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  • That Nice Hippy Guy
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    The China Cat/I know you
    The China Cat/I know you rider on without a net, Ive never heard a version that was so upbeat and powerfull. Also The Dark Star from RFK 6-10-73 is my own personal favorite. "You know the one thing we need is a left handed monkey wrench....."
  • 143or245
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    Simply Incredibly Scary
    I have never been blown away like I was listening to a Scary version of Dark Star in Miami, FLA on 10/26/89....u have to take about 37 minutes, close ur eyes and dream! 143or245 stay safe and feel good!
  • budculbertson
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    Some Personal Favorites
    Dark Star- 11/11/73- Winterland- Simply out of this world, takes the listener through so many emotions and modes. Incredible! Eyes Of The World- 6/18/74 Louisville- My 2nd live tape ever. Still my all time fave for mellowness and good vibes Uncle John's Band- 4/10/83 Morgantown- It was a pretty average show until this point, then Jerry took over. I still don't know how Jerry can play so many notes in such a short span. Everyone there noticed. Lazy Lightnin--> Supplication- 2/17/79 Oakland- For the same reasons I like the Morgantown Uncle John's. Jerry rips it up! Other One- 11/29/80 Gainesville- Brent plays the best jams on this one ever. Super tight! Shakedown Street- 4/6/82 Spectrum- Jerry and Brent's interplay on the jam is out of this world! More Later.....
  • Golden West
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    Re: Still Looking
    Most probably you were listening to a version from the spring of 1972. Very possibly April 14th.
  • SchlagerFire
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    Still Looking
    I'm still leaving my options open on this one, but I have a few that stand out, probably b/c I've listened to them the most: -the China Doll off of Reckoning - when they nail that harmony on "just a little nervous" I get chills -Friend of the Devil off Dead set - even though when i tracked down the original I didn't like Brent's solo as much, it's still one the tightest well played solos I've heard -Sugaree - 5/5/77 (just heard this one and I'm still in shock) -Scarlet/Fire - 5/8/77 - call me mainstream -Mountains of the moon -> dark -> etc - 2/11/69 - this has been one of my favorite jams for awhile, but I'm wrestling with some other recently procured copies from the Fillmore West that may end up winning out. . . -LL Rain - just heard this ridiculous version on Sirius, they didn't tell me where it's from. Bobby says something like "now for a sad song" at the beginning and Jerry is playing slide on the whole thing . . . I'm hoping someone with a little more experience might know where this came from.
  • tphokie1
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    Two Personal Faves
    I agree with many comments I've read that it's hard to pick all time favorites. My opinions change from day to day. However, here are 2 all time favorite versions, both for very personal reasons. My all time favorite version of Iko Iko is fron the Hampton Coliseum March 23, 1987. This was my first ever Dead show which I attended with two friends who had spent the last year introducing me to the music. My 8 year old son was also with us. He loved the song Iko Iko and was very attached to a dog one of my Dead Head buddies owned named Iko. In the parking lot before the show my son kept saying he couldn't wait to here Iko. We were all afraid he would be disappointed. I'll never forget my sense of wonder when during a break between songs in the first set the crowd started clapping out the rhythm to Iko and the band picked up on it and played the song!!! That's when my son and I realized this was not just a rock and roll concert! Can anyone tell me where I could get a good quality recording of this show (preferably with the audience participation)? My all time favorite version of Looks Like Rain was performed by Bob and Rob Wasserman in Richmond, VA shortly after Jerry's death (I think this was their first show after Jerry passed). Enough said.
