Halloween 1992 was a scary time for Grateful Dead fans, and not just because of the spooky holiday. Three months prior, guitarist Jerry Garcia collapsed following another downward health spiral that came six years after his diabetic coma in 1986. Those fears were put to rest—albeit only temporarily—when Jerry Garcia Band took the stage at Oakland Coliseum Arena on October 31st, 1992 where the musical icon appeared slim, healthy, and in great spirits. That show is slated for release as GarciaLive Volume 19 from Garcia Family Provisions, who shared audio of “The Maker” along with Friday’s announcement.
JGB’s 1992 Halloween show is high on sentimentality, from the opening “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” which a jovial hometown Bay Area crowd accepts as Garcia’s gratitude to the legions of fans who kept him in their hearts during his recovery. Additionally, Friday’s cover of Daniël Lanois‘ “The Maker” finds Garcia reflecting on his own close call with his maker, and lamenting the woes of a “body bent and broken.”
Beyond the emotions, 10/31/92 shows the Jerry Garcia Band in one of several career peaks. Two of the songs from the show have already been hand-picked for previous compilation releases, “Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox” from Shining Star and “Tangled Up in Blue” from Garcia Plays Dylan. And of course, no Halloween performance would be complete without an encore of Warren Zevon‘s “Werewolves of London” to send the audience home howling at the moon.
GarciaLive Volume 19: October 31st, 1992 is available for pre-order on CD and digital download. Listen to Jerry Garcia Band perform “The Maker” and check out the full tracklist below.
Jerry Garcia Band – “The Maker” (Daniël Lanois) – 10/31/92
