I was listening to GD from 92-95 to all day and I didn't hear anything (sans a moment hear or there) that pounded through the whole night like this. Such a clean recording too. JK and Phil deserve the kudos for this one and I'm really digging Jeff is doing. Wow, can't wait for the Mothership and my first Furthur show!

I was at the show and was blown away by the opening Sunshine. The whole first set was amazing. Second set list good but a little too "top ten" for my taste. I really am liking JK more and more and I can't wait to see the East Coast shows in Feb. Having said that, there was something about Warren, Mickey, and Billy K in Spring '09 that had more magic about it. Call it Southern Fried Dead if you want, it's true, but I'm not yet totally on board with this lineup. Can't help thinking that Bob and Phil wanted to keep more of the touring dough to themselves. But I do like the smaller venues. Listen, the fact that we're seeing quality Dead material being performed is what really matters anyway. Jeff is the best Dead keyboard guy ever.

What a great set list!!!

Glad to see Bobby and Phil up there doin their THANG...both sounded great, I wasn't even embarrassed at Phil's vocals. One thing I want to say, however, is that this group doesn't quite do it for me the way that the DEAD does it with Haynes, Mickey, and Bill. Neither group are the Grateful Dead. Pretty close, but no cigar. John K's voice to me is lacking something that was so beautiful about Jerry's. It sounds plastic and tinny. Where's that rich soulfulness and cathartic expression that comes from a deep knowing of pain and loss (and transcendence there-of) that is inherent in some of these songs? I guess my expectations are too high, but John K is just trying to hard. Jerry didn't have to try and that is why noone will ever touch what he did. I hate to say it, and I fucking enjoyed this show live, the second set was amazing...I mean Scarlet-Fire AND China-Rider IN THE SAME SET?!?! unreal...but something's not quite here with this line-up. I got a better feeling after seeing the Dead in April with Haynes than I did after this show. Amazing set-lists and I'll go see 'em again in a heart beat, I'll be interested to see how this band develops.

Thanks for putting this on here!

fantastic show....I get my turn in Feb to see them!

John K is a fantastic addition. I've been hoping this would happen.

In my opinion, the biggest reasons Ratdog, Phil & Friends, etc failed to draw the same interest as GD:

1. Guitar: None of those guitarists had the same sound and style as Jerry. It really is the trademark style and sound of the Dead. I love the structure and style of Jerry & John K's jams. None of the other guitarists captured and captivated me throughout a long jam like they do.

2. Vocals: A lot of the vocals for post Jerry bands were very poor. Phil should never be allowed near a microphone. John K is right in the "Younger Jerry" wheelhouse. They really need to let John sing ALL the Jerry songs.

These are also reasons why I was choosing to see Dark Star instead of Ratdog or Phil & Friends. Hate to say it, but I thought Dark Star with John was doing GD stuff better than Ratdog or Phil!

Tapers - Thanks so much!!!!

have to agree that since jerry's passing, i've lowered my expectations to close to zero but was astounded by how much fun i had at this show!

instead of trying to re-interpret jerry's parts, john just played them as they're supposed to be played ... and hooray for that.

thank goodness i can go to shows again and actually have fun instead of getting mightily depressed (not kidding, people)

thanks for posting - great sounds!

great sounding recording. thanks

i agree with you! i was encouraged to post this & agreed to leave it up for an hour or two only....except now i can't figure out how to delete it!!! do you know how to delete one's own review?

"...she could not find that same resurgence of good feeling in her once beloved fellow Deadhead crowd...."

this is your experience, not others'. please remember that when you are judging the "vibe" at shows.

try closing your eyes and enjoying the music if the scene wigs you out - that's what you are there for - the music, and not the scene - right?

peace - bob

My first GD show was in 1985, and I saw a total of 200 since then. Over the last few years, I was starting to give up hope on the later incarnations of the Grateful Dead, on Ratdog, and on Phil and Friends. Sure, the Phil stuff was great for a while, but it got a little ridiculous when he would hodge-podge groups of musicians who played together for all of 2 hours before hitting the stage. Some very mighty trainwrecks, but that also led to some very interesting jams and experiments.

I like Warren. But jeez. A Les Paul and a Marshall amp are just a little too "in your face" for the sensitivity that Jerry brought. And, I know that Warren was not ever trying to be JG, and that was a problem for me.

Enter JK. The man has sensitivity, respect, and humility for what was created and the shape it takes. He gets it when the Spanish Jam becomes an Other One. He understands when the Bird Song soars into the air. He knows how to take a Lost Sailor into a Saint of Circumstance. And, he treats the music with repsect that I love to hear.

