10-17-1983
Olympic Center
Lake Placid, New York
This might be one of the rare Dead shows where the first set surpasses the second. It all starts with a spectacular sixteen-minute Sugaree that surely stole some faces right out of the gate. The Rooster that follows is hot too and gets downright bizarre when Jerry starts shooting laser beams at the barnyard animals; just listen for it. An enchanting Friend of the Devil and a nice Brother Esau roll out next before a stratospheric 14+ minute Bird Song. Then, Hell in a Bucket, with Bobby trying to channel Wilson Pickett and Mustang Sally at one point, leads into Deal. And that Deal set capper is a beast, ferocious and unrelenting.
Though the first half is so good, there is no reason to not keep listening. The Touch opener is fun, and the Samson is powerful. The To Lay Me Down is a little ragged, but lovely nonetheless. And it is the only one of 1983 and the last until the breakout at Hampton in 1988. As usual, Man Smart Woman Smarter will have you shaking your bones. And the magisterial Terrapin that comes out next is one of the highlights of the set. It is finely played with downright haunting, cascading runs in the latter half. Drums and Space then deliver the boys at the doorstep of The Wheel. And that tune rolls out so beautifully. Apparently during The Wheel, hundreds of folks in the upper mezzanine joined hands and danced around the concourse, visible in silhouette to the band and everyone else below. Miracle> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad> Good Lovin’ take the show out in rocking fashion, and Bobby’s rabid excitement in the last tune just adds to the festivities. A rough but super fun Revolution, one of just twelve the Dead ever played, serves as the encore.
Today’s Dead of the Day:
Other October 17th Shows and Recordings:
- 1970 – Cleveland Music Hall – Cleveland, Ohio
- 1972 – Fox Theater – St. Louis, Missouri
- 1974 – Winterland Arena – San Francisco, California
- 1978 – Winterland Arena – San Francisco, California
- 1981 – The Hippodrome – Paris, France
- 1982 – Santa Fe Downs – Santa Fe, New Mexico
- 1984 – Brendan Byrne Arena – East Rutherford, New Jersey
- 1990 – Grugahalle – Essen, Germany
- 1994 – Madison Square Garden – New York, New York

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