Weather H26 L16
Set 1:
Jack Straw , Jack-A-Roe , Cassidy , Row Jimmy , Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues , Stagger Lee , Passenger , Deal
Set 2:
I Need A Miracle > Shakedown Street , From The Heart Of Me , Terrapin Station > Playing In The Band > Drums > Space [1] > Playing In The Band > Casey Jones
Encore:
Johnny B. Goode [2]
[1] With Drummers
[2] Bobby wishes Happy Birthday to Chuck Berry before
This pretty typical early ’79 show from the Springfield Civic Center. Keep in mind, when I say typical, that’s not a terrible thing, as the Grateful Dead were playing fairly high quality shows during this tour. And in this case, the second set of tonight’s show is: I Need A Miracle>Shakedown Street, From The Heart Of Me, Terrapin Station>Playing In The Band>Drums>Jam>Playing In The Band> Casey Jones, which, as far as January 1979 is concerned, is about as good a setlist as you’re going to ever get.Most of the Archive reviewers are focused on the I Need a Miracle>Shakedown Street segment, which does feature a unique transition betwixt the two. It’s cool once or twice, but it’s not exactly a Scarlet>Fire extended jam. More like an interesting segue. The Shakedown does rip, though. Also, at the end of the set, the band plays a very good version of Casey Jones, which is not always the case with this song, so add it to your must listen list for the night.I’m going to say that the first set is actually pretty sub-par here – there’s lots of basic playing and Bob Weir ruins a couple of tunes with strange guitar interjections. The energy is up, which is probably why people aren’t complaining, but, assessed objectively, there are much better first sets from this tour.One final thing that does stand out tonight is the quality of the recording, which is an A+ audience tape all of the way through. If you want to hear the true power of a good AUD, you’re going to want to get this one immediately.
SET LIST
SET 1
- Jack Straw
- Jack-A-Roe
- Cassidy
- Row Jimmy
- Mama Tried >
- Mexicali Blues
- Stagger Lee
- Passenger
- Deal
SET 2
- I Need A Miracle >
- Shakedown Street
- From The Heart Of Me
- Terrapin Station >
- Playing In The Band >
- Drums >
- Playing In The Band >
- Casey Jones
ENCORE
- Johnny B. Goode
Reviewer: chris phillips - Subject: best week of '791/7, 1/8, 1/10, 1/11, 1/12 and 1/15 are high energy shows.
Reviewer: brufeld4 - favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite - September 26, 2018 Subject: WOW!The entire 2nd set is amazing!
Reviewer: jbsbmt - Subject: mohawk nationthis guy is a fucking idiot. this a phenominal show and his review is a joke. miracle is as far from ordinary as you can get.
Reviewer: kschro66 - Subject: Great recordingI acquired the 2nd set of this show on tape along with a few other gems in the early 80's and it was always a standout in my collection.. Love those Shakedown and Playin jams from then like Anchorage and Gainesville. This particular recording really stands out. Definitely worth the download. The old tapes are getting a bit worn, lol.
Reviewer: DustTizzle Subject: Jam out of drumsIs incredible... That's what the Dead was about... Straight up psychedelic improv... Amazing miracle>Shakedown and a great row Jimmy among others.... Great AUD
Reviewer: Folkhippy - Subject: Terrapin jamsEasily the most beautiful pre-bridge Terrapin jam of the '78-'79 latter Keith era. Incredible show; great AUD. Crystal clear sound. Also, you must check out the "jam" after drums.
Reviewer: njpg - Subject: Very well-played show,nice recording!
Reviewer: boroask Subject: 5 starsthanks to the gd forum for turning me on to this wonderful show. when the boys are on, there is nobody better.
Reviewer: feather0926 - Subject: Another January GemYes the Miracle>Shakedown is HOT!! However the Terrapin>Playin is HOTTER!!! Also give Row Jimmy & Passenger a listen. Just download this show you will not be disappointed that is why I called this review "Another January Gem". A solid 4**** show.
