Tell me, is there anything better than mid-70’s Grateful Dead? 

From Dead archivist David Lemieux, this live release captures the Dead during their Wall of Sound Era. During this period, the band thoroughly updated their sound system, and the result is a crystal clear audio quality. Good thing too, because they played some gems on that delightful May evening in 1974.

The concert was held at the Harry Adams Field House in Missoula, Montana. It’s an indoor venue, with a capacity of about 5,500 – making for quite an intimate setting. The Grateful Dead sensed the enthusiasm, opening up the show with a fan-favorite: Bertha. 

The band kept it going with a handful of folky tunes, including “Me and My Uncle,” “Loser,” and “Black-Throated Wind.” Black-Throated Wind became a scarcity from Dead setlists after 1974, and this performance is a particularly emotional one (then again, all BTW performances are emotional… I love that song).

Afterwards, the Dead played their brand new song, “Scarlet Begonias.” Funny to think of Scarlet Begonias as new (considering this concert was 40 years ago), but this was only the second time it was performed. The version is standard – only later on would the Dead find “Begonias” as a vehicle for extended jamming. And, instead of the comfortable segue into “Fire On The Mountain,” which wasn’t written until 1978, the Dead segue into “It Must Have Been the Roses.” I can only imagine the hippies peacefully swaying to this glorious tune.

While the Dead played a handful of excellent tunes after this, the real meat and potatoes of the first set is the closer… a 21-minute version of “Playin’ In The Band.” Here, we really get into some extraterrestrial jamming, as the band diverges from the song’s familiar progression and delves into the cosmos. A Type-II jam, if you will. It’s an extraordinary effort that captures Jerry Garcia’s guitar prowess, as the musical space exploration never seems aimless. Wandering, with a purpose.

You can listen to this version of Playin’ In The Band, right here:

After a set break, the band came right back out with their A game, playing a heartened version of “U.S. Blues.” With the Vietnam War still raging on, one can only imagine the support that this song would have received. The band followed it up with a light-hearted “El Paso,” and a soulful “Row Jimmy.”

Then, it’s time to jam. “Weather Report Suite” > “Dark Star.” Forty-three uninterrupted minutes of out-of-this-world music. It’s an unbelievable testament to the godfathers of the jam. My words can’t even do this justice… anyone reading this has probably heard some epic Dead jams in their lifetimes, so you’ll know what I mean.

The band brings the cosmic jam home with a “China Doll,” and finish the set with a “Promised Land,” “Not Fade Away” > “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad.”

Finish it up with an encore performance of “One More Saturday Night,” and you have yourself one helluva Dead show. 

-David Melamed (@DMelamz)

Track Listing

First set:

“Bertha” – 6:15
“Me and My Uncle”  – 3:15
“Loser” – 6:39
“Black-Throated Wind” – 6:52
“Scarlet Begonias” – 7:21
“It Must Have Been the Roses” – 5:44
“Jack Straw” – 5:18
“Tennessee Jed” – 8:18
“Mexicali Blues” – 3:39
“Deal” (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:46
“Big River” – 5:21
“Brown-Eyed Woman” – 5:13
“Playing in the Band” – 20:49
Second set:
“U.S. Blues” – 5:48
“El Paso” – 4:44
“Row Jimmy” – 8:52
“Weather Report Suite” –16:08
“Dark Star” > – 26:39
“China Doll” – 5:52
“Promised Land” – 3:46
“Not Fade Away” > – 6:15
“Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” – 9:58
Encore:
“One More Saturday Night” – 4:50