Dead of the Day: 12-05-1981

Market Square Arena

Indianapolis, Indiana

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Brent, Jerry, and Bobby are firing away from the very beginning with a stunning Alabama Getaway. Then the boys go into a Promised Land in which Bobby’s voice is a little off, but the playing itself is bright and focused. After that, they switch gears into a sweet Friend Of The Devil, made all the more so by Jerry’s vocals and muted explosiveness on the guitar. From there, it is back to a Bobby tune with his voice sounding just dandy now. The band plays CC Rider at regular speed until going all Elvis and zipping off in mesmerizing fashion about halfway through. The rest of the first set continues to deliver, leading up to an incredible Passenger, which quakes with Phil’s bombs. Then, to top off the set, the boys lay into an amazing Bird Song, which segues into a tasty Let It Grow. Out of the break, a ridiculously good Shakedown comes out, going off into some really funky, spacey territory without ever leaving the theme behind. After a solid Sailor> Saint and Big RR Blues, Playin’ chases off into sparkling fields of technicolor then starts massaging you with its rolling brilliance all the way to Drums and Space. The latter of the two is a spooky underwater treat. And slowly building out of the watery ether is a splendid Wheel, lovely and comforting after the Space. A Playin’ reprise comes on the tail of The Wheel, and then it is the majesty of Stella. As you might expect, a rocking Sugar Mags sees the set out.

Recording info
Use alternative player
Identifier:
gd1981-12-05.158836.mtx.seamons.ht149.flac16
Source:
Matrix by Hunter Seamons using Final Cut Pro (FLAC > AIFF > Final Cut w/EQ > AIFF CD tracking via Audacity > FLAC16 via xACT w/meta-tagging) December 5, 2022
Notes:
SBD dead air trimmed out. Ramble On Rose AUD-only. Jim Vita’s recording (#153869 via Scott Clugston and Charlie Miller) patches 2:35 of Drums in the AUD source. SBD 9-second cut during Playing In The Band jam and 10 second cut at the Playing Reprise > Stella Blue transition now patched. Soundboard levels can sound a little hot or distorted at times but still pretty nice overall.
Description:
Set I
Alabama Getaway >
Promised Land
Friend Of The Devil >
C.C. Rider
Cumberland Blues >
El Paso
Ramble On Rose
Passenger
Bird Song >
Let It Grow
Set II
Shakedown Street >
Lost Sailor >
Saint Of Circumstance
Big Railroad Blues
Playing In The Band >
Drums >
Space >
The Wheel >
Playing In The Band Reprise >
Stella Blue >
Sugar Magnolia

Encore:
One More Saturday Night
 
Comment
Jerry Garcia – Guitar
Bob Weir – Guitar
Brent Mydland – Keyboards
Phil Lesh – Bass
Bill Kreutzmann – Drums
Mickey Hart – Drums
Lineage:
Transferrer:
Play
Pause
Back
Forw.
Volume
00:00
1
Alabama Getaway >
318.2
2
Promised Land
259.42
3
Friend Of The Devil >
493.69
4
C.C. Rider
425.59
5
Cumberland Blues >
309.37
6
El Paso
292.68
7
Ramble On Rose
440.61
8
Passenger
306.86
9
Bird Song >
625.37
10
Let It Grow
631.12
11
Shakedown Street >
759.2
12
Lost Sailor >
421.72
13
Saint Of Circumstance
437.13
14
Big Railroad Blues
275.46
15
Playing In The Band >
633.71
16
Drums >
454.19
17
Space >
320.71
18
The Wheel >
440.98
19
Playing In The Band >
304.75
20
Stella Blue >
532.53
21
Sugar Magnolia
558.76
22
One More Saturday Night
283.77
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Comments

4 responses to “12-05-1981”

  1. Thom Reed Avatar
    Thom Reed

    About halfway through this CC Rider it just EXPLODES!

    1. Todd C Avatar
      Todd C

      Bobby goes Elvis mode!😎

  2. Scott Shlomo Krane Avatar
    Scott Shlomo Krane

    1981 was a very good year, superior to 1980 (except the acoustic sets at the Warfield and Radio City Music Hall), and 1982, which were both good years for Dead shows (’82 brought ‘The Raven Space’ and electric ‘On the Road Again’ in Baltimore, but still can’t quite match ’81, with shows such as 7/4 Texas; the Rainbow Theater residency in London, England; and this show, Dec. 5, 1981, Markets Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN.The show opens with a killer ‘Alabama Getaway’, the radio-friendly rock ‘n’ roll tune from Go To Heaven (Arista, ’80), followed by ‘Promised Land’ the Chuck Berry-cover which usually goes at the end of the first set. Next is a beautiful 8:00 ‘Friend of the Devil’, followed by the best ‘C.C. Rider’ I’ve ever heard the boys perform. Everything in between is solid, both performance-wise and in terms of song selections. The eighth song of the night is ‘Passenger’, followed by a 10-minute pristine and crystal clean ‘Bird Song’. The jam is subtle, delicate, beatific. The final song of the first set is a quick-paced and lovely 10.5-minute ‘Let It Grow’. The then-young Brent Mydland sounds perfect on the vocal harmonizing.The second set opens with a funky, 12-minute ‘Shakedown Street’ the title-track to the album Shakedown Street (Arista, ’78), which was slammed by the critics as “disco Dead” but is full of numerous classics. Next, ‘Lost Sailor’>’Saint of Circustance’ is just what the doctor ordered. Then it’s time to “go to heaven” all over again with a second set ‘Big Railroad Blues’, followed by ‘Playin in the Band’ 10:21> ‘Drums’ 7:34>’Space’ 5:06>’The Wheel’ 8:17>’Playin in the Band ‘ 4:05. The jam in the first ‘Playin’ is wonderful, like The Pink Floyd album from the ’80s, like ‘Let it Grow’ and ‘Bird Song’ in the first set, we are treated to “the delicate sound of thunder” with this ‘Playin in the Band’, mellow yet exploratory, slow but colorful.

  3. alydar21 Avatar
    alydar21

    Show was clear and clean. Indoor arena held about 16,000, but was a third full. Bear Force security wasn’t aggressive as other rock concerts. My first show and was magnificent. 41 years later and it remains as a significant life changing event and there was only one other-4th row at The Exorcist age 14. If there is an afterlife, I hope this concert Is relived.

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