Our Dead of the Day takes us up to the Labor Temple in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 1969. The show starts off with a twenty-minute Lovelight highlighted by some frenetic, wicked-fast jams and the inimitable Pig on vocals. Next, an early Me and My Uncle – with a great Jerry solo – gives way to a Sittin’ On Top of the World. A Dark Star then gathers with little more than one of the drummers and Jerry. Slowly, more of the band enters the fray, eventually sending the song into a calamitous and nervy jam. Suddenly, you realize the band arrived at the coast, with waves breaking in from the sea. But then Jerry launches forth once more, powering off into the clouds…

There are a lot of outstanding shows on April 26, but we head back to the Europe ’72 tour for our Dead of the Day. The show gets off to a fine start with a ripping Bertha, but really starts coming into its own with the stellar early – just the third played – He’s Gone. The China> Rider is also stupendous. Jerry’s guitar work on China Cat is so bright and lively, and Phil strings out some cascading bombs. The Rider follows with stunning runs that suddenly take flight and soar. Other first set highlights include the Black Throated Wind, Jack Straw, and Dire Wolf, though the music is really wonderful throughout. The second half bests the first, beginning with a hot Truckin’ that…

One of the best versions of Hard to Handle graces the first set, filled with absolute Pig brilliance. Up next, there is a sweet, melancholy Me and Bobby McGee that will leave you wistfully thinking back on old relationships and just generally longing for lost loves. The Cold Rain and Snow that follows, though, send all those thoughts out of your mind with Jerry’s strong guitar and vocals. Pig delivers much of the same on harp during The Rub, ending with more than a little noodling on the Playing theme before they actually go into that tune in earnest. The only Friend of the Devil of ’71 -which is bizarre considering how many times they played it in both 1970, when…