Hello everyone. I
hope you are having a fantastic day. It’s in the upper 70’s with bountiful sunshine
today in Vermont. The planets aligned and I had off from both jobs today. Which
is what I needed after an incredible night of music. Some of Vermont’s finest
came out to celebrate the most celebrated show in the Dead’s history, Cornell ’77.
So without further ado, Dead Set celebrates 5/8/77.
You can stream
the OG here. I know a recording was made but it doesn’t make it onto the World
Wide Web too often. How big is this show? Take your pick from 17 different
sources. Multiple matrixes. Crazy!
Set 1 Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each
Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightening>Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama
Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancin’ in the Street
Set 2
Scarlet>Fire, Estimated, St Stephen>NFA>St Stephen>
Morning Dew E: Saturday Night
Line up
Zach Nugent – Guitar Jerry vocals, Daniel Marc-Guitar Bobby
vocals, Ed Grassmeyer-Bass, Josh Dobbs- Keys, Russ Lawton-Drums, Joe Chapman-Drums
Upon our arrival
Shawn remarked how many old Dead Heads were out. He usually only sees them at
the festivals. You could feel the collective memory in that room. It was great
seeing older heads still out and about, showing the youngun’s who has the
clout. I saw a lot of familiar faces, the regulars if you will for Dead Set. It
was also the most crowded I ever saw for a Dead Set. Super jam packed.
Loser is really
heavy when Zach plays it. Jack Straw followed by Deal was the high energy mark
of the first set. The first opportunity for some deep space was Supplication.
Damn, really went out there with it. BE Women is another one that Zach really
rips it up. His Disco Dead band have done BE Women>Get Lucky> BE Women.
So much fun. They ended the first set with Row Jimmy because they were going to
throw down some real heat to start the second set.
The total Disco-
Cry Baby Pedal to the Metal – Dance like you are James Brown Funk Fest that is
Dancin’ in the Streets started off the second set. The late 70’s arrangement of
this tune is just an ultimate release. So glad they opened with it. Then
SCARLET>FIRE. It’s in all caps because it should be shouted from the hill
tops. Both drummers doing their thing with a hint of calypso during Scarlet. The
opening wah wah’s of Fire elicited the loudest cheer of the night. The energy
blew the roof off and the doors out. Estimated let us catch our breath because
another prophet was about to arrive. So few bands cover St. Stephen so it’s
always a treat to hear it. And to have a sandwich with the meat being Not Fade
Away? Peak Grateful Dead indeed.
Last night I met
some new friends and hung with peeps I’ve known for years from Phish Tour. Today
I got to sleep in, take Hobbs on multiple walks to multiple parks (Ethen Allen
Park is next after I finish writing this), and grilling at the Talberts for
dinner on this absolutely beautiful Vermont spring day. Happy Hump Day!
Dave Kemp
BA American Stuides
PhD Rock and Roll
