Grateful Dead - 1979-04-22 - San Jose, CA (SBD)

Grateful Dead

1979-04-22

Spartan Stadium

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

1st Set:

01. Jack Straw

02. Tennessee Jed

03. Mama Tried >

04. Mexicali Blues

05. Sugaree

06. New Minglewood Blues

07. Brown Eyed Women

08. Looks Like Rain

09. Stagger Lee

10. Passenger

11. Deal

2nd Set:

01. Tuning

02. I Need A Miracle >

03. Bertha >

04. Good Lovin'

05. Scarlet Begonias >

06. Fire On The Mountain

07. Estimated Prophet >

08. He's Gone >

09. Drums >

10. The Other One >

11. Wharf Rat >

12. Around & Around

Encore:

01. US Blues

02. Shakedown Street

Grateful Dead - 1979-04-22 - San Jose, CA (SBD) 

As mentioned in earlier posts this month, the Grateful Dead were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. While Jerry Garcia did not show up for the ceremony, the rest of the band did, and brought a life size cardboard cut out of him! In the true spirit of the 1960s flower power era, the band attempted to be incredibly inclusive, listing 12 members as part of the band for induction. In addition to the then current line up of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Vince Welnick, Mickey Hary and Bill Kruetzmann, the Dead also included former keyboard players Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Brent Mydland, Keith Godchaux, and Tom Constanten, not to mention vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux. They even included lyricist Robert Hunter, who in collaboration with Garcia, had written some of the band's most famous tunes, including Uncle John's Band, US Blues, St Stephen, Eyes Of The World, Ripple, and Touch Of Grey, just to name a few. That said, I still think they missed 2 other members of the Dead family who should have been inducted. First is Bruce Hornsby, who played keyboards for them for almost 2 years alongside Welnick, about the same length of service as Constanten. Hornsby obviously was not offended, as he inducted the band. Second was John Perry Barlow, who worked with Weir in the same way Hunter partnered with Garcia. Weir/Barlow tunes, while not as numerous or famous as Garcia/Hunter compositions, included such staples of the Dead's live performances as Estimated Prophet, Cassidy, Looks Like Rain, Throwing Stones, and The Music Never Stopped, just to cite a few.

In any event, this soundboard recording captures theband on April 22, 1979, 47 years ago today, in San Jose. It was the first show for keyboardist Brent Mydland as a member of the Dead. He would become the Dead's longest tenured keyboard player, performing with the band for over 12 years, until his tragic death in July 1990 from a drug over dose at the age of 37.