They started 1993 off properly. This is a continuation of the sound they rolled out in December ‘92. You know the one. Floaty keyboard effects. Delicious drums. Refreshed vocal delivery. Jerry’s guitar tone so clean, so pure, and so clear that you find yourself clinging to every masterfully played note. The smooth December ‘92-June ’93 sound is very unique, and easily distinguishable, from, say, Summer ‘92 or Fall ‘93.

Bobby had just come home from playing the National Mall for Clinton’s inauguration, and Jerry had done a couple of late December gigs at The Warfield with the JGB, but otherwise, the Grateful Dead had been offstage for about a month at the time of this show. You’d never know it from listening to this lovely SBD recording. They sound totally synchronized and broken in. Who would’ve guessed that their first show of 1993 would end up being one of the very best of the year! It doesn’t have the flare of the Landover or Chapel Hill shows. It’s relaxed, but synchronized. Their intent wasn’t to fly out of the gate with new song bustouts or a statement performance. Instead, they play the classics, and play them damn well. They touch on a little bit of everything. A little old west, a little blues. A little Ace, a little Blues for Allah. No two consecutive songs are of the same vibe, tempo, or album, and yet, the flow of this show is exquisite. 1/24/93 is like a full course meal where the placement and constitution of each dish is carefully planned and beautifully presented in sequence. Unhurried, but not an especially long show. Just a proper sonic exhibition of California Dead. This is the sort of show you could get good and stoned to, or pop in for a long drive, and just let the music sweep you away. Crazy Fingers is sublime, and this Bird Song features a brilliant psychedelic meltdown, as many ‘90s versions do. Framing those two moments as the show’s highlights would be unfair, since the entire performance is excellent, from Jack Straw to Heaven’s Door!

Have a nice day. 😊

In terms of band cohesion, this is probably next to the worst Dead show I've ever heard. On the other hand, Garcia is playing pretty hot.