The Grateful Dead Concert Tapes On The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive’s Grateful Dead is a great collection of concert tapes. There are over 2,000 unique concerts. There are multiple recordings of most concerts. This series attempts to provide a simple interface to this collection by selecting one recording for each concert on a given date. Preference is given to tapes processed by the great Charlie Miller and sound board tapes. Not all shows are well recorded but the there are great moments here. Dig in and enjoy! You didn’t have to be there. Good Luck.
The Grateful Dead: Dark Star Rising (1966 – 1969)
After leaving the Army in 1960 (the story goes that he lost a tank) Jerry Garcia gravitated towards bluegrass (playing banjo in his band Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions
and LSD (1964). Jerry, Pigpen, Phil, Bill and (the under aged) Bob formed the Warlocks in 1965 playing as the ‘house band’ with Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests in San Francisco. Tom joined in 1968 and
was very important to the massive Dark Stars of yore. Owsley Stanley (The Bear) was both chemist and sound man for the Grateful Dead. Between 1965 and 1967, Stanley produced and help distribute more than 1.25 million doses of LSD.
Owsley helped develp the distinctive ‘Steal You Face’ Skull logo for the Dead. Many of the early live recordings of the Grateful Dead where due to Owsley’s efforts and his unique approach to clairity and simplicity in miking allows us to experence much of the early shows ‘as they were.’
In 1968 The Grateful Dead included these members:
Jerry Garcia
Bob Weir
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
Phil Lesh
Bill Kreutzmann
Mickey Hart
Tom Constanten
In This Series:
| ____ | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 |
| ____ | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 |
| ____ | 1972 | 1982 | 1992 |
| ____ | 1973 | 1983 | 1993 |
| ____ | 1974 | 1984 | 1994 |
| ____ | 1975 | 1985 | 1995 |
| 1966 | 1976 | 1986 | ____ |
| 1967 | 1977 | 1987 | ____ |
| 1968 | 1978 | 1988 | ____ |
| 1969 | 1979 | 1989 | ____ |
Additional details of the Internet Archive Collection and how these lists were generated can be found here.
My blogs on individual Grateful Dead show can be found here.
A list of all soundboard tapes of Dark Star performances on the Internet Archive can be found here.
A list of all soundboard tapes of Scarlet Begonia -> Fire On The Mountain performances on the Internet Archive can be found here.
I personally like the three night run at the the Boston Tea Party 12-29 through 12-31 and the Avalon first set on 04-05.
1969-01-17 – Civic Auditorium Listen
1969-01-18 – CBS Studios in West Hollywood Listen
1969-01-24 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-01-25 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-01-26 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-02-02 – Labor Temple Listen
1969-02-04 – The Music Box Listen
1969-02-05 – Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium Listen
1969-02-06 – Kiel Auditorium Listen
1969-02-07 – Stanley Theater Listen
1969-02-12 – Fillmore East Listen
1969-02-14 – Electric Factory Listen
1969-02-15 – Eaton’s list reads: Listen
1969-02-21 – Dream Bowl Listen
1969-02-22 – Dream Bowl Listen
1969-02-27 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-02-28 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-03-01 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-03-02 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-03-15 – Hilton Hotel Listen
1969-03-22 – Rose Palace Listen
1969-03-28 – Student Center Listen
1969-03-29 – Ice Palace Listen
1969-04-04 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-04-05 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-04-06 – Avalon Ballroom Listen
1969-04-11 – University Auditorium, University of Arizona Listen
1969-04-12 – Student Union Ballroom, U. Utah Listen
1969-04-13 – Ballroom Listen
1969-04-15 – The Music Box Listen
1969-04-18 – Purdue University Listen
1969-04-20 – Clark University Listen
1969-04-21 – The Ark Listen
1969-04-22 – The Ark Listen
1969-04-23 – The Ark Listen
1969-04-25 – Electric Theater Listen
1969-04-26 – Electric Theater Listen
1969-04-27 – Labor Temple Listen
1969-05-03 – Winterland Arena Listen
1969-05-07 – Polo Field – Golden Gate Park Listen
1969-05-10 – Rose Palace Listen
1969-05-11 – Aztec Bowl, San Diego State U. Listen
1969-05-16 – Campolindo High School Listen
1969-05-23 – Seminole Indian Village Listen
1969-05-24 – Seminole Indian Village Listen
1969-05-29 – Robertson Gym, U.C.S.B. Listen
1969-05-30 – Springer’s Inn Listen
1969-05-31 – McArthur Court, University of Oregon Listen
1969-06-05 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-06-06 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-06-07 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-06-08 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-06-13 – Fresno Convention Center Listen
1969-06-14 – Monterey Performing Arts Center Listen
1969-06-20 – Pacific Recording Studios Listen
1969-06-21 – Fillmore East Listen
1969-06-22 – Central Park Listen
1969-06-27 – Veterans Auditorium Listen
1969-06-28 – Veterans Auditorium Listen
1969-07-03 – Reed’s Ranch Listen
1969-07-04 – Electric Theater Listen
1969-07-05 – Electric Theater Listen
1969-07-07 – Piedmont Park Listen
1969-07-11 – NY State Pavilion, Flushing Meadow Park Listen
1969-07-12 – NY State Pavilion, Flushing Meadow Park Listen
1969-08-02 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-08-03 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-08-16 – Woodstock Music Listen
1969-08-21 – Aqua Theater Listen
1969-08-23 – Pelletier Farm Listen
1969-08-28 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-08-29 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-08-30 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-09-01 – Baton Rouge International Speedway Listen
1969-09-06 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-09-07 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-09-11 – The Family Dog at the Great Highway (?) Listen
1969-09-26 – Fillmore East Listen
1969-09-27 – Fillmore East Listen
1969-09-29 – Cafe au Go-Go Listen
1969-09-30 – Cafe au Go-Go Listen
1969-10-24 – Winterland Arena Listen
1969-10-25 – Winterland Arena Listen
1969-10-26 – Winterland Arena Listen
1969-10-31 – San Jose State University Listen
1969-11-01 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-11-02 – Family Dog at the Great Highway Listen
1969-11-07 – Fillmore Auditorium Listen
1969-11-08 – Fillmore Auditorium Listen
1969-11-15 – Lanai Theater Listen
1969-11-21 – Building A, Cal Expo Listen
1969-12-04 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-12-05 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-12-07 – Fillmore West Listen
1969-12-10 – Thelma Theater Listen
1969-12-11 – Thelma Theater Listen
1969-12-12 – Thelma Theater Listen
1969-12-13 – Swing Auditorium Listen
1969-12-19 – Fillmore Auditorium Listen
1969-12-20 – Fillmore Auditorium Listen
1969-12-21 – Fillmore Auditorium Listen
1969-12-26 – McFarlin Auditorium, SMU Listen
1969-12-28 – International Speedway Listen
1969-12-29 – Boston Tea Party Listen
1969-12-30 – Boston Tea Party Listen
1969-12-31 – Boston Tea Party Listen
