Welcome to the weekly newsletter that brings you the most interesting and significant facts from Grateful Dead History, along with reviews of the music for the week ahead! The idea is to give all you Heads a "Heads up" on the interesting and cool stuff the Grateful Dead were up to on this week in history! So tell me what you think!
Here we are, in the middle of "The Days Between", where we continue to celebrate the life and music of Jerry Garcia (8/1/42 - 8/9/95). But we're also remembering Dick Latvala, the band's legendary archivist and keeper of the Vault (7/26/43 - 8/6/99). Without his work, there is a lot of this music that we wouldn't have access to. Speaking of which, there is a lot of incredible music to hear this week, so let me break it down. Here's the highlights for Issue 28, for the week of August 5th, 2024.
August 5th
8/5/71 Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood, CA - A very nice show that is not as highly regarded as 8/6/71 but still very good. There's plenty of great music here, just not as intense as the next night. Highlights include "Bertha", "Sugaree", "Cryptical > Other One > Wharf Rat", "Bird Song", and "NFA > GDTRFB > NFA".
8/5/74 Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA - Partially officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 31. You get an epic '74 Wall of Sound show here. Highlights are "Brown Eyed Women", "Bobby McGee", "Tennessee Jed", "Jack Straw", "China Cat > I Know You Rider" (Jam Anthem version)., "He's Gone > Truckin' > Jam > Other One Jam > Space > Stella Blue".
8/5/79 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CA - This is one my favorite shows of 1979. It might be #2 or #3, aside from 10/27, 1/10 and 11/5 but I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple more. The band's sound and the attention to detail are above average all the way through. It's a scorcher of a show, and the best way I can describe it is a "sweet hot". Jerry's guitar seems to drip with honey-toned notes as Phil drives the bass. Keith's keys are subtle but incredibly tight. There are some laid-back segments but no slouching. First set highlights are "Half Step > Franklin's > Me & My Uncle > Big River", "All Over Now", "Sailor > Saint > Althea > Promised Land". Second set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire", "Estimated > Eyes > Drums > Ollin Arrageed (w/ Hamza El Din)", and "NFA". Then you get a rare 3-song encore of "Bertha > Good Lovin' and ends with an epic version of Johnny B. Goode".
August 6th - RIP Dick Latvala (1999)
8/6/71 Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood, CA - Partially officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 35 and Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3 Bonus Disc. A mind-blowing show that's been highly regarded among Dead Heads for decades. The band is super-charged but it's not just a loose energy. They're focused and playing with passion and purpose. First set highlights are "Mr. Charlie", "Cumberland Blues", and what some people consider the best-ever version of "Hard To Handle". Pretty much the entire second set is one giant highlight: "St. Stephen", "Truckin' > Drums > Other One > Me & My Uncle > Other One", "Morning Dew", and "Lovelight".
8/6/74 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ - Partially officially released on Dave's Picks Volume 31. This monster show has a lot of epic moments, along with some unusual song placements. 1st set highlights are "Sugaree", an unusual but incredible standalone "Eyes" (Jam Anthem version), and a a mind-blowing "Playing > Scarlet > Playing" (also a Jam Anthem version). 2nd set highlights are "Uncle John's Band (Jam Anthem version), "Sugar Magnolia (Jam Anthem version) > He's Gone > Truckin' > Drums > Spanish Jam > Other One > GDTRFB > Sunshine Daydream".
8/6/82 St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN - This entire show is incredible. The band is giving every song, every moment, a little something extra from beginning to end. 1st set highlights are "Bertha > Minglewood > Candyman", "Rooster", "Bird Song", "All Over Now", "Lazy Lightning > Supplication > Might As Well". 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire", "Sailor > Saint > Jam", "Truckin'", "GDTRFB > Johnny B. Goode", and the "Baby Blue" encore.