Reviewer: Harry Morgan - - Subject: Mohawk Nation SillinessI love these folks who attempt to 'credential' their reviews by how long they've been a Deadhead. (I officially became a Deadhead twelve minutes ago.) You can have been a Republican for thirty-two years, too . . .
The 'Miracle,' he says, is "typical." I don't know what exactly that means, but I don't know when this band ever achieved "typical" on a song they had played live only twenty-three times, but whatever. What these guys achieve on this night in this place between 'Miracle' and 'Shakedown' is the nuttiest, off the chart, my-mind-has-liquefied-and-is-leaking-down-my-spinal-column gobbledygook I may have ever heard. And that goes equally as well for the jam at the end of 'Shakedown.' And, as others have noted, there are many other very fine moments, too. Plus it's a perfectly decent audience recording--especially when you consider that it's still early 1979. If you're a 'Shakedown' fan, and you like audience tapes, you will never regret the day you added this to your collection. Never. As for Mohawk Nation . . . well, there's no accounting for taste, is there?
Reviewer: Mr.Badger - Subject: Miracle> Shakedown!!!!A classic! A great Phil show...but everyone else is really on too. Great first set...in particular, the Row Jimmy and the Passenger draw my attention. The former has many great and smart subtlties to it, and the latter is just movin' and heavy!
The Miracle>Shakedown...well...man oh man. Thats the stuff right there! The jams in the Terrapin and the Playin' are inventive and real 'tight', in there own way, as well. Great singing to be found as well.
A knockout AUD from a short period of the bands' history (Pre Brent '79) that I confess I tend to pass over, as do others. This may be the best gig of that little slice just before the Godchauxs exited (Or maybe 2nd to the "very last one" or the show in Buffalo).
Reviewer: cringle - Subject: Great '79 AUDI think if there's one dead song where the studio version exceeds the live performances, its Terrapin. That said, 77-79 was the time to catch it live, before Keith's warm piano gave way to Brent's tinny toy keyboard sound of the early 80s and the kind nuance of the original version decays away over the next 2 decades.
Oh - and this show is also a Great '79 AUD. Great show, Great sound quality.
Reviewer: pnc - favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite - May 21, 2007 Subject: The sound is excellent......and the show certainly has its moments. The 2nd set opener as noted, but in addition, save for the early blown lyrics, I thought Terrapin to be VERY nice.
The show does have some less inspired moments as reported...I don't know if I would call Stagger Lee a throw way song, however this performance, mostly due to Bobby's terribe slide (you can just hear Jerry slowing down for him) is rather flat. And From the Heart of Me...uggghh. And I'm a Donna fan.
4 for the sound.
Reviewer: Capt. Midnite - Subject: Second set blast off.Miracle>Shakedown. Nuff 'said.
Reviewer: Mr. Charlie - Lambertville - - Subject: Some inspired . ..some not so muchHave to agree with the majority here. Definitely some highlights and definitely some uninspired playing. 9 tunes in each set is a little less than usual for the period. I've often wondered how the boys dealt with one of the band members coming down with the flu or something. They certainly never (rarely) cancelled a show and they performed so much that it must have occured often. The show must go on! If I had to guess I'd say that Jerry was a little under the weather. Still very much worth a listen.
Reviewer: lobster12 - Subject: whoamiracle>shakedown is priceless. As for one reviewer complaining about 22 minute Shakedown's. Please point one out. I'd love to give that a whirl.
Reviewer: TPryde - Subject: sorry-beg to differgreat sound for an aud... and the playing is pretty damn good. the review below reminds me that people have lost sight of a few things: every show was about the show, not the recording afterwards. oh my god, stagger lee is a 'throw away song'!? You mean every single song in a show wasn't epic? The jam out of drums? Totally unique, it's called 'improv'- if I'd been at this show I'd have made miracle whip in my pants. every show doesn't have to be 'best ever' to be damn friggin' good and make me thankful that this band was a part of my life.
