Berkeley Community Theater 11-2-84

[John A]

I wrote this essay as a project for another web site but figured I'd share it here.  I know at least some of you are as pedantic as I am.

 

 

 

Despite being exposed to bootlegs of The Dead throughout my freshman year of college by a pair of dorm mates from Choate Rosemary Hall (by the mid-80s, an infamous Deadhead and party driven prep school), and despite being dragged by said Heads to the 10-20-84 Syracuse Carrier Dome for what is in retrospect a fantastic show, I remained lukewarm at best to The Dead’s music.  But somewhere a seed had been planted.  By Spring ’86 my fledgling interest in what were first a few Dead studio albums had morphed into a compelling curiosity for bootlegs.  And by sometime that summer I had my first copy of what would endure as one of my favorite shows:  November 2^nd, 1984, at the Berkeley Community Center in Berkeley, CA.

 

11-2-84 is the type of show that transcends eras.  It stands on its own as a unique, fascinating, tight, full of surprises Grateful Dead performance.  It also stands within a dying breed of runs: multiple nights in an intimate theater.   I don’t think there is such a run that can compare subsequent to these shows at the BCT. (Perhaps a 4 night run at the same venue in Spring ’86 comes closest.)  From a strictly taping perspective, these are seminal shows; they’re the first where taping was openly permitted. From here on out, the “taper’s section” was common Dead parlance.  I once heard tale that a front of board recording of 11-2-84 utilizing an Uher cassette deck and Neumann microphone exists, but I’ve never encountered it.  On Saint there is an audience copy with Sennheiser mics into what is listed as a PCM, but the lineage is a little fuzzy.  The soundboard source that I received on DAT somewhere in the early 90s is sensational and certainly a reference board relative to the era. This seems to be the same SBD source that is on Saint.  The bass could perhaps be a tad more powerful, but the clarity and sound staging is phenomenal.  And it’s dead quiet.  This is definitely the recommended source.  The second set sounds a little better than the first, but both are first rate sonically.  The Sennhesier recording is ok at best. Given the fantastic quality of the SBD, I don’t endorse it, and this is coming from a hardened audience tape freak.

 

Before breaking down the show musically, it must be emphasized how unique and curious it reads on paper.  After a typical start to the first set, things begin to get unusual with a Smokestack->Spoonful->Smokestack sandwich.  It’s the third time Smokestack had been played post-Pigpen with Weir taking lead vocals, only one of two instances the songs were played as a sandwich, one of only several first set Smokestacks, and the only first set Spoonful until Weir suddenly put it in his first set blues tune rotation in ’93.  Then the first set closes with an exceptionally rare closer of Iko Iko. In fact, I don’t know of another instance where Iko closed the first set.  After Saint of Circumstance, the second set gets even stranger.  Garcia plays Wharf Rat before Rhythm Devils for the only time, Phil and Brent bust out Gimme Some Lovin’ (with Phil needing Bobby’s vocal mic as he still didn’t have his own), and a very rare bird emerges out of Space: a Playin’ Reprise that was not finishing an earlier Playin’ In The Band. The Playin’ it concludes was from 10/28, three nights earlier.  Bertha appears in an unusual post-space slot, this is a very rare post-’80 combo of Bertha and Good Lovin’.  The only times it happened again were 12-30-89 as a show opener and 6-6-93 as a second set opener.  Finally, Garcia plays what would be the final Casey Jones until the bust out 8 years later at RFK.  A laundry list of bizarre occurrences indeed!

 

The first set opens with a solid Jack Straw.  Jerry gives us some good spiraling riffs to start out the jam, which is fleshed out well but doesn’t muster the energy that ’84 Jack Straws are known for (the set closing version at the Syracuse show two weeks earlier is a quintessential example).  Peggy-O is quite lovely but then El Paso is downright weird.  Bobby has a few lost moments and in particular has a rough time getting things started. But he recovers well, and there is an admirably improvised “New Mexico” vocal echo.  Garcia gives Loser a classic reading, and Phil is starting to sound stronger by this point in the set. Jerry’s licks are sufficiently gnarly during Smokestack, and Phil is growling nicely, but Weir doesn’t seem to have fully embraced his vocal delivery (recall that it’s only his third time singing it).  The transition into Spoonful is a bit timid, Smokestack having wound down to almost silence.  Weir’s vocals are more robust during Spoonful and Garcia plays a sweet solo.  The transition back into Smokestack is much more powerful, although this portion of the sandwich is an extremely thin slice of bread – after a few final bars of Smokestack it’s over.  Iko provides an unexpected and energetic way to close the set.  It’s particularly bopping, and by now Phil is in high gear.  Ultimately, however, the first set is a mere footnote to what was coming next…

 

