Disc 1
The first disc contains the entire first set, just under eighty minutes of music. The band kicks it off with “Promised Land,” and it takes just a few seconds before things are on track and moving. Never a bad idea to get things in motion with a classic rock and roll number. Get everyone loose and ready to go. Jerry Garcia then chooses “Bertha,” which seems exactly right. This version has a more relaxed vibe than usual as it begins, Jerry sounding kind of smooth. There is a somewhat sweet vibe to this rendition, which is interesting. It’s still fun to dance to, and includes nine shouts of “Anymore!” at the end. After a brief pause, Bob Weir leads the band into “Me And My Uncle.” I love that fun rhythm that Phil Lesh creates on his bass, at times making me think of a horse trotting. Jerry then takes us in another direction with “Peggy-O,” another song with distinctive characters, told from their perspectives. Jerry’s vocal delivery here is beautiful at times. There is a really good feel to this rendition, and we could easily drift into its realm. That wonderful jam gives us reason to want to remain there. And just listen to the way Jerry delivers the news of Sweet William’s death, starting off gently, almost tentatively, not wanting to have to give the news. And then as his volume grows, so does his compassion. It’s a fantastic moment.
Bob counts off “Jack Straw,” and the crowd responds enthusiastically. Folks hadn’t heard the guys play this one in a while, not since October of 1974. This is a good rendition, not hesitant or rusty, and it features some really nice guitar playing from Jerry. That’s followed by “Row, Jimmy.” That guitar work a few minutes in is so good, so enjoyable. Everything feels right, and I’m digging what Keith Godchaux is going on keys. As Jerry sings “Rock your baby to and fro,” it feels like he is cradling us. The whole band is. It sounds like the crowd at the show was into it too, by their reaction at the end. Bob then takes the band into “Lazy Lightning,” which leads naturally into “Supplication,” both songs coming from the 1976 self-titled Kingfish record (which I still don’t own; I once found a near-perfect copy at a thrift store for a dollar, and didn’t get it because I was broke). The jam has moments when it begins to transport us, particularly Jerry’s guitar work, and this is just the thing we’re always hoping for. This is a seriously good “Supplication.” It’s followed by a bouncy “Deal,” a version to get you smiling, nodding your head in agreement with its direction and vibe.
The band gets the place rocking with “Good Lovin’.” It’s not a particularly long version, but it’s fun and contains some delightful touches on guitar during the jam. And the energy gets high before the end. You could see that being the set closer, but it’s not. The band isn’t quite ready to take a break. They change the pace, going into “Ship Of Fools,” Keith delivering some great work here. “With thirty years upon my head.” Ah, remember that? So long ago. Jerry’s voice is incredibly moving, especially in the second half. But Bob is determined to leave us with a lively, rocking tune, and the band goers into “The Music Never Stopped” to close out the first set. I love the way the jam builds in power and excitement. The end might be a bit messy, but that’s fine.
Disc 2
The second disc contains the first portion of the second set, along with some songs from the first set of the next night. The band gets the second set hopping out of the gate with “Might As Well.” “Never had such a good time/In my life before!” Yeah, we can hear it in his voice. And we’d all love to have it one time more. There is a delicious energy in Jerry’s delivery that makes this rendition stand out. The band then goes into “Estimated Prophet,” which was still fairly new at that time. It’s a song I always loved seeing the band do, partly because of its groove, partly for the song’s potential for exploration. And this version features some exciting moments on guitar nearly halfway through. Then in the jam in the second half, things get interesting, and we’re aware of the different layers at work. Now it becomes a question of how to split ourselves into sections so that we can dance on all those levels at once. Bob’s vocals come back in maybe a moment or two too soon, and then the song is over.
The band begins “Sugaree,” and the crowd responds. It’s one of those songs that never fails to please. The song cuts a pleasant passageway across all terrains and water. That’s what this music is, passageways. We’re not always sure of the destination, but each passage is worth exploring, and in this “Sugaree” the band seems to find a new, vibrant passage. Creates it, rather, not finds it. This jam is excellent, feeling like it’s creating entire planets at one point, not just passageways. Check out Jerry’s guitar work toward the end. He’s brought us all to some entirely new realm, and then lets us land gently at the end. Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart then pick us up with the drumming that begins “Samson And Delilah,” setting the energy of the song. There is a pause before the band eases into “Friend Of The Devil.” This rendition is pretty at times. As Jerry sings about the possibility of being caught by the sheriff, we get the feeling that he will. There is a weariness, and a fatalism, behind the voice. The song then features a sweet jam, and by the end of it we no longer think he’ll be caught. And actually, it doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t, because this will continue either way.
