Went on this whole East Coast tour. This show popped up anI thought I was gonna miss it because tickets were scarce. I lucked out when some very cool UVM students gave me a free ticket. I saw the Dead many times in the late 70's and early 80's. This show sticks in my head like no other. The band seemed so relaxed. It was like they were just having fun playing music. Listen to this show and enjoy! There may be better shows out there but there is something very different about this one

Part way into Jerry's 78 space, the typical envelop wah he seemed to love that year, he touches upon Feel Like a Stranger. OK, maybe it's just dumb luck, but at one point, it sounds very much like a stranger jam. While I loved the heck out of many a space in my day, I would have really loved the 1978 ones. They are basically just Jerry noodles on steroids (er, um, or something else).

Amazingly, the audience isn't too annoying, the electricity seeps through. These days, people just wont shut up at shows. Sigh. I feel blessed to have gone to shows back when people listened.

Thanks, Jerry.

Even Bobby declares "this place ain't hurtin' for hot and muggy". You know everyone raves about Barton Hall in '77 so I listened to it, liked it, then a few days later I heard this one and liked it just as much (or better). This particular recording is excellent clarity, even with the annoying people yelling "sit down" before LLR. Who sits at a Dead show?
This was the 1st time I heard Donna sing "Sunrise" except on the album and I have to say I liked it. Jerry busts out a superb Sugaree and the jam out of space into Warf Rat is insane goodness. Get this AUD recording & listen again & again.

You can hear the crowd yelling "sit down" during some of the first set. They should be directing it toward Donna. Horrific on this night. There's a few songs where she isn't even close. It feels like Bobby spent all of his energy trying to cover for her.

Other than that, another doozie of an aud recording here. Thanks again to the tapers and to the archive.

show = 3.5 (thanks donna)
quality = 5

I saw DSO do this at higher ground(a club down the street) do this show a couple years. It was pretty fucking awesome. But you know 4 stars cause I just can't dig the post early seventies sets, but still pretty dank.

Marred by Donna's useless, patently incompetent backing vocals. This is a very solid show but the main point of this review is to gripe about Donna. I've heard it said that she was in fact a great vocalist but couldn't hear herself because her monitor was never loud enough. I've listened to my fair share of '76-'78 Dead and I'm not buying it. She stunk, pure and simple.

THIS IS ONE THE BEST AUD. RECORDINGS ON THIS SITE.

playin blew my mind. very jazzy. great recording.

AT FIRST YA THINK THIS WILL BE ANOTHER MUFFELED AUD TAPE... BUT NOOOOO.... IT JUMPS OUT AT YA FROM THE FIRST SOUND OF JERRY'S VOICE!!!!CROWD SOUNDS[NOT NOISE]YES, AT THE RIGHT PLACES, AS IT SHOULD BE.IF YOU WANT SURGEY ROOM RECORDINGS GO TO TOWER RECORDS , IF YOU LIKE THE DEAD GET THIS ONE. GREAT JOB!!!

I agree with previous review and must add that even for May 78 this show has an unusual ambience of clarity, quickness and unique set list that could cast it in other times and forgotten space; but for sure, they loved Burlington and brought a flavor of spice and charm to this college venue during the spring 78 run that brought transition from April to May in much the same way 1977 did...

Better audio quality than the other copy offered here. Have a hear, this one's a hottie. Not a dog on the docket at this diggable gig. The sweet show-opening Sugaree is thick, hot and honey-dripped at over thirteen minutes and has silver wings to soar. >>> Fennario's got a juicy Jerry solo, prolonged yet precise and sententious. >>>> "Rain"'s rockin' and righteous, loud, long with solid soling. >>> Do not doubt, the first set-ending Deal dominates decidedly! Lead Guitar Garcia's solo is sinuous, pithy and puissant (punchy altered tones on the bridge pickup alternating with triple-stop triads at the end of the second chorus. A pause for pulmunation then leapt he fairly in with loud guitar and lands more solid harmonic scoring in the 3rd & 4th choruses. Pumped, the ravens on the rafters rejoice!). I'd be silent and wouldn't say more, but the outro is clearly cosmic when Donna steps doubtlessly up the stairs high and higher, hitting a high F#, a G, then A's and eiven a higher High B - nearly unheard-of! Reign of the operatic reaches! Please go backstage and get a drink of water, stay absolutely silent. >>>>> Grand Unction in Phil Terrapin Outro. Feast your ears on the crazy counterpoint slices of upper register bass guitar flurries. He stretches the sound system past its large limits with a distorted buzz, but even better than Bach burns he brightly, criss-crossing strings and frets in firey storms of chewy, spine-cringling axe-chops. Nary a branding furnace burns hotter fires.