Top 10 Brent era shows

[John A]

This came up recently with a buddy and I realized that it's both an interesting exercise and something I'd never contemplated. And hell, people seemingly have top 10 lists for everything, so why not?  

 

Clearly the subjective nature of such an endeavor is bottomless.  How much does one spread the shows out over Brent's entire tenure vs concentrating on peaks points? To what degree does a personal connection with a show override any objective measures? Does a particularly incendiary section of a show vault it onto the list at the expense of a wire to wire barnburner that lacks a famous moment? Do first sets need to even count? Such questions could go on an on.

 

When I considered the concept, it seemed like there were a few shows that would probably appear on many lists and rightfully so. But also there were periods, or maybe more specifically runs in one venue, that had to somehow have representation, regardless of whether specific periods, say for example Spring Tour '90, could otherwise dominate the list. So as an opening salvo, with some hemming and hawing along the way, I'll offer the following...

 

•10-27-79 Cape Cod - The pre-drums section alone gets it here.

•10-14-80 Warfield - Certainly one of the October '80 epic 3 set shows from San Francisco / Radio City has to qualify. How could the list exclude this singular run?  If you aren't familiar with the Music Never Stopped become so ASAP and you can thank me later. 😆 That, a chilling acoustic China Doll, a hot Scarlet -> Fire, a rare era Morning Dew, and a transfixing Brokedown Palace round out the evening's greatness.

•5-6-81 Nassau - Five legendary words to introduce one of the best half hours of music in Brent's tenure: "This one's for Bobby Sands"

•10-10-82 Frost - Tough to pick one from the great 10-9 and 10-10 duo, but I'm going with 10-10. Welcome to the Frost, folks, you're gonna like it here.

•11-2-84  BCT - Now I'm admittedly veering into guilty pleasure territory, but frankly this show would make my top 5 list. So awesome that the reintroduction of Phil on vocals is a good thing.  😚

•6-14-85 Greek - Other than the anemic Cryptical bust out (on the other hand they busted out Cryptical, so there's that) these three "Twenty Years So Far" Greek shows were pure gold. But I gotta go with the 14th. The Boys overcame technical problems to play what were essentially two short first sets, and the Dew / Comes A Time / China Doll Jerry led second set speaks volumes.

•Richmond '85 - The great Fall Tour '85 needs a representative on my list, and while I gravitate toward the Richmond pair choosing between 11-1 and 11-2 is a tall order. Hmmm... I'm punting. 🤔

•10-9-89 Hampton - When you bust out the first Dark Star in five years, along with the first Attics in 17 years, not to mention seasoning in a Death Don't Have No Mercy, all while playing a top notch show disguised as The Warlocks....well, enough said.

•10-16-89 Brendan Byrne - At the risk of one too many Fall '89 shows on my list, happy 42nd birthday Bobby. 🎈And to think, a show on my list could actually open with Picasso Moon. 😂

•3-29-90 Nassau - I think it can be universally agreed upon that a list without an entry from perhaps the most fundamentally solid tour in the Brent era is unacceptable. There's frankly a lot of leeway here, but I'll go with the 3-29 Branford extravaganza. ⚡

 

And with that, I open the floor.

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

The beginning of the Brent era is the beginning of my Grateful Dead era. I was sat down and explained to by my roommate at college. The band had high expectations and great plans for the new keyboardist, probably combined with Keith and Donna leaving. I hear a new focus when listening to the first couple, few years with Brent. Some under the radar great shows in there. I think some of Jerry’s best is in this time. Maybe Brent refocused him. Also, the drugs and life hadn’t worn on him yet. I’ve seen shows where Jerry is just staring at Brent while he’s playing his guitar. To the point that we were commenting on it. Bobby loved Brent too. Hell, he even shared Little Red Rooster with him. Can’t not mention 100,000 Tons of Steel or Dear Mister Fantasy/Hey Jude. 7/12/90 RFK, my first Dark Star after ten years of waiting. They’re spacing out, noodling away out of Foolish heart, it was Brent’s keys that let me know it was coming. He was dead three weeks later. I was running a small marina at the time. People kept coming up to me and saying, hey, you had a death in your band. I was like, its ok, I just saw them and it was incredible. 

