Dead of the Day: 07-23-1990
World Music Theater
Tinley Park, Illinois
There were three shows on this day in Dead history, but there is no question that our Dead of the Day will take us to Brent’s last show in 1990 at the World Music Theater. The show gets off to a hot start with a rich Cold Rain and Snow. A stellar Picasso Moon comes out next, highlighted by the interplay between Jerry, Bobby, and Brent. Following that, Brent pulls out Never Trust A Woman. After a long tuning break allowing Jerry to fiddle with his MIDI, the boys come back with a Stagger Lee – including lovely, sparkling keys – followed up with Cassidy. Then we get an unusual, but completely welcome Truckin’> Nobody’s Fault But Mine Jam> Smokestack Lightning to see the set out.
Victim Or The Crime opens up the second set with Bobby and Jerry tearing it up and Phil adding in some bombs throughout. Foolish Heart comes next with Brent again laying it in on the keys and Jerry delivering some lovely vocals and a nice, measured set of guitar riffs. The Man Smart, Woman Smarter that comes next provides a ton of energy and gets everyone shaking their bones before the Dead head into a Terrapin Station. After Drums and Space, the boys come out with Watchtower before transitioning into an epic Standing On The Moon. They then head out with two up tempo tunes in Around And Around and Good Lovin’ before coming back for a tremendous encore of The Weight.
Ten years to the day from Keith’s death in an automobile accident, this was also the date of Brent’s last show. He would die three days later of a speedball overdose back at his house in California, which Brent had returned to at the end of the tour. Brent’s death was obviously a huge blow to the Dead, and it marked the end of another era for the band. There would still be some great shows in the years to come, especially those with both Bruce and Vince, but Brent’s absence would be sorely felt and the Dead would never be the same. And, on a final note, it bears mentioning that not only was Brent all over this show, but, in a strange bit of serendipity that seemed to happen to the Dead quite often, Brent’s last words on stage, in the midst of The Weight, were, “I gotta go, but my friends can stick around.”
Leave a Reply