March 15- March 21, 2010
Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where this week we'll be checking in on three full first sets from 1987 and 1988.
Our first stop this week is on 9/16/87, the second of the five night run at Madison Square Garden, the Grateful Dead's first appearance there since 1983. The first set this night was quite standard for the time, with one rather glaring exception: Scarlet Begonias was the second song of the night, popping out of a joyous Touch of Grey. Now THAT caught everyone off guard. We're pleased to present you with Touch Of Grey > Scarlet Begonias; Little Red Rooster; Dire Wolf; My Brother Esau; High Time; Let It Grow > Don't Ease Me In. the next night, on 9/17/87, jerry and bob made their famous appearance on letterman in which bobby, dave and biff attempted to levitate jerry, an old parlor trick.
From a little less than a year later, on 9/5/88 at the Capital Center in Landover, MD, we have the first set consisting of Iko Iko; Walkin' Blues; Ramble On Rose; Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues; Row Jimmy; Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again; When Push Comes To Shove; The Music Never Stopped. This is the show after the breakout of Ripple on 9/3/88, and the crowd was pumped by Saturday's developments.
Lastly this week, from 9/8/88 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia to start a four night run of shows, we have the first set, made up of Let The Good Times Roll > Shakedown Street ; Walkin' Blues ; To Lay Me Down ; It's All Over Now ; Loser ; Let It Grow. This was a real hit-and-miss tour, and this set is certainly one of the hits.
Be sure to join us next week for more great stuff here at the Tapers' Section. As always, we encourage your emails at the address below.
David Lemieux
vault@dead.net
Location
BUT selection #1 points to #3