San Francisco, California
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 43


Zila Kafi [Clip Only]
Ali Akbar Kahn
1970-05/29 FAMILY DOG AT THE GREAT HIGHWAY, San Francisco, California
Bear's Sonic Journals: That Which Colors The Mind


Dark Hollow 4:40
1981-04/25 BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Berkeley, California 

Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir
Bear's Sonic Journals: Sing Out!


Uncle John's Band 8:44
1972-09/27 STANLEY THEATRE, Jersey City, New Jersey
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 11 

Beyond Description. . .



The Grateful Dead performed 19 shows in May of '77. 15 of those 19 shows have been released from the Grateful Dead's vault. Looks like we are going to get more music from that magical month. . .


Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux announced the forthcoming live archival release Dave’s Picks Volume 50 would contain the band’s complete May 3, 1977 show that took place at The Palladium in New York City with “a good amount of music” from the next night at the same venue thrown in for good measure.


We hear some of that “good amount of music” from the next night -Estimated Prophet which was released on "30 Days of Dead 2015."


We hear some of that “good amount of music” from the same run at The Palladium in New York from "Download Series Vol. 01."
The Dave’s Picks Volume 50 bonus disc for Dave’s Picks subscribers adds the second set from May 4, 1977.


In 2012, we got the Dave’s Picks series: “Dave’s Picks” is a series of live recordings of classic Grateful Dead shows put together by archivist David Lemiex, who celebrated his 25’th year of working with the band in 2024.


Recently, The Grateful Dead have made Billboard chart history despite not being a band for nearly 30 years, with the greatest number of top 40 albums to ever make the Billboard 200.


With Dave’s Picks Volume 49, Grateful Dead broke the record for most top 40-charting albums in the nearly 68-year history of the Billboard 200.


The series is another reminder that the Grateful Dead reinvented the way live shows were performed and remembered, as is evidenced by the immense popularity of the live recordings among their fanbase.


Grateful Dead has logged at least three new top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 in every year from 2013 through 2023, largely on the strength of the Dave’s Picks releases.


The Setlist. . .


Greatest Story Ever Told 5:33
1972-09/19 ROOSEVELT STADIUM, Jersey City, New Jersey
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 46 2023 Bonus Disc


Friend Of The Devil 8:42
1977-04/30 PALLADIUM, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
Download Series Vol. 01


Estimated Prophet 8:43
1977-05/04 THE PALLADIUM, New York, New York
Grateful Dead
30 Days of Dead 2015


Scarlet Begonias > 12:24
Eyes Of The World > | 9:17
1985-04/27 FROST AMPHITHEATER - STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Palo Alto, California
Grateful Dead
Dave's Picks Vol. 49


Sunrise 4:16
1977-05/22 SPORTATORIUM, Pembroke Pines, Florida
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 03 

Beyond Description. . .


Details on this year's releases for Record Store Day!
Grateful Dead - Nightfall of Diamonds

For the Dead, it is the complete show from 10/16/89. Featuring incredible performances of “Dark Star,” “Attics Of My Life,” and "Uncle John’s Band.”Available for the first time on vinyl. Limited to 10,000 copies.

Jerry Garcia Band- Electric On The Eel: June 10th, 1989.
JGB on a summer day along the banks of the Eel River! A fan-favorite performance – featuring some of the Jerry Garcia Band’s most beloved songs – will be available exclusively for Record Store Day as a 4 LP set pressed on to neon green vinyl. Limited to 3000 copies.


Record Store Day (4/20) has become an unofficial holiday for music lovers worldwide.


Starting in 2008, Record Store Day features the release of rare, expanded and never-before-released material from acts from a wide range of genres, from psychedelic rock to classic jazz standards. This year, previously unreleased music by Talking Heads, Nat King Cole, Wilco, David Bowie, Neil Young, live tributes to Willie Nelson, boxed sets by Dwight Yoakam, Linda Ronstadt and Mudhoney.
Expanded versions, Deluxe Editions, Picture Discs, 7-inch, 33 and a third, even special edition turntables will be released for Record Store Day.


The Grateful Dead performed 14 shows in October of '89 and 4 of those shows have been released.
October of 1989 saw unique song statistics . . .
 

The group shocked and delighted Dead Heads on October 8 when it kicked off the second set by reintroducing Help On The Way>Slipknot!>Franklin’s Tower, a trifecta absent from the Dead’s repertoire for four years.


The same night: And We Bid You Goodnight
Performed 3 times earlier in '89 - they brought this one back a few months before at Alpine Valley - before that, it hadn't been played since '78


The following night: 10/9/89 - Hampton
Attics Of My Life 
First Attics since October 72 

First of 5 times played as an encore


The same night (10/9/89)

Dark Star
First Dark Star in 5 years (7/13/84)


Friday the 13th, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir went into NBC Studios, New York, NY for a performance of I Second That Emotion
Only time Jerry and Bob played the Smokey Robinson cover but Jerry Garcia Band played it the previous month - Sept of 1989


Jerry & Bob played with the Late Night band on Another Brick In The Wall, I Can't Turn You Loose, The Mighty Quinn, Hideaway and Good Lovin' during the commercial breaks. They were interviewed by Letterman and were promoting the release of Built To Last.