[Ammagamalin Crew]

A few of my favorite Brent songs are Blow Away, We Can Run (sorry to have missed the DSO Newport version) and Take You Home (of course outta space with a lilting Jerry intro). He did lay down some nice keyboard banter in the 79-81 Shakedown Street jams.

[John A]

A few other good selections, in rambling fashion... speaking of '81 Shakedowns, there's 9-12-91 Greek and 8-28-81 Long Beach.  And speaking of Brent in particular, how 'bout that Wheel -> Never Trust A Woman at that Long Beach show. Also 5-23-82 Greek (another Shakedown) is a barn burner.  Casey Jones closing set 2 and a Satisfaction -> Brokedown encore.

 

Who else wants to snuggle up with a Deadbase and give a Top 10 list a go? 🎵

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Long Beach 81 is exactly what I was referring to. 2 yrs in he was hitting his stride hard with everyone. Not in deadbase just know what I've heard, but wonder did they ever open a set with a Brent song? Maybe a hey Pocky way a at Mardi gras show? I can remember exactly where I was at hearing about Jerry but not as clearly as Brent. 

[DesertDead]

2 hours ago, Ammagamalin Crew said:

Long Beach 81 is exactly what I was referring to. 2 yrs in he was hitting his stride hard with everyone. Not in deadbase just know what I've heard, but wonder did they ever open a set with a Brent song? Maybe a hey Pocky way a at Mardi gras show? I can remember exactly where I was at hearing about Jerry but not as clearly as Brent. 

Hey Pocky Way has opened several second sets.

 

Alpine Valley 6-23-88 and Hamilton, Ontario 3-21-90 off the top of my head.

 

I’d hazard a guess that Don’t Need Love opened a second set when he was playing it, perhaps I remember a tape where he did and they dropped into China/Rider to follow?  Could be vice-versa.

 

Tons of Steel has opened a second set, I think.  

Deadbase is downstairs and I ain’t moving right now.

[Greg from Chestertown]

9/22/87, Spectrum, Hey Pocky Way show opener. 

[Hardpan]

Some great selections here, John. Listened to 11/2/84 for the first time last night based on your testimony and agree that it’s great. I’ll toss a few of my favorites out:

 

3/14/81, Hartford: great show throughout, love the raw tone to Jerry’s voice. Tough to pick a highlight. 

7/15/88, Greek: another JohnA recommendation that has become a favorite show. One of my all time favorite Dews and a killer huge sound ⚡️⚡️

 

6/18/83, SPAC: has a feeling that they’re barely keeping the beast under control, a great, almost going off the rails feeling to this show where it feels like the band is being played by the music 🌋

 

11/1/85, Richmond: I gotta choose, the Jack Straw is my number one version. One of my earliest recordings I had and best loved shows of all time. 

 

That’s all I have for now, listening to the SPAC 83 show right now, first time in a while, man it’s a smoker 🌋⚡️😄

[John A]

Louie Louie opened the second set at a Frost '88 show as well as in Louisville '89 - that's technically Brent. 

 

A Little Light opened set 2 at the LA Forum Feb '89.

 

Blow Away opened set 2 Spring '89 in Pittsburgh, and again Fall '89 in Charlotte.

 

Pockey Way actually opened a surprising number of both 1st and 2nd sets from '87 through '90.

[Hardpan]

Never Trust a Woman opened set 2 on 8/4/82. I only know this because DSO played it in Providence in 2018 and my buddy Tim was so vocal in his opposition to the song as a second set opener 😄

[John A]

Good one, Hardpan!   Not only that, but Far From Me opened 2nd sets on 8-8-82 Alpine and 9-24-82 Syracuse. 

 

Man, talk about thread drift. 

[BillK522]

Quite a think piece, JohnA.  I've spent the last few days

thinking about this one, and have arrived at several 

conclusions.  Shows I attended invariably floated to the

top, official releases I have been able to listen to ad infinitum

become hard to exclude, and after all these years there are

plenty of shows I have read and not yet heard.  With all that

said, you provided a representative framework in your list.

Completely agree on many of your selections and will zig to

your zag to keep things interesting.  In no particular order,

 

Let us start with a few I was lucky enough to be at and

vividly remember being jaw dropped leaving the venue.

