Reviewer:
Mind Wondrin
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July 1, 2018
Subject:
Bottling majix attempt
This show is notable for being the first NYE with dueling keys since '69, and for having Bradford Marsalis guest on most of the Dead's sets, as a sort of return of the 3/29 Nassau show. Graham had a more pyrotechnic, more concise countdown extravaganza compared to the years with doves or floats. This was one of the shortest NYE shows, chiefly because of the shorter, double encore, rather than a mini 3rd set. But the 2nd set is still lengthy. Hamza El-Din guests on Drums. The evening started with Rebirth Brass Band and a Marsalis set.
By this point the NYE party had become an ordeal (from first getting tix to spending 15hrs on site, most of it in two queues). Though Graham still threw a heady and wonderful event, this was the last one for the wife and I, and I don't think any of our '80s crew went to the final one ['91/92] either. As it turned out, I ended up seeing most of the Dec '90 shows - without having planned in advance except for this one.
First Set. Consistently average to above average with no turkeys - though maybe a perfunctory Big River and Promised Land. A very solid Jack-a-Roe is uptempo with Jer and Bruce digging each other. Note that on Wang Dang Bobby accidentally starts them in E, and when Phil bumps them to G it's a smoothly pro key change. In fact it's a Phil set/show: check his bouncy arpeggios on Row Jimmy. Marsalis is wired up and comes out for Bird Song, back for more to the thrill of Heads, most of whom had heard about the Nassau show in March (or had traded for the tape or had the new Without a Net). But this is actually better than the 3/29 version because of what Bobby and Phil play, and because Marsalis does less vamping/color and more support playing. It's pretty full though, with two guitars, two drums, two keys and sax. In what must have been forethought for Marsalis, they then play most of the same songs from the March show, in the same sequence too.
Second Set. After Graham descends to the stage as a witch doctor (amongst fireworks, fire eaters and stilt walkers), the balloons drop and the band opens 1991 with Not Fade. It's more a giving-room-to-everyone-else than it is Rockin' or punch, but technically it's played perfectly. Eyes is quite good, if not quite the 3/29 version, and Dark Star has its moments. Marsalis steers, Jer steers: overall a full version. I like the ones where Jer touches ground by revisiting the theme solidly and then hits the other verse. The back half is 10mins way out in free jazz, with Marsalis going skronky. Some will like some will hate. Jer teases (foreshadows?) TOO at the end. In a long-ass Drums, Hamza El-Din leads after 6½ mins. Post-Space the best is The Other One (again Phil is great) and a little tenor sax doesn't hurt Wharf Rat. The rest is average, though the last-ever Johnny B. Goode is kind of loose (but a perfectly summarizing finish in person, at 2AM, with the 8 member band).
1st Set: C+
2nd Set: C
Overall = 2¾ stars
Highlights:
Bird Song - the 3/29 Marsalis version is better-known, but try this one instead
SOURCES: Most of the sources are the FM broadcast, though the hall_1688 is (at least partially) the attenuated feed going out to FM carriers. The gans_miller_clugston is the isolated AUD mic feed from Healy's mic matrix mix. The sbd_pcm_miller is the actual SBD and the best sounding by far, but alas is only the second set. The best first set source, the 141868_UltraMatrix_sbd_cm_miller, is the Healy mic-matrix, but has the midnight/countdown festivities cut. The 141792_sbd_ultra_miller is a dupe of this source (ostensibly for 24-bit machines). The daweez_d5scott is the best AUD. The 121790_mtx_tobin is the best tape matrix [as opposed to the Healy mic matrix]. The show is usually up on YouTube (blurry, shaky). Also usually up is a pro-shot of Festivities>NFA>Eyes with iffy audio.