Week of August 24-30, 2026
Welcome back to the Tapers’ Section, where this week we have Grateful Dead music from 1981, 1989,, and 1991
Our first stop this week is on 4/30/81 in Greensboro, where we have this excellent start of the second set: Shakedown Street > Samson And Delilah ; It Must Have Been The Roses ; Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World.
From 8/5/89 at Cal Expo, another second set opening sequence, featuring Hey Pocky Way, Playing In The Band>I Know You Rider>Terrapin Station, including a rare Rider without China Cat.
Lastly this week, also from Cal Expo, on 5/5/91, we have this start of the second set, featuring Eyes Of The World>Man Smart (Woman Smarter) ; Ship Of Fools ; Truckin'>Terrapin Station.
Be sure to join us here next week for more music from the vault.
David Lemieux
dead comment
4/30/81
Camped out for these tickets, got front row center. Our whole campout crew was right up there, close and personal. Red roses given to Jerry, and then he played Must Have Been the Roses. Some of our gang wore the Go to Heaven look. Then on to Hampton and Philly on the Red Dragon Express!
Sounds like you might have…
Sounds like you might have had a wee bit of fun!
5-5-91
That improvisation at the end of Terrapin is worth the price of admission. Truly transfixed listening compared to the rest of that clip.
Cheers
5/5/91 Cal Expo
yes - that jam out of Terrapin is beautiful! Also there's a short Spanish Jam theme in the Trucking > Terrapin segue - only time I caught that during the Jerry years. This was a Sunday afternoon show after 2 night shows and it was a fun run! My only shows during the Bruce years and as luck would have it he had to miss this run because of a prior commitment. So never saw the GD with Bruce in the band. Funny thing is I saw him twice as a guest before Brent passed - Buckeye Lake 6/25/88 and Great Western 12/10/89.
Nice stories BB!
Cal Expo - 5/5/91
It's solid enough, but overall not that high-energy a show - especially compared to those in August w/ Bruce.
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Still, there were a few nice surprises that afternoon: 2nd of only two H / S / F that I was able to catch. Eyes to open the 2nd set was just right for the vibe ... Wished for Samson & Delilah (it was Sun after all!) and got MSmart, WSmarter instead. When they set off on Truckin' I was fairly sure that it would be off to drums next, and we got Spanish-y jam > Terrapin - and the sweet jam that follows - as the 'liturgical' part of the show ; )
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