Sure, he's not Jerry. But who is? I am grateful that I can get my aging ass into a venue again and listen to this magic. And who knows? Maybe if I read enough Philip K. Dick and close my eyes while JK howls through the JG parts.... well okay. That's pushing it. But thanks for recording and posting this nug. See you this winter!

I have been a fan since 1970 my first show, RFK 6/73. I have experienced many transitions of the boys and they have become a staple in my life. My last show 6/93 Giants stadium. I have not been much of a fan of the after Jerry continuations until now. Although I don't think there is a bad band in any sort of makeup of the remaining members, I am not a fan of 16 different versions of "He's Gone or Sugaree".....etc..I listen to further and there is definatly a special connection there that simply works right. The contribution of the piano once again, I have missed for several years and have not heard that sound since earlier Keith days(I liked Brent but I missed the Grand piano). The connection between Bobby and John just simply works. There are not to many more years these guys are going to be able to keep this up. Phil and Bobby have been around allot of years. This music is appriciated and cherished and I have to hand it to the guys for there wonderful contributions. Thank You boys!

I'd just like to thank everyone who records, downloads and does whatever they need to do to get the music out to everyone.

I've been going to shows since '81. I love listening to tapes, cd's and now even streaming.
I listen to the Grateful Dead, the Dead, Garcia Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Ratdog,The Other Ones,Phil and Friends,Furthur and any other bands that originated from the Grateful Dead.

No matter who makes up the band with those guys I'll still go see them If I can get a ticket.
We should all just appreciate that their music is out there still being played so we can go and sing along with them.

Again, Thanks For the Music

holy constanza. these cats are on fire, and after smouldering nicely stoking the flames up till Eyes, the fire lights a glo. And, I am happily thrilled to hear Phil, in his baritone vocal range, still reaching into the upper ends for the parts in Eyes. I thought the videos online of the Dead at the Obama Inaug. Ball showed that Phil and all these guys really lay it all out there for all of us, and for themselves, night after night, they're doing their damndest,, and regardless of our surface mind's expectations, for any of us, anywhere on the planet, doing the best we can, and doing the right thing, by ourselves and others in any given situation, is what the scene is about and provides in its sacred greater community.

Jeff is really starting to show his incredible chops and fluency on the keys parts. I had goose bumps when Jon hit the first high note of his soaring Scarlet solo, some dude yelled, woo hoo and I have to agree, this band is only 3 months old, only includes Bob and Phil with the decades of experience, and they are really finding their wings and taking some breath taking, stunning leaps of faith, here and there, not all at once, but this group is clearly growing. so, enjoy the purity and innocence here at the beginning, I am really looking forward to seeing the Dead tour in 10, see Phil in '10, and see this band in March, at the Odeon in March north of Denver.

This is strikingly good, and while again, as another mentioned, jeff needs to be higher in the mix, tweaking the EQ in itunes or your player, can aid that a bit. Really warm, well mixed sound, most of the time, not perfect but refreshingly emotional, inspiring. So, do your ritual, and enjoy this work of art, by artists, channeling the divine, in the moment, its pretty uplifting inspiring, spiritual music. But already know that.

I attended both NYE shows, the 12/20 show, the three Fox shows, and back in the days, more than 100 GD shows.

My comments are cumulative to what others have been saying: this is truly great stuff, and highly recommended. While I loved the Fox shows (see my reviews for more), the 12.30 and 12.31 really nailed it. The Fox was great, but Phil and Bobby were way out in front of the mix (kind of like Ratdog plus PLF) and JK's sound was dripping in so much reverb that he sounded a million miles away.

These problems were totally fixed on 12/30 and 12/31. The mix just was great.

But of course, the mix was just the prerequisite. These shows had all the energy of the Fox and more, plus even more tightness. The guys all projected this feeling of immense comfort with each other. As other reviewers have pointed out, these Bill Graham shows had the "sound" -- I felt like I could have been listening to the GD (during one of their good/great years).

The fact is that there have been plenty of super incarnations over the years, but this is the best since Jerry. JK in particular is outstanding, but everyone in this band is a real hitter, and is hitting on all cylinders. Bobby is at or near the top of his game, and Phil is just a monster (and having an amazingly great time, too).

This really is the best its been for 20 years, at least.

Like many others, I have been following these new shows and the reviews. This is all amazing from any perspective…a wonderful positive surprise just when everyone needs something to feel good about. This new band is great; the recordings are amazing (the quality, the postings, the site hosting). I have enjoyed these Internet recordings for just a few years now, and they are much appreciated.

