The birthday boy starts the night off with a blistering Promised Land. The Sugaree – expansive at seventeen minutes – that comes next gathers momentum as it goes, getting more luscious and fervid as it grows into a writhing colossal monster. Afterwards, Bobby comes right back with a delightful Cassidy. And a song later there is a hot and tasty Minglewood that Keith just kills on the keys. Here as well as elsewhere in the set, Donna provides some great harmonies. She also adds a beautiful Sunrise. But nowhere is her contribution greater than on the Music Never Stopped. Bobby jokes before the song that “now we will play and you will listen.” But there ain’t no way that listening is all people were doing; the crowd had to be boogieing down considering the band absolutely scorches the Music Never Stopped, creating a scintillating, high octane dance vehicle to close out the first half.

Out of the break, the Dead turn to Scarlet> Fire. The Scarlet itself is a little subdued, but rapturous in its own way. But what the Scarlet really does is get us to a truly top-shelf Fire on the Mountain. Jerry is in total command in the second half of that tune as he eviscerates his lengthy solo. A powerful Estimated then leads us into Drums. And by the latter portion of the Rhythm Devils section, you know the full band is going to roar into The Other One as soon as they retake the stage. And that is exactly what happens as the drummers pause for just a split second, allowing everyone to launch at once. A tremendous barreling Other One ensues that finally, after it has completely spent its energy, sort of sidles into a raucous Good Lovin’. Then the Dead are on to an amazing Terrapin> Black Peter, the only time the band ever played the combination. The jam at the end of Black Peter is something else, bluesy and explosive. And then a funky rocker of an Around & Around caps the set before a US Blues encore.