Reviewer: Mohawk Nation - Subject: Sorry - Gotta DisagreeOK, the sound is terrific, and the crowd wants to get into it, but this is a deeply flawed performance. The Jack Straw starts out gorgeous, but Phil and Bobby have to kick Garcia in the ass to bang out some power chords at the end to rave it up. Stagger Lee? C'mon. It's a throwaway song. Miracle is typical and Shakedown has a funky second half and is mercifully not one of those 22-minute monsters from 1982. Bobby's slide manages not to mess up the end of Shakedown, as a matter of fact. And the jam out of the drums is the definition of pointless. The percussion is OK, but Garcia goes nowhere with it and Bobby's slide is just unlistenable. There's a reason it was a short-lived experiment. Playing reprise is OK, but very mellow. And Casey Jones starts out just great, but they completely screw it up at the end.
Great sound, but not a great show. And I have been a Deadhead since 1974 - not a newbie.....
Reviewer: hitmeister - Subject: Doesn't get much betterThis is about as good as it got during this era of the band's history. This is one of those shows that 's pretty much Just Exactly Perfect(tm). There's really not a weak moment. While there's good reason to rave about the Miracle>Shakedown 2nd set opener, for me, the highlight is the epic Playin' sequence.
This is one of the truly standout post-hiatus versions of this tune. A massive jamout-spaceout. The reprise is celebratory, and the Casey Jones set-closer couldn't be more appropriate. Bob's slide guitar doesn't even ruin it.
A definitive performance of the period, essential listening.
Reviewer: sky dog - Subject: SurprisingThere are some real gems hidden in some of these audience tapes. Jack-A-Roe is a scorcher on this one! The search for Phil is priceless.
Reviewer: capn doubledose - favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite - April 24, 2006 Subject: TerrapinAwesome - Shocker first set + I love the Miracle>Shakedown that was inspired... I gave this a 4 at first and then the Casey Jones and Playin reprise hooked me. This is one hot show.
Reviewer: AshesRising - Subject: ....Man, never thought I'd write a review and mention "I Need a Miracle," but such is my biased ignorance. As previously mentioned, the opening of the 2nd set "Miracle" jams flawlessly into "Shakedown" and is truly inspired. (Be forewarned that the entire band, not just Phil, drops an A-bomb on your head and up your spine as they bulldoze into the opening of "Shakedown.") Just FYI: the band came out on stage for the 2nd set without Phil so Weir tells the audience that Phil was last seen "consorting with a couple of aliens" and asks the audience "if you see Phil, please send him home..." Enjoy!
Reviewer: Wavey Davey - Subject: deelish!Unusual ambiance. This is honestly a remarkable aud, especially for an indoor venue. It has the clarity of an outdoor recording with the snugness of a show with walls. This recording could make a convert out of sbd "purists" (side note: one could argue that the true purists prefer a juicy aud.) show is slightly above average but the recording is top notch 4.5 stars, would be a 5 with a little more Phil presence
Reviewer: bass-great-lesh-phillin -December 21, 2005 Subject: Mutron IIIThis take of shakedown pretty much makes it clear the that Mutron III is an amazing effects pedal. No envelope filter matches this thing.
Reviewer: billydlions - Subject: playin repriseI agree with what everyone has said, but the best part of the show was the jam into the playin reprise. Jerry was playing at warp speed which was typical for him in these early 79 shows. Anyway, its the best Playing reprise I've ever heard. Whatever Jerry did to rejuvenate himself during drums was right on!
Reviewer: isaiah - Subject: Weir melted my brain . . .New this website and thrilled, as my tapes are now twenty years old and very well-worn. Slowly replacing my entire collection as well as finding shows I was at that I never had tapes for.
I had the Miracle> Shakedown from this show as a filler on a tape, but had no idea where it came from, as the copy didn't have the provenance. Just knew, between the Godchaux's and the material, that it was very late 70's. Used DeadBase (much thanks to those folk) to narrow it down to two January shows in 79; and here they are! The sound that Weir gets during Shakedown . . . YIKES. Use caution.
Speaking as a newbie, if you have the speed and the space, the Shorten files burned to CD are the way to go.