The next day - 10/14 Meadowlands - the Dead closed out their 1st set with Help On The Way>Slipknot!>Franklin’s Tower; last time they closed out set one with Help / Slip / Franklins was 10/11/77


Because I know you want more about the 10/8 & 10/9 shows. . . 
“These were not ordinary Dead shows. In fact, they were the first of what would become known during a brief period as “guerrilla” shows—concerts that were announced only a week or two before they were scheduled to take place and with tickets supposedly reserved only for fans living in the immediate vicinity, as a way of eliminating or at least minimizing the traveling circus following the Dead…”


For these magical back-to-back shows, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, and Brent Mydland treated the packed Hampton Coliseum crowds to a number of revived rarities.


 The band closed the show with a killer version of “Morning Dew” before returning for the encore to sing “We Bid You Goodnight” a cappella; another favorite missing from the rotation for years.


The second set fireworks continued the following night when the Dead opened with “Playing In The Band,” which morphed into “Uncle John’s Band” before looping back around to finish “Playing In The Band.” Then, without missing a beat, the group launched into their first performance of “Dark Star” in more than five years. Saving a final surprise for the evening’s encore, the band returned with “Attics Of My Life,” a song from American Beauty (1970) that hadn't been performed since October 1972.







The Setlist. . .


Feel LIke A Stranger 7:32
1989-10/09 HAMPTON COLISEUM, Hampton, Virginia
Grateful Dead
Without A Net


Picasso Moon > 7:06
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo 6:43
1989-10/16 BRENDAN BYRNE ARENA, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Grateful Dead
Nightfall Of Diamonds


Stop That Train 8:09
1989-06/10 FRENCH'S CAMP ON THE EEL RIVER, Piercy, California
Jerry Garcia Band
Electric On The Eel


Bird Song > 13:24
Promised Land 4:57
1989-10/08 HAMPTON COLISEUM, Hampton, Virginia
Grateful Dead
Formerly The Warlocks 

Beyond Description. . .



While Robert Hunter is widely revered as the primary lyricist for the Grateful Dead, a new series will explore the depth of his solo work, offering a renewed appreciation for his exceptional artistry.


The new career-spanning archival series honors Robert Hunter’s work as a solo artist with a deluxe reissue of his 1974 debut, Tales of the Great Rum Runners.  


Originally released in spring 1974, Tales Of The Great Rum Runners marked the inaugural release on Round Records, an offshoot of the newly formed Grateful Dead Records. Among its 13 tracks were several destined to become staples of Hunter’s live repertoire, like “Boys In The Barroom,” “Rum Runners,” and “It Must Have Been The Roses.”



Also, in October of 2024, The Silver Snarling Trumpet: The Birth of the Grateful Dead—The Lost Manuscript of Robert Hunter will be published. Penned by legendary Dead lyricist Robert Hunter in the early 1960s, but left unpublished in his attic. For decades, passionate fans of the Grateful Dead have discussed the existence of a “lost manuscript”—a sort of holy grail—the novelistic origin story of the band. The book will feature a foreword by John Mayer, an introduction by Dennis McNally, and an afterword by Brigid Meier, a close friend of Hunter’s.


The Silver Snarling Trumpet illustrates how Hunter’s psychedelic expression and wordplay became the soul of the Dead.


The Grateful Dead's studio album: "From The Mars Hotel" is also celebrating its 50th anniversary with a single 180-gram black vinyl LP, limited edition Neon Pink vinyl, limited edition “Ugly Rumors” custom vinyl, and a specially-designed picture disc. When it comes to the picture disc, using a camera or strobe, the LP will appear to animate. Trippy!




The Setlist. . .

Wave That Flag 6:14
1973-06/10 ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, Washington, D.C.  
Grateful Dead
Here Comes Sunshine 1973


It Must Have Been The Roses > 5:46
Dire Wolf 4:00
1991-09/25 BOSTON GARDEN, Boston, Massachusetts
Grateful Dead
Dick's Picks Vol. 17


Phil's Song Unbroken Chain (Take 1) [Not Slated] 1:29
1973-08/16 RECORD PLANT, Sausalito, California
Grateful Dead
Wake Of The Flood: The Angel’s Share


Unbroken Chain 6:46
1974-06/27 studio release, FROM THE MARS HOTEL
Grateful Dead
Flashback With The Grateful Dead


Standing At Your Door 4:33
Robert Hunter
Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (Deluxe Edition)

Jack Straw 5:22
1974-05/19 PORTLAND MEMORIAL COLISEUM, Portland, Oregon
Grateful Dead
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings


China Cat Sunflower > 5:34
I Know You Rider 5:07
1972-05/03 OLYMPIA THEATRE, Paris, France
Grateful Dead
Europe '72 (50th Anniversary Remaster)