This was only their second time in Indianapolis, though they had played just outside the city at Purdue. In the middle of a strong tour, it doesn't have the bullet points of the better-known 9/25, 9/28, or 10/2. But if you like those you WILL dig this show.

First Set. The beginning of Bertha is missing from the SBD (while it was being mixed). The AUDs also have the missing instruments. The playing is average until the spot-on Cassidy. Phil cuts straight to the coda and Jer has to arrest his solo. Friend of the Devil is phenomenal. Phil then plays a Schoolgirl tuning [AUD-only]. Excitement stays high for the next couple, with a big Big River (the very end is edited on the SBD), and a revved Brown Eyed Women. The last few are good, with a Promised Land that's solid enough, if the standard run-through.

Second Set. Might as Well is GOGD, but the Samson is sweeter than honey drips on molasses. There is lots of intricate work between Jer & Phil, and listen for Bobby's rushing slide in the 3rd solo. The first 7secs are missing from the SBD, but you can use the MTX. The first 6secs are also missing from Help on the Way. This smoker gets even better after going into Slipknot!, where Keith starts a monster jam @8:20. One by one they fall in, persistent, until Phil drops them back. Franklin's Tower has a wonderful section of playing @7½min>9½min. A bit of Drums actually shows up as a patch on Dick's 20. The Wheel enters a unique jam as Bobby tries to reprise Dancing; none bite. The rest is average Joe, but GOGD.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 3¼ stars

Highlights:
Friend of the Devil - phenomenal version
Brown Eyed Women - nicely revved
Samson & Delilah - lots of intricate work
Help on the Way>Slipknot! - slick then monster jam
Franklin's Tower - wonderful section is worth the ticket

SOURCES: The miller_112800 SBD has the best sound, though all of the tunings have been edited and it needs slight pitch adjustment: -1% for Mama Tried>Cassidy, and almost -1% for the second set (except for the patches in Franklin's & The Wheel). It's all Mids, so use some EQ. The aud_unknown_118467 is the best-sounding AUD for the complete Bertha but it has a dropout at 2½mins (most of the rest of this source needs +1% pitch). The matrix is also recommended (137657_mtx_dusborne).

In my humble opinion, October-December is when the Dead were always at their peak, and this show is no exception. The headiest Help/Slip I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Also, listen closely to GDTRFB and you can hear Bobby picking away at the China Cat riff (they were still over a full year away from the post-hiatur bust out of China Cat at Winterland in DECEMBER of 77).

Great sound and a very good performance.
I've thought even since I had it on tape that the Help On The Way felt like "HELP...!" There's a urgency to the way Jerry plays the lead (and Phil adds his point, too!) that I haven't found on another one... And then the Slipknot! is everything you could hope for in a Slipknot! The rest of the shows pretty good too! But I comment on this specifically to call attention to the Help>Slipknot!... I was listening to Franklin's tower the other day, too, and realized it doesn't shine as bright (though I used to think so)...
Anyways... Good Show, great recording and a quality listen! We all carry our long-time (cassette era) favorites close to our hearts!
And then I went looking to see if I could find one that compared... Many, but without the same feeling as once felt or imagined. Then went listening through the 83s, and though that was my core "touring era" they pale in comparison. Guess that's why I've been listening (almost) exclusively to 72-77 for the last year or so! I keep looking for the jazz feel or playing that came while they were still listening closely to one another and rising to the point the band could finally keep up with Jerry's talent...
Also, love Audiotrove's mention of the envelope filter Jerry started using... I cannot comment about its place in history, I won't Do the Research if it requires that I listen to all the "Dancin in the Street 76 versions!" Yikes! but I'm immensely glad to have his enthusiasm bring me the thought! Much like Tapers! I wouldn't sit still through a show to do the taping, but thank the lord they did!

Worth the price of admission alone, so nicely done. This show rocks - happy 44th anniversary indeed!

From what I can tell, this might be the very first show Jerry Garcia used a Mu-Tron III live on stage in front of an audience. If you go back and listen to every other Dancin' before this in 1976, you just don't hear it. This could be the forgotten debut landmark change in Jerry's tone we've all come to know and love. Pretty remarkable in its own way.

