07-24-1994
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
On a warm summer’s evening in 1994, the Dead got things going at Solider Field with a relaxed and joyfully rambling Half-Step. A song later, the Dead go into It Must Have Been The Roses. Though there are some noteworthy lyrical mistakes – Bobby was shaking his head on the Jumbotron – the song is a stand out. And it also happens to be the second-to-last version the boys ever did. The rest of the set is well played, but suffers from the song selection, going out on If the Shoe Fits, Easy Answers, and Don’t Ease Me In.
Billy and Mickey gets things started in the second half by beating into Samson and Delilah. And the rest of the boys send a sweet version of the song replete with zesty licks and some real energy. Afterwards, they take it into Way to Go Home, and Vince gives it his all while the band is locked in. The song even gets some hearty cheers from the crowd, which roars even more with the first notes of what becomes a remarkable Eyes. Over eighteen minutes, the boys soar off on a mellow, but never lackluster, exploratory trip. Jerry has some lovely runs, Phil comes in for a few bombs, and Vince adds some nice fills. The Eyes sort of peters out at the end, before the band gathers again and takes it into Eternity. While it is nobody’s favorite tune, especially slotted after a lovely Eyes, this is one of the better versions the band ever played. When Bobby first read over the words that Willie Dixon wrote for Bobby and Rob Wasserman’s tune, he thought they were “awfully simplistic.” But Willie insisted Bobby sing the lyrics to the melody, and, when he did, Bobby “was astounded by the simple grace of what he has just presented to me.” Seeing the revelation on Bobby’s face, Willie started laughing and said, “Now you see it. Now you see it. That’s the wisdom of the blues.” And you know, this rendition just might get you to look at the words in a new light. The He’s Gone that follows Eternity is, like the Eyes, another highlight of the show, especially the moving vocal vamping into Drums. After over 30 minutes of Drums and Space, a resplendent Days Between rises. And though Jerry flubs some lyrics, the song is stunning. A focused Throwing Stones follows giving the audience a chance to sing along and opening the way for a crowd-pleasing Not Fade Away closer. A Liberty encore caps the show, sending the legions of Heads off to resume the NFA chant on the way out of Soldier Field.
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