• Meadowlands Arena - October 16, 1989
    Bob Weir's 42nd birthday

setlist

  • Picasso Moon
    Mississippi Half-Step
    Feel Like a Stranger
    Good Time Blues
    Built to Last
    Stuck Inside of Mobile
    Let it Grow
    Deal

    Dark Star
    Playin' in the Band
    Uncle John's Band
    Playin' in the Band
    drums
    I Will Take You Home
    I Need a Miracle
    Dark Star
    Attics of My Life
    Playin' Reprise

    We Bid You Goodnight

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  • kmc
    17 years 4 months ago
    Absolutely my favorite of all time
    What a great time! Did the Circle Line Cruise earlier in the day. Had great seats for this tremendous show. kmc
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    honest matt
    17 years 4 months ago
    my third show
    the only time I ever dosed at a show I was freaked. . . .they were whispering "Dark Star" as I walked in . . . . I I was in over my head that night but love the shit out of the tape
  • msgsec74
    17 years 4 months ago
    My 5 Year Anniversary Show
    This is also the first of two "Dark Star"s in a row. The next show I saw was 3/29/90 !
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17 years 7 months
Bob Weir's 42nd birthday
setlist
Picasso Moon
Mississippi Half-Step
Feel Like a Stranger
Good Time Blues
Built to Last
Stuck Inside of Mobile
Let it Grow
Deal

Dark Star
Playin' in the Band
Uncle John's Band
Playin' in the Band
drums
I Will Take You Home
I Need a Miracle
Dark Star
Attics of My Life
Playin' Reprise

