It begins with the final song of the first set, "Playing In The Band," and there is a great energy from the start. It isn't long into the jam before we get into some magical territory, Jerry's guitar leading the way, or perhaps creating the way. Things continue moving forward. I love the excitement of the journey. This really is about seeing where the music can go, where it can take us. It's a great dance with whatever forces might exist, meeting them on common ground. To do that, the band has to first get us there. That's the journey. And they certainly manage it here. We begin to experience new possibilities and tangible, if passing, realities, the band teasing them into different shapes, coaxing from them even an answer or two, before then returning to the song's main theme. And, hey, we're back on firm ground, though changed from the experience. Better, more aware, more open. Bob Weir then announced the short break.
The rest of the disc comes from the second set, skipping only the first three songs. Some playful tuning leads into "He's Gone." This version of "He's Gone" isn't quite as stirring, as moving, as the one from the March 26th show (on Dave's Picks Volume 54), but it's still really good. And that vocal section is gentle and sweet at the start, then becomes more energetic, even fun, like a celebration in honor of a life, rather than mourning its loss. The band then pushes into "Truckin'," everyone together driving this monster down that road regardless of obstacles. And the crowd cheers at the mention of Buffalo. There is a great power behind this rendition. It feels like it could move mountains if need be. Fantastic. The jam then gets into bluesy territory for a bit. Bill Kreutzmann is eager for a solo, you can feel it, and he soon gets it. It's not a very long drum solo, but it's good. It sort of functions as a connection between "Truckin'" and "The Other One." This "Other One" has some of the same great power and force as was propelling "Truckin'" forward. It is immediately pulsing and exploding and thumping as if determined to burst through any final wall between here and there. It then pulls starlight, bending the universe to the music's will. It seems to be able to do so with ease, charming the gods, retrieving ancient knowledge from black holes, rescuing a better reality from the darkness. While also breathing in some of that darkness, incorporating it into the dance. Then more than ten minutes into the odyssey, we get back into the main theme, and Bob delivers the song's first verse.
The band then gets into weird territory. This is listed as a separate track, "Jam," though I think back in the day our tapes didn't make such distinctions. But certainly it is a big turn from what we'd been experiencing so far. We are now in less certain territory, the farther reaches of space, where reality is more tenuous and the spaces between objects much larger. Distances change with each breath. A rhythm is created, perhaps to pull those objects together, and the band finds its way into "I Know You Rider." Yes, a rare "China"-less "Rider." And such an interesting choice out of "The Other One." "The sun will shine in my back door someday/March winds will blow all my troubles away." Being as this show was on the final day of March, this was perhaps the last chance for that to happen. It's a really nice rendition. Then after a pause, during which we hear the audience going nuts, the band wraps up the set with "Sugar Magnolia." the moment they begin it, the crowd gets excited again. It's a fun rendition, with a good, long "Sunshine Daydream." What a great way to close out the set.
CD Track List
- Playing In The Band
- He's Gone >
- Truckin' >
- Drums >
- The Other One >
- Jam >
- I Know You Rider
- Sugar Magnolia
Dave's Picks 2025 Bonus Disc was released in late April, sent with copies of Dave's Picks Volume 54 to those of us with subscriptions.
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