Grateful Dead: Merriweather 6/30/85

The Grateful Dead show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on June 30th, 1985 has a star next to it on many Deadheads' lists. The 14,000 capacity venue, designed by Frank Gehry, was a favorite for both the band and the fans. 

This particular show has some real gems, and although it certainly has some loose groove and shaky vocal moments at times, it remains a classic. The 15 minute version of "Shakedown Street" that opened the second set is for many fans, one of the pinnacle performances of the song. "Shakedown" begins with bizarre sounds, burps, chatter and banter that was in the monitor mix, recorded by front-of-house engineer Dan Healy, and ended up on the show's master tapes. Healy's hard left/right back and forth panning of the vocals on several tracks, including the beginning of "Shakedown Street," is also preserved on the masters. It must've been cool in the house mix if you were heavily dosed? For a lead vocal down center guy, it always makes me feel unsettled. After a less-than-stellar vocal start (IMO), "Shakedown" slides into an extended jam that captures the band at an improvisational peak. 

Some of my other favorite moments are "He's Gone>Crypical Envelopment", the latter sporadically making its way into sets again in 1985 after a 13-year hiatus. This chunk of the setlist that includes a fantastic "The Other One>Stella Blue" after a solid "Drums" and "Space" is a showcase worthy document of the band in the '80s. There are a few moments of synth that put the era in clear focus, but Bob Weir's rhythm playing is always a treat, and Jerry has many shining moments on this release.

Produced by David Lemieux, and mastered by David Glasser (Airshow Mastering) from the original Sony F1 tapes. Merriweather 6/3/85 is available as a 3-CD or 4 LP vinyl set from Rhino Entertainment.