It was 20 Years Ago Today .. GD 3/8 and 3/9/92 Capital Centre, Landover, MD

Hello everyone. Hope you’re enjoying this taste of spring we’re all experiencing. And speaking of spring, one thing you could always count on was the Dead's  Spring Tour.  And, with that, what better time than now for the latest installment of my award deserving series, It Was 20 Years Ago Today… as I look back at the Grateful Dead at the Cap Centre in Landover, MD March 8 and 9, 1992.
    Spring of 1992 was my first at Penn State. I was free of my parent’s supervision and was living the good life. I did not have a car, so figuring out how I was going to do any shows on the Dead’s spring tour was my main priority. But then Jerry and the boys decided to cut me a break and scheduled the spring tour to fall right in line with Penn State’s spring break. Synchronicity!
     The first night was typical of that era. I went down with a few friends. One of whom was a female friend I’ll call GH, she recently had a kid and I don’t want to stain her newfound MILFdom. No major hassles going down but, as usual, the police were making their presence known. If you were speeding in a car covered in stickers, look out.
     Here’s the setlist:

03/08/92 (Sun) Capital Center - Landover, MD
    Set 1: Let The Good Times Roll, Touch of Grey, Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, Black Throated Wind, Loose Lucy, Desolation Row, Big Railroad Blues, Music Never Stopped

    Set 2: Samson & Delilah, Way To Go Home, Foolish Heart > Looks Like Rain, Wave To The Wind > Jam > Drums > Space > All Along The Watchtower, So Many Roads, Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away, E: Mighty Quinn

You can stream the show here

http://www.archive.org/details/gd92-03-08.sbd.fink.14083.sbeok.shnf


     First, a rather lengthy first and second set. I point out the length because the next night was a little shorter. Is there a better way to start a show than with a song called “Let the Good Times Roll”? The Loose Lucy found Jerry in fine form. The Railroad Blues and Music were a great way to finish off the first set.
     Being that it was a Sunday, you knew Samson was going to make an appearance. Now I’m going to do something that may shock a few of you; I’m gonna criticize the Dead. During the 90’s and Vince Welnick’s tenure with the band, they introduced some songs that were not really up to the quality that I came to expect from the Dead. Way to Go Home and Wave to the Wind was 2 of them. WTGH was a Vince tune and just wasn’t a rocking song. Wave was a Phil tune but the lyrics weren’t all that good and I was a little underwhelmed hearing it live. A good Space led to Throwing Stones>NFA ending with a Mighty Quinn encore, sending everyone out into the night feeling happy and wanting more.
     I drove home after the show and then drove down the next day by myself. I couldn’t find anyone to go with me. Nad had track practice (he was still in high school) and Adrian had something else going on. Fools! What were they thinking? I wandered around the Lot and eventually ran into a bunch of Heads from York, including Kristian Boyer (his family runs the carnival that hits the Pleasant Hill and Littlestown firehall festivites) and Dion, who some of you have met through me on Phish Tour. They had a raging scene going on and were kind enough to welcome me in. This was my 7th Dead show but the first where I REALLY enjoyed the scene and everything the Lot has to offer. Not sure my brain has been the same since.

03/09/92 (Mon) Capital Center - Landover, MD
    Set 1: Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Me & My Uncle > Big River, Row Jimmy, Cassidy, Deal

    Set 2: Victim Or The Crime, Iko Iko, Corrina, Jam > Dark Star > Drums > Space > I Need A Miracle > Morning Dew, E: Satisfaction

You can stream it here

http://www.archive.org/details/gd1992-03-09.sbd.8110.sbefail.shnf
 
     As I noted above, some sets were much shorter than others. This is one of those sets. The Me and My Uncle>Big River combo is almost like one song itself. But I’m not gonna complain about a Jack Straw opener. The meat of this show is the second set. While I’m no fan of Corrina, everything else was tight. The Jam before Dark Star has lots of Dark Star teases. While Bruce Hornsby was a temporary member of the band, he never missed an opportunity to get the band to play this improv masterpiece. Check out 6/17/91 Giants Stadium for another example.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd1991-06-17.nak300.andrewf.86659.sbeok.flac1648

 I read later that this show was the first show since 1974 to have a Dark Star and Morning Dew in the same set. Wow. And when they broke out Satisfaction for the encore, I knew it was the first one since 7/6/86 RFK. The crowd went apeshit and you couldn’t even hear Bobby singing. One can’t ask for anything more from an encore.
     I hope you enjoyed my retelling of my own version of March Madness as your cry over your own busted brackets.