  • Blue Orpheus
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    Dark Star on Dick's Picks 4
    Dark Star on Dick's Picks 4 is certainly up there - that incredible dissonant crescendo in the middle! Pure Dead. So were Casey Jones and Dancin'... those nights definitely deserve their long-standing reputation. I always loved Feel Like a Stranger on Without a Net and 04/01/80 the most (though I'm trying to re-find a keyboard-solo performance from the mid-'80s - that was amazing.) Shakedown on 01/10/79! Just heard it. Too many songs to mention now, though - but my all-time favorite concert so far might be 06-14-1968 :)
  • mrfish
    Joined:
    the best of the best
    Greatest Story Ever Told- 11/11/73... oh my god this version is so insane The Music Never Stopped- 5/3/77.. I really wish I was alive cause I would be going nuts, the band is having a great night and you could hear it. Donna's vocals are crisp and smoking hot. The jam is sick. Playing In The Band- 10-15-83.. This is one of my all time favorite shows. mickey and bill are so tight the whole second set. Jerry's playing reaches a new level on the jam. its unreal and goes into one of my favorite china dolls
  • harps
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    Some faves
    5/19/66 Midnight Hour5/2/70 Cumberland and from the ticket stub collection: 11/21/78 Truckin 10/27/79 Dancin > Franklin's 4/1/80 Promised Land (on different instruments); US Blues (Belushi cart wheels) 6/21/80 Playin' > Brent's Alaska jam 12/26/81 The Eleven jam 12/31/81 Dark Star 6/14/85 Keep on Growin' 6/16/85 Cryptical 6/30/85 Shakedown 3/2/87 Cassidy 10/9/89 Dark Star
  • alligator
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    Playin in the band
    Favourite Playin'8/27/72 Jerry is just wild on this one.
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17 years
So, what are your all-time greats?
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13 years 2 months
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best is subjective, but these versions are my favorites and they are all from 2/18/1971, last show with Mickey for several years ... *Bertha *Loser Hard to Handle *Wharf Rat (with Beautiful Jam!) Me and My Uncle Me and Bobby McGee Big Boss Man Candyman Uncle John's Band * - first time ever played Bertha is very cool because it has this little coda at the end of the song, and this version is the only time it was ever played. My 3rd show, and the first time I was ever psychedelic at a show. New Riders opened the show with a great set. One of the best nights Jerry ever had, imho. You can't go wrong with this show.
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16 years 11 months
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First night of two at the Jai-Alai Fronton in Miami. This is without a doubt my favorite China/Rider of all. The jam out of China Cat is second to none in my opinion. It is a complete work of art filled with masterful playing by all, with with one peak after another, a continuously building crescendo that literally explodes into Rider. The first time I heard it, it nearly blew my mind and still has an incredible effect on me to this day.
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16 years 11 months
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Hollywood Bowl? 1971. pure funk. I barely even recognized it the first time I heard it. I really like "traditional" Mr C...but this one is tops...IMO, of course. Your mileage may vary
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5 years 7 months
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My personal favorite is the peformance of "Black Peter", Northern Illinois University, 1977.
I am from europe, and was studying at the university from 1976-1979. I didnt know the dead before that show, but i have loved them ever since. Love from Denmark.