The second set simply moves from strength to strength.  There are no stoppages, just one long seamless sequence.   The set kicks off in fine fashion with a crisp, fast paced (as was the standard for the ’83-’85 versions) Help On The Way.  Slipknot! has a nice laid back feel, with some good interplay between Jerry and Phil.  Franklin’s is solid, although the jam winds down a tad prematurely, just as it’s really starting to cook.  I’ll admit it: I’m a big fan of Lost Sailor and lament its premature departure from the rotation, which sadly happened just as I started seeing shows.  So I never caught one. This version is stellar, with a sleepy, haunting vibe.  And the concluding rap features Weir at his height of his powers.  In a moment that could easily be overlooked, he whispers, “Now you’re always looking, always drifting, always dreaming.” Don’t miss this moment though; it’s the stuff goose bumps are made of.  But it’s very quiet, so make sure the volume is way up to get the full impact.  By the time Saint Of Circumstance is cooking along, one has the sense that the band is officially firing on all cylinders, so in retrospect I suppose what follows shouldn’t be completely shocking: a one/two punch of a pre-drums Wharf Rat and a first ever Gimme Some Lovin’!  As Saint concludes, a few soft Phil bass notes save the full-set segue, then Garcia starts the chords to Wharf Rat in nonchalant fashion.  It’s a heartfelt version, albeit most notable for its position in the set.  Brent sounds fantastic.  As Wharf Rat dissolves into a brief spacey moment (surely they’ll go into drums, right?), Phil begins hammering on his strings like a man possessed.  Could this be…Steve Winwood and Spencer Davis’ Gimme Some Lovin’?  Yes! Brent lays into his Hammond B-3, and they’re off to the races.  While it undeniably oozes with energy, it’s unpolished and uneven, as one might expect. The immediacy in which they move into Rhythm Devils substantiates the energy put forth in the preceding 50+ minutes. I pity the fool taping this live and having to navigate a cassette flip, which likely would have had to happen in the middle of Wharf Rat.

 

Space is right in my wheelhouse, with awesome stereo effects swirling about (nicely accentuated on my system as my speakers are 12’ apart).  The Playin’ Reprise unfolds gradually. In an era where things too often seem rushed, it’s nice to sense the band really taking their time to let the music develop.  Garcia sports lots of spiraling finger work as the Reprise blossoms.  It is perhaps in the conversation for best ever version, “standalone Playin’ Reprise category”.  The energy is palpable as Garcia surges into Bertha. I love the post-space placement that Bertha saw from time to time in the early to mid-80s.  On this night, it’s squarely in the discussion of best ever renditions; it’s always been my go-to favorite.  There’s a powerful feeling of syncopation during the jam and the third verse that has always lit me up.  I’m not one to keep a tally of “anymore(s)” to a finish a Bertha, but this night has lots of them - 12 to be exact.  And don’t miss Brent’s little intro riff just before the first verse, after which Garcia seamlessly drops in with the lyrics.  It’s bewitching, falling into place so beautifully that I oftentimes wait to hear it at the beginning of other versions.  But alas, its allure is singular; I’ve never heard another such riff.  Good Lovin’ seems a perfect conclusion to this epic second set and was its next-to-penultimate paring with Bertha in The Dead’s career.  Weir, in fine form as he’d been the whole set, delivers a sweet rap.  Finally, Casey Jones personifies the proverbial icing on the cake; just the second time played since ’82, the final time until ’92, and they nail it.  

 

Hopefully I’ve presented a strong case that folks should check out this show.  It’s an era that can get lost in the shuffle, but this night is a big one.  I only recently realized these BCT shows were literally the next Dead performances after my initiation at Syracuse.  Had I only understood at the time that I should be boarding a plane to the West Coast!

 

Set 1:

Jack Straw; Peggy-O; El Paso; Loser; Smokestack Lightnin' -> Spoonful -> Smokestack Lightnin'; Iko Iko

 

Set 2:

Help on the Way -> Slipknot! -> Franklin's Tower -> Lost Sailor -> Saint of Circumstance -> Wharf Rat -> Gimme Some Lovin’ -> Rhythm Devils -> Space -> Playin' Reprise -> Bertha -> Good Lovin'

 

Encore:

Casey Jones

[Michael Doc Watson]

Wonderful review, John.  I really enjoyed reading it this morning. And in playful jest I ask, "But how was the space for dancing ?"

[PoetryGirl]

Had I only understood at the time that I should be boarding a plane to the West Coast!-

I think moments like this give you a glimpse at how we are led to the places we will go and need to be so that you might enjoy more the beautiful unfolding of life in higher awareness through trust.

Thanks for the great read, John

[PoetryGirl]

Wonderful review, John. I really enjoyed reading it this morning. And in playful jest I ask, "But how was the space for dancing ?"

