DF 9: 4/16/78

4/16/78 - Civic Center - Huntington, WV

The Dead did a show in West Viriginia? Yep, in fact, they did two: this show and one later in Morgantown in 1983. I haven't listened to that one yet, but if this show is any indication, maybe they should have visited the "Mountain" State more often. Firstly, the sound on this show is just incredible. It's one of the more pristine soundboard shows I've listened to recently, and it's a treat to hear sound this amazing. Secondly, the show itself rocks from start to finish.

Things don't exactly get off to an auspicious start, however. The opening phrases of "Jack Straw" are marred by some unsure playing and a few flubbed notes. But things settle down very quickly, and we get a pretty amazing version of the tune. The sound is almost perfect (the piano might be a little too prominent in the mix), and Jerry's second solo is a thing of beauty. It's a little more urgent than the ones he normally turns in, the kind of solo you're hoping Jerry's going to bust out when JS starts up.

"Dire Wolf" has a really nice swing to it, and Jer's vocals are crystal clear. He's clearly beat the laryngitis that had plagued him in the early part of the tour, and frankly, his voice sounds as good as it ever did, even in the early seventies. Sadly, of course, that wasn't going to be the case for long. "Cassidy" again is a fantastic version of the song, and Phil's bass just pops. The band have just laid down three all-time versions of three of their most famous tunes.

But then "Peggy-O" hits, and it's clear that this is not a normal concert. I haven't heard a version this crisp, this heart-felt, and with a solo this strong. The solo comes just after the 3 minute mark and climaxes gorgeously between the 4 and 5 minute marks. An unbelievable treat of a song that I normally don't pay too much attention to. You're not likely to hear a stronger version.

The Mexicali -> Mama Tried duo is good, but the transition between the two songs is a bit of a trainwreck. Sounds like basic missed communication between the band members.

"They Love Each Other" is a continuation of the beauty of "Peggy-O." Great vocals from Jerry, and as I listen to it, I'm starting to wonder if the laryngitis didn't leave him with a better set of pipes for awhile. I'm happy to report that TLEO also has some fine work from Keith, in a year when his playing took a bit of a slide.

"Minglewood Blues" is an absolute monster. Jerry goes nuts on this song, mimicing the rhythms supplied by the drummers nicely at times, at other times he just kills everything in sight with his fierce soloing. A top-notch version of the song, to be sure.

"Scarlet -> Fire" to end the first set? This isn't 1977, after all, and the setlists got mixed up a bit. It's a risk that pays off nicely here. There are a couple of Jerry vocal flubs early on in Scarlet, but this Scarlet is fantastic. Great playing by everyone, and the build to the transition to Fire is tremendous. The actual transition, while a bit boring in other shows, has some really interesting work by the band. There's some wonderful direction going on here in a part of the song that sometimes seems directionless. "Fire" is just as interesting as "Scarlet", and we get a really cool piano slide (glissando, is the correct term, I believe) from Keith around half-way through. This "Fire" on the whole is vicious and mighty.

Set 2 opens with a great "Samson and Delilah," but "Ship of Fools" suffers a little bit from out-of-tune instruments and out-of-tune Donna. The song does get better and the lead-in to the last chorus is fantastic. Phil is especially tight here, laying down some terrific bombs, particularly at around 6:05.

Estimated is pretty standard up to about 4:10, when Jerry takes off on a solo that’s a lot more joyful and up-beat that his typical solos in Estimated. Things return to standard in Estimated toward the end, and then Jerry rips off a really interesting fluid solo of triplets just after 11 minutes. Despite the brief "phoning-it-in" periods, this is a superior "Estimated Prophet." The "Eyes" that follows is certainly one for the ages, but it pales in comparison to its near predecessor, which can be heard on Dick's Picks 18, my all-time favorite "Eyes of the World." On its own, this Eyes more than satisfies, however.

An extremely long Drums session follows, followed by a shorter Space. Unless you're a really big fan of this section of the shows, it's not a necessary cog in the show, and can be skipped. The rest of the set is pretty short, unfortunately, Iko and Sugar Magnolia. But what a Sugar Mag it is! It's everything you want when you hear the song start, pure elation and rock from start to finish. The "US Blues" encore is top-notch as well, rounding out what was become one of my favorite shows from this period. The first set, in particular, stands out as one of the finest firsts I've heard in quite some time.

I haven't decided where to look next. I have another late-80s show lined up as a definite future DF, but it's from a year I've done already. I may go back to primal 60s Dead, as its been awhile since I stepped into those waters.