8/21/72: berkeley community theatre, berkeley, CA.in the summer of 1972 the grateful dead embarked on a small west coast tour, including a four night engagement at the berkeley community theater. the entire series of berkeley performances—14,000 tickets—was sold out by the end of the second day the seats went on sale. there was no special advertising campaign, just the usual announcements in the standard bill graham adverts.what could have been dismissed as a pedestrian monday night opener, cannot largely due to the remarkable second set dark star. this is not to say that the initial set isn’t also loaded with riches...a few high points include a bold take on the newly-penned he’s gone, a rousing china > rider, a playing in the band dripping with psychedelic adornment, and an absolutely gorgeous stand-alone stella blue. listening to the first frame it’s evident that the band is loose and happy to be playing a run of shows on their home turf. there’s plenty of space between songs, noodling about, and even a few words from phil on the topic of vegetables.bobby ace and the cards from the bottom of the deck kick off the second set with rocking versions of greatest story ever told and ramble on rose. after a bit of cursory tuning, we arrive at the highlight of the night. this dark star begins with 9 minutes of improvisatory motoring before garcia sings the only verse. off into the deep unknown we go. the ensemble gathers steam, drops into a dissonant fold, and then enters into some full-on jazz chaos. the jamming is fierce and the group mills and spits, weaving back and forth between rapture and the dark abyss. in time, keith takes a piano solo and jerry valiantly attempts to usher the boys towards morning dew. they won’t have it and fall back into a jazzy improvisation piloted by godchaux’s keyboard scat. this interlude soon begins to resemble the beginning of any number of weir’s cowboy numbers, finally slowing down to segue into el paso. subsequently, garcia and lesh nudge the dark star theme again before jerome nods at deal. the version is slow, honey-drenched and unconfined.as the dust clears, the boys tune up a bit while bobby, the consummate joker, throws his hat into the ring for nomination as mayor (with jerry prompting, “of freemont!”). they’re far from finished though, and jump headlong into a roaring sugar magnolia followed by stirring takes on mississippi half-step and uncle john’s band. the boys send the crowd home with a fiery one more saturday night. they did this three more evenings before heading to oregon to play a benefit for a local dairy farm, but that’s another story for another time. culled from betty cantor-jackson’s 10-inch ½ track master reels, this recording will burn off your little ears.
https://archive.org/details/gd1972-08-21.139581.sbd.miller.sirmick.flac16
8/21/72: berkeley community theatre, berkeley, CA.in the summer of 1972 the grateful dead embarked on a small west coast tour, including a four night engagement at the berkeley community theater. the entire series of berkeley performances—14,000 tickets—was sold out by the end of the second day the seats went on sale. there was no special advertising campaign, just the usual announcements in the standard bill graham adverts.what could have been dismissed as a pedestrian monday night opener, cannot largely due to the remarkable second set dark star. this is not to say that the initial set isn’t also loaded with riches...a few high points include a bold take on the newly-penned he’s gone, a rousing china > rider, a playing in the band dripping with psychedelic adornment, and an absolutely gorgeous stand-alone stella blue. listening to the first frame it’s evident that the band is loose and happy to be playing a run of shows on their home turf. there’s plenty of space between songs, noodling about, and even a few words from phil on the topic of vegetables.bobby ace and the cards from the bottom of the deck kick off the second set with rocking versions of greatest story ever told and ramble on rose. after a bit of cursory tuning, we arrive at the highlight of the night. this dark star begins with 9 minutes of improvisatory motoring before garcia sings the only verse. off into the deep unknown we go. the ensemble gathers steam, drops into a dissonant fold, and then enters into some full-on jazz chaos. the jamming is fierce and the group mills and spits, weaving back and forth between rapture and the dark abyss. in time, keith takes a piano solo and jerry valiantly attempts to usher the boys towards morning dew. they won’t have it and fall back into a jazzy improvisation piloted by godchaux’s keyboard scat. this interlude soon begins to resemble the beginning of any number of weir’s cowboy numbers, finally slowing down to segue into el paso. subsequently, garcia and lesh nudge the dark star theme again before jerome nods at deal. the version is slow, honey-drenched and unconfined.as the dust clears, the boys tune up a bit while bobby, the consummate joker, throws his hat into the ring for nomination as mayor (with jerry prompting, “of freemont!”). they’re far from finished though, and jump headlong into a roaring sugar magnolia followed by stirring takes on mississippi half-step and uncle john’s band. the boys send the crowd home with a fiery one more saturday night. they did this three more evenings before heading to oregon to play a benefit for a local dairy farm, but that’s another story for another time. culled from betty cantor-jackson’s 10-inch ½ track master reels, this recording will burn off your little ears.
https://archive.org/details/gd1972-08-21.139581.sbd.miller.sirmick.flac16
