Dead of the Day: 09-30-1980
Warfield Theater
San Francisco, California
For our Dead of the Day, we catch up with the boys five shows into a monstrous fifteen-show run at the Warfield back in 1980. Recording for Dead Set and Reckoning, the Dead went on to play ten more shows immediately after the Warfield run, with the latter eight of those taking place in the confines of Radio City Music Hall. All of these shows had an acoustic set and then two electric ones, and this night at the Warfield witnessed, arguably, the best acoustic set of the entire twenty five. From the first notes of On The Road Again, Bobby and Jerry deliver rhapsodic picking and similarly emotional and spirited vocals. Each acoustic song is a magnificent piece of art, and it is hard to pick out any as standouts amongst this transcendent group. Just fire up the set, sit back, and enjoy. The electric sets are far more ordinary, but not without their merits. And, throughout those two sets, one of the highest points is Brent, who is absolutely on. A few songs in, on the Friend Of The Devil, he kills it with a lilting series of runs on the keys and then takes over the Rooster a few songs later. In the final set, the band stretches things a bit more, beginning with a funky jam towards the end of Feel Like A Stranger. But it is the He’s Gone> Estimated that is the highlight of the electric portion of the show. The He’s Gone begins faintly and builds slowly as the boys practically testify, as if they were delivering the good word, commenting on the Estimated Prophet to come. The Estimated that arrives is funkier and, in some ways, darker than the He’s Gone, though just as powerful, especially during the frenetic jam in the middle. The Brokedown encore, a thing of pure beauty, is also something not to be missed from this night at the Warfield.
Podcast about this show:
- Heads’ Tales – S1 E2 Chris Stone of GratefulPhoto.com – The 1980 Warfield run, which included a show on this day, was a special moment in Dead history given the long stand and acoustic opening set. Listen to Chris Stone of Grateful Photo discuss hitting these shows up with good friends and his camera.
Yesterday’s Dead of the Day:
Other September 30th Shows and Recordings:
- 1969 – Cafe au Go-Go – New York, New York
- 1971 – Unknown Location – Santa Venetia, California
- 1972 – American University – Washington, DC
- 1976 – Mershon Auditorium, Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio
- 1981 – Playhouse Theater – Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1988 – Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, California
- 1989 – Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, California
- 1993 – Boston Garden – Boston, Massachusetts
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