The previous week had been a heady one on campus. Saturday, April 1st, the annual Hash Bash celebration occurred, bringing thousands to the Diag in the center of campus at high noon to support cannabis legalization and smoke publicly. Two days later, the Michigan Wolverines basketball team won the National Championship over Seton Hall. Then, midweek, the Grateful Dead roll into town.

Ann Arbor, a bastion of the counterculture, welcomed the Deadheads with open arms. And the good vibes combined with the city’s weed policy – a twenty-five dollar ticket for possession – meant that the Ann Arbor police were not hassling anybody. The previous night had been a good show with a rare Dupree’s. On the second day, Heads were primed for the band to reach even greater heights. And the Dead did not disappoint.

Touch of Grey kicks off the show, building momentum as it goes. The Rooster that follows is filthy, with Jerry’s bluesy guitar and Bobby’s rhythm and vocals. And Brent turns it up a notch further, coming in with some passionate vocals: “hey little red rooster, you ain’t shit to me.…” The crowd roars at every turn in the early going, including when Bobby forgets the lyrics to Mexicali a few songs later. Then it is Jerry’s turn to flub a few lines in an otherwise masterful Althea before a solid Masterpiece. The highlight of the early going, though, is the lovely Bird Song before a typically rocking Promised Land takes it out.

The second half is wild, starting with the hot Scarlet Begonias and continuing through the funky, unusual transition into a Fire On The Mountain. The Playin’ that follows, and which wends through the rest of the set, is a thing of beauty. Fresh and pure at the outset, the Playin’ gets spacier and spacier as the boys unfurl a rich jam that eventually seamlessly transitions into Built To Last. There, Jerry’s vocals are ragged, but the music is enchanting, especially the ghostly final jam into Drums. On the backside of Drums and Space, Brent delivers a heartfelt I Will Take You Home before a smoking Other One and affecting Wharf Rat. A short, rocking Around And Around leads back to Playin’, which had seemed to be bubbling up since they turned to it earlier, to see the set out. A final Brokedown encore puts a lovely cap on the show and the Dead’s time in Ann Arbor.