4/27/69: labor temple, minneapolis, MN w/the bobby lyle quintet.

as a follow up to their february 2nd show, the dead return to the labor temple and play a brief, but utterly searing set of music. this evening's concert caps off one of the finest weeks of 1969, which featured 3 nights at the ark in boston, two gigs at chicago’s kinetic playground with the velvet underground, and this culminating performance in the land of 10,000 lakes.

the night opens with a smoking 28-minute lovelight that drops effortlessly into a lively me & my uncle > sitting on top of the world combo. the dark star suite that ensues is brilliant and, as it would throughout the year, develops into a very good st. stephen. the eleven that follows is close to perfect, rushing headlong into its eleven-beat time signature and variegated combinations of meter. the show ends with a second lovelight that’s equally delicious. and if this wasn’t enough, the band tops off the night with a blazing morning dew encore. listening to this tape, i’m reminded why i’m so taken by 1969 grateful dead shows.

recorded by bear, with a fine digital transfer by j. cotsman, this performance is very much worth your full aural attention.

https://archive.org/details/gd69-04-27.sbd.cotsman.5070.sbeok.shnf/gd69-04-27d2t03.shn