Dead Show/podcast for 9/18/26
The Deadpod
This week on the Deadpod, I’m heading back to one of my favorite September stops: Madison Square Garden in New York City, for the opening night of the band’s nine-show run in September 1991. By this point, the post-Brent lineup has had time to settle in, and Bruce Hornsby adds plenty of color to the proceedings. Phil makes his presence felt right from the opening “Touch of Grey,” providing a strong melodic foundation throughout the set. While Garcia’s vocals sound a little rough at times, his playing is right on the money. Give “Loser” a listen for a good example of both. I...
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Dead Show/podcast for 9/11/26
The Deadpod
On this week's Deadpod, we continue with the second set from September 2nd, 1983, in Boise, Idaho. The boys keep up the energy from the first set throughout this one, with a jamming pre-drums segment that runs non-stop through a string of favorites. A highlight, however, comes just before Drums, when Bobby and Brent stay out front together for an intense jam of their own. Following Drums and Space, we get a pairing that's somewhat unusual for the era: "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" leading straight into a particularly fine "Black Peter" — two Jerry-fronted tunes back to back, and a...
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Dead Show/podcast for 9/4/26
The Deadpod
Labor Day is here! I've found what I think is a rather overlooked show to celebrate the holiday this week with this gem from September 2, 1983 in Boise Idaho. This was the only show the band ever played in Idaho, and I have to believe that the unique location gave them some extra energy that shows through as we listen to this show. After a unique introduction by Phil, the band powers into a funky 'Wang Dang Doodle' which then goes right into a sweet 'Jack Straw'. The energy comes through in numbers like 'Big River' and 'Big Railroad Blues'. I find the set tight and well-played and hope...
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Dead Show/podcast for 8/28/26
The Deadpod
Hey Now -- this week we have a wonderful second set from one of the most memorable times in the band's storied career.. This second set from the Berkeley Communitiy Theater in Berkeley California has a mix of straight ahead rockin' and deep exploratory jams that showcases the band's versatility and innovation. I call your attention to the incomparable 'Other One' here that goes in previously unknown dimensions, as well as the closing trifecta of 'Not Fade Away", Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad' and 'Hey Bo Diddley' which pay homage to their musical heritage. Two Brown Eyed...
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Dead Show/podcast for 8/21/26
The Deadpod
This week on the Deadpod we have one of the fine shows the band played in late August 1972 at the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, CA. In this small, hometown venue, the band plays together and listens to each other at a high level — something that would bloom beautifully a few days later at the Old Renaissance Fairgrounds in Veneta, Oregon. They're relaxed and loose here. In this first set especially, they take their time between numbers, and I've taken the liberty of editing some of that dead air out of this presentation. I hope it makes for a more enjoyable listen. There are a...
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Dead Show/podcast for 8/14/26
The Deadpod
We return to St. Paul this week for a wonderful second set from August 6, 1982. The set hangs together beautifully, with the band locked in from start to finish. The opening Scarlet > Fire features some fine interplay between Jerry and Bob, with Garcia’s lines dancing around Weir’s rhythm. That same energy carries into Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, which spills into Space and an 11‑beat, “Eleven”-style jam that sets up some exuberant drumming. Truckin’ is not your usual 1982 fare either, with Brent and Phil adding plenty of snap and color. Post‑drums, a rare...
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Dead Show/podcast for 8/7/26
The Deadpod
This week, as we approach the end of the “Days Between,” I thought this recording—emblematic of what I think of as the Dead’s ‘third’ period—would be a fitting choice as we remember Jerry. This one comes to us from St. Paul, MN, on August 6, 1982. It’s an energetic show with a tight ensemble throughout. Jerry is playing at a high level, and Brent, along with the rest of the band, is right there with him. There’s a lot to like here, but one of the highlights for me is the 10+ minute “Bird Song,” which flows nicely into “El Paso.” I’m also partial to the “Lazy...
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Dead Show/podcast for 7/31/26
The Deadpod
This week on the Deadpod we head back to the Family Dog at the Great Highway in San Francisco for a superb show from August 3, 1969. This is the kind of set that reminds us just how quickly the Grateful Dead were evolving in that remarkable year, moving from the raw energy of their early material into the open-ended exploration that would define so much of what followed. The set opens with a fine run of songs including “Hard To Handle,” “Beat It On Down The Line,” “Hi-Heel Sneakers,” “High Time,” and “Mama Tried.” From there the show opens up beautifully with a long and...
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Dead Show/podcast for 7/24/26
The Deadpod
This week on Deadpod we’re back at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco for the second set from 7/12/76, a show that has that special midsummer 1976 feel I’ve always loved: relaxed, open, and full of musical space, but with plenty of spark still in the band’s step. The set gets underway with a very nice “Sugaree,” followed by a spirited “Samson And Delilah,” and then we move into one of the great touchstones of the era — “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower,” played here with real assurance and flow. From there the band keeps the...
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Dead Show/podcast for 7/12/76
The Deadpod
This week takes us to Summer tour 1976 - to the first night of a six night run on the home turf of San Francisco California for a delightful show at the intimate Orpheum Theater on July 12, 1976. 'The Music Never Stopped' provides a fine and fitting opener as the boys return to the stage on the West Coast following their hiatus from touring and the completion of 'Blues for Allah' and an East Coast swing. This first set is filled with old favorites colored with new tempos and some very sweet jams. Some of my favorites include 'Tennesse Jed' (here included from an audience...
info_outlineThis week's Deadpod drops us into the Spring 1992 tour, catching the band at the Nassau Coliseum for a rockin' first set that showcases both Phil Lesh and Bruce Hornsby — in what would turn out to be Bruce's final tour with the band.
The set runs a bit short, but that was pretty typical for the latter-day Dead. No matter — the band is in fine form. Phil kicks things off leading the charge on 'Greatest Story Ever Told,' followed by a rousing 'Bertha.' 'Stagger Lee' is another Lesh showcase, though the whole band locks in beautifully by the end. 'Beat It On Down The Line' opens with a full nine-beat intro before Phil delivers a genuine surprise — a standout vocal on 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues,' one of my personal favorite Dead covers. Bruce then steps forward on a heavy, honky-tonk-tinged 'Tennessee Jed.' The boys close out the set on a high note with a spirited 'Promised Land,' Bruce adding a nice solo to send everyone home happy.
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here:
Grateful Dead
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, NY 3/12/1992 - Thursday
One
Greatest Story Ever Told
Bertha
Walkin' Blues
Stagger Lee
Beat It On Down The Line
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Tennessee Jed
The Promised Land
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