June 8 - June 14, 2009

Greetings, and welcome back to another fine week (we think…) at the Tapers' Section, where we'll listen to some of our favourite material from 1969, 1973, 1977 and 1984.

Our first selection this week is from the Fillmore West in San Francisco, during the course of another of the fine four night runs the band played at this mighty fine little venue. From 6/8/69, we have the very hot 1969 sequence of Dancing In The Street, He Was A Friend of Mine>China Cat Sunflower>New Potato Caboose. This is the final live Grateful Dead version of New Potato Caboose, and although not the level of some of the exquisite mid-1968 versions, it a good listen nonetheless.

Next we have one of the most famous jams of 1973, the sequence of Dark Star>He's Gone>Wharf Rat>Truckin'from 6/10/73 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. They didn't play too many shows in the late spring and summer of 1973, but when the Grateful Dead did convene, magic usually transpired. This jam is certainly one of the best, most inspired and unique of a very, very good era.

From four years less a day later, we have the big second set jam from 6/9/77 at Winterlnd in San Francisco, on the final night of a very good three night run at Winterland. This jam, consisting of Estimated Prophet>St. Stephen>Not Fade Away>St. Stephen>Terrapin Station>Sugar Magnolia, US Blues, One More Saturday Night, is a great way to cap off one of the finest six week periods in Grateful Dead, from 4/22/77 to 6/9/77. This Winterland show would be the last Grateful Dead concert for three months, with the band picking back up right where they left off when they returned to the stage on 9/3/77 at Englishtown with yet another exceptional 1977 concert.

Lastly this week, and I believe we may have played this jam before here at the Tapers’ Section, to celebrate its 25th Anniversary, we have the Red Rocks jam from 6/14/84 featuring Shakedown Street>Playing In The Band>Dear Mr. Fantasy, with this being the first-ever live Dear Mr. Fantasy by the Grateful Dead. The way they fall into Fantasy from the Playing In The Band spacey jam has always been one of my favourite little Grateful Dead moments. It might not be perfect, but it’s right.

Make sure you stop in next week for more great music, including selections from 1974, 1990, 1991. See you here, we hope.

David Lemieux
vault@dead.net