Grateful Dead Online

You can find nearly everything on the internet. Someone has been kind enough to put up a lot of Grateful Dead shows. So this morning before work I listened to part of the first set from June 17, 1991. I saw forty-one shows between 1988 and 1995, and this was probably the best one. Certainly it was up there in the top five or so. And I almost didn’t go to this show. My friend and I had been separated the night before (the first of a two-night run at Giants Stadium) and upon meeting back up at my van agreed that it had been the worst show either of us had attended. In fact, it was so lackluster that we considered giving away our tickets for the next show and just going home, finding some other band to obsess over. But then again, we were already there, so we might as well stay for the next concert. After all, it was a bit of a hike from Jersey back up to Massachusetts. We were parked at an all-night diner, so we got a bit of food and eventually fell asleep in my van.

Well, the next night we got separated again. And a little bit before the show I lowered myself over the wall and landed at the back of the floor. A light rain was coming down, and the blue tarp over the field quickly became a slip and slide. It was so much fun that I was actually a bit surprised when the band took the stage, and much more surprised when I heard what they decided to open the show with. “Eyes Of The World.” One of my favorites, and one that is almost always played deep in the second set. To kick off the show with it was something special, and everyone there was aware of it. It was like the band was determined to make up for the previous night, and wanted to let us know straight away. The whole first set was fantastic, with a fun “Loose Lucy” and an excellent “Cassidy” (another of my favorites) and a rocking “Might As Well” closer. My memory is that everyone was smiling, dancing. The place was thumping with joy. And the second set was, of course, tremendous, and included “New Speedway Boogie.”

I remember the parking lot that night after the show as a scene of jubilation. We’d all shared one of those magical moments, and we knew it, and were also reluctant to let go of the night so quickly. This morning I had time to listen to only a few numbers, but it brought me right back to that time. So now I plan on enjoying a little of the show each day before work, to put me in a great mood. It’s wonderful that the internet makes it so easy for us to revisit these magical times. Thanks to everyone who helps share the music.