We Bid You Goodnight
show date

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17 years 4 months
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This is also the first of two "Dark Star"s in a row. The next show I saw was 3/29/90 !
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17 years 4 months
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the only time I ever dosed at a show I was freaked. . . .they were whispering "Dark Star" as I walked in . . . . I I was in over my head that night but love the shit out of the tape
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17 years 4 months
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I think that this was the show that was broadcasted on WNEW-FM...not sure...if anybody knows...or if i wasn't so lazy I would go to the closet and see if I have it on tape...I think that this is the show that I asked someone to tape for me while I was at the show...whatever...
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17 years 4 months
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Brent shows some killer lung power at the end of take you home. _______________ insert obligatory signature here
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17 years 4 months
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I knew it when it was happening, that given the limitations of time and space, for mortals it doesn't get any better than this. I wish I had seen more shows, but I feel incredibly lucky to have been at this one.
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17 years 4 months
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Most intense experience ever words fail utterly to convey what it was to be in that place for that second set. During the Dark Star I felt like I was some sort of sub atomic particle rocketing through space and time ever expanding like a lotus flower.. then reaching it's zenith and collapsing back inward again like some dying sun. The only time the Dead EVER paired Dark Star with Playing in the Band. In all reality the entire second set happened within that space opened up during that Dark Star. The UJB was sloppy but the jam out of it was titantic. I felt that I was experiencing the very fires of creation during that closing jam..very powerful stuff and then a Playing themed jam that dissolves into this very Dark creepy piece of music that made me think of the band and audience collectively approaching the very edge of some dark abyss peering into it and then instinctually backing away from this with the help of a nice piece of music by Mr. Mydland to lead us to drumms. The drum break at this show was shortest that I have ever seen. It was like the drummers thought to their selves why am I banging on these drums after that we need to be hanging with the band backstage. Billy and Mickey left the stage altogether and let the PA buzzzzz along with the audience.space> IWTYH was a soft return to the astral plane and Miracle further cemented us to the earth..The Dark star reprise >Attics>Playin(reprise) and finally We bid you goodnight...Wow I thought I was in heaven but when the door opened after the show I quickly discovered that I was actually in hell or Jersey city six of one 1/2 dozen of the other.
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17 years 4 months
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DKNJ: An unforgettable show. Dark Star, Attics of My Life, Bid You Goodnight. Adam Katz-R.I.P
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17 years 4 months
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I should have known from the full moon on the horizon as the gigantic sun set on the interstae that night, like crossing over between worlds...I missed the first set due to circumstances out of my control, a detail that was washed away after the darkstar shined brightly that night....the ride home was highlighted by melting new jersey state troopers and a whole bunch of bedtime stories, the show is in my top 3. i am still shocked i made it home free that night. Quinnta--Essential grateful dead
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17 years 3 months
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It was the only show I missed of that run.
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17 years 4 months
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I had never heard Picasso Moon before. I was standing their trying to get my bearings when they reached the chorus and I heard "It's bigger than a drive in movie OOOWWWeeee????" I was looking around thinking that didn't really happen this isn't real right? In retrospect this was the perfect opener for this show because I would spend much of the second set asking the same question. For what it is worth this Picasso Moon tops my list. High energy and Phil and Jerry ripping it up at the end. After this we get a nice traditional 1/2 Step thats gets the Byrne on it's feet and grooving. Jerry is Dead on again but wait the music trails off before the sing a long ending and by design or not our 42 year old Birthday boy grabs the bull by the horns and and gives us a Feel like a Stranger. Now for my money this song died with Brent. And fall tour 89 was as good as it got for this song. Brent joins the party in this one with the Hammond and backup vocals. The whole band foretells what we were in for with "It's gonna be a long long long crazy night" Oh well we were warned. Next up Brent keeps his Hammond warm and us with a Good Times Blues. I saw this song as his and our ode to New Jersey. "Come tommorow..gonna get my pay and leave this Fuc*#% town! After the Yellow jacket security we couldn't have agreed more. Jerry adds some nice blues guitar work to this song. Next up is what might be the only misplaced song of the night Built to last. This was well played with some midi guitar but Brown Eyed women or Loser would have been nice. Next Bobby gives tribute to Mr. Zimmerman with Stuck inside a mobile. This gets the whole band treatment and Weir sings with passion and remembers the words. It is at this time that Jerry plays around with the happy birthday themed illiciting a sing along from the crowd "Happy birthday Mr. Weir" It was Douglas Adams that wrote that the number 42 is is the ultimate answer to the ultimate question of the universe. Bobby must have agreed with that because he decided to tear open his birthday gift from Garcia of a set closer. The results were a titantic midified mindfuc#!^% of a Let it Grow. In case we didn't already know this song served as fair warning for what will come in the second set. Anyone wishing to not have their DNA and Soul permanently altered please exit NOW. The chorus "Listen to the thunder shouting "I AM I AM I AM" Was Biblical. It was one of those moments of perfect purity. Drenched in sweat and exhausted from that I floated on the last peaceful notes of Let it Grow when suddenly. DEAL ..Oh Man! You veterans of the early 80's may have been used to this pairing but I was not prepared. It took me a couple of seconds to find my second dancing wind but if Jerry is kicking down like this my 19 year old ass better be ready to groove.
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15 years 9 months
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out of all the dark stars played on this east coast tour, I saw every one. This one was the weakest of the entire 89 tour. It was just another song, in a set list. It was a sick set list. Just the energy was not there.
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15 years 2 months
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Why bother trying to describe what I cannot? THE reason this 'thing' is what it is. (was/for me anyway) ultimate. I only caught ONE show this tour, and this was it. This boy is quite blessed. Dark Star started, I almost lifted off the ground. It was like I hit the psychedelic lottery Attics????? Holy friggin moly moly then a REAL heart-felt, full arena singing "Bid You Goodnight" They released this one for GOOD REASONS Happy Bday Weir!!
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14 years 8 months
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The 2nd set was heart-attack city from start to end. Everyone was freaking out and having so much fun. People were just drenched and exhaused leaving the 5 nite run behind!
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17 years 2 months
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My first show... didn't realize how special a night it was till later on.

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7 years 6 months
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I knew it was awesome while I was there as I had heard enough Grateful Dead to realize that Darkstar was something that I wanted to hear. On the bus to the show everyone was buzzing about the Hampton Shows and I wanted either H S F or Darkstar or both..... Monumental first show and possibly the best show I attended although it is hard to say..

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2 years 4 months
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The First set was above average and Dark Star was in the air ...Bleak scene though with mean and rude security ,, Show was great,,, Philly had a better Vibe on the lot and inside I thought, more comfortable anyway..

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When I found out the Grateful Dead had pulled a Dark Star out of their hat at Hampton Rhodes a few nights before this I ditched high school, sold my baseball collection, and convinced a girl I knew to let me pay for gas if she would drive to New Jerseys with me to see this run of shows. When we got to New Jersey she met some dude from Austria, kicked me out of her car, and gave him my clothes, my bootleg tape collection, and my seat in her car. I only got into the 3rd night, when they played Help->Slip->Franklin's, and this night, the 5th in the run.

It was absolutely worth the effort, the difficulties being alone without a way home, and the massive trouble I got into for running away from home and essentially dropping out of high school. I stayed in the east coast and did the rest of the 1989 fall tour, I got into every single show after this one and had a blast.

But this was the one - this show stands out like a glittering gem in my mind from the whole tour, my first, and best Dark Star, and the thrill of being out on my own, on the road by myself for the first time in my life.

What a show. I'll remember it for the rest of my life.