The Wharf Rat, which came off phenomenally, was not the only new tune in the setlist. The Dead also birthed Loser, Greatest Story Ever Told, Bertha, and Playin’ on this night at the Cap. While the Loser, Greatest Story, and Bertha were excellent right out of the box, the Playin’ provides the only real lowlight of the evening. Bobby’s vocals are awful, the band is not always playing together, and the boys haven’t quite figured out how to put all the disparate parts of this tune together yet. But it is interesting to hear the Dead start to work through what would become one of their staples.

These six shows at the Capitol Theater mark a transitional point for the band, which the new tunes partly evidence. The Dead had just come off their most commercially successful year to date with both Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty selling well the previous year, bringing new fans and embodying a new sound. But the boys never stood still musically, and they went into 1971 looking to continue to evolve. Pig was also becoming less and less of a presence in the mix as he played the organ and sang more infrequently. Pig’s reduced role pushed the Dead even further away from the psychedelic sound and deep blues that had been the very core of their sixties sound. But the most immediate change during the Cap run was the departure of Mickey, who had been thrown into a deep depression when his Dad embezzled 155,000 dollars from the band the previous year. In fact, February 18^th was his last night as a regular member of the Dead until 1974. But instead of lingering on the sadness of Mickey’s imminent departure or the clear signs of Pig’s ongoing decline, take a listen and revel in the music of this very special night.