8/6/89 Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA - A fine show with some great moments. The band is tight and playing with passion throughout. 1st set highlights are "Let The Good Times Roll > Stranger > Franklin's", "Masterpiece", "Bird Song" to close the set. 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire", "Other One > Wharf Rat > Lovelight".
August 7th
8/7/71 Golden Hall, San Diego, CA - Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 35. What we have here is peak '71 Grateful Dead. Unfortunately, this show doesn't circulate so the only place to hear it is on Dick's Picks Volume 35. This is a prime example of what we have Dick to thank for, and It's definitely worth tracking down a copy of this release. 1st set highlights are "Big RxR Blues", "Bertha", "Big Boss Man", "Hard To Handle", "Cumberland Blues", "Casey Jones". 2nd set highlights are "Truckin'", "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Sugar Magnolia", "Sing Me Back Home", "NFA > GDTRFB > Jam > Johnny B. Goode".
8/7/82 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI - Officially released on Dick's Picks Volume 32. 1st of a 2-show run. This entire show is stellar. It's got incredible jams and song selection. The band is in the mood to improvise with the rare (1st of only 2) "Music Never Stopped > Sugaree > Music Never Stopped" sequences. After that you get a hot "Me & My Uncle > Big River". Other first set highlights are "Beat It On Down The Line > On The Road Again" (?!), and an incredible Jam Anthem version of "Let It Grow" to close this epic set. 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider" (Jam Anthem version), "Playing (Jam Anthem version) > Drums > Space > Wheel > Playing > Morning Dew > One More Saturday Night" and "U.S. Blues" encore.
August 8th
8/8/82 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI - 2nd of a 2-show run. This is the only known Grateful Dead show on this day. It gets off to a slow start but has plenty of great moments. 1st set highlights are "Rooster", "Brown Eyed Women", "Peggy-O" and "Samson". 2nd set highlights are "Scarlet > Fire > Estimated > Drums (w/ Zakir Hussain) > Space > Other One > NFA" and "Brokedown Palace" encore.
August 9th - RIP Jerry. You know our love will not fade away! There are no known Grateful Dead shows on this day in Grateful Dead history. However, there are some fine Jerry Garcia shows to listen to. I'd recommend these, or dial up something you missed from another day.
8/9/80 Keystone, Palo Alto, CA - Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1TlnolM_NM
8/9/85 The Stone, San Francisco, CA - Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlVHdw64zuY
8/9/90 Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL3SPd0sVW4
August 10th
8/10/82 University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA - The only available option on this day. But luck for you, this whole show is incredible! 1st set highlights are "Stranger", "Friend Of The Devil", "Minglewood" (corn-fed fillies, HAHAHA!), "Cassidy", "Roses", "On The Road Again > Beat It On Down The Line" (reversed order from 8/7, and the only time that was ever done that I know of!) "Stagger Lee" (last one for about 3 years), "Miracle (some say the penultimate version) > Bertha". 2nd set highlights are "China Cat > I Know You Rider", "Eyes", "Iko > Truckin' > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia".
August 11th
8/11/87 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO - The only known show on this day in history. These 1987 Red Rocks shows would be the final shows for the Grateful Dead at this epic venue due to increased ticketless Dead Heads and friction with security. This is the 1st of a 3-show run. 1st set highlights are "Cold Rain & Snow > Rooster", "High Time", "Masterpiece". 2nd set highlights are "Crazy Fingers > Samson", "Playing > China Doll", "Watchtower > GDTRFB", and "Black Muddy River" encore.
BTW, If you're not yet familiar with Jam Anthem versions of songs you can read all about it in Deadology II by Howard Weiner. Check it out here along with all his other great books.
And that's all for now! Of course, if you want to follow along in your very own copy of my book On This Day In Grateful Dead History: A Daily Listening Journal I still have some copies available here. Once they're sold out, I will have to decide whether or not I'm going to have more made. The costs of printing and shipping have gone way up in the last few years since I had them printed so I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. So get one now while you can! https://www.gratefuldeadbook.com/tigdh
Peace out my good people. Until next week!
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