05-13-1977

Auditorium Theatre

Chicago, Illinois

The band started the show off by coming down the aisles of the theater in scrubs, calling for Drs. Beechwood and Shot (Mickey and Billy), all of which you can hear, though perhaps not fully appreciate, on the recording. And as everyone gets on stage, they light off on a trippy little tuning jam, finally opening with a bright and lively Music Never Stopped. In the interstice afterwards, Bobby explains the opening skit, saying the “drummers pulled an adolescent stunt” and that the rest of the band would “hold a grudge.” It’s not entirely clear what is going on, but the boys are clearly having a good time and sending out some incredible music. The rest of the first set is filled with tight and lucid playing, epitomizing the spring ’77 sound that sometimes gets referred to as “too perfect.” Just check out the flawless Ramble On Rose or Cassidy if you have any question what we are referring to. Later, the boys play the first Jack-A-Roe and a Looks Like Rain that, though not as jammed out as other versions, is as fresh and evocative as they come. To cap the set, the boys take us through Scarlet> Fire. And, as you would expect, Scarlet shoots off into the stratosphere. But it is a concise, even abbreviated version, especially as two of its seven minutes are spent in the transition, wandering through the back alleys, stalking danger with Donna’s subdued and mournful calls in the distance. Eventually, with Phil’s bombs, the band finds their way into Fire. And what a Fire it is, as the bass and percussion march steadily on, Jerry lopes along with occasional shots of lightening emanating from his guitar, and Donna proves beautiful accompaniment on vocals.

Recording info
Use alternative player
Identifier:
gd77-05-13.sbd.miller.9393.sbeok.shnf
Source:
Soundboard
Notes:
SBD -> Rm -> Dat -> CD -> Sonic Solutions -> CD; (Post Drums – Fp -> Dat -> CD); Seeded to etree by Charlie Miller
Description:
The Music Never Stopped, Ramble On Rose, Cassidy, Brown Eyed Women, Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, El Paso, Jack A Roe*, Looks Like Rain, Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain Samson & Delilah-> Bertha, Estimated Prophet, Drums-> The Other One-> Stella Blue-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> One More Saturday Night, E: U.S. Blues
Lineage:
SBD -> Rm -> Dat -> CD -> Sonic Solutions -> CD
Transferrer:
Play
Pause
Back
Forw.
Volume
00:00
1
Tuning
02:35
2
The Music Never Stopped
07:25
3
Ramble On Rose
07:35
4
Cassidy
04:33
5
Brown Eyed Women
05:34
6
New Minglewood Blues
05:01
7
Friend of the Devil
08:10
8
El Paso
05:19
9
Jack-A-Roe
05:44
10
Looks Like Rain
08:06
11
Scarlet Begonias
07:02
12
Fire on the Mountain
14:11
13
Samson and Delilah
06:49
14
Bertha
06:43
15
Estimated Prophet
09:46
16
Drums
00:32
17
Drums
01:00
18
The Other One
16:43
19
Stella Blue
11:56
20
Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad
08:51
21
One More Saturday Night
04:37
22
U.S. Blues
05:47
Choose recording

Mickey and Billy provide a relentless, thunderous beat to launch Samson and the second half. Each of the first three tunes – Samson, Bertha, and Estimated – are stunning in their own right. But the pre-Drums section does not offer much more than the sum of its parts. That all changes after the clipped Drums as a fiery Other One – especially the smoking jam at the end – takes it into an immaculate Stella. On the latter tune, Jerry’s guitar waltzes through a spacious sonic landscape created by the rest of the band with Keith and Bobby tossing in their own fireworks. The GDTRFB roars on from there, but the recording – an FM broadcast providing the only source – gets crackly and nearly unlistenable. Fortunately, things return to crispy for the Saturday Night closer and US Blues encore.

This might not be one of the best second sets of spring ’77, but it is hot nonetheless. And the first set is right up there with any other.

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