Let me just say it, I have enjoyed Phil singing. There was a recent Box of Rain I thought was great, and the same goes for the recent Strawberry Fields. Maybe Eyes is a mistake, but I thought this version was great; the back-up singers+Phil worked for me. This Standing on the Moon was not a triumph for Bob, but maybe next time will be better.

I have been a fan of Jerry since I happened by the 73 show in Madison, but I have come to appreciate both Bob and Phil over the years. I share some of the concerns about their singing, sure, but anyway they work these issues out is fine with me. I certainly do not think that John should sing all the Jerry songs as some sort of a rule. For the sake of those new to the GD, working the level of the singing up a notch some way or another is a worthy goal.

I hardly knew DSO existed till Furthur came along. John has certainly won me over. (The Bertha here really seals the deal for me.) I enjoyed Warren, but I am not sure that I will ever listen to that last tour again. It seems like an odd series of events to me now, though Warren certainly deserves praise.

I do enjoy these discussions, and I wanted to speak up for the pro Phil (and Bob) minority. I am thrilled to have tickets for the Tabernacle show here in Atlanta!

I was at both NYE shows and the sound was GREAT. The energy was up, in the crowd and the band. For myself and my friends, the commentary on John has been put to rest. John's the man; now, let's rock!
It has come to pass.. the Dead have risen.

for those who miss the bliss.. perhaps you need to go Furthur.

Let me just begin by saying the sound qaulity is excellent on this source. The first set starts off with a cool jam and then they jump into the vocal harmonies for HC Sunshine, it is played at a faster tempo than the one the Dead did in the spring. This version struggles with the band trying to sync up and it continues into Bertha, this band can do a better version of both songs, but John plays some tasty runs and Phil is VERY high in the mix:) So not to bad of a start. Promised Land and, especially, 1/2 Step are the best songs of the set.The 1/2 Step is off the charts!Deep Elem is nice and played in the traditional way. Lost>Saint is good but not nearly as over the top as the Asbury Park versions, John hits a really sour note at the end of Saint. Cosmic Charlie is good and they end the set strongly.

Just like in Asbury Park Bob muffs the first verse of Playin' but he quickly rebounds and the band delivers a solid reading here. The band is really hitting it stride in the 10 minute jam, it really takes on a cool direction, which I wish they choose to explore more, and then out of nowhere, Wham!
Eyes of the World. Phil's playing is amazing in this high energy version, it just sweeps you off your feet no questions asked. Jeff takes a little longer than you would like to really get his solo going but when he does the entire band is behind him all the way and they soar. JK unleases, finally, and plays some intense runs and Phil is so loud in the mix it is wonderful. Honestly Phil's playing seems to be hitting a new peak with this band.
No arguements here:)
No long jam heading into a very upbeat Scarlet, the place errupts in joy this is followed by a rock solid Fire.
I love hearing this band do KSM and they really nail it and then a beautiful tranistion in Unbroken Chain, easily the best one they have done so far.Phil and John are taking over this band LOL. Although Bobby playing the entire set is right on.Also I love the Moog synth Jeff is playing now.
I love SOTM and this one has some miscues and mistakes and the band needs to work on this one more before they play it again, I have no problem with Bobby singing but he has to pick up the tempo on it too.
The ending is nice with John playing a passionate solo and then right into China Cat, which is really good, very high energy and again Phil starts to leap out of the speakers. His volume is up and he is starting to drop bombs, FINALLY, with that Ritter bass. The tranisition into I Know You Rider is very good and the band delivers a joyous reading with Jeff and John really shining on it. Phil closing notes and the crowd reaction alone are worth the download of the this hot set.
Then to deliver a STUNNING and magnificant Terrapin is perfect. It is even better in execution than the one played in Asbury Park, the jam to bridge is simply beautiful. I love how they end it too.
It is clear everyone was blown away.
Happy New Year all your Furthur freaks :)

This is a good show = good performance, good sound, good recording.

Bobby's guitar tone is reedy and thin but that's his doing. It was much fuller and phatter on Thursday nite. He was in able voice, though, and sang his parts well.

Phil is monstrous throughout. His singing sucks but I don't care.

Keyboards are low in mix as they were on Thursday.

Sunshine Garcia (not related) and another lady sang backup all night long and add much needed high end layering. Kudos to Phil & Bob for inviting them to the fray.

No opinion about the double drummer setup. They were like umpires in a ball game -- if they did their job well you didn't even notice their presence.

Last but not least is John Kadlecik who excelled on both nights with his lead guitar playing that finally sounds like it is finding its way into the score. He sang more of the Jerry songs and did well. Why pay Warren Haynes big bucks when you can have John for union scale? Now, that is a decidedly negative comment about JK, but it came to mind in my surmising about the whole deal.

