5-7 Pepsi Center

Venue History

Show Recap

Pepsi Center

::venue info

Back to Denver, this time to the venue that opened in 1999 with a Celine Dion concert. The Grateful Dead have a very long history with the city of Denver going back to 1967, with the band playing 21 concerts in the Mile High city, double that if you include Red Rocks in those totals (which I do). Might as well add Boulder in with that to add five more shows to the total of Denver area shows.

In mid-1967, the Grateful Dead were just beginning to venture out of the state of California. Aside from a couple of concerts in Vancouver, BC, Canada in July 1966, the Grateful Dead hadn’t really left California, but in 1967, they embarked upon their first extended forays away from home. There was a week in New York in June, 1967, followed by short trips to the Pacific Northwest and the east coast (Toronto for a week residency, Montreal, New York, Detroit). They ended their summer mostly-away from home with three shows in Denver in September, shows that would be the final concerts before Mickey sat in and jammed a week later and thankfully stuck around. The band would return to Denver sporadically through the years, with shows at Mammoth Gardens in 1970, just a week before Harpur College; terrific shows in November, 1973 at the Denver Coliseum; and McNichols Arena starting in 1977 and going up to 1994; plus a big summer show at Mile High Stadium in 1991. Also worth noting is that the Grateful Dead celebrated their 15th anniversary at Folsom Field in Boulder with two June, 1980 concerts.

As for Red Rock, the Grateful Dead played 20 shows there, starting with four shows in 1978 (two in July and two in August), plus a show in 1979, and three-night runs in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987. As anyone who has been there knows, it is a special place, and the band obviously enjoys it as much as the fans. The weather is notoriously unpredictable at Red Rocks with a storm even pushing the band indoors in August, 1979, when a three night Red Rocks run became one night at Red Rocks and two nights at McNichols. Regardless, all three of those shows were excellent.

There was plenty of amazing Grateful Dead music played in the Denver area, and the first piece of music I’d like to draw your attention to is from 9/3/72 at Folsom Field, a jam featuring He’s Gone>The Other One>Wharf Rat. First of all, this was the first show after the famous 8/27/82 show in Veneta, OR, and was also the first show of a three month stretch of concerts that would make September through November, 1972, one of the most consistently great periods in Grateful Dead history. Also worthy of mention is that this jam from 9/3/72 was included as bonus material on the excellent Dick’s Picks Vol. 36 (9/21/72 Philly), and being on the end of CD 4, that makes this jam the very last piece of music included on a Dick’s Picks. At the time of its production, we didn’t know Vol. 36 was to be the final installment in the series, but in hindsight, we are very pleased that it not only ended with one of Dick’s favourite shows, 9/21/72, but that the final CD ended with a jam that was exactly the type of thing he loved: a blisteringly out-there Other One sandwiched between two exquisitely played Garcia-Hunter tunes. From the Here Comes Sunshine that opened Dick’s Picks Vol. 1 to this Wharf Rat, it was a heck of a series. Latvala!

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.

Set 1 Recap

Back in the Mile High City, where many great shows were played through the years. As I mentioned in the historical look back at the Grateful Dead’s visits to Denver, not only was Denver an always-good stop on the GD’s touring schedule, but so was Red Rocks, from 1978 to 1987, and by all accounts the Grateful Dead loved playing here. For some odd reason, I’ve encountered many angry people today via phone and email, and am not sure why that is, but hopefully the music will bring people to a more positive place. If you get confused (or angry…), listen to the music play. As others have noted, Phil, Bobby and Warren have had a busy day, singing the national anthem at today’s Giants-Rockies baseball game. In terms of the show, Feel Like A Stranger has always been a favourite (excuse the Canadian spelling…) opener. Bob’s voice on this tour has sounded better than it has in a while, hitting his highs when he needs to, and able to do the end-of-Bucket falsetto and all the other good things he does vocally. Casey Jones seems like a good way to follow up the jam in Stranger, followed by Loser, always fun to hear. Earlier today I heard the stellar version from 3/24/90 in Albany, really one of the finest from the Brent era. I am partial to the 1971 version of this song, but some of the later versions were real mind-blowers. With Easy Wind up next, I’ve got admit I could listen to the songs from Workingman’s Dead any night. Warren’s been doing this song justice with some appropriately growly vocals. Crazy Fingers arrives next, and thanks to Zomby’s helpful chart (thanks Zomby!), four of the first five songs are seeing their third appearance of the tour, with the exception being Loser, which is making its second tour appearance. Hey, I’m a sucker for trivia like this. They follow this with the mighty fine Weir-Barlow twofer, Lost Sailor>Saint of Circumstance. I always enjoy a first set tape that features a Deal or Don’t Ease Me In after Sailor>Saint to end a set, but this is a pretty good ending nonetheless.

Set 2 Recap

A nice little acoustic sequence to open the set, the fourth time on the tour they’ve done this, with a couple of more tour-firsts mixed in, specifically Deep Elem Blues and Whiskey in the Jar. Me and My Uncle in Denver is always appropriate, and loads of fun. The percussion jam and Space were a little different. Ramble On Rose has been played really well on this tour, so it’s good to see it pop up again in the rotation. King Solomon’s Marbles allows this band to really show how tight it can be, which is followed by a bit of an odd sequence, with China Doll, Cumberland Blues and Not Fade Away. One very cool thing about this band on this tour is that song placement is no longer predictable. Cumberland Blues after Space? It just never would have happened after 1974 with the Grateful Dead, just as the mid-first set Crazy Fingers was pretty much gone from the setlist after 1976. Likewise, a Ripple encore was pretty darn rare, with the 9/3/88 version being the only one I can think of by the Grateful Dead. A quick breeze through Denver, and no one’s noticed but the band’s all packed and gone, and now it’s on to L.A. for a one-night stand at the funky old Forum in Inglewood.