@stuartk - yes, DSO still usually choose a GD night in history and do that setlist and the general style they were doing that year; sometimes people in the audience figure out which it is, as they don't tell until after the show. They'll also do the same lineup; if it was during the time Micky wasn't there, they'll only have one drummer, and their keyboardist is very versatile, doing Keith and Brent. But other times it's 'band's choice' and they'll put together their own setlist. Close your eyes and you're at a GD show, and I've seen many a DSO show that was better than many a GD show. Hard to listen to a recording and tell which one it is. Rob, who plays and sings the Weir parts (and also looks a lot like him), was also responsible for getting a lot of those rare 'Betty Boards' found and released, and Weir has played with them on several occasions. They regularly sell out 3000 capacity venues, often multiple nights.
Dead. Where Is Thy Sting?
Why did the Grateful Dead playing live sound so terrible at times and at other times so spectacular according to audience recollections? Was it the amplification set-up? Quality of drugs available? Whether the band was rested? The crowd vibe? The venue vibe? Did the Dead themselves have a handle on this?
I am not a true DeadHead though I treasure the Garcia/Grisman recordings. Lots of my friends are Heads.Their stories of following the Dead around are full of legend and calamity. They wouldn't have had it any other way. "Off" performances were just Part of Life. That's what they were looking for and preferred that it be unpredictable just like life.
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- 33 posts total
- 33 posts total

