01-11-1979
Nassau Coliseum
Uniondale, New York
A lengthy Sugaree opens the show with Jerry unleashing an epic jam before the final verse. Then the boys give us a high energy Me & My Uncle, which segues into a fiery Big River. From there, things slow a bit with a lengthy, ranging Peggy-O before a quick little Cassidy. A gorgeous Friend Of The Devil and a ripping Minglewood then take it to a slightly desultory From The Heart Of Me. But Donna and the Dead come back strong on the Ramble On Rose that follows, leading the way to the highlight of the show, a top flight Jack Straw. The boys might stumble over a few of the lyrics, yet Bobby gives us the “we used to play it for acid, now we play it for Clive” line, referencing Clive Davis, president of Arista who had just signed the band. And beyond the vocals, the playing is absolutely ferocious, especially in Jerry’s blazing solo during the second break. The Deal, retaining more than enough of the Straw energy, then closes out the set
The second half keeps it going with a high-powered – at times blistering – Miracle. Things finally slow down with Ship Of Fools, which is solid but doesn’t quite soar. Afterwards, Bobby punks the crowd, claiming its Mickey’s birthday, which, when he also says its Donna’s b-day too, sets the entire band to goofing around. From there, the band shifts the tenor, moving into a meditative, masterful Estimated then leads into a similarly reflective He’s Gone, purposefully meandering and ruminating until they cede the stage to the rhythm devils. On the back end, the boys conjure Truckin’ throughout the short Space, finally bursting forth on what is a bit of a bumpy – but so fun – ride, thrilling the raucous audience. A blistering Other One with dark and steamy overtones comes out the other side, providing a scintillating segue to Stella Blue. And Stella rises like the sun after a stormy night, with its own melancholy splendor amid Jerry’s gorgeous guitar work and raspy, emotional vocals. And then the boys shift directly into a rocking Good Lovin’ to send the set out on a party note with Bobby testifying. The Casey Jones encore keeps it up for a fun final send off.

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