Dead of the Day: 04-29-1971
Fillmore East
New York, New York
Truckin’ opens the show in strong fashion, with some alternative lyrics and an eruption of laughter from Bobby at one point. A few songs later, the Cumberland absolutely smokes with fiery picking and so much more stuffed into the short little version. The Bird Song – one of the first dozen they played – a song later is elemental, so far from the richer, though no more splendid, renditions from the late eighties and early nineties, nearly three hundred iterations later. After a Dark Hollow that is sumptuous in its simplicity, the band switches gears completely by heading into a Hard to Handle, which is certainly among the best ever. Pig is solid on the standard vocals and delivers an extended, funky rap before the song transitions into a scrumptious, extended jam featuring Jerry and Phil, returning again to Pig and the chorus one final time.
Morning Dew breaks forth to open the second set as a glorious thing of beauty with the band regally launching off into jams then coming back down for Jerry’s vocals backed by Pig’s luscious organ fills. Next, the Minglewood offers up something else entirely; I have never heard Bobby sing the tune – or any song, for that matter – quite like he does here, all big and up front. Moreover, Pig’s organ is really coming through, providing some depth and texture to the tune along with the blues guitar riffs and strong work by Billy on the drums. As we have commented before, the Dead do a tremendous version of I Second That Emotion, and this one is second to none. It is also the last of the far too few seven that they played. Despite an unbelievably resplendent show up until this point, the real highlight of the night begins with the steamy – and, sadly, the last – Alligator, and continues on with the insane Drums and the Jam> GDTRFB> Cold Rain and Snow. The jam, with the Stephen tease, takes a little time to get going, but then rockets off into incredible territory with all five members of the band coming together into a writhing mass of pure awesomeness to make it happen. The boys continue on into Going Down the Road and then head off to an incredible Cold Rain and Snow. From there, the rest of the show is just icing on the cake, albeit some of the best frosting ever.
Parts of this show along with some of the previous night were released as Ladies & Gentlemen: The Grateful Dead.
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