04-23-1983
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
New Haven, Connecticut
Nearing the end of thirteen-show spring East Coast tour, the Dead were firing on all cylinders here in New Haven on the second and last night of the run at Veterans’ Memorial. The first set oozes with lusciousness, particularly the steamy Lazy Lightnin’> Supplication, which is, sadly, clipped in our recording (but still very listenable). But it is the second set that really makes this night special, beginning with a very strong Scarlet> Fire that is all the match of the more renowned Saratoga and Hartford versions later in the year. Then there is the powerful Other One that comes out of Space, steamrolling right into a top-shelf Wharf Rat.
The Dead played the Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum eleven times, from May of ’77 to April of ’84. Almost every one of those shows were among the best of their respective tours. But while the Dead clearly brought it in New Haven, so did the city cops. The venue had a reputation for being a particularly nasty place to see a show. New Haven could be a rough place in those years, but it was the police, who always seemed to be rougher than the city, who gave New Haven a bad name. Arresting legions and occasionally using excessive force to do so, the cops seemed to take special joy in busting Deadheads. This evening in April 1983 was no different, and many a fan sat out the show in the local jail.
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