Which brings up again a topic I have been musing over. Many reviews speak of the venue space pros and cons. Does there need to be discussion and then poll of our favorite venues to see DSO? Indoor and outside? Top 3?

Only ones that are pertinent to upcoming tours. I get the feeling of the fabled wondrous utopia of the Ledges is not a possibility again, for example. So why pine? Close the door to that silver mine.

[Mango]

The Ledges was fantastical in it's own right but not the best for dancing. Sand = Meh...

[Dancin' Fool]

 

 

Hopefully I’ve presented a strong case that folks should check out this show.  

 

 

 

Most definitely John!! Thanks for the review.  Great read!

 

[Michael Doc Watson]

 

....Does there need to be discussion and then poll of our favorite venues to see DSO? Indoor and outside?....

..... the Ledges is not a possibility again.....

 

Outdoor....I vote for the Park in Springfield, Ohio...not on the schedule this year but I suspect if we send more emails to the Springfield Arts group we can go back in the future.

 

The Ledges were wonderful but those times have past....those days are over so we won't count Nelson's votes...sort of like you can only have two terms as president

[Michael Doc Watson]

The Ledges was fantastical in it's own right but not the best for dancing. Sand = Meh...

I thought danceing at the Ledges was fine. You could be in the sand pit or on the beach or back in the grass...all good places with room for danceing.  Trouble with the sand pit was if the ground had dried out on a hot dry afternoon the air was full of sand dust . I think that sand is probably silica. Although I never put my technical skills to the task of making an exact determination...I really didn't want to know for sure ...silica dust in your lungs over a long time (years ) can cause a very bad lung condition call silicousus (SP?). ...and then one year sand had gotten under the strapes of my sandals and after a couple days caused a sore spot. So maybe Mango is right...or maybe you just had to be careful about where you danced at the Ledges.

 

Peace, Love and safe and comfortable Danceing for All

Doc

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Thanks John, after also attending that Syracuse show, I remember getting the sbd of the 11/2/84 first set right around the summer 85 Riverbend show, talk about entering the land of no return

[gr8fulpair]

Awesome review John. Felt like I was there. I didn't flag down the bus til 85 so I missed this one, but was lucky enough to catch some of this era Jerry before his digression and it was joyous. Thanks for the memories.

Ps: mango, ledges barefoot in the sand, fuckin A, that was some good shit. Exfoliation city!

[Rude]

Sand > rocks IMO

[Tom Banjo]

I'm going to have to agree with mango. The ledges was the perfect scene and vibe for a bit. I miss the place but sand is not great for dancers.

I may get myself in trouble with this comment but what mango, myself, and some other heads do at the show (dancing) is different than what most do at the show (dancing). This doesn't make us anymore of a head than the others but what we do is tough to do on the sand. Its an intense cardiovascular workout and spinning on unstable surface could lead to injury.

[Island Bro]

We really should all be considering eye protection, helmets and knee pads regardless of the dancing floor surface.

[Tea]

Some dance like this:

 

 

Or this:

 

Others?  Well...Here's the tip of the iceberg:

[Mango]

What Mason said

[gr8fulpair]

I hate the big chunky hardwood mulch at black mountain. Closest I've come to injury. I usually end up further out where the grass is. Now that's a good dancing surface,..... Grass.....

[Michael Doc Watson]

We really should all be considering eye protection, helmets and knee pads regardless of the dancing floor surface.

What about an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) for us older folk that might overdue it.

[JacksonPollockDancer]

I hate the big chunky hardwood mulch at black mountain. Closest I've come to injury. I usually end up further out where the grass is. Now that's a good dancing surface,..... Grass.....

 

 Don't most deadheads do their dancing on grass? 

And good read John A, thank you!

[Michael Doc Watson]

 

 

I hat

 Don't most deadheads do their dancing on grass? 

 

 

or sometimes H2SO4   []

[Dancin' Fool]

No love for the HNO3??

 

 

[PoetryGirl]

Why all the talk of sulphuric and nitric acid? Are you cleaning concrete?

[Dancin' Fool]

I was just being goofy... .

 

 

Hippy weekend all!!

 

[Mango]

Nothing beats a polished wood floor

For me

[Tea]

Nothing beats a polished wood floor

For me

Nice and springy with no hints of beverage stickiness    I don't know how some folks go bare-footed - my hats off to you.  I've tried it and it's not for me - I need sturdy shoes and a knee-brace or 2 are on the horizon.

[chuckvegas]

You connoisseurs of cleanliness would love the Paso Robles venue. It has not only grass up top but a very large open concrete dance space right in front of the stage. Maybe that isn't a Portland bouncy floor but it was immaculate! Obviously it is regularly power washed with high quality sulphuric, nitric, and HCl.