Grateful Dead of the Day

Dead of the Day: November 24, 1978 Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey

The band unleashes an epic, funked-up, disco-strong Shakedown. Hamza el Din joins on the Drums that follows, taking it into Ollin Arageed, which, in its 3rd stateside appearance, hits its absolute apotheosis before the dankest opening to Fire On The Mountain. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-24-1978

Dead of the Day: November 23, 1973 County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas

The Dead only played the city of El Paso once. And Bobby did not pass up the chance to play El Paso, which the crowd met with jubilant cheers. But the lovely playing - especially He's Gone> Truckin'> Other One> Me and Bobby McGee - outshines even that cool moment. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-23-1973

Dead of the Day: November 22, 1985 Henry J. Kaiser Covention Center in Oakland, California

A fiery Hell in a Bucket, effervescent Althea, beautiful Sugaree, and face-melting Let It Grow all highlight the 1st set. Later, a monster, inventive Estimated, rich with Healey effects, leads the way into a tasty Eyes before a powerful Dew and lovely Brokedown. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-22-1985

Dead of the Day: November 21, 1973 Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado

An awesome Here Comes Sunshine and WRS are the standouts of a stacked 1st set. But the 2nd is something else entirely. With Playin' woven throughout, the boys take Dark Star into an unsuspecting Wharf Rat, a steamy Truckin', and mournful, yet so heady Morning Dew. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-21-1973

Dead of the Day: November 20, 1978 Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio

Bobby was under the weather, provoking a 24-minute jam to open the second set while the rhythm guitarist threw up backstage. Despite the illness, the night scorched, including on a memorable If I Had the World to Give. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-20-1978

Dead of the Day: November 19, 1966 Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California

While there is a certain inalienable core, each tune is mesmerizingly different, from the acidy, kaleidoscopic blues of Hi Heeled Sneakers to Jerry's most gnarly surf guitar on Cream Puff War to a proto-punk Smokestack Lightning and Pig's rapping on Midnight Hour. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-19-1966

Dead of the Day: November 18, 1972 Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, Texas

The Playin' is blistering, never letting up with jam after jam in rapid-fire succession. So fiery, the tune is almost exhausting. Steel yourself and rock to the Playin' and the rest of the extant music from the night at Grateful Dead of the Day: gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-18-1972

Dead of the Day: November 17, 1973 Pauley Pavilion, UCLA in Los Angeles, California

The Dead played six shows over the years at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, including this incendiary classic. Take in the unbelievable Playin’> UJB> Morning Dew> UJB> Playin’, beautiful Stella, and amazing Eyes, all before a steamy Sugar Mags takes it out. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-17-1973

Dead of the Day: November 16, 1978 Uptown Theater in Chicago, Illinois

Keith kills it in the first set, especially in his brilliant solo on TLEO. And the set is capped by a disco-fied Dancin' and raucous Deal. A sweet Scarlet> Fire starts the latter half, but the vocal vamping on He's Gone and righteous Black Peter lurk as well. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-16-1978

Dead of the Day: November 15, 1971 Austin Municipal Auditorium in Austin, Texas

With a first set Dark Star> El Paso, the boys were rocking. The 2nd half is all the equal with a beautiful Brokedown, lovely Me And Bobby McGee, and fiery Cumberland. But it's the NFA sammy, with a China Cat jam and GDTRFB filler, that is the real frothing crux. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-15-1971

Dead of the Day: November 14, 1973 San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California

A steamy Truckin' sets up a groovy jazz jam into the Other One, righteous and sublime before rising to Big River and back into the dark ether of TOO. Then a short, sweet Eyes launches before a final Other One charges into the deep recesses of the universe. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-14-1973

Dead of the Day: November 13, 1972 Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas

Dark Star goes through several different moods, all perfectly resplendent before a Philo Stomp ushers in a withering jam before Jerry lets loose the ringing opening notes of Morning Dew, and we are off again on another amazing ride, this one beatifically haunting. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-13-1972

Dead of the Day: November 12, 1971 San Antonio Civic Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas

Here in one of his earliest shows with the Dead, Keith plays wide open, ranging and romping. And the band is right alongside, delivering sweet headiness at every turn - check out the Sugaree, Jed, and Black Peter - and tearing it up on the Other One suite. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-12-1971

Dead of the Day: November 11, 1973 Winterland Arena in San Francisco, California

The crux of the show is an epic Dark Star> Mind Left Body> Eyes> China Doll. The Dark Star is mind-meltingly cosmic with that righteously groovy Mind Left Body Jam entering into a jazz-driven Eyes before the breathtaking, heartrending China Doll comes forth. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-11-1973

Dead of the Day: November 10, 1967 Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California

This here is fine primal magic from LA, starting with a raggedly perfect Viola Lee. Schoolgirl will blow your mind, the Other One is just the 3rd ever, and there's an epic Alligator> Drums> Alligator> Caution> Feedback. And don't miss Jerry's hysterical banter. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-10-1967