Reviewer: Jim F - Subject: Great sound.This show sounds excellent, which has been noted, but no one has mentioned the post drums jam. This is the highlight for me. Things just move along wonderfully with everyone pitching in.
Reviewer: J. Jonah Jameson - Subject: Another GEM of an AUDThis is yet another amazing AUD recording, can't help but say it. The 1st set is raucous, very solid. The Search for Phil is really funny, you wonder what he was doing... OK, the story here is the transition between Miracle and Shakedown. This freakin' BURNS. It's awesome, simply put. The only thing missing here is the ballad, Jerry doesn't feel like it here and they go straight into Casey Jones to wind up the 2nd set, but there's plenty to amaze here so definitely download this gem.
Reviewer: Tenenbaum77 - Subject: Miracle>>Shakedownif there was a list of best Live Dead seques, this would be noted no doubt! Check it!! For 79, this show holds up well; grab the 2nd set; you won't be sorry!
Reviewer: sheikyerbouti - Subject: Invisible little gemThis does not show up anyone's radar screen and is really great - wonderful first set jack straw, jack a roe deal.... set II kicks ass... great segue from miracle into shakedown sometimes I miss this 78-79 when they were trying to figure out where shakedown fit in best and had it popping up all over the place - this is also one of Keith and Donna's last so soak it up....Great sound quality for an audience 25 years old... Great Terr>playin as well.
Reviewer: Hogg - Subject: Jack Freakin Straw!I'm always amazed on how (I think) Jack Straw is an underated song or at least isn't as popular or talked about as much as say Dew or Scarlet etc. For me it's the Quintessential Dead song, both Jerry and Bobby on lead vocals, a tale of murder/deceit and usally one epic ending jam after another. This Jackie for me is by far one of the best, it slowly builds into one of the most incredible jaw dropping jams i've ever heard in any song by any band. ENJOY. Thank You Mr Rolfe.
Reviewer: itsostupendous - Subject: !hard to believe this is an analog Aud recording, sounds really good! the miracle -> shakedown is a smooth smooth transition.
Today in Grateful Dead History: January 14, 1979 – Utica Memorial Coliseum, Utica, NY
JANUARY 14, 2021 ~ EPRICHThere are only a few things about the Grateful Dead that remain consistent over the band’s thirty year career, but one of them is that, to my knowledge, they never played a bad show in upstate New York. Tonight’s show in Utica may not be the best of the lot, but it has a bunch to offer, and, coming when it does at the sloppy end of the Godchaux era, it’s surprisingly spritely.Before starting, lets get one thing out of the way. The only available recording of this show is an audience tape that is not a stellar example of the genre. However, it’s very listenable, and it improves a little after the first couple of songs. There are definitely some top outs and static throughout, but please don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here.I was surprised to find that my favorite songs during the first set are ones I don’t normally enjoy. Minglewood Blues is good fun, They Love Each Other has great Garcia soloing, and It’s All Over Now is a shiny example. (This is two days in a row that I’ve liked this song – things are strange). Just like yesterday’s show from 1978, the set closes with Lazy Lightning>Supplication, and while tonight’s pair of tunes is not as good as the one I wrote about yesterday, it’s still a good way to close a set.The second set is a strange mix of tunes that somehow works out. It opens with I Need a Miracle, which is definitely a burner, followed by a sloppy but spirited Bertha>Good Lovin’ combo. A little later, we get Estimated Prophet>Eyes of the World, which, as usual during these years, brings the house down. The jamming in Estimated is particularly intense, and Eyes chugs ahead manically, without losing structure like it sometimes does at this pace. After Drums comes a syrupy Iko Iko. Everything up to this point was pretty fast, but the band really slows this one down to a crawl, so much so that, 12 minutes later, when they are moving into The Other One, Jerry just starts vomiting notes out and the drummers pick up the tempo change until they pour full steam ahead into The Other One. The closing Black Peter and Around and Around are fine. There is, interestingly enough, no encore.I think this is a pretty solid early ’79 show – there aren’t a lot of mistakes and Estimated>Eyes is a good find.