Easily one of the best Dark Stars of 69 and therefore of all time. The drumming is aggressive, loud, clear, imaginative. DS was never the same without the bossa nova rhythm and here you get it in spades. Jerry's every note is on the money. Bob's slice and dice is weaving perfectly. Every transition is purposeful and confident. Wish it was twice as long. Almost as powerful as the Fillmore West DS. But not as Homeric obviously bc of its brevity.

This is a very brisk, punchy, entertaining show. Not quite as heavy or psychedelic as the Fillmore West jobs from a few weeks prior. It's loose in that the band members are relaxed, but at the same time it's a speedy and highly energized gig. Maybe this is just me, but as far as California 60's shows go, the San Francisco recordings usually sound trippier, more comfortable, more fall-off-the-bone psychedelic, whereas Los Angeles-area gigs like this one have those same qualities, but with a little less space and a little more zip. Bobby and the drummers are especially fired up here, which makes it quite easy for Jerry and Phil to colorize the jams.

Great recording, great performance. This will always be special to me, as it's what I listened to during the sunlit drive to the Cornell Dead & Company show. You gotta love these off the beaten path 1969 tapes!

This is NOT the complete show. I was there and for starters I remember that "feedback" stuff they did and at the end they sang"the bid you goodnight" bit, remember ,we love you but Jesus loves you the best. I could of sworn the Dead played for 2 hours, but then could of been the acid too. I have to say for a 16 year old kid from Garden Grove going to his first show, stoned on Purple Double Domers(Purple OZ), I had no idea stuff like this went on. Walking into that place that night , peaking on Purple OZ, seeing this strange looking dude with long frizzy hair hopping around on stage on one leg, playing a long silver flute, and with that light show going on, and the music, and all these good looking topless girls dancing, and wow, the acid, and Betty Boop and Flash Gorden and the strobes, and holy shit, if you wernt there, no way to describe that night. I swear I buzzed for a week after that. O yea, they charged us $3.50. No one ever talks about those light shows, which all by themselves were worth the price of admission. Several decades later I was reading this book, "The Electric Koolaid Acid Test" and it was obvious that is what was happening that night. Best stoned experience of my life, nothing ever even close. I saw a lot of shows up till 1970 and that night with the Purple Oz, the crowd, the light show, Jethro Tull, Butterfield, they were great by the way, played their East-West set, a night that lives in infamy.

Incomplete, but still awesome.

Spool up the Eleven for a nice Billy K drumming tutorial. Holy sheeeit! Sounds like a hockey fight looks.

This Dark Star is sweet and comploete - and it leads into Stephen so nicely. It definitely lends thought to those who say this was one of their hottest periods. It's such a shame there is not more to this show. The notes say there may have been a song or two after Schoolgirl... weather that is correct or not, who knows - but otherwise they gave a good solid 45 minutes worth of sweat on this night and it is great listening. 5 star quality and song selection but hearing St Stephen cut (amongst others) is enough to drive me insane - so 4 stars overall.



~ Let the good times roll

a short but monumental Star could make this a show for the ages, but like the others have said the absolutely heinous cuts are a huge letdown. cannot possibly give anywhere near five stars b/c of the cuts, BUT DO NOT pass go without hearing this Dark Star!

this is really an awesome dark star that gets little play in best darkstar lists. Give it a second listen

Great sounding show. Schoolgirl skulks around like the perv he is chasing those 17 sweet year old schoolgirls.
Dark Star soars like an eagle. The little keyboard arpeggio is in there for about 30 seconds, then gone for good. A Dark Star as good as anyone, anywhere anytime. Love Jerry's guitar tone.
St Stephen is clear as a bell. This is heading for 5 star plus rating! Sound quality and real sharp playing, and good audience response.

Then oops!
Last minute just disappears.

Then The Eleven fades with only 5 minutes or less to go. Vocals already done, and the band is on fire, as they always are this season on The Eleven.

OK, so Lovelight roars out like a 4 alarm fire. All drums and Jerry's guitar. Pig pretty much sticks to the songbook lyrics, and the band is let loose to play tight as hell. Then poof, it fades at 12 minutes.

I dropped the Eleven from the Las Vegas show a week later (March 29) in here for some wonderful redemption. It does play a wee bit slower than this set, FYI.

The band is so smoking hot this winter/spring of 69, heaven knows what was in the water! Love those sounds, I cry over the cuts.

This was my third or fourth show, all of which at the time had been in SoCal. Most vivid memory is that Owsley was in experimental high gear that night. He had three ancient Tektronix scopes far stage left, beyond Garcia's double stack of Fender twins, and was mixing live stereo. In moving about the concrete cavern that the Rose Palace is (was? haven't been there since 1970), I'd get crazed when Garcia's guitar (or Lesh, or Weir, whatever) would suddently disappear as he switched their channel all the way to one side. I think he quit after a bit. I've always loved Pigpen, even though for a tender 17 year old he was a little intimidating, and the nights when he cooked are among the most treasured. I'll happily settle for a funky mix balance w/ dim Pigpen, just for the opportunity to hear this again. Six stars.

One of the best Dark Stars ever. Ridiculous.

Bobby's chiming chopping guitar is just a *tad* louder than the thick curling streams pouring from Garcia's Les Paul.

Perfect.

Hadn't heard this show in 36 years. My first Dead show. I was surprised to hear how they were just crackling good sharp that night, the drums like razor blades and clubs snapping bones,a snappy Calypso-ish version of Dark Star, Pigpen in rare form - blowing his harp a mighty that night, maybe because Paul Butterfield was there, and headlining. (The crowd liked the opening act, Jetrho Tull, and the Dead, a lot more than Butterfield). Not a bad recording; mics/vocals a little hot, drums a little bit in background, but soaring bass, clear rhythm guitar, and everlasting Jerry. What a unique, delightful show to listen to... too bad it only has parts of songs...