Grateful Dead - 1990-09-14 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (SBD)

Grateful Dead
1990-09-14
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY
Soundboard Recording
256 kbps (vbr)
Artwork Included

1st Set:
01. Feel Like A Stranger
02. Sugaree
03. Minglewood Blues
04. Ramble On Rose
05. Black Throated Wind
06. Jack A Roe
07. Cassidy
08. Don't Ease Me In

2nd Set:
09. Scarlet Begonias
10. Fire On The Mountain
11. Truckin'
12. Terrapin Station
13. Drums
14. Space
15. The Other One
16. Wharf Rat
17. Sugar Magnolia

Encore:
18 U.S. Blues

Grateful Dead - 1990-09-14 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (SBD)

In 1989, some 21 years after it was first erected on the site of the old Penn Station at 33rd Street and 8th Avenue, Madison Square Garden (the 4th building to bear that name), underwent its first major renovation. The color scheme, a horrid combination of red, orange, yellow, green and blue seats, was changed to a more refined and updated purple and teal. Hundred of blue seats, which were way up on the 4th level, furthest from the action, were ripped out and replaced by 88 luxury boxes. In replacing the blue seats, the Garden had 2 motives. The first was financial, as luxury suites could bring in far more revenue, selling at that time for over $150,000 a year. The 2nd was public relations, as the blue seats had gained a less than respectable reputation thanks to the some quite passionate and extremely rowdy New York Ranger fans that occupied them during hockey season. How rowdy and passionate you ask? Well, Rangers fans in the blue seats would purchase Islanders, Bruins and Flyer jerseys, (representing 3 of the Ranger’s most hated rivals) and set them on fire in the arena, without a 2nd thought. In any event, the first events held in the Garden while renovations were in progress were 6 Grateful Dead concerts in September 1990. I went to 4 of those shows, including night 1 on September 14, 1990, 22 years ago today. Getting into the Garden that night amidst all the construction felt somewhat like cattle being led to the slaughter, but once we found our seats and the show began, everything turned out just fine. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, the period from 1989 to 1991 was perhaps the finest the band played after Jerry’s recovery from a diabetic coma in 1987. This night was no exception, with a surprise Truckin early in Set 2 and a one two punch of Sugar Magnolia and US Blues to send us all home. Interestingly, Bruce Hornsby did not join the band until night 2 at the Garden! Download this soundboard recording to hear the Dead open up the newly renovated Madison Square Garden.