On this day in 1991, Jerry Garcia Band opened its 14-date fall tour with a performance at Landover, MD’s Capital Centre. Thanks to a recently restored 4K video of the group’s moving cover of “Shining Star” by The Manhattans from that night, you can get a clearer-than-ever sample of the sights and sounds fans experienced that night 34 years ago.
While Jerry Garcia toured with the Grateful Dead up until his death in 1995, he he never wavered from indulging his love of soul and R&B music with his solo outfit, which at the time featured Garcia (guitar, vocals) alongside David Kemper (drums), Gloria Jones (vocals), Jacklyn LaBranch (vocals), John Kahn (bass), and Melvin Seals (keys). “Shining Star”, which had entered the Jerry Garcia Band rotation earlier that year, went on to become something of a signature song for the Grateful Dead guitarist’s soulful side project. In 2001, several years after Garcia’s death in 1995, a collection of live recordings from this era was officially released as Shining Star.
Related: Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger” Expected To Hit The Auction Block With Jim Irsay Guitar Collection
Of note, the Jerry Garcia Band show on 11/6/91 also featured a pair of notable live debuts including Norton Buffalo’s “Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox”, which the group would go on to play roughly 60 times in the ensuing years, and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”, which appeared more than 10 times in ’91 and ’92 before leaving the Grateful Dead guitarist’s side project setlist rotation.
Watch the newly remastered “Shining Star” video, listen to an audience audio recording, and view the full setlist for the 11/6/91 Jerry Garcia Band show below.
Jerry Garcia Band – “Shining Star” (The Manhattans) [4K Remastered] – 11/6/91
[Video Post-Production: Christopher Hazard, Josh Davis]
Jerry Garcia Band – Capital Centre – Landover, MD – 11/6/91 – Full Audio
[Audio via Elaine Oliveira, taper unknown]
Setlist: Jerry Garcia Band | Capital Centre | Landover, MD | 11/6/91
Set One: Cats Under The Stars, Stop That Train (The Wailers), You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry), Run For The Roses, Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob Dylan), Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox (Norton Buffalo) [1], My Sisters And Brothers, Deal
Set Two: The Way You Do The Things You Do (The Temptations), Waiting For A Miracle (Bruce Cockburn), Money Honey (Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters), Shining Star (The Manhattans), Struggling Man (Jimmy Cliff), Don’t Let Go (Jesse Stone), Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Solomon Burke)
Encore: (What A) Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
Notes: [1] Jerry Garcia Band live debut.