With a Red Rocks rainout, the backup system and ghost crew at McNichols in Denver was set up and the Heads who hadn't heard it on the radio had to beat it the 16mi downtown. The arena was rented in advance - you wouldn't do that today. It was the first show here in two years (and second time ever). That meant the third show had to be here too, with more of the gear arriving for the full-array final show. The middle show of the run is known for its 1st set.

First Set. It's a Shakedown opener and this one just gets better and better. This is the bonus Shakedown in the Beyond Description box. Bobby enunciates Denver for Me & My Uncle, and Jer whips. That flow fans Big River, where Jer second solo seems to defy physics. Little of the rest reaches these heights. Jer forgets the 1st verse of Candyman and sings the 3rd, but it's Bobby's turn to lose place on El Paso, skipping three(!) of the verses. Friend of the Devil is average but Jer freestyles the beginning of Minglewood, then threads it. Althea is just the 4th one, and is played the second day in a row (trainwrecked the day before). Jer takes a gap again, skips to the 2nd verse (but nobody probably knew, since it was new!). Not square on the rails either. Lost Sailor is also the 4th one/2nd in a row and, notably, this is the last one before Saint was attached. It's shaping up, and played cleanly, but it's not punchy yet and was better the night before. Deal leaves 'em happy for the break - this is the fast, '79 era and does not disappoint.

Second Set. After a perfunctory start, the middle of Bertha starts to soar. The rest is oddly lifeless until the jam 14min into He's Gone (on the miller, sectored onto Other One). Unfortunately they're out of tune. How could Bobby forget "rainbow spirals round" all of a sudden for The Other One? Again the end jam is best. The rest is below average for '79, with a trainwrecked Truckin', saved again by the jam (which has a 1½min Spoonful Jam @6:30).

1st Set:  B
2nd Set: C-
Overall = 3 stars

Highlights:
Shakedown Street - precisely traveled
Me & My Uncle - as a Denver man can be
Big River - Jer defies physics
Deal - fine example of '79

SOURCES: The miller_119999 has Charlie's complete mastering treatment, and with the Drums patched (the previous miller_87271 was just the 1st set and the channels were switched). The seamons matrix is the miller SBD and the AUD that used to circulate, with great results. Shakedown Street is on the Beyond Description bonus disc.

Four of us drove all night from southern California to Morrison to see our 1st Red Rocks shows and hopes of seeing a lost China Cat. Well, 1st night we got "The Cat" but the last two shows were moved to the arena. During Wharf Rat, my anticipation ran high as I was also waiting for my 1st Truckin'. As I moved to the front of the stage, holding on to my Alcatraz style P-coat, the first notes of Truckin' rang through. Though not Red Rocks, it was quite a 3 night run of many!!

Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin', occurs 27 times, all between 12/78 and 3/81, and all in the second set. Most times it either opened or closed the set. It works pretty well and I wonder why it was so shortlived. Perhaps, as Bobby often says, they forgot how to play it. Of course all three songs stay in the mix for the duration.

Is that a Nobody's Fault jam in the middle of Truckin'? Nice little flashback that is.

...is pretty amazing. Jerry is on a different planet.

Though Sailor is without Saint, there is a hybrid Saint jam in the intro of The Other One from 2:05 to 2:42 as Jerry plays around with it prior to its debut.

Wow. Had this board for years with the AUD patches but this transfer brings this summer 79' show stomper to life.

What a show! What a transfer!

Thanks CM!

What a unique "He's Gone>Other One" !

It's a "keeper" !

And, for the 100th time : THANK YOU Charlie Miller !!! (((hug))))

Crisp, clear--everything you'd want from a Dead sbd.

Deadhead: is there a way to um not stream these? jeffreybernstein5@gmail.com

How Great? Well, after collecting Dead tapes for 30+ years when I first started converting to digital not long ago this was the first show I got b/c I had never been able to find a truly decent copy of it. I had had the He's Gone> Other One as decent filler for decades but never the whole show. This version of that combo alone is enough to make it worth having this one in your collection.

Now here we have a SIGNIFICANT upgrade to the other available SBD source, giving hope for many other shows to creep out of the woodwork in the same condition.

Thanks Charlie. Hope to buy you a round or two one day. You have improved my quality of life immensely. I envy you your labor of love and the ability to carry it out.