Grateful Dead

Hit the slopes with Chris Benchetler for 'A Beginner's Guide to the Grateful Dead Live' Volume 4 ⛷️

The renowned filmmaker, artist, and professional skier shares his top 5 Grateful Dead live picks from the mountaintops in Iceland.

“Brown Eyed Women” - Live at Wembley Empire Pool, London, England, 4/8/72

This song has always been, for me, a perfect example of Hunter/Garcia storytelling at its finest. I can practically see a movie unfolding as I listen.  It’s no surprise that it snowed so hard that the roof caved in. One of those great Americana stories where you can almost smell the wood burning and taste the burn of the whiskey. Add in the band’s incredible riffs and you’ve got a complete film inside a song. One of the reasons I opened up my first film, "Fire on the Mountain” with it… I love this Europe ’72 version in particular, as you still get that full early Dead Americana sound. Sit back, pour yourself a reasonable shot, and enjoy the journey with some friends.

“Fire on the Mountain” - Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 5/8/77

What can you really say about this gem… Long regarded as one of the best FotM’s the band ever played, from the historic Cornell ’77 show. I chose this version for my first film “Fire on the Mountain” as the peak of our journey. On a personal level, it always makes me think of Mickey Hart and Bill Walton. Two legends who became friends of mine, that helped open up a whole musical world to me. What I love most about this particular version is the silence between the notes. The band has no sense of hurry; time becomes irrelevant… So many times coming down a mountain, I’ve felt that same loss of time and space, completely in the moment. This FotM gives me that feeling every time, and I can always hear Bill’s voice yelling “FIRE!!!"

“I Know You Rider” – Live at Olympia Theater, Paris, France, 5/3/72

This “China Cat > Rider” is the quintessential Dead, loose and free. One of my favorite listening moments is always the transition, the way Bob’s bridge carries us from China into Rider. It shows the band’s ability to move beyond traditional musical boundaries. As China Cat winds down, I can hardly wait for Bob’s first riffs to launch us into an unbelievable “I Know You Rider.” Which inspired me to choose this as the final surf segment in my latest film “Mountains of the Moon.” 

“The Music Never Stopped” - Live at Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, 5/13/78

For me, “The Music Never Stopped” is the pinnacle of a live Dead experience. It’s bursting with energy and carries one of my favorite lines: “while the music plays the band.” When you’re there live (for me, only experienced because of Dead & Company, a massive thanks to John Mayer for honoring Jerry in the way he has), it really does feel like the music plays the band. The connection between the music and everyone in the audience is what keeps me coming back. I’m not just listening. I’m a part of it. We are all a part of it. I think that’s exactly why we all return again and again, and why Bobby always said the music would live on for 100s of years… Thank God the music never stopped!

“Shakedown Street” - Live at Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, 4/6/82

This Shakedown is one of those monster early ’80s jams, the band firing on all cylinders with no boundaries. Shakedown means something different to everyone…so many personal memories tied into it. A good friend of mine was at this show at 17 and described it as a psychedelic awakening. Most of us have had moments like that at these concerts. I could never tell you what to think or feel during any of these songs… Just let those memories be your guide!