Anybody checking out the Grateful Dead 50 years farewell concerts? If I recall correctly, the first time I saw them was June 1973 (forty-two years ago) in a stadium show with the Allman Brothers at a scorching hot RFK Stadium in Wash DC, having driven from Vermont for the show. Too old for stadium shows now, but the streaming webcasts of the concerts from Santa Clara this weekend were awesome. High def video, great sound.
4.5 hours (minus a 1 hour intermission between sets) on Saturday and another 4.5 hours (minus intermission) on Sunday and they didn’t repeat a single song.
First show was a throwback set list, all old old old stuff including five songs that had never been played lived after 1971 and one from the Aoxomoxoa album that had never been played live (and for good reason, IMO). Newest song they played was Truckin’ to open the show. The second set started with the first three sides of the Dead’s first live album played in order: Dark Star > St. Stephan > The Eleven > Turn On Your LoveLight. They played the fourth side of the album last night (Death Don’t Have No Mercy).
Grateful Dead Setlist, June 27, 2015
“Truckin’”
“Uncle John’s Band”
“Alligator”
“Cumberland Blues”
“Born Cross-Eyed”
“Cream Puff War”
“Viola Lee Blues”
“Cryptical Envelopment”
“Dark Star”
“St. Stephen”
“The Eleven”
“Turn On Your Love Light”
“Drums / Space”
“What’s Become of the Baby”
“The Other One”
“Morning Dew”
Encore: “Casey Jones”
Second night was a better set list (for me) and the band kicked it up a notch, mostly because Trey Anastasio stepped up in the lead guitar role Sunday night’s show was amazing, concluding with Brokedown Palace as their final song in their final show in the Bay Area that was worth the $19.95 for the pay per view webcast.
Grateful Dead Setlist, June 28, 2015
“Feel Like a Stranger”
“New Minglewood Blues”
“Brown-Eyed Women”
“Loose Lucy”
“Loser”
“Row Jimmy”
“Alabama Getaway”
“Black Peter”
“Hell in a Bucket”
“Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo”
“Wharf Rat”
“Eyes of the World”
“He’s Gone”
“Drums / Space”
“I Need a Miracle”
“Death Don’t Have No Mercy”
“Sugar Magnolia”
Encore: “Brokedown Palace”
These guys are getting up there in age. Bob Weir is 67. Phil Lesh is a spry 75. But, they can still play and it was great seeing them one last time.
Three shows in Chicago next weekend. Same webcast options (archived for viewing for a month), plus cable TV pay per view. I’m going to have put the final show in high def on my DVR, I think!
This may not stay up on YouTube long, but if you click it quick, here’s a YouTube rip of Sugar Magnolia from last night’s webcast:
