We have a truly magical show from top to bottom here. It opens with a brilliant Bertha as Jerry lights it up and Phil lays on some heavy bombs, providing a special intensity. The Playin’ that comes out next is bright and sharp and, though barely jammed out, is still phenomenal. And truly, each song of this night is special in its own right. The Mr. Charlie comes out thick and chunky, the Cumberland sounds like bluegrass on shrooms (which it very well might have been), and the Brokedown is resplendent and utterly beautiful. But the highlight of the first set is almost certainly the Hard To Handle, which is, arguably, the best ever (you may recognize it from Fallout from the Phil Zone). Pig burns through this version with his steamy vocal performance. But it is not just Pig; Jerry is out of his mind on the guitar, Bobby is masterfully offering up an alternative reading, and Phil sends down some clusterbombs. After the break, the Dead head immediately into St. Stephen. Through it, Jerry’s guitar is brilliantly crisp and dynamic, but heading, inexorably, down the path while Bobby adds an extra, ethereal element during the latter portion. And the Stephen leads directly into one of the most rocking, blues-oriented versions of Truckin’ the Dead ever did, just sick in its relentlessness despite its relatively short length.