The Daily Nugs - March 23, 2024
From Grateful Dead of the Day
On this day in 1974, the Dead played the first Scarlet Begonias and Cassidy and debuted the complete Wall of Sound. And, for good measure, they also torched the show with the crux being an incendiary Playin> UJB> Morning Dew> UJB> Playin. Give the entire show a listen and read about the Wall of Sound and the throngs of teeny boppers that came to see the boys play on this evening at Grateful Dead of the Day.
Owsley Stanley, the close friend of and sometime sound man for the Dead, designed the Wall of Sound that debuted at the Cow Palace on this day in 1974. Learn more about the man beyond the Wall of Sound awith Grateful Dead of the Day's bio of Bear.
In the midst of their 1975 hiatus, the Dead took to the stage for a SNACK benefit, debuting Blues for Allah and Stronger than Dirt. The Doobie Brothers, Graham Central Station, Mimi Farina, Jefferson Starship, Joan Baez, Santana, the Tower of Power, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young all shared the bill. The Dead were joined on stage by Merl Saunders and Ned Lagin, and Donna did not play with the band. Listen to the entire show.
Back in '75, the Dead played their first show together during the hiatus, and our guest, Don Defenderfer, was there to experience that first show the Dead played together during the hiatus. Listen to his tale of seeing the boys at Kezar and what it meant to him to have the Dead back together on stage.
In 1987, the Dead were charging back after Jerry’s coma. And the Hampton run - the first on the East Coast in ’87 - is about as good as it gets. The crowd knows something special is in the offing - or does the audience inspire the band, creating the moment? it’s hard to tell - erupting from the very first notes of Touch. And in that gem of a first set, don’t miss the magisterial Althea, rousing Iko, or lightning-laced Stranger. The second half includes a sweet Truckin’ and an Other One that builds and teases out of Space before finally storming forth. But the highlight of the entire evening is the Stella Blue, which is superbly played and so plaintive and pleading, almost as if Jerry himself is begging forgiveness or, at least, asking the assembled Heads to understand his choices. Listen to the entire show.
Check out just the third appearance of New Speedway Boogie after its 21-year hiatus ended a month earlier in this sweet 1991 video at Grateful Dead of the Day.
Jerry, as we all know, was struggling mightily by March of 1995. And the Dead, recognizing this, reached out to Bruce Hornsby to join the band and help raise Jerry's energy and spirits. And that is exactly what happened as the Dead delivered the best show of 1995. Listen to the show and read more about Hornsby's relationship with Jerry at Grateful Dead of the Day.
March 23rd Shows and Recordings:
Until tomorrow, spread the love and enjoy the music!