Hartford is another one of those places where the Grateful Dead played often, and played well most of the time. From their first gig there in 1972 through the last Hartford show in 1990, the band usually pulled out solid, often exceptional concerts.

The band’s first visit to Hartford was in 1972, on 7/16/72 at Dillon Stadium, a show that had a couple of elements worth noting: this was the first concert without Pigpen as a member of the Grateful Dead, with his last show being about a month before this on 6/17/72 in Hollywood. He did sit out the October-November 1971 tours, but at that time he was still a touring member of the Grateful Dead, albeit one who was taking a brief break to get healthy again. He returned in December, 1971, performed through the entire Europe ’72 tour, plus the Hollywood show, and then, due to health reasons, was no longer able to go on the road. The other thing worth noting about the Hartford 1972 show was that it ended with a jam of NFA>GDTRFB>Hey Bo Diddley, featuring Allman Brothers Band members Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley and Jai Johanny Johanson, and without Phil. It is remarkable to hear how different this jam sounds than anything the Grateful Dead ever performed, owing to the fact that Phil is not playing bass, and demonstrates what an essential element of the Grateful Dead’s sound Phil’s unorthodox bass playing style added. Not only does he play the songs’ melodies and keeps the rhythm going with Billy, but he also plays a lead line that goes way outside of what a standard bass line would be. Simply stunning stuff.

After 1972, the Grateful Dead returned to Dillon Stadium on 7/31/74 for one of the longest concerts in Grateful Dead history. With the Seastones set (Phil and Ned Lagin doing avant garde electronic music between the first and second sets), the show clocks in with more than four hours of music. In 1976, the band played at Colt Park in Hartford on 8/2/76 on a short two-show run on the east coast (along with 8/4/72 at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City). In 1977, the Grateful Dead performed for the first time at the Hartford Civic Center, and would return to the venue in downtown Hartford 17 more time, with a yearly trip from 1980 to 1990, with the exception of 1985 and 1989. In 1988, after a three night run in April, it looked as though the Grateful Dead would not be welcomed back to Civic Center, but in 1990 they quietly scheduled two gigs in March, with the shows being announced just three days prior. Needless to say, with the memories of the equally surprising shows in Hampton ’89 fresh in everyone’s minds, the shows sold out quickly. I was fortunate to see my first Grateful Dead concert in Hartford, on 3/26/87, and saw the three 1988 shows and the two 1990 concerts.

Musically, the Grateful Dead usually played solidly in Hartford, often exceptionally. There were highlights throughout the years. The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is the 5/28/77 concert, their first visit to the Civic. This show came at the very end of one of the finest tours in Grateful Dead history, and although they’d been on the road for five weeks, and had obviously been working very hard every night, no signs of fatigue could be heard. In fact, this show is so good that it will be available soon on the CD, Grateful Dead…To Terrapin: Hartford ’77 , a terrific full-concert release. As a bit of an historical side note, the Hartford Civic Center was closed for two years from 1978 to 1980 due to a collapsing roof. The official story was that it collapsed under the weight of a massive snowstorm; however, the huge bombs Phil dropped during that show in 1977 may have affected the structural integrity of the roof.

A few other things worth noting about the Grateful Dead’s history in Hartford include the final east coast performance of St. Stephen on 10/15/83; the 4/3/88 show at which Jerry, who had lost his voice due to laryngitis, grabbed the mic from the mic stand and threw it onto the stage (on the tape, at the end of Black Peter, you can clearly hear a pop of the mic hitting the floor; trooper that he was, Jerry returned to sing the encore, Baby Blue); the 4/18/82 show that featured Phil’s Earthquake Space (check out that show; aside from Phil, it’s outstanding); the first-ever Brent-sung Louie Louie on 4/5/88; and the two typically hot Spring 1990 shows.

We'll update this page shortly after the show with the setlist and to recap each performance by The Dead as it relates to the context of the Grateful Dead's history at this venue or city.