Fourth consecutive year in Rochester for me and this one seemed a bit strange. Was sitting on the railing right off the stage on left side looking at the stage so pretty good view of what was going on. Remember leaving the show thinking it was not that good specifically because the jamming between songs was limited and the playing uneven. Would change my mind years later after listening to the tapes so often. Still, better than the next night (Springfield) which was a huge downer - almost as much as Hartford '81.

Distinctly recall a few things from this show:

- Can't describe it but the vibe felt very strange that night.
- Jerry was taking long breaks between songs.
- Drums seemed to drag on, like he didn't want to come out.
- After one lead (might be Althea), Jerry was facing Billy with his back to the audience. Jerry finishes the lead and Billy gives him a nod as if to tell him he did okay and didn't screw it up.
- The Dew was not ripping like 5-8-77 or 6-7-77 but felt very emotional. Listen to Jerry sing the very last line (I guess it doesn't matter anyway) - it sounds like he is on the verge of crying. Felt like it too!

The cowboy who is throwing stones at Jerry for being drunk,whilst in between jams no less...dude needs to put the coo-coo back in the clock and come out and play.Me thinks this cowboy,was not at the Grateful Dead,show....He was attending the Ozzy show the week before..It twas all a dream he dreamed one atternoon...long ago....Saw the fatcat on stage with the band and his band,many times...never once suspected him drinking...call it an educated guess...oh and no offense to Oz and Sabbath..some can swing it..some cant...Choice show.

Jerry rarely drank, occasional wine. If you ask Bob or Phil they cant recall Jerry EVER being drunk except for the summer of 70;s famous train tour which is memorable for the fact that was the ONE time people remember Jerry being drunk with EVERYONE on the train.

People should avoid subjects they have NO knowledge about. Regarding the 'pers(ian)' If you know anything about opiod addiction and if you KNEW Jerry feel free to comment. Jerry dabbled with the 'pers' starting in late '76.I could be mistaken but the first time he became physically dependent might have been the summer of '77. He then quit 'cold turkey' as he didnt have a 'large' habit but was physically dependent. He was 'sick' for about a week detoxing. If you are familiar with opiod dependence the 1st 72 hours is the worst after that you feel weak for a few days.Over the next 3 years 78 - 80 Jerry had a pattern of going back to the 'pers' and then quitting, back and forth. From 81 thru 84 Jerry was an addict dependent on 'pers.' until it came to a head after the New Years shows in Dec of 84. In early 85 he detoxed with professional help because by this time his 'habit' was so large to detox 'cold turkey' would have been excruciating if not impossible and dangerous. If you were around in '82,83,84 there was no hiding his habit particularly in 83 and 84. Anyway... enough of this negativity. Jerry was a great guy. By the way it was the damn camels that killed him( and his voice). Its a shame he went back to smoking after the coma in 86. I still have a hard time understanding why Willy (Legate) offered Jerry his 1st post coma cig. Not that that would have stopped him Jerry had his foibles/ The last time I saw him was at The Metropolitan Museum of art in NYC in JUly of 95 before the Giants stadium gigs. He was standing outside the museum smoking making his usual asides, jokes about the need to quit. a month later it was all over

I don't normally pick on others reviews but Jerry was not an alcoholic. If he was skulking off the stage it was to do lines of coke. Almost everyone knows Jerry did way too much coke and heroin, especially in the early eighties. Other than that this show is not bad by any means and the sound is pretty good, Jerry sounds alright. Thanx archive, Charlie and others.

I was fortunate enough to be at this show. One of the real highlights of this show was the audience participation during Iko-Iko. During the choirs, EVERYONE was raising their right hand on the first double "hey now" then raising their left hand at the second "hey-now" then clapping twice after "Iko-Iko all day".
It was amazing to see how the band fed off of the audience induced energy and how the audience fed off the energy coming from the stage. This absolutely helped to lead to the outstanding Dew that follows.
I was lucky enough to see many shows starting with the spring tour of 77 until the end. This was more fourth year in a row seeing them at this venue. While nothing comes close to the 77 show, each was a gem. Some had more energy then others. This one had the positive band/audience interaction for sure.

If you were lucky enough to be there as well, please write about what you remember.

2 things:

There's that slide again in minglewood. It gets worse before it gets better.

Who and What is that pedal steel sounding thing in Friend of the Devil?

I was at this show and it was a real stinker. Jerry was by this point a total alcoholic and you could really tell because his playing is slow, then fast, slow then fast. I remember people saying he was taking shots of vodka and I do remember he kept leaving the stage and Bob was looking at him like "dude where are you going?". When you drink to excess like he did, you pay the price with your playing ability...I should know, my father drank like a crazy fish and just couldn't drum no more. Sad that his life was wasted, but he did come to bear some great gifts and that is the music.

the whole show is well above standard but this is definitely one of the best Dews of the 80's maybe even any era. Sweet how they hooked up Iko and Morning Dew for awhile there. easy 4 here for the sound 5 for the Dew and most of Jerry's guitar work especially in the 2nd set.

Sugaree is a top contender.
Estimated is exactly perfect with trippy jam. Only a few that are quite this good.
The jam, Iko, Dew and SSDD are off the charts.
Nice drums break for Jerry!

Personal highlights: Jam and Dew, solid performance all around.

The trippy lick by Garcia just melted into the ever elusive, maybe played once or twice a year, Aiko Aiko!!

I'm a huge fan of the slower melty Aiko's of the late 70's compared to the cocaine infused versions that were played 3 times faster in the 80's and 90's

This DEW is seriously under-rated. No it's not Cornell, but boy oh boy does it build up and explode!!

The Sugar Mags, SSDD that follow is one of my all time favorites out of the 375 shows I attended and all the ones I've listened too 12-31-84 is another great Sugar Mags

I believe Space thru S.M. is used as filler on the Richmond 85 Dicks Picks

peace

I am totally diggin this show and just listened from start to finish. Great version of china rider in the first set and the sailor saint is a nice tune after the thunderous rider. The second set actually drags a bit at the start with opening tunes not very entertaining and althea spacey and unclear. The second set feels like it strugggles and sound quality is nice at times but then sounds less clear. It si still a sbd but terrapin playin is nothing to dismiss and take lightly and it does not diassapoint yet it is not as compelling in making a case for a 5 star show. The morning dew n fact saves this show from being a meandering one. It feels like the first set is on, then the band gets tired after break, then after drums and space comes out with guns blazing and the sugar mags also shreds! Nice early 80's dead.

Unfortunately for me I was way too high to appreciate this show for what it was. (3 red gangas seemed like a good idea at the time). The Aiko Aiko and Morning Dew are my "favorite" versions of each or these tunes. (yes , I like this dew better than 5-8-77 and 5-26-72). We had really good seats for this originally, but the GIANT wall poster of the big green moose (an advertisement for a local radio station "WMOOS" or something like that)was way too intense and I had to move to the back of the floor and eventually to the back of the second level in order to stop freaking out. Anybody else remember that damn moose?

Quite possibly the best jam of 1980.

Unusually poignant guitar playing from Jer. A very clean rendition of his mature refined style.

A grate recording to demonstrate the dynamics of classic primal GD playing to any skeptics (especially of the underrated 1980s).

The rest of the show is epic as well, but naturally the attention has come (deservingly) to the post drum segment. An absolute must listen. Perhaps the best Morning Dew of the 1980s.

Yes so it seems dicks picks released this and Mr David Lemieux said they only had the last 4 shows without the last song in the archives.Well were did they get this then.

The peak of the Dew includes the roar of the crowd. Without the crowd, the bottom seems to drop out.

Hot hot show!