T right here in Montego

ost of America is asleep right now as I type this at 4:30 in the morning (Eastern time zone, yo... 12:30 a.m. here in Alaska.) But 25 years ago this very moment, the good ol' Grateful Dead were just starting their show that would wrap up Day 1 of the Jamaica World Music Festival. This would be their only concert in the Caribbean, and aside from Hawaii, their only show south of the mainland United States.

Many people've seen a show start when it was light out and finish when it was dark... but only a very few can say they saw the sun rise as the band went into Fire On The Mountain! Breakfast right after a show? Oh, man, that must've been somethin'. Knowin' me as well as I think I know me, this is a show I definitely would've mailordered for. Maybe I'd never have made it but my plans to go would have been in full swing, I tell ya what.

Anyway, on with the tunes...

Grateful Dead -- 11/26/82
Bob Marley Memorial Performing Centre
Montego Bay, Jamaica

1st Set
Sugaree, Minglewood Blues, Loser,
Women Are Smarter, Althea, Let It Grow

2nd Set
Samson and Delilah,
Scarlet Begonias -» Fire On The Mountain -»
Drums -» Space -» Throwing Stones -»
Not Fade Away -» Black Peter -» Good Lovin'

Holy Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Rastaman!! Mmmm, tasty! Just lovin' this yet again! Loser, for the 3rd time in a few days now, is absolutely the pinnacle of the 1st Set. I don't know why, near the end, everything in the universe comes into one absolute moment of perfection. Only a 6-song set but a pretty sweet Let It Grow wraps it all up. The band is in such a massive groove here that they could have jammed this out for twice as long as they did. For some reason, Bobby's rhythm guitar throughout the show is off to the side in only the right channel and not so easy to tune in on... but I'm really diggin' Phil totally front and center... and Jerry, of course.

Set 2 has more of the same. Scarlet-> Fire, at 16½ minutes, seems just right for 6 in the morning. Loved it! Drums-> Space is really brief before Bobby goes into Throwing Stones, a relatively brand new tune, launched only a couple months before. I usually love a rockin' end of the show but Peter is a pretty nice, mellow moment with some sweet, sweet Jerry! No encore but Bobby works some fun cheese into Good Lovin' to close it all out. The whole thing is a little on the short side at under 2 hours but not a bad show for 4:30 to about 7 in the morning! And what a sweet recording!

lineage: master soundboard cassette > WAV > SHN
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sound quality: Smokin' ... A to A+!!

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listen: 11-26-82 Montego Bay is @ Archive.org


or Dload It Right Here
11/26/82 - 1st Set «--» 2nd Set - 11/26/82