JACK STRAW
Two come to mind - I like the latter day Jack Straw's better than the earlier years' because they were played at a faster tempo and because of the crowd frenzy the final jam often caused.
These two bring The Frenzy in a big way:
4/6/87 Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ
9/9/87 Providence Civic Center, Providence RI
Listen to audience copies.
My first tape was 12-26-69 SMU. A great show and always special to listen to because it was the show that got the wheel turnin'. Of course, dont kill me for this, is Barton Hall 5-8-77. I love this show, I dont care how many times I have heard it, I would still like an official version remastered by the people at the vault. Then 2-18-71, the first Wharf Rat sandwiched between a killer Dark Star, very nice. I agree on the 10-26-89, that show is awesome, definately the best of the later versions of Dark Star, IMO
Some Days the Gails are Howling, Some Days the Sea is still as glass
The energy that was in the Arena that night was beyond any feeling I had at any of the 26 shows I saw or worked on!
My buddy and i looked at each other in complete silence knowing what was happening was really special.
We only spoke about if after the show but we both had the same feeling that the building left Mother Earth.
And no we weren't high!
To think a few years later i would be in that same venue running spotlight on Jerry and him singing Lovelight! Another fond memory!
I recently launched a website that allows you to discuss, vote on, and listen to the 'best' versions of dead songs. Check out headyversion.com - a ton of the shows mentioned here are on the site, plus a lot more. We're approaching 800 versions on there!
Peggy-O: July 1, 1980, San Diego. I got passed the tape just a few weeks after - in Colorado, what a network. Jerry's solo guitar so sweet.
If the buildup ( I don't know the correct term) at the end of Truckin works than it's the best song being played at that time. I'm thinking 73>74, 77>78, 89>90, had the best performances.
As far as covers go, I never heard a Big River or Promised Land I didn't like.
Looks Like Rain from Columbia 1985 is by far my favorite. Booby was running all over the stage. I've been to several shows but never saw him this "Happy" Fall '85 still my favorite tour
North Carolina
1995
Spring
Both sets but the second set is totally unreal folks, unbelievable at best.
These lists are not in anyway definitive, but it is fun nonetheless. It is also good to discover other versions you haven't heard before...That said, here are my current favorites...
Sugar Magnolia: 2/9/73 Palo Alto, CA
Here Comes Sunshine: 2/15/73 Madison, WI
Dark Star: 11/11/73 San Francisco, CA
Around and Around: 10/20/78 San Francisco, CA
Hard to Handle: 8/6/71 Hollywood, CA
does anybody know what live show "mission in the rain" was done at where it's exclusively jerry singing and it sounds like a synthesizer in the middle of the song, or something he did with his guitar that made it sound like a synthesizer? i've been trying to find this version for a while now...anybody got any ideas?