Saturday Dead (Zimmer's Picks): 12.14.80

-

Words By Andy Zimmer

Spring finally looks like it has arrived!! The trees are budding, insects are buzzing around newly-opened flowers, a warm breeze brushes my cheeks as I venture out of the house, and the air smells fresh and new. As our corner of the planet sloughs off another winter from its endless journey around the sun, it feels good to be alive... and warm. But least we take the splendors of spring and summer for granted, let us not forget the icy darkness that is surely waiting in the wings to bring the chill back into our bones. Winter may be gone, but it’s not forgotten. And, with this week’s pick, I’ve decided to dive into the month of December and hope that the warmth of spring can thaw out this frozen classic.

This week’s show comes from the winter tour of 1980. There are plenty of solid shows from November/December of ’80, and if you aren’t familiar with these concerts, I would recommend that you do a little digging and give some of them a listen. Today’s pick is from The Long Beach Arena on December 14 of 1980. Typically I try to provide soundboard (or at least matrix) recordings for my picks, but the audience source for this show is so good that I had to include it.

With the opening notes of “Bertha”, the band gets right into it. This high-energy opener sets the tone for a very up-tempo show. Bobby keeps the ball rolling with a great take of the “Greatest Story Ever Told”. I particularly enjoy the versions of “Althea” and “Big River”.

The second set opens with “Cold Rain and Snow”, a tune that I always enjoy seeing in any Dead set list and a great way to open a set. The meat of set two is some really good stuff. “Estimated Prophet”>”The Wheel” shows the band sounding tight and jamming well. It may be a little strange to hear the band pull out “The Wheel” before the “Drums/Space” portion of the set, but it segues into the ambience quite nicely before the band blasts back off with an excellent version of “The Other One”. Latin percussionist Airto Moreira and his vocalist wife, Flora Purim, sit in with the band for “Drums/Space” and add extra layers of texture to the confusion. Top it off with a “Brokedown Palace” encore and you have yourself a damn fine concert!

Grateful Dead Live at Long Beach Arena on December 14, 1980.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Conversation with Barnett English - Founder of Joshua Tree Music Festival

-
Image
Joshua Tree, CA Words by Ryleigh Hutson & Alexander Cai Zettas Joshua Tree Music Festival is an immersive globally cultural musical experience held in the Southern California Mojave desert twice a year. This family-friendly 4-day festival attracts over 3,000 attendees each October and May featuring up to 30 musical acts, live art installations, as well as over 90 workshops. This fall welcomes its 19th year and MusicMarauders caught up with the festival’s Founder/Organizer, Barnett English, to discuss the history and inspiration of the festival that he is continuing to build. We thank Barnett for taking his time to answer our questions in detail and we are excited to share insight as to what makes this festival unique! MusicMarauders: What are your roots in getting involved with music events? Barnett English: Ever since I was little, I’ve leaned on music to get me through; to get on up. I’ve got solid gold memories of driving around as a kid, with my mom in our Dodge Dart, the AM
Read more

Livetronica Sampler 3.22.11

-
Image
Words by Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Ozric Tentacles This British group has proven innovative throughout the years offering a space-rock meets psytrance sound that remains alive to this day. Though never having a major record label, Ozric Tentacles has produced 28 albums of diverse psychedelia throughout its career. The band met at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1983 and truly fathered livetronica music with its use of sequencers and synthesizers. Simply put, there would be no livetronica without Ozric Tentacles. www.ozrics.com Octopus Nebula Colorado’s Octopus Nebula has certainly hit its stride as of late with its constant touring and increased festival interest. The group expands on the deep sounds of highly regarded acts such as STS9 and Shpongle but also carves a path of its own with its fresh takes on synthesizer tones and sampling in the live setting. Octopus Nebula Live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on March 26, 2010. <--- Direct Archive Link www.octopus
Read more

Buckethead: Gimmick or Guitar God?

-
Image
Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) At what point does the gimmick overshadow the performance? The obvious answer is Buckethead. The man is an amazing guitarist but something is not right in this world. The idea a performer who dons a KFC chicken bucket on his head for a concert has always intrigued me, and some of his side projects such as Colonel Claypool’s Bernie Bucket of Brains have been huge successes. However his performance last weekend in Fort Collins simply left me perplexed. From his robotic dancing, to his nunchuck display, to the fact the he performed with an iPod rather than a band all added to my confusion. Going into the show I was ready to be blown away, despite rumblings of disgruntled fans from the previous night’s show at The Gothic. Buckethead had had some sound issues and some missed cues in Denver but I was still trying to be positive for the show in Fort Collins. It did go off without a hitch technically but that was the least
Read more

Joshua Tree Music Festival 10.10 - 10.13.24

-
Image
Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground Joshua Tree, CA Word by Ryleigh Hutson Photos by Alexander Fornes Joshua Tree Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind experience, with its eclectic range of genres, artistry, and beautiful focus on community and connection. JTMF held an energy like no other, there was a feeling in which everyone surrounding you intended to be there to be present with joy and love. There was a sense of community, far and wide, close and intimate, all coming together for good music and to dance to something they likely had never heard before. Set just a few miles from the Joshua Tree National Park and founded in 2003, the festival celebrated its 21st bi-annual event. Joshua Tree Music Festival is a culmination of unique creativity expressed through visual art, workshops, and worldly music all nestled within the beauty of the Mojave Desert. Barnett English and his team do a fantastic job at searching for musical artists on the rise. They emphasize bringing in musical talent
Read more

Cascade Equinox Festival 9.20 - 9.22.24

-
Image
Deschutes County Fair Grounds Redmond, OR Words by Ryleigh Hutson Photos by Alexander Cai Zettas The second year of Cascade Equinox Festival was held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond, Oregon. This year had its own unique blend of musical magic, with the event coordinators curating an unforgettable experience. The different styles of artists and genres of music invited to perform this year captured a similar essence as the inaugural event; exploratory, inclusive, and diverse within the Central Oregon music scene. Cascade Equinox is a three-day camping music festival, attracting attendees to the experience of a  “A Festival Reimagined.” It seemed most attendees opted for the three-day camping pass to take full advantage of the festival fun. This year they offered single-day passes as well, which was a great way to open the event up for those who were unable to do the full three days. VIP tickets were also available with a private viewing area at the main stage. The entire e
Read more