 

89/05/06  Frost Amphitheatre.

Summit show.  Last China>Rider to close set one.

Race Is On.  6/6 second set. Jerry breaks out the MIDI.

Enough said.

 

89/10/26  Miami Arena 

8th row aisle.  Last show of Fall tour.  While not the

bust out, this Star melted faces.

 

88/07/15  Greek Theater

Shakedown opener. Scarlet>Fire second set opener.

Monster Dew.  Cathedral venue.

 

88/03/26  Hampton Coliseum

First Ballad.  TLMD dust off. Sugar>Scarlet>Fire.

Upbeat all evening. Spaceship.

 

90/03/15  Cap Center

As you pointed out, Spring 90 a must have.

Hard to go wrong with any from this tour.

ETLY, Revolution break outs.  Phil's B-Day.

 

Throwing some darts at the second five.

 

80/11/30  Fox Theatre

Fresh off the three set acoustic/electric shows.

First  electric Bird Song in 410 shows.

LSD close to the first.  Drippy Wheel>China

Doll out of space.

 

83/10/14  Hartford Civic Center

Dick's Picks 6.  Lengthy first full of goodies.

Scarlet>Fire>Estimated>Eyes tour de force.

Background of many a bike ride.

 

82/09/17 Cumberland County Civic Center

12 song first. Jerry selections lovely,

Bertha, Althea, Dupree's, Deal.  First

Throwin' Stones.  Early Touch to open the

second.  Raging energy throughout.

 

I fully confess to a love of the oddball setlists

produced in 1985.

 

85/04/08  The Spectrum

Open the show with Midnight Hour>Walking

the Dog>Big Boss Man. What? Cumberland,

Bottom, Superstitious, Supplication jam,

Might As Well, and that's just first set highlights.

Revolution opens the second. Absurd.

 

85/11/21  Kaiser Convention Center.

First Big Boy Pete in 1009 shows to open

things up.  LLR>Might as Well close first.

Shakedown>Crazy Fingers.  Final Walking

the Dog and She Belongs to Me.  A cherished

cassette that saw many plays before being

stolen out of the Bus at Pittsburgh 89.

 

As a friend of mine and I often kid each other

after a DSO show, "A top five show for sure".

Plenty of eligible performances to squeeze

into that box.

 

Praise DSO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LangeradoSoul]

Over the years I've gone back in forth in my mind as to what tour did I think Brent's playing shined the best on. As a whole tour, Fall 1979 and Spring 1990 are really the top contenders for overall playing. That being said, here's my currently and as of today top brent era shows:

1. 9/1/1979

The whole show is executed perfectly. Get the aud, its the best. Mississippi Half Step>Franklins, and Scarlet Begonias>Fire On the Mountain are my highlights.

 

2. 8/16/1980

I love everything about this show and its aud vibes. You can hear the rain, and you can hear the audience eat up the energy from the band. I love the Deal.

3. 3/5/1981

I really love the second set inspired Jam>Passenger. Check it out!

 

4. 3/13/1982

Yeah. Second set is like untouchable. Seriously. it's an underated and under listened show. You've not heard Jerry & Brent jam this hard on a Franklin's tower in the 80's. I'm not lying. It's stratospheric. The Stranger>Franklins>Estimated>Eyes>drums is really just mind blowing, even though it looks standard. Its anything but standard.

 

5. 6/20/1983

Each show in the June 1983 run are a mix of sloppy but super inspired and high energy playing. I really love this show, especially the second set, and Drums>Encore is the meat & potatoes. That Bob Star really does it for me. So does the lightning strike during Wharf Rat which cuts the PA for a split second and causes the band and audience to lose their minds, and the Sugar Magnolia is the epitome of this tour: its seriously heavy metal high energy Dead and the sloppiest version you'll ever here. It's rocking.

6. 6/10/1984

I shouldn't like this show, but the June 1984 tour and this show is also hot, and I really love the He's Gone>Space>Don't Need Love>Drums

 

7. 3/25/1985

The Jack Straw and Sugaree really get me grooving and I love the whole first set

 

8. 5/10/1986
Honestly, 1986 is a tough one for me, but I LOVE this second set, especially the crisp AUD. The whole second set is where its at, but Weir, Brent, and Jerry really set an amazing groove on this Estimated Prophet. It's just so perfect.