Dead of the Day: November 9, 1973 Winterland Arena in San Francisco, California

A transcendent China> Rider right before the set-closing, 21-minute Playin' highlight the 1st half. The 2nd gets steamy out of the gate with Here Comes Sunshine and rolls through to the show's crux, a meaty Weather Report Suite> Eyes> China Doll. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-09-1973

Dead of the Day: November 8, 1969 Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California

With the boys lysergically beatific throughout, it is easy to see why the show was Dick Latvala's favorite. Pig bawls on Easy Wind and Good Lovin' and the Dead blissfully interweave Dark Star with Other One and Uncle John's before a heady Stephen>Eleven>Caution. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-08-1969

Dead of the Day: November 7, 1971 Harding Theater in San Francisco, California

The Dead rip a stratospheric Dark Star out of a raging Sugar Mags and take a fast and hot Other One right through to a psychedelic Me And My Uncle before coming back to an even more otherworldly TOO and closing with a bone shaking, blistering NFA> GDTRFB> NFA. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-07-1971

Dead of the Day: November 6, 1979 The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Check out the tasty Jed, fresh Jack-A-Roe, and always hot Deal in the first half. But the second stanza - particularly that Playin' (can you say more cowbell!) out of the set-opening Terrapin - is really where it's at. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-06-1979

Dead of the Day: November 4, 1977 Cotterrell Gym, Colgate University in Hamilton, New York

Preppy students outnumbered Heads 2 to 1, but everyone got down as the Dead blew the doors off the small gym. One of the best Eyes ever highlights it all, but the playing was immaculate from the lovely Cassidy to heady Let It Grow to the fireworks of the 2nd set. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-04-1977

Dead of the Day: November 3, 1991 Polo Field, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California

At the Laughter, Love, and Music celebration in memory of Bill Graham, the festive atmosphere and spontaneous nature harkened back to the sixties. During the Dead's set, John Popper, John Fogerty, and Neil Young all joined the boys on stage for a fitting tribute. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-03-1991

Donna Jean Godchaux Donna Jean Godchaux was born in Florence, Alabama, in 1947. In the late sixties, she worked as a session singer at the famed Muscle Shoals studios. Along with appearing on many other hits, Donna sang ...

Donna Jean Godchaux's powerful voice and joyful energy - and efforts to ensure Keith got in the band - helped shape the Dead's sound throughout the 70s. Another light from the Grateful Dead family has gone out, but her spirit and music live on. RIP. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/family/donna...

Dead of the Day: November 2, 1969 Family Dog at the Great Highway in San Francisco, California

A taffy-rich Cold Rain and Snow opens before incredible, Pig-fueled versions of Good Lovin' and Dancin' lead to a monstrous Dark Star, replete with a Feelin' Groovy and Tighten Up jam, into Stephen> Eleven> Death Don't Have No Mercy. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/11-02-1969

Dead of the Day: October 31, 1991 Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California

A magnificent Help> Slip> Franklin's, ridiculous Rooster, somber Scarlet> Fire, and Dark Star with a spine-chilling Ken Kesey rap, are all tops, but the Standing on the Moon, so precious and meditatively powerful, might just be the highlight of the night. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-31-1991

Dead of the Day: October 30, 1990 Wembley Arena in London, England

At Wembley Arena during the 1990 European Tour, the boys put up a sweet first set jam before going into a tasty rendition of Bruce's Valley Road. Later, a mighty Terrapin takes it into Drums, and a flat-out joyous Wheel comes out the other side. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-30-1990

Dead of the Day: October 29, 1977 Field House, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois

The boys are in mind-meld mode the entire night, throwing off rainbows, lightning bolts, and moonbeams. Give it all a listen, including a trippy and powerful Estimated> Eyes> Space> Stephen> Drums> NFA, at Grateful Dead of the Day: gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-29-1977

Dead of the Day: October 28, 1985 Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia

Jerry lights up the first set with his spare and enlightened picking. And the boys throw down in the second, starting with a tasty Scarlet> Touch and finishing with five tunes out of Space, including a raging Truckin' and magisterial Stella. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-28-1985

Dead of the Day: October 27, 1979 Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Phil takes the lead, keying a raging Dancin' and dropping serious tonnage throughout. Repeatedly, the boys rise to answer Phil's nasty bass licks, and raucousness ensues, particularly on the Franklin's, He's Gone> Other One that follows in the wake of Dancin'. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-27-1979

Dead of the Day: October 26, 1980 Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York

The acoustic opening set is out of sight from the Must Have Been the Roses to the Ripple to the China Doll. The lovely sound, pacing, and ambience continues through the two electric sets as well, including on a beautiful Althea and a righteous Stella. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-26-1980

Dead of the Day: October 25, 1969 Winterland Arena in San Francisco, California

Dark Star, sublime with a Feeling Groovy jam, begins the recording. Then Stephen pours down like a waterfall, sanctifying and refreshing before the whirling organ marking the beginning of a joyous Eleven. Later, a magnificent Lovelight, bawdy with Pig's rapping. gratefuldeadoftheday.com/10-25-1969