The Music Did Stop... But They're Back

Something's not right in Alaska, or at least in this part of it.

36° F (2 C) is the current temperature as the noontime hour approaches.

8° F is the average high for this day. 8. Nuts is the only way to describe this weather. I'm goin' out soon to get some errands done and I'm wearin' shorts again. This I most definitely did not expect, not until like March. Shorts. 36? Weird.

Bad news: the snow's melting. I really wanna go for a run outside but the trail has got to be a waterlogged mess. Then tonight as freezing temps set in -- Ice Everywhere. I'll be home safe and toasty warm? Not quite. I'll be at work, in an ambulance, on the icy roads. Oh joy.

Well, at least this a.m. has been filled with some great tunes...

hat were the Deadheads wondering over those many months from late '74 to mid-'76? The band they loved, would they ever see them again? Shows in '75 occured in March, June, August, and September -- only 4 months... with only 1 show a month! 1976 rolled around then what? January, February, March, April, nothing. Well, plenty of Jerry shows but no Grateful Dead. Finally in May there was some news and on June 3rd in Portland, Oregon, the Dead played their first show of the year, their first show in 8 long months.

After two quick Oregon shows, they headed East for a swing -- Boston, New York, Passaic, NJ, Upper Darby, PA then Chicago in the midwest. Almost two weeks after that was all wrapped up -- shows at home. Market Street. Finally.

Grateful Dead -- 7/12/76
Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco

soundcheck
Dancing In The Streets, They Love Each Other,
The Music Never Stopped, The Music Never Stopped,
Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue,
Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue,
Let It Grow, Eyes Of The World

1st Set
The Music Never Stopped, Brown-Eyed Women,
Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Minglewood Blues,
Candyman, Looks Like Rain, Row Jimmy,
Lazy Lightning -» Supplication, Deal, The Promised Land

2nd Set
Sugaree, Samson and Delilah,
Help On The Way -» Slipknot -» Franklin's Tower,
Dancing In The Streets, Wharf Rat -» Drums -»
The Wheel -» Around and Around

Encore: U.S. Blues

With so few Soundchecks in circulation, it's kind of unfortunate that this one doesn't contain any sort of special gem. There isn't a lot of joking around, not a lot of audible chatting. Oh well.

Gems also seem to be lacking in the 1st Set. But wait a minute 'cause that's not sayin' it was bad or boring or anything like that. Well-played throughout. Tennessee Jed, even though it's patched from an Aud, is top-notch (and the Aud's not bad, either.) Same for Lazy Lightning-> Supplication. The best thing about the set -- Jerry. Tune him in each and every song and it's a Heaven coming alive in your ears.

Set 2 has much of the same. Nothing really stands out, nothin' pops, nothin' that makes time stand still... until the end of the Encore -- wow! But even though there's a lack of mind-boggling moments, again, without a doubt, the 2nd Set has more meticulously played tunes; they're just kind of on the mellow side. The 26 minutes of Help-> Slip-> Frank is probably the highlight for me. Wharf Rat, as well. Both beautifully played with more precision pickin' from Jer. The band is tight, the playin' near-perfect. It's was a good night to be indoors in July. It was good that life was indeed normal again... well, whatever normal was bein' a Deadhead in 1976.

sound quality:
the soundcheck has a buzzing noise heard in the quiet spots.
1st Set -- light hiss, B+/A-. 2nd Set: better, solid A.

lineage:
Soundcheck: SBD->Master VHS->DAT->CD
Set One: SBD->RM->Reel->Reel->Reel->DAT->CD
Set Two: SBD->RM->DAT->Sonic Solutions->CD
Tennessee Jed is patched from Bob Menke's Aud Recording AUD->RM->DAT->CD

The soundboard of 7/12/76 is @ Archive.org
for listening only.

Without the soundcheck, you can listen to and download the
Audience version of 7/12/76, also @ Archive.org

Or you can dload the Soundboard right here:
·

·
7/12/76 - soundcheck
·
1st Set - 7/12/76
·
7/12/76 - Set 2, Part 1 Part 2, Set 2 - 7/12/76

next up: hopefully another GD sbd early next week