Best regards
Søren Jespersen
Writer at https://bedste-blackfriday-tilbud.dk/

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5 years 5 months
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Cow Palace New Years Eve 1976. Simply because I just listened to it! No doubt, tomorrow will bring a new favourite 😎

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14 years 6 months
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I had a whim to find a Terrapin above Terrapins. The one that will send shivers down my spine and fill me up with cascading sound fields each and every listen.

I listened to all the ones I have, not that many, maybe 6-7 and this is what I found:

The infamous version from Englishtown '77 still stands out quite a bit. It was my first show and I thought I was just playing favorites, but indeed it quite a wonderful version.

The other one I liked was from 03/03/1990 Nassau Coliiseum

It was also and quite education to listen to Robert Hunter Jack O' Roses acoustic studio version which clocks in at 15:58

But, I thought I would ask here as I know I will get some solid sound advice.

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4 years 4 months
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My personal favorite is the peformance of "Black Peter", Northern Illinois University, 1977.
I am from europe, and was studying at the university from 1976-1979. I didnt know the dead before that show, but i have loved them ever since. Love from Denmark.

Best regards
Writer at https://www.ellipticalaudit.com/
Patkerr

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16 years 11 months
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I can only talk about what I actually saw. The second set opener at the magnificent Greek Theater, Berkley, was the best. They came out in a rather excited state to start the set. Then, they just erupted into a musical superlative. The jam into drums was a Bobby/Brent thing I never saw at any other show. Then the sun set. People need to listen to that 40 minutes turned up real loud. Archive.org has a Charlie Miller sound board that will do you well.
Sure there are probably better Playin>Uncle John's, but that one was a best for me. The energy!

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3 years 7 months
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The Great American Music Hall for sure.....one from the vault 1975.....the best version of eyes ever.....Jerry's solo's are out of this world

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11 years 6 months
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Seeing the Dead at Bickershaw with a miner and his family ( wife and several kids ). They had given myself and a friend a ride to the site and i invited them along....we all just walked in. I had paid they hadn`t but it didn`t matter. We all watched and listened totally transfixed......magical time

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13 years 6 months

In reply to by HenryCline

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The one from 3-18-77 with the Alhambra / Terrapin Flyer jam afterwards is pretty cool.

Some great ones from the 80's are 4/14/84 Hampton, 3/23/87 Hampton and 4/6/87 Brendan Byrne. That Spring tour in 87 they were pumped up and the Terrapin outros in particular are smokin. Also the Brendan Byrne one comes out of Space and goes into The Other One, so there's that...

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16 years 11 months
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First time I heard it live after only having heard it on vinyl. I "got it" then. Was not too sure about it based on the album

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3 years 5 months
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Alvin Lee from Ten Years Later! I have a compilation of videos about this and download it through this tool videopower.me/tips/category-videopower-red/download-video-from-a-website/

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6 years 5 months
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Can we coax David and company to release 4-21-69, The Arc, Boston, Mass. for the next Dave's Pick release?

Please? Pretty Please?

Forever dedicated to great Dark Stars.....

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2 years 11 months
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I stumbled across this beautiful set of 08/03/1969... There's a saxophonist that joins in on the jams and I particularly enjoyed the way Phil Lesh played around with this interesting jazzy addition to the band. It definitely gave me more understanding in the way Phil plays the bass. And seeing as he was a trumpet player originally and wrote several Jazz pieces as a composer before meeting the band, we can hear and feel this is right up his alley. Best version so far in my books

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2 years 2 months
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I found a new favorite but I need some help. What live version of It Looks like Rains is it that ends with Jerry singing What A Wonderful World?

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2 years 1 month
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7-2-87

Archive.org best version is not the mixed one fwiw - great energetic show - can't go wrong with the entire show, band was tight - no good copies of the show exist due to rain heat and humidity unfortunately but local tv station caught first 4 songs and it is on youtube fyi

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13 years 6 months
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Dead with Allman Brothers & Peter Green Fillmore East 2/1170? How about a release form the vaults?

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3 years 6 months
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Just went back and listened to the Charlie Miller mix of 9-2-88. Just amazing. The second set alone is worthy of a Dick or Dave's....how about some fall of '88 love with those Picks!
This show is on the Mt. Rushmore for me with 8/27/72, 8/13/75, 5/22/77 and 8/6/74. Fall '88 is very nice overall but juxtapose this with a hot 10/2/88 and you can hear the extra oomph in 8/27/88. Listen to the Stella's from both and you can hear how the Cap Center one is far more on point. This show has my go to Wheel, Watchtower, Scarlet/Fire, Sugar Mag and Stella....hence, Rushmore.

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1 year 6 months
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Unbroken Chains from Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel. Phil Lesh sings and he is fabulous. This song has meant more to me that any other.

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9 months 2 weeks
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Given, I'm young in terms of deadheads at 54, so only saw the Grateful Dead around 10 times. Of those shows, June 23, 1990 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. One of those shows where you would swear they control the weather.

As for Dead & Co which I haven't missed any of the Boulder shows since I live here. Honestly, July 3rd, 2023, the last night in Boulder this summer was just over the top. Most of the Boulder Dead & Co have been great. June 18, 2022 & July 6, 2019 were also especially good.