This 2nd set is just ripping! Nice fast tempo on China>Rider, reminiscent of that version from 74 at Civic Center, Jerry even hints at the Feelin' groovy jam, Brent follows but nobody else does, and I love the Version of To Lay Me Down here, great singing, Jerry still sounds youthful enough, and I like how they build up the end , more like the album version, didn't do that in 1974. And how about this Playin?? It is ripping too, very 73-74, he even kicks kicks in the wah wah!!!!

It really is an average performance by the band. China Cat jam Bobby jumps the gun on the loosely orchestrated jam crescendo, essentially playing it without Jerry. Jerry basically stops playing during that expected peak as a result. That likely pissed Bobby off. So, then during IKYRider Bobby sings his verse " The sun is gonna shine" BEFORE Jerry takes his first typical break. It's as if Bobby is saying to Jerry, " F you man, I get to decide when that peak is on China Cat, and to drive that point home I am singing my line before your break here on Rider". lol. Jerry of course then takes a solo and then sings his " headlight " verse. Honestly, this is part of why the Dead were so engaging. If one pays close attention to the musical dialog, it reveals so much. Anyways, B and J just weren't really cooperating with each other. Plenty of better shows to listen to.

How rare is Nobody's Fault But Mine? Played in full only 15 times. Jammed another 20 times. Of the 15, only two occur in the Brent era, one jam, three days before his death.

Much as I love the Dead, it just wasn't their song - too jolting a rhythym perhaps.

Weirdest fact of all - of the 35, 3 are at the Philly Spectrum. Wonder what triggered that...

https://archive.org/details/gd81-05-04.sbd.clugston.2250.sbeok.shnf

Excellent show. One of the better post 79 Berthas. The China Rider is fast and high energy. Heck. This whole show just rips with energy and matched with tight playing. And speaking of "Playing", this PITB has Jerry shredding notes for 6 straight minutes like it was 1972!

That was my friend Yoni's quote about the end of Nobody's Fault when the band transitioned into Lost Sailor. That about sums it up: A great show in the making crashed at this crucial juncture of the post-drums section of this most promising show and became a train wreck of progressive torture for those of us who attended many early 80's shows as Black Peter followed the ill placed (and grossly over played) Sailor > Saint.

The hot Sugar Mag didn't salvage what had been a very good show up to that point with an above average first set featuring both an odd opener and closer. Also a nice Cold Rain thrown in.

The pre-drums segment features the highlight of the night; all great playing. The To Lay Me Down is great like all 1981 versions, but eclipsed by the epic version in New Haven the following week.

The Playin?

I think it's the best of the year.

Too bad they don't finish it instead of going into Lost Sailor. If you listen closely at 3:05-3:09 of Nobody's Fault, Jerry hint's at Playin Reprise before falling into Sailor. That woulda been nice.

This Philly boy likes Philly shows, and this one scores high in the ranks for Spectrum gigs. Bein's that it's 31 years to the day depending on which calender you follow, it deserves another roll!

Sweet show. Great sound. If you have no subwoofer the bass is thin.

Good sound and recording, only few maybe "digital errors" on the stream. "Lost sailor" is great, very clean sound of the instruments. Bobby sings "..where's the dark star .." and you can hear the deaheads cheer. It's awesome how the group slips into "Saint of circumstance". After so many years "sure don't know what I'm going for, but ..."

This chinacat sounds awesome. It makes me feel like i'm driving a train through the clouds. SOUNDS STRANGE DOESNT IT....NOT!!!! Anyway, Like I tell my friends, Its a dead thing, u wouldnt understand.

A really close friend died two nights before the show. She was one of the ticket holders - her husband was the other her older brother stood in for her. She was - 26 - died suddenly. So we went to the show in her honor - of course we did - never a doubt. Look at this song selection (no Iko, Iko here) they ripped our hearts out - still unto this day it just makes me shake my head the wave length - the collective consciousness - the symmetry, the synergy that can and did manifest at these events - we've all experienced it in some way shape or another and at the same time in a thousand different ways - the covers were still warm where you laid - - to lay me down - I know this is really personal but the previous description of sublime is definitely in tune with what was going on in our heads - I mean freakin' black peter - enough already - we were definitely waylaid that night a bitter sweet memory indeed. They knocked us out picked us up and knocked us down again all night long - we were rinsed after that one - Jeana

Paul
Author - Journey Home

Really nice show--good sound quality & song selection. Worth listening to for the "To Lay Me Down" alone, which is simply sublime. Such a beautiful song, and don't know if I've ever heard a bad version of it. It's on my top list of songs that I never personally got to hear played live that I'll always regret (along with Ripple & Pride of Cucamonga!).

Its no wonder Bobby loves Philly so much. Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love and means just that. Ya ever notice Bobby has a Blue hue to him? The lighting at his shows are Blue, at any rate he is just as the people of the Ancient City of Philadelphia he is wise beyond his years and talks a lot. Drama is their signature. He is a gifted teacher and performer :)

This one is special. Not only is the second set sound great, with well placed song selection, but we also get to hear Bobby confirm what many of us suspected: That the rainbow ends "right here in Philly"!

This is a nice show, both in performance quality and recording quality. The singing is good overall. Brent's harmonies are on. Jerry's singing is nice. Bobby is hoarse, but in my opinion, this is an improvement -- it seems to prevent him from getting overly dramatic in his singing, which he has a tendency to do.

Garcia was playing his purple guitar this night. I know this well because at some point, when the music was rising in intensity and the sweat,smoke,patchouli smell rose along with it (you remember this, dont you), Jerry unleashed a purple lightning bolt that hit me smack in the face. I spent the rest of the show with my head bouncing off the rafters up where the Flyers banners still hang. Ain't been the same since.

I remember that sixers game between these shows too!!! FUNNY...Yes they still call the Comcast Spectrum....I was on the bus by this time...This was my 4th over all Dead/jerry experience...
Get this one as well!
Enjoy...I did

What a cool second set, sweet To Lay Me Down and that Nobody's Fault after space. Mickey was standing next to Jerry and them in the front line, plaing this drum shaped like a pizza! I kid you not...Then he went back next to Billy for Lost sailor. I remember these shows cause there was a Sixers game in between this and the one before
Do they still call it the Spectrum or did some brand buy that too?

the sound for the first set is good not flat just not great dont be fooled , good show , good setlist nice mix up of the songs

The 1st set from Jackero through Bertha is very solid. One of the best Bertha's I've ever heard.

Kinda flat wacky sound for the entire first set, 2nd set is better, a little hiss. Drums/Space are missing except for 20-seconds at the end of Playin'. The Playin' is sick, it sounds like it is from 1973-74, Jerry blasts this one into outer space.

Great show My first Good sound sounds so sweet
Awesome to lay me down Tasty through and through God Bless the great great Grateful Dead