Another new Grateful Dead live video from the band’s recently-launched “All The Years Live” series is now available through their official YouTube page. The latest addition to the archive video series showcases the Dead’s performance of “Let It Grow” from a packed concert at Orchard Park, NY’s Rich Stadium on July 16th, 1990.
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As the band’s official archivist David Lemieux explains in the video’s description, “For a little over a year, from September 1973 to October 1974, ‘Let It Grow’ was in the Grateful Dead’s repertoire as part of ‘Weather Report Suite’, but when the Dead returned to the road in June 1976, it was without its ‘Prelude’ and ‘Part 1’. After 1976, ‘Let It Grow’ was primarily a first set closer, or the penultimate song of the first set, as it was here. This rendition is from Brent Mydland’s sixth-to-last show.”
The performance of the Bob Weir-sung tune from the Dead’s 1973 Wake of the Flood album came towards the end of the first set between “High Time” and “Don’t Ease Me In” that evening. While Weir may have led the charge on the nearly-12-minute performance of the lively tune on vocals, a lengthy solo from Jerry Garcia on his ‘Rosebud’ guitar in the middle section certainly helped launch the song into orbit for fans in the packed football stadium that evening.
Watch the band’s performance of “Let It Grow” from their 1990 performance at Rich Stadium below.
Grateful Dead – “Let It Grow” – 7/16/90
[Video: Grateful Dead]
Previous editions of the Dead’s ongoing weekly “All The Years Live” video series have included, “Loose Lucy” from June 17th, 1991 at Giants Stadium, “Big Boss Man” from June 16th, 1990 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, “New Speedway Boogie” from June 17th, 1991 at Giants Stadium, “Terrapin Station” from July 26th, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium, “Not Fade Away” from New Year’s Eve 1978 at the Winterland Ballroom, “Cassidy” from June 17th, 1991 at Giants Stadium, “Stagger Lee” from July 4th, 1991 at Rich Stadium, “Lazy River Road” from June 26th, 1993 at RFK Stadium, “Bird Song” from July 1st, 1992 at Buckeye Lake, “Shakedown Street” from June 22nd, 1991 at Soldier Field, “My Brother Esau” from July 24th, 1987 at Oakland, CA’s Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, “Blow Away” from 7/16/90 at Rich Stadium, “Touch of Grey” from 7/4/1989 at Rich Stadium, “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” from 7/6/1990 at Cardinal Stadium, “Estimated Prophet” from 7/8/1990 at Three Rivers Stadium, “Reuben & Cherise” from 6/6/90 at Buckeye Lake, “Morning Dew” from 10/18/74 at the Winterland Ballroom, “Sugar Magnolia”/”Scarlet Begonias”/”Fire On The Mountain” from 12/31/78 at the Winterland Ballroom, and “Wang Dang Doodle” from June 14th, 1991 at RFK Stadium.