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...
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Dead Show/podcast for 7/10/26
The Deadpod
We return this week to the plains of Kansas for the second set of the band’s July 4, 1990 performance at Sandstone Amphitheater. The band comes back as the sun dips down and treats us to a couple of their newer songs, starting with ‘Victim or the Crime’. They lighten the mood with a fine ‘Foolish Heart’, which flows into one of my favorite Brent tunes, ‘Just a Little Light’. Knowing this was one of the last shows Brent ever played, I’m especially grateful to have seen him that final time. A wonderful ‘Scarlet > Fire’ follows—perfect for this sizzling day—and Jerry is...
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Dead Show/podcast for 7/3/90
The Deadpod
On this sweltering Fourth of July weekend, I’ve decided to travel back to another sweltering Fourth—July 4, 1990 at Sandstone Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs, Kansas. With temperatures well over 100 at showtime and no roof over the seating area, this was probably the hottest showtime I’d ever experienced. For me, it was a deeply memorable night: not only the last time I’d see Brent before his tragic passing, but also a show with some killer versions of classic songs. The first set, which we’ll hear this week, is a bit short—the boys were getting scorched with the sun shining...
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Dead Show/podcast for 6/26/26
The Deadpod
This week’s Deadpod features the Grateful Dead’s second set from June 4, 1978, at Campus Stadium, University of California, Santa Barbara—a show that captures the band in a confident and fluid late-’70s mode. The set opens with a lively “Samson and Delilah,” followed by a nicely rendered “Ship of Fools” that provides an early contrast in mood. The improvisational core begins with “Estimated Prophet,” which unfolds patiently before transitioning into a bright and engaging “Eyes of the World.” (nevermind Bobby stepping on Jerry's solo). The Eyes is a bit on the...
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Dead Show/podcast for 6/19/26
The Deadpod
This week’s Deadpod takes us back to sunny California for a Sunday show at the University of California, Santa Barbara, on June 4, 1978. This is their first show in about a month following the excellent Spring tour, and the band sounds like they’re in great spirits—evidenced both by the between-song banter and the upbeat performances throughout the set. A somewhat unusual pairing opens things up, with “Bertha” flowing into “Good Lovin’”—be sure to listen for Garcia’s vocal touches there. You might also notice Bobby’s vocal substitution in “Me and My Uncle,” a small...
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Dead Show/podcast for 6/12/26
The Deadpod
This week’s Deadpod features the second set from June 6th, 1992, a performance that captures the Grateful Dead’s late-era mix of looseness, drive, and exploratory spirit. The set opens on a joyful note with “Iko Iko,” before shifting into a spacious “Estimated Prophet” that leads into a rare second-set “The Same Thing.” From there, the mood turns inward with a heartfelt “He’s Gone,” setting up the transition into “Drums” and “Space.” Out of “Space,” the band launches a powerful “The Other One,” bringing a darker, more intense energy before easing into...
info_outlineThey open with a bouncy "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)" before Jerry brings out one of his more poignant ballads, "To Lay Me Down." The introspective mood continues as Bobby rolls into "Lost Sailor," but things pick up speed as he moves into "Saint of Circumstance." Drums and Space follows, slowly building momentum until Phil drops a huge bass bomb leading into "The Other One" — the jamming, psychedelic rendition here is the highlight of the set. They then drift into the haunting "Stella Blue" before "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad" carries us toward the close, punctuated by a high-energy "Satisfaction" led by Bobby and Brent Mydland. The "Brokedown Palace" encore is always a favorite sendoff.
Grateful Dead
Community War Memorial Auditorium
Rochester, NY 4/9/1982 - Friday
Two
Man Smart (Woman Smarter) [6:54] ;
To Lay Me Down [9:00] ;
Lost Sailor [6:21] >
Saint Of Circumstance [7:19] >
Drums [2:34#] >
Space [7:28] >
The Other One [7:08] >
Stella Blue [7:32] >
Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad [6:11] >
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [6:37]
Encore
Brokedown Palace [5:14]
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here:
https://deadshow.blogspot.com/2026/04/dead-showpodcast-for-41026.html
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