40 years ago today, I went to see the Grateful Dead at the Boston Garden. It was a lot of fun, the night before the infamous Barton Hall show. Now, with 40 years of history gone by, it's hailed as one of the greats. There were quite a few moments of surprise: the odd time reggae of Estimated Prophet and the prog-rock of Terrapin Station were very different from anything we'd heard.
And, the day before yesterday, the official box set of 5/5-5/9 showed up. When shows have been released in the past, usually they are from the master recordings of tapes that have long circulated, so often it's not really that big of a difference, but these recordings are really quite amazing. Extremely clear and deep, a huge upgrade from any of the bootlegs I've heard. Thanks for your stellar work 40 years ago, Betty! And for your work, Jeffrey Norman!
Only fly in the ointment that night: the seat they sold me had a huge notch cut out to accommodate one of the massive concrete pillars that supported the ceiling. In order to sit in it, you had to swing your leg way up and deal with your nose pressed against a massive piece of concrete, around which no one could possibly see. I complained to an usher, but he told me if I didn't like it, I could go buy another ticket (not sold out). I was outraged that they'd even sell such a seat. Obstructed view didn't even begin to describe the absurdity.
Thanks to Lee Rogers for the photos.
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