Good 1st set with a little bit of everything.
Finishes really strong with SCARLET, PROMISED.
Mighty Swell-but is the song really 2nd set worthy?
Could have played this in the encore slot every once in awhile-- it has a U.S. Blues type tempo.
Samson-really nice jamming intro!
Phil's bass line intro HELP.
Help>Slip>Franklin's-heavy on the SLIPKNOT!
Dancin'-> Drums->Wheel->JAM> Ship (last ballad)
-> Dancin' -> GDTRFB-> Saturday Night,
Dig Donna Jean's vocals on Dancin'!!!
GDTRFB just makes me smile, smile, smile.
e) U.S. Blues
reviews are great reads--- YES WAY!
Mostly excellent sound for this recording.

I was driving my 11 year old son and his best friend to their baseball game the other day and since it was a bit of a trek, I streamed this show for the ride. Somewhere in the middle of Scarlet Begonias my sons friend turned to him asked what we were listening too. My son replied "Real Music". I smiled and didn't say anything. A few moments passed as we listened to “the real music” and my son's friend pondered the answer. Then he asked who were we listening too and my son told him "The Grateful Dead". A longer pause followed, then my son's friend said he never heard of them and he asked what album were we listening too. I was about to answer that question when my son said "Dude, it's a show". Again a pause and though I couldn't see I presume that my sons friend must have looked confused because my son followed up with "Ya know, a concert. Real Musicians playing live in front of real fans". My son’s friend was stunned and he said “No Way” three or four times followed each time by my son saying “Yes Way”. That’s when I stepped in and told him a bit of who the Grateful Dead were and the treasure trove of music they left behind. I know that somewhere during my explanation I lost their interest as they moved on to laughing about whatever 11 years old's find funny but I also know that they liked the music. Thanks to all the tapers that have shared these shows so I can share them with my son’s and their friends!

tasty stuff. thanks, all !!

(~);-}

The audience version of this second set (tape began with Help) was one of the first live tapes I ever had, back in ’78 or so. And now this! So there’s that whole thing about some of your earliest tapes being your favorites, but still, this Help>Slip>Frank has to be my favorite. There’s that passage in the latter part of Slipknot! when things settle down and they turn a corner, trotting out of it with a one-of-a-kind jam. And Franklin’s has some really unique, highly expressive leads -- notes and jams permanently etched into my psyche, delivering chills and smiles every time I listen. Just short passages they are, but the energy is passed to the listener and I’ve ran with it for decades now… just so fortunate to have my life intersect with this music in such a vast universe. And, oh yeah, GDTRFB !!!

Hail 1976..solid start to finish..Give it a whirl!!

Tight, groovy '76. Wonderful Slipknot! jam in there.

I like the tight but not rigid grooves and the rhythmic interplay between the musicians in this era.

Long after they stopped letting us download and possess these shows, I am still coming to this site to stream in great shows during my workday, and I love it no less. It might be even better in a way. We can hear it and enjoy it but NOT possess it, which seems more in line with what the experience is meant to be, no?

Anyway great show, excellent sound.

Both sets are pretty amazing. The whole first set is played real well, lots of energy in the songs from the start. The BEW and Scarlet Begonias are fantastic.

Second set tears it up with some real unique jams in the Help-Slip-Frank. The Dancin' sandwich is pretty bad ass too. The end of the show ties it all together with a super high energy OMS.

Well if anything, it sure made my night!

Wow! Thank you for this beautiful music....and it will never stop!

What a treat! I never knew this show existed. I have always lived in the Indy area, and have great memories of seeing events at MSA. As a youngster, my mom and grandma took me to see Neil Diamond, John Melloncamp, and Billy Joel in the old arena. Seeing Pacers playoff games in that little, noisy place was great. It's so cool to see that the Dead played such a great show there, and even two years before I was born. MSA is torn down now, but it is worth noting that it is the site of Elvis's last concert.

This is a wonderful recording of a tight, fun show. I am convinced that the more people discover shows from Fall 1976 they will begin to place these tours in their personal top 10. The entire band is involved and there is great interplay throughout (check out Slipknot!). Garcia's voice is still sweet, Keith is taking risks with a variety of different tones and Bobby's rhythm keeps it all together.

First SBD copy of 2nd set of this show available.

Help>Slip>Frank is classic! Small patch in Frank does not degrade the quality.

1976 was so underrepresented on the archive before Charlie Miller put up those Auditorium shows, Tower Theatre shows, and now these....

5 stars for performance, sound, and availability

Again thank you Mr.Charlie for the great tunes

I was actually worried that the sound in the second set may not be as good as the first. I was WRONG. The sound is amazing! The show is as well. Thank you Charlie.