This week we have some very, very classic Grateful Dead, as well as a unique jam from 1972.

First of all, from MIT in Cambridge, MA, on 5/6/70, we have this monster Good Lovin'. This was a free concert that took place at MIT's Kresge Plaza and was part of a student day of striking to protest the Kent State killings a few days before. This show was just after the Harpur College show on 5/2/70, and carries with it much the same energy as Harpur. There was a version of Dancing In The Street played at MIT that was every bit the equal of the terrific version played at Harpur.

Next up we have a very special jam from Europe '72. Amongst all of the small venue shows the band played on that tour, they broke away from the trend on 5/7/72 to play the Bickershaw Festival in Wigan. At every show on the Europe tour, the band played either a Dark Star or an Other One as the central jam vehicle in the second set, but never both songs at the same concert. Except at Bickershaw. This show saw the band playing its longest show of the tour, and the second set featured the ultimate Europe '72 jam, Dark Star>The Other One>Sing Me Back Home. There is a bit of a cut in The Other One before they venture into the second verse, but it's forgivable considering how great the rest of the jam is. We played the Dark Star here last year, but due to popular demand, we have the whole jam here this year. Sorry it took so long.

This being the week that includes May 8, we figured it'd be a good time to play Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain from 5/8/77 at Cornell. 'Nuff said.

Finally this week, we have a nifty little stand-alone Estimated Prophet from 5/11/77 in St. Paul, MN. The song developed with a longer and more exploratory jam at virtually every stop on this tour. Occasionally it would go into another song, but these stand-alone versions are pretty darn cool, so we figured you could use another.

Be sure to stop by next week for more music from the vault. And don't hesitate to write with comments, questions, suggestions, requests, complaints or praise. The only way we can get the music you want out there is if we hear from you. The email address below, with “Grateful Dead” in the subject, will get the message directly to me.

David Lemieux
vault [at] dead.net