A crisp, fun Monkey And The Engineer gets things going, and then they roll through some amazing renditions of traditional folk, old-school country, and Hunter/Garcia masterpieces. Each song is a gem, like the powerful hymn-like once off Master’s Bouquet, which Bobby gives all its due with Jerry’s heartfelt harmonies and the two’s guitars providing excellent accompaniment. A bit later, the set turns over to an electric one as they come out with a ripping Casey Jones and some sharp acid-laced blues on Hard To Handle, before coming around to a perfect coda to the earlier acoustic Americana with their psychedelic take on the Obray Ramsey tune, Cold Rain And Snow. The Dead played some better sets out there, but you would be hard-pressed to find one that so captures the band’s ultimate embodiment of all forms of American music that had come before and their rarified, unique take on it all.

The second set brings it as well, starting off with a heady China> Rider that pretty much blows the doors off as an impassioned Jerry guitar run takes them from China Cat right into a sweet and wholesome I Know You Rider. A bit later, Dark Star rises up and satisfies beyond all measure. You can hear the crystal clear clarity of the recording throughout, but nowhere does it do the music more justice than on the Dark Star; with a pair of headphones on, you will feel like you are smack in the middle of the stage, which is a very good place to be indeed as they head off into an intense and magical space. After a cut in the recording, we get another inimitable version, this time of the Altamont meditation that the boys had just debuted the previous week: New Speedway Boogie. Then the show ends with an incredible Lovelight. Though on the shorter side, this one is second to none with breathless playing, great Pig fronting, and a crescendo ending that shatters the tune. As someone announces at the end, “you just had it done to you by the Grateful Dead.” And, that reminds us, do not miss the fantastic banter throughout this show either.