 

9. 3/18/1988

So many choices in 1988, but the second half of the second set is especially inspired, and the Other One & Throwing Stones rock way harder than normal.

 

10. 3/26/1990

Really, all of Summer/Fall 1989, and Spring 1990 are top notch for Brent and band, but I really like this show. All of it is pristine.


I could list 100 more shows from all these years. Whole shows, partial sets, specific songs. But this is a good starting list of where I am today

[BillK522]

2 hours ago, John A said:

Louie Louie opened the second set at a Frost '88 show as well as in Louisville '89 - that's technically Brent. 

 

A Little Light opened set 2 at the LA Forum Feb '89.

 

Blow Away opened set 2 Spring '89 in Pittsburgh, and again Fall '89 in Charlotte.

 

Pockey Way actually opened a surprising number of both 1st and 2nd sets from '87 through '90.

 

Too funny, was in the house for all of those in 1989.

Blow Away occupied some valuable song list real estate

that year, closed a couple of first sets that year as well.

Blow Away>Saturday Nite first set close 89/04/29 also a

particular memory burn.

 

Praise DSO.

[Tea]

Soft spot for 10/4/87.  Brent was feelin it GOOD!  Not in the pantheon but it’s a romp!

 

I was given a copy of this show from Dstone5553 back in the day.  Holy Crap - some of the best sounding shoes I have - no matter the year Thanx, David!

[found]

Agree with a lot that has been said here e.g. 5/6/81 Nassau, 10/14/83 Hartford, 6/14/85 Greek, 11/1/85 Richmond, 5/6/89 Frost, 10/9/89 Hampton, 10/16/89 NJ, 3/29/90 Nassau

 

Surprised no one has mentioned 9/18/87 MSG, 7/13/84 Greek, 7/2 and 7/3/88 Oxford, 7/4/89 Buffalo, 7/7/89 Philly, 7/17/89 Alpine, 9/29/89 Shoreline. Monstrous shows.

 

6/28/85 Hershey, 6/30/85 Merriweather, 9/15/85 Chula Vista are all outstanding and shining examples of why 85 is the most underrated year.

 

8/12/87 Red Rocks is a good'un.

 

4/15/88 Rosemont, 4/30/88 Frost, 6/28/88 Saratoga

 

4/28/89 Irvine

 

3/24/90 Knickerbocker, 6/16/90 Shoreline

 

1989 was a great year for the Dead - crisp sound, bigger jams, and Jerry was lucid and creative. There are great shows throughout the 80s, but 87-89 were the best years with a peak in 89...

[Greg from Chestertown]

9/16/87, MSG, second set, devil with a blue dress>good golly miss Molly>devil with the blue dress. Brent vocals, I thought that was the highlight of the show. 

[Ammagamalin Crew]

That Jude in Oxford stands alone. Did the whole tour except that final long ass haul up to Maine from Rochester, or maybe the thought of the driving tour blues home from Maine. Kicked myself after getting the tapes. They frequently ended a tour with passion and creativity. Brent's all passion for 7/3/88. What a fun year!  Besides I had already sold my last of my Ocus Stanley crystals. Started by driving to Richmond VA to pick up new girlfriend met at Hampton in the spring then drove all the way back up for Minnesota before the Alpine foursome, only time I did SPAC. Weird summer indoor show in Pittsburgh, heavens door outta space was saddening as JGB gave up another one to the beast

[BillK522]

9 hours ago, Ammagamalin Crew said:

That Jude in Oxford stands alone. Did the whole tour except that final long ass haul up to Maine from Rochester, or maybe the thought of the driving tour blues home from Maine. Kicked myself after getting the tapes. They frequently ended a tour with passion and creativity. Brent's all passion for 7/3/88. What a fun year!  Besides I had already sold my last of my Ocus Stanley crystals. Started by driving to Richmond VA to pick up new girlfriend met at Hampton in the spring then drove all the way back up for Minnesota before the Alpine foursome, only time I did SPAC. Weird summer indoor show in Pittsburgh, heavens door outta space was saddening as JGB gave up another one to the beast

 

We never did get to 1988 in our late night tour stories with Dead Base.

 

Praise DSO.