On nearly every tune of the night, Pigpen is wailing on the organ, leading the way. There is also a sort of surf-rock sound melded in, some simple, yet sharp beats from Billy, and earnest delivery on all the vocals. To say the least, each song is a gem, a little giftwrapped piece of Dead preciousness and mystery. They will amaze you right out of the package, but will continue to reward with each successive listen. If nothing else, you owe it to yourself to listen to Cardboard Cowboy for what might be Bobby at his most self-conscious, cheesed-out best with the lyrics to match. Cream Puff War and Viola Lee Blues are both must-listens as well, because in each the thin veneer of wholesomeness falls aside and the band is revealed for what they are: a raging gaggle of acid-dropping musicians who have the vision, desire, confidence, and chops to define a whole new manner of not only rock and roll, but simply being. After that, Don’t Ease Me In might be the most “normal” tune – in terms of how it would sound later – of any of the night; apart from Pig’s sensational organ, it could practically be a version from the early ‘80s…practically.

We could go on and on about this awesome night of wonderfulness from one of the early moments of the Dead, but you really should just listen to it yourself. And, while you do, think about everything that was not yet going on: how the “Summer of Love” had not yet dawned, how the media had yet to discover the Haight, how LSD was not yet illegal, and how so many other things had yet to occur, especially how the Grateful Dead – and even the San Francisco sound – had yet to become a household name.