The CD then takes us into the next night, with the first three songs of the first set, beginning with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.” Maybe it takes a moment to get going, but this is a pretty good version, and the jam has the capacity to carry us off on its brightly colored wings. Jerry’s guitar work in the jam is exciting. And that final section is beautiful. As it feels like it could drift into eternity, the band suddenly shifts gears, going into “Big River,” changing the dance, getting folks hopping. I like Keith’s work on keys. That’s followed by a nice rendition of “They Love Each Other.” It’s difficult to keep from smiling while listening to this one. Keith delivers some interesting touches here too. This becomes a quite good jam. At the concert, the Dead followed “They Love Each Other” with “New Minglewood Blues,” but this disc skips that song and instead goes to the next number that night, “It Must Have Ben The Roses.” It’s a gorgeous version of “Roses,” Jerry delivering a beautiful and passionate vocal performance, and Jerry and Donna Jean Godchaux’s voices blending wonderfully. This must be one of the best versions of this song I’ve heard.
Disc 3
The third disc contains the rest of the of the second set and encore, along with one more song from the next night. The disc gets off to a great start with “Eyes Of The World.” It’s interesting that this set includes both “Estimated” and “Eyes,” but not together. Anyway, “Eyes” is a favorite to dance to, and this rendition includes a delightful little jam before we even get into the first verse. There is some beautiful playing here, making this track a highlight even before its first line is sung. And then it just gets better. As things bloom and decay, we’ll just keep dancing. The jam after the final verse gets right into some interesting territory. There is no holding onto that groove this time, but instead the band dives right off into the unknown. The jam relaxes into another state, and at that moment the disc presents it as a separate track, labeled “Space” (though the actual “Drums/Space” segment was still a bit in the future). This short connective jam leads into “Wharf Rat.” Even in the opening moments, we know this is going to be a strong rendition. And indeed, it is powerful and moving, dark with sharp, glorious shafts of light penetrating it. And there is some sense that when he gets up and flies away, he’ll have to fight his way to his feet and then upward from there. The jam seems like it could drive everyone up into the air, seems determined to do so, so that we can all fly away. A drum solo emerges from that. It’s a good solo too, with some impressive playing, though fairly straightforward. There is nothing too weird here, and the guys deliver at a fast pace. That leads straight into “Not Fade Away.” The band grooves on that opening section a bit before delivering the first line. There is a lot of good jamming here, fiery fingers forcing open hundreds of doors, changing each room’s inhabitant to light, to bursts of color. Then they go into “Around And Around” to wrap up the second set. The first set began with a Chuck Berry number, and the second set concludes with another, bringing the whole thing around. The encore is “Uncle John’s Band,” and the moment it starts, I start to feel good, optimistic. This song is a sweet ending to the show.
But it is not the ending to the disc. We get one more song from the first set of the May 4th show, “Dancing In The Street.” This is the final song of that set, actually, and one to get you on your feet (as if you weren’t already dancing). When they sing “in New York City,” the crowd’s cheer is audible. The band seriously jams on that groove, and you imagine the venue’s walls disintegrate, and suddenly the crowd is outside, dancing in the street. And the party continues.
CD Track List
Disc 1
- Promised Land
- Bertha
- Me And My Uncle
- Peggy-O
- Jack Straw
- Row Jimmy
- Lazy Lightning >
- Supplication
- Deal
- Good Lovin’
- Ship Of Fools
- The Music Never Stopped
Disc 2
- Might As Well
- Estimated Prophet
- Sugaree
- Samson And Delilah
- Friend Of The Devil
- Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo >
- Big River
- They Love Each Other
- It Must Have Been The Roses
Disc 3
- Eyes Of The World >
- Space >
- Wharf Rat >
- Drums >
- Not Fade Away >
- Around And Around
- Uncle John’s Band
- Dancing In The Street
Dave’s Picks Volume
50 was released in late April, 2024. My copy arrived on April 27 th. This
release is limited to 25,000 copies. Mine is number 8700.
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