Grateful Dead, New York, NY, September 20, 1988
For the Grateful Dead, 1987 and 88 we both years of recovery, massive success, change, afterglow...1987 was the first full year of touring after Jerry Garcia's diabetes-and-lifestyle-induced coma in July 1986, after which he famously had to re-learn how to play guitar.
Insomuch as Dead Heads have consensus around anything, there is general consensus that 1988 was a very good but not great year for the band. There were some tight, high energy shows but little of the deep psychedelic exploration that many fans sought and expected.
No sooner was Jerry Garcia back on his feet, he was back on stage. He had somewhat low-key returns with the Jerry Garcia Band and a run of Dead shows in mid-December of 86. The band recorded their album In The Dark in January 87 and by that Summer had a top ten album and single on their hands - as well as a rapid influx of new fans that proved to be incredibly difficult for their scene to metabolize.
So this show was at the end of a two year period where the Grateful Dead faced down an existential health crisis, created and released their biggest commercial hit only to encounter more challenges via the explosion of their fan community. Through it all, and really until Garcia died in 1995, they did the one thing they knew how to do: tour.
Like so many shows of this era, this one is decent on paper, though the set list does reveal how heavily they leaned on self-contained songs. Many were barn-burners, but in the rave-up rocker style, not the stretched out, go-where-no-band-has-gone-before mode.
I remember at the time thinking, not disappointedly, that this is what the Dead are now. They are a high energy arena band who throw in some unexpected, interesting jams from time-to-time. All fun and good enough. With the benefit of 35 years of hindsight and the accompanying life experience, I see it is nothing short of incredible that they were able to perform coherently, never mind this capably, in the midst of all they were going through. These years constitued a replanting of feet before an incredible era of reaching for - and many times actually reaching - the stars (thanks, Casey Kasem). By 1989, the band was embarking on an incredible late-career peak, but that's for a different post.
Come for the 'Jack Straw' opener, stay for 'Terrapin' and 'Truckin'. Visit the bathroom during 'Louie Louie'.
Truckin' On:
Watch this show on YouTube. Set I | Set II
Jerry Garcia re-learning guitar
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