Dead of the Day: 07-12-1990

Robert F. Kennedy Stadium

Washington, DC

For our Dead of the Day, we return to the 1990 summer stadium tour, this time for a rocker of a show at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in DC. Let The Good Times Roll ushers in the show with Jerry providing some tremendous vocals. Musically, the band is on from the start too, bringing that solid, perfectly timed playing into Feel Like A Stranger. A well-played, though not exceptional, Bertha rolls out next, followed up by Just A Little Light. Whether you dig Brent tunes or not, the Just A Little Light is tremendous, with the keys turned up, Jerry offering up some beautiful runs in the background, and Brent just giving his all on the vocals. Jerry continues his reserved, cool riffs on Queen Jane before launching off with Brent and Bobby in the middle of the song. A Stagger Lee comes next, followed by a ridiculously rich and textured Cassidy. The vocals are so crisp, and the playing is like a walk in a summer rain shower, refreshing, transcendent, and full of possibility. Following up on that sweet tune, the band heads out of the set with a very good Tennessee Jed into a fun, rocking Music Never Stopped.

Recording info
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Identifier:
gd1990-07-12.149730.UltraMatrix.sbd.cm.miller.flac16
Source:
UltraMatrix SBD > Cassette Master (TDK MA-X90)
Notes:
Patch Info: (FOB) Schoeps CMC3/MK2S > Dat (shnid=143602) supplies: The Weight (6:15 – end of track) All Transfers and Mastering by Charlie Miller charliemiller87@earthlink.net April 12, 2020 Notes: — Recorded by Don Pearson and Dan Healy — The weather caused many production issues throughout the show — Thanks to Dave Brotman and Joe Noel for the patch source — This file set is 16 bit @ 44.1
Description:
Set I
Let The Good Times Roll
Feel Like A Stranger
Finiculi Finicula
Bertha
Just A Little Light
Queen Jane Approximately
Stagger Lee
Cassidy
Tennessee Jed >
The Music Never Stopped
Set II
Box Of Rain >
Victim Or The Crime >
Foolish Heart >
Dark Star >
Drums >
Space >
All Along The Watchtower >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Hey Jude >
Touch Of Grey

The Weight
Set III

Comment
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians Opened

Jerry Garcia – Guitar
Bob Weir – Guitar
Brent Mydland – Keyboards
Phil Lesh – Bass
Bill Kreutzmann – Drums
Mickey Hart – Drums
Lineage:
Cassette Master (Nakamichi CR-7A) > Tascam DA-3000 (DSF 1-bit/5.6MHz) > dBpoweramp > Adobe Audition CC 2015 > Samplitude Pro X4 Suite > FLAC/24
Transferrer:
All Transfers and Mastering by Charlie Miller charliemiller87@earthlink.net April 12, 2020
Play
Pause
Back
Forw.
Volume
00:00
1
Tuning
01:28
2
Let The Good Times Roll
05:39
3
Feel Like A Stranger
09:14
4
Finiculi Finicula
01:26
5
Bertha
07:18
6
Just A Little Light
06:30
7
Queen Jane Approximately
07:36
8
Stagger Lee
07:05
9
Cassidy
09:08
10
Tennessee Jed
07:59
11
The Music Never Stopped
08:12
12
Tuning
01:35
13
Take A Step Back
01:21
14
Box Of Rain
05:18
15
Victim Or The Crime
08:23
16
Foolish Heart
10:09
17
Dark Star
24:46
18
Drums
10:42
19
Space
15:27
20
All Along The Watchtower
05:48
21
Dear Mr. Fantasy
04:50
22
Hey Jude
04:10
23
Touch Of Grey
07:24
24
Tuning
01:04
25
The Weight
06:41
Choose recording

After failing to get everyone to take a step back and open up some space up front, the boys come out of the break with a luscious Box Of Rain, set off by Jerry’s reserved yet tasty licks and Phil’s heavy-handed bass. From there, a Victim Or The Crime provides the segue into the meat of the second set, beginning with a Foolish Heart. The Foolish Heart reaches and teases, playing with the theme and chomping at the bit, but never really lighting off for the territory. Instead, that comes in the mind-bending, face-melting Dark Star that follows. It is infused with jazz, but also has a classical orchestral quality, driven apart completely by the eerie, haunted house spectacle that ensues. Eventually, the jam gives way to Drums and Space. The Space continues to explore some of the pieces unearthed in Dark Star, amongst which the boys find a little gem, forming around it and then amplifying the theme into All Along The Watchtower. They then rip Dear. Mr. Fantasy and meld it into a Hey Jude reprise, something that they had done twenty-some times before, but never again. Afterwards, a startling Touch Of Grey closes out the set, rather standard in form – though Brent’s keys are really exceptional throughout – it makes for a refreshing and unexpected close to the set. A ragged – in all the good ways – The Weight serves as the encore, with everyone coming in on the vocals and a special effort by Brent.

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Comments

8 responses to “07-12-1990”

  1. Jerry Avatar
    Jerry

    Shortly after this show Brent had to go, but his friends they could stick around. What a Beautiful delivery for my first show as a care free16 year old kid, not knowing how this band, this experience and this music would shape my life. ❤️????God Bless The Grateful Dead ✌????- I danced in the rain on the dugouts during Bertha (RAN INTO A RAINSTORM!)- an orange fell from the sky and landed on my lap during space (they say lsd is a wonderful thing)- my buddy swayed with a pretty stranger during Hey Jude, and they kissed during The Weight… he name? Annie, or so she told him

  2. P_P_K Avatar
    P_P_K

    First show memories rock. Show romances are the best.

  3. Jeffrey Kalman Avatar
    Jeffrey Kalman

    This show started out slow, but the second half was magenetic. If you were in the flow that night, you met the hydra. Conductor and conducted were the same and each limb connected to an instrument. The people and the music played the band. TY eternally!

  4. Jeffrey Kalman Avatar
    Jeffrey Kalman

    Wow, re-listening now. It is still there. Magic, right from Victim. We took it so far out!!!! I’m so grateful to have had these experiences. It is the magic that kept us coming back. Not the band or particular people, but the co-creation.

  5. Jessica Hunt Avatar
    Jessica Hunt

    My first show too. Picked up two tiny purple tickets from a scalper. Best time I’ve ever had dancing in mud in the dark.

  6. Katherine Smith Avatar
    Katherine Smith

    I just found my stub for this show- tattered from the rain that day $22.50. Can’t believe how lucky we were to be there (Frank Brown & me). I’ll never forget this show – Box of Rain in the pouring rain and Dr Mr Fantasy.

  7. dwc Avatar
    dwc

    On the cassette copy of this show that I had back in the 90s, when you put the headphones on, you could hear the rain drumming on the umbrella over the tapers’ mics. Was a very cool thing.

  8. Nelson Brooks Avatar
    Nelson Brooks

    The undulating roof of RFK seemed to be animate. Funiculi Funicula tuning was when we got the shivers bc it’s our first and only SC show’s tuning as harbinger of majesty to come and did it ever. You burned for us Brent, burned yourself alive in the crucible and we don’t forget or fade away.

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