Yeah he often stole the show on his songs back then.

I love the keyboard journey from Pigpen to Vince. Two ends of a spectrum. I wouldn't say the keyboard defines the band's sound, but you really feel the musical temperature across decades through those guys. Changes the whole atmosphere.

I am listening to the MSG show they just released. The first set is unquestionably great. The band is loose and jammy at exactly the right amount. The second set is also pretty great but for a vocal hatchet job of Uncle John’s Band. Thankfully they find their literal groove soon after with Drum/Space/The Other One/Stella Blue.

Setlist for those interested:

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81

Feel Like a Stranger, Althea, C.C. Rider, Ramble On Rose, El Paso, Deep Elem Blues, Beat It On Down the Line, Bird Song, New Minglewood Blues, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Samson and Delilah, Ship of Fools

Set 2: Estimated Prophet, Uncle John’s Band > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue, Good Lovin’

Encore: US Blues

Just got all of those and will listen soon

I have and continue to love CCS > IKYR.

Like any show that has that starts in a strong position as baseline.

And it’s a real good one here!

Good week of Dead-ish experiences. Listening to the reissue of Ace. I often find Wolf Bros a bit of a drag, but they sound great here - the added instrumentation of the Wolfpack helps tremendously.

A few days ago saw JRAD at one of their 10th anniversary shows at the Capitol Theatre. They really are a helluva band

Slob Weir is playing on my bday next week. Kinda wanna go, but eh.

Slob Weir is playing on my bday next week. Kinda wanna go, but eh.

He might be bearded, less slob since his entire social media presence are workout videos that are simultaneously impressive and hilarious.

He’s also playing near me soon, but I prioritized Phil Lesh tickets for his 83rd birthday bash - I’ll be at the Friday night show.

The Music Never Stops: Grateful Dead Unveils Full ‘30 Days Of Dead’ 2023 Live Audio Series
Stream or download all 30 tracks selected from the vault by GD archivist David Lemieux for this year’s series

Many of the tracks included in 30 Days Of Dead 2023 featured multiple songs. Lemieux chose the second set from “Space” through the “Playing In The Band Reprise” finale to represent the Grateful Dead’s March 25, 1991 concert at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York. The other five-song suite included in this year’s series was a run of “They Love Each Other,” “Cassidy,” “Tennessee Jed,” “Let It Grow” and “Don’t Ease Me In” played in Dayton, Ohio on November 30, 1981.

David Lemieux made sure to highlight some of the Dead’s most beloved pairings. A “Scarlet Begonias”/”Fire On The Mountain” from August 30, 1980 was picked as was a “Lost Sailor”/”Saint Of Circumstance” performed on December 13, 1980 (with bonus “Deal”) and “China Cat Sunflower”/”I Know You Rider” delivered on February 28, 1970. The “China”/”Rider” was shared with the versions of “High Time” and “Dire Wolf” that followed.

Check out the complete tracklist for the Grateful Dead’s 30 Days Of Dead 2023 below:

Spoiler: show

Comes A Time (08/26/1980 – Cleveland, OH)
Casey Jones, Sugar Magnolia (03/20/1971 – Iowa City, IA)
Feel Like A Stranger > Bertha (10/19/1994 – New York, NY)
My Brother Esau, High Time (09/16/1987 – New York, NY)
Estimated Prophet (04/22/1977 – Philadelphia, PA)
Saint Of Circumstance > Jam (12/11/1979 – Kansas City, KS)
Loose Lucy (10/27/1973 – Indianapolis, IN)
Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain (08/30/1980 – Philadelphia, PA)
Let It Grow > Might As Well (10/02/1976 – Cincinnati, OH)
I Need A Miracle > Crazy Fingers (04/04/1985 – Providence, RI)
He’s Gone (05/05/1979 – Baltimore, MD)
Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven (12/07/1968 – Louisville, KY)
Row Jimmy, Picasso Moon > Don’t Ease Me In (03/18/1991 – Landover, MD)
Playing In The Band > China Doll (08/31/1983 – Eugene, OR)
New Minglewood Blues, Peggy-O (05/06/1978 – Burlington, VT)
Here Comes Sunshine (03/09/1993 – Rosemont, IL)
Uncle John’s Band (03/18/1977 – San Francisco, CA)
Foolish Heart > Playing In The Band > Uncle John’s Band (06/11/1992 – Albany, NY)
Shakedown Street > One More Saturday Night (05/12/1979 – Amherst, MA)
Brown-Eyed Women, My Brother Esau (06/23/1984 – Harrisburg, PA)
Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Jam (03/31/1986 – Providence, RI)
U.S. Blues (06/29/1976 – Chicago, IL)
Space > The Other One > Black Peter > Throwing Stones > Playing In The Band Reprise (03/25/1991 – Albany, NY)
They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Let It Grow > Don’t Ease Me In (11/30/1981 – Dayton, OH)
Dire Wolf, Casey Jones (10/26/1969 – San Francisco, CA)
Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Deal (12/13/1980 – Long Beach, CA)
Feel Like A Stranger, Ship Of Fools > Samson & Delilah, Never Trust A Woman (09/30/1981 – Edinburgh, Scotland)
China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider > High Time > Dire Wolf (02/28/1970 – San Francisco, CA)
Victim Or The Crime > Dark Star (12/31/1989 – Oakland, CA)
Dark Star (10/24/1971 – Detroit, MI)

I need to reinvent myself as an archivist, if for no other reason so I can have this exchange:

Wife: “Can you take care of XYZ?”
Liebzz: “In a moment, I just need to finish this Scarlet Begonias.”
Wife: “can you please do this?”
Liebzz: “Damnit! Can’t you hear I’m at work!?”

Went to see Joe Russo’s Almost Dead last night. They were even better than last year, though it seemed like there was a lot more psychedelic transitions last night, like a Space between nearly every song. They basically only stopped playing last night in between sets. Like a constant stream leading one song into the next:

Set One: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Let It Grow (I swore this was the whole suite), Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo, He’s Gone, Dancing in the Street, Franklin’s Tower

Set Two: Playing in the Band, Brown Eyed Women, Truckin’, Cassidy, Althea, Eyes of the World, Samson and Delilah

Encore: Running Down a Dream