This band is well on its way to finding that elusive element missing from all the previous incarnations of the post-Jerry Gratefuls. That missing element being the great one himself and we know that such a thing will likely never happen again, but, nonetheless, with Kadlecik at the helm, one can't be too critical.

No, one can only be hopeful that JK will continue to reach for the stars like he did NYE and then, perhaps, he can take us into the greater beyond.

This one was a so-so showing for Furthur. That would seem to be expected as this was a lead-up show to New Years. I guess old habits die hard.
I agree with the reviewer who said let John sing Jerry's songs. When he is "on" with his voice it can be very eerie how much he sounds like Jerry with the vocals. Maybe we need to get a bumper sticker together that says "Let John Sing!" Speaking of vocals, I really love what they are doing with tunes such as 1/2 Step and Wheel -- very nice, though they didn't quite pull it off with 1/2 Step tonight.
As far as comparing this lineup with the Grateful Dead, that whole concept isn't applicable. Better to compare it to other post-Jerry lineups and say it is by far the best and getting better all the time. Fair enough?
This one only gets three stars from me. The jams are just not there this night but I am sure looking forward to nights along the winter trail.
Some will hit, some will miss but Gawd it ain't it great that we can still hear this music live??

Okay I wasn't there, but will be at the Radio City shows.... I have been reading reviews since the beginning of all this and what I constantly am reading is that John should be singing ALL the Jerry songs!

I have been a fan of John and DSO for the last 6 years(I wish Longer) and he blows my mind every time I see him!

I'm a fan for over 30 years and when at a DSO show I'd sit while everyone was standing and John would put me back in the 70's thinking it was Jerry on stage!!

So what I'm saying is LET JOHN SING ALL THE JERRY TUNES!

Can't wait for Feb and thanx again for the download!

I have to say... these are the best shows I have seen since at least 94. The crowd was full of an energy I have not felt in decades. We all made this an event that we will not soon forget.

For all those Jerry loyalists; get over it; I still cry from time to time when listening to or thinkin about Jer BUT the band has not sounded this good in a longgggg time. Go catch a show and get back on the bus.

Overall, this is great, but I don't get why Phil and Bobby are still insisting on singing Jerry's parts. Egos? Or what? There's a reason Phil hardly sang when Jerry was around.

I was going to say that Jerry was surely smiling down watching this show but (in my opinion) he rolled over in his grave when Phil opened his mouth for Eyes of the World.

Great show, I have thought for quite awhile
that "the boys" should have brought John from
Dark Star into the band (although I miss having
him be in Darkstar) in my opinion he brings
back the authenticity of the music/energy of
what the Dead was all about to begin with. But
for crying out loud, let John sing the Jerry
tunes the last thing I want to hear is Bob/Phil
singing Jerry's lines (just one man's opinion)

I can't get over how great this show sounds! You'd never know it wasn't a SBD (oops - don't let Bobby catch me saying that!). Excellent work, taper. Many thanks for making this one available! The guys sound like they're enjoying themselves more than they have in years...

Glad they are back. Best show I've seen by the boys in 20 years. This show was excellent. John is stepping up even more and standing out to the point where he is leading a bit and helping guide the music. This recording is very good despite the acoustics of the Civic. Chimenti is a little low in the mix. He was a little louder at the show from what I remember.

I saw one of the rehearsal shows last Monday and it was crackling with energy even though it was a 2 hour set. I was not able to do New Years as family was in town. Furthur just announced a 10 show run in 10 days in Mill Valley at a small 300 person theater. Starts Sunday. I just got a tickets for next Saturday.

I was at this show, and the New Years show. They were both incredible. I don't have much else to say besides that Furthur is easily the best incarnation of the dead, and that you should have been here.

Wow. I wasnt at this show but id give my soul to have attended. I was at the Wallingford show though, and that blew me away. When do u see a setlist that contains Playin, Eyes, Scarlet, Fire, Chain, and China Rider?????? A wonderful night in sure was had by all.

Happy new year to Deadheads across the globe
I truly believe that this new guy out of Dark Star Orchestra works well in a different way to say haynes or Herring. So what that he sounds like Garcia when he plays - Jerry was the Best.
Also Chimenti is the best keyboardist since Godchaux. Brent could sing, yes, but 70's Dead for me was the pinnacle.
Thanks for the ultrafast turnaround to get this show to us out there. Awesome.

Keep on trucking down the golden road to unlimited devotion. Mind you, Weir's voice is completely fucked. Susan Boyle to join later?

The band was on, and played with a lot of energy. Phil seemed to be having fun.

Eyes was particularly good.