Week of December 1-7, 2025
Welcome back to the Tapers’ Section, where this week we have Grateful Dead music from 1972, 1973, and 1988.
Our first stop this week is the excellent and unique sequence from 10/18/72 in St. Louis, released in the St. Louis boxed set a few years ago: Playing In The Band> Drums> Dark Star> Morning Dew> Playing In The Band.
Next is the start of the show from 12/19/73 in Tampa, the show that became Dick’s Picks Volume 1 in 1993: Promised Land; Sugaree; Mexicali Blues; Dire Wolf; Black Throated Wind; Candyman; Jack Straw.
Lastly this week is the first set from the penultimate show of 1988 on 12/29/88 in Oakland, where we have Hell In A Bucket > Sugaree ; New Minglewood Blues ; Friend Of The Devil ; Queen Jane Approximately ; To Lay Me Down > Let It Grow.
Be sure to join us here next week for more music from the vault.
David Lemieux
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10-18-72 Etc.
A gem and just what you'd want in a jam. The Dark Star almost continues in the Playin' vein. Then the post Dark Star Philo stomp evolves into something pretty and interesting. Warms the heart on a snowy day.
Cheers
Oh, and there's a hidden Deal and Promised Land at the end. Bonus!
12-19-73 Slowest Dire Wolf? Candyman so good
12-29-88 Penultimate! Gotta do a beer and bong, its a drinking game for that word.
Penultimate!
Yass 1stShow, I'll drink to one of Dave's favorite words!
and that 10/18/72 Playing sandwich is unfreaking believable - one of the great truly ecstatic Donna wails as they hit the reprise - I love it!
The To Lay Me Down > Let It Grow from 12/28/88 caught my eye so spinning that one first. I'll hit the others on my drive down to Fence Lake tomorrow morning.
Looks like the Colorado Mtns are getting some solid early season snow.
Edit - I was at Hampton 3/27/88 when Jerry broke out To Lay Me Down for first time since '83. Night before a bunch of us were playing the "what song would you like them to play" game and that was my call! I don't think I even knew it hadn't been played for a few years. checked the set list - forgot that it too went into Let It Grow. Smoking show in a smoking run at Spaceship Hampton (my only shows there.)