I have never found (but keep searching) for April, 1968 recordings from the brief East Coast tour and in particular their performance at Thee Image on Miami Beach. It was an incredible show and this May session reminds me a lot of it. My favorites are definitely the Spring 1968 shows when they peaked with this set list before Dark Star, St Stephen etc reset the performance list. I keep telling myself that maybe the 1968 Mystery Tapes are mislabled and are actually the spring East Coast tour because they certainly sound like what I hear in Miami. Whether they are or not, this performance and the Mystery Tapes get me close enough to reliving the Miami shows. The quality of the recording is irrelevant. The essence is there.

This is outstanding Grateful Dead!
The sound is poor, but well worth the listen.

The mostly fully formed Mt.Jam that I've heard.

Good stage banter/interviews.

Wow....scorching performance. The lack of vocals is not surprising given the stage mics but the music is so hot.

Venue is located in the city San Jose....

killer performance! What a lineup at this festival!! a recording of the Dead by Jorma... 5 stars for that

very raw raw sound here, get over the sound quality and this is some great stuff going on, amazing what they could get out of just 2 songs

a good look into 68, also check out
http://www.deadlistening.com/2009/09/1968-may-18-santa-clara-county.html#ixzz0oI89clVv

for a great review!

This is another wild, hairy, high energy performance of early 1968, like so many others here at Archive.org. Jerry is pure electricity on the Alligator after Drums. If you like the Anthem-of-the-Sun-era shows, you’ll find this to be a hot one.

The “Mountain Jam” riff was common in this period -- it’s on Anthem of the Sun.

The set ends in dynamite feedback, gradually subsiding to a single tap of the cymbal. Masterful.

There are better-quality recordings from 1968. Here, Pigpen’s vocal is low, but this recording is better than another version here at Archive.org.

Thanx Jorma, Chris, and Bill. Nice source recording though vocals are in the back, especially Pigpen. Nonetheless, great jams on what sounds like a great day. I love the screaming yeahs during Alligator. Mountain Jam is definitely toyed with. Peace

I was at this show! Yep, me and some friends left the house at 5 a.m. that day for the long hitchhiking trek, got stuck in "Paradise" (our pet road term for any freeway onramp in Milpitas) but lucked out and were picked up by a van full of hippies going to the show. We actually arrived quite early and got to see the entire show.

Since this was for me about the 20th time seeing the Dead, I didn't really pay that much attention, but I should have. This performance kicks!

I am a little embarrassed to admit I was there to see the Doors (my favorites at the time), Electric Flag and the Animals (who were not very good). The other bands on the bill were familiar enough to me having seen all of them numerous times at the Fillmore, and the Avalon; as well as Golden Gate Park SF and Provo Park Berkeley where they held Sunday afternoon free concerts.

That day was sunny and warm with a gentle breeze: a great day for music.

We lucked out again and got a ride all the way home.

With an outstretched thumb as your chief mode of transport it was usually easier to get a ride home from a show than it was to get to one.

Have to award this show 4 stars due to historical significance and energetically wonderful, balls out performance by the Pigpen-led boys from Palo Alto.