Dead of the Day: 05-26-1973

The middle set picks up right where the Playin’ left off in terms of loose and exploratory jamming on Here Comes Sunshine. From there, Bobby comes out with another excellent cowboy tune in El Paso with Jerry’s guitar licks playing out the horse and rider of the lyrics, rushing off across the desert. A couple tunes on, Donna blows away You Ain’t Woman Enough while Keith offers up some tasty fills. Donna also provides some vocal help on a very strong Box of Rain. But then the high point of the second set arrives with the China> Rider. The China Cat is completely off the hook with lightning quick jams filled with rapturous twists and turns. The Dead then deliver a straightforward, but nonetheless wonderful version of I Know You Rider. A few more good tunes come forth before a high energy, Keith-led Around and Around ends the second set, which, based on the banter, might have been part of the third if not for a significant equipment problem.

The final set begins with a fun Mississippi Half-Step, though the extended jams begin with what is easily one of the best He’s Gone the Dead have ever played. The suite continues with Truckin’, which has a blistering run that ends up down a few shady back alleys and dead ends, almost teasing Dark Star at times, before some cool, otherworldly drums bring it around to The Other One, which takes a while to hit the vocals, running as it does through some tendentious but excellent spacey sections. Then, again, after the lyrics, the boys bring the tune out on some serious deep space exploration, suddenly finding Eyes of the World in the dark recesses of the universe. The Eyes itself is no slouch with upbeat, fantastic playing. Right when you think they are heading for something structured and rocking out of Eyes, Jerry turns them off towards China Doll, which puts the seal on the suite in perfect fashion. Finally, a Sugar Mags sees the set off in a ball of joy.