Was at RR in June of '83 for three nights and at Hampton in '79 among several other shows going back to '72 but this is great energy and the best West LA Fadeaway I ever heard. How "heads" are criticizing any of this show and recording is beyond my comprehension. This is better than most archive shows I've ever heard.

It was evident pretty early on that the 1983 GD sound was very different than 1982, especially Brent's keyboard sounds. '82 featured a lot of electric piano and B3 sounds, but this was something totally different and quite ELECTRIC! Everyone else sounded pumped up as well. We'd heard they just did Help on the Way out west, but it was pandemonium when they started it up after they were noodling on it. It was short but they were cranking it! You can't play with that intensity slowly. Truckln' pre drums was still rare and that was cranking too, then the Smokestack tease. Everyone went berserk and it was in fact a bit of a let down after the short jam didn't develop really into anything, but they were a different, vibrant, Grateful Dead, and the rest of the tour was great! Check out the 4/17/83 Slipknot. That one is long and confident.

83 is chock full of fabulous shows, many highlighted by Brent's magical keyboard work, this show included. The first set kicks off with a smokin Bertha>Promised, a combo that often serves as a precursor for fireworks to come. Much love for the Esau, as the Bobby slide guitar always resonates his desire to be the quintessential bluesman. Got to love the 1st set ending China>Rider and then the 2nd set kick-off Help>Slip>Frank, probably the only time that combo occurred, and it was on point. The real highlight of this show to me was this jazzy, trippy rendition of the relatively new at the time Throwing Stones out of Space. The lead in to it was a bit of a surprise, not until they actually start the song would you have thought that was the post-space song of choice, absolutely no teaser. As they work thru this version with a tempo not typical of the later versions, it's the winding down of the song/ending that really takes the cake. We are so used to the later versions and the rhythmic drumming and the "ashes, ashes all fall down" chant, but this was something to behold. At around the 7:40 mark of the song you'll hear and nod/tease of Mind Left Body Jam (see 5/19/74), immediately following that tease you'll notice another tease, this time it's something resembling an uptempo Black Throated Wind intro. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm crazy, but all that matters is, I'm satisfied! A nod to the encore (I can't get no) Satisfaction. I probably wouldn't say this was an all-timer, but it was a damn-gooder!!! Some nice surprises, 2 of my favorite ballads, Candyman 1st set and Black Peter 2nd, all in all listen and enjoy it.

11 years since the last smokestack lightning, and it will be another 18 months before they play it for real. Pretty cool to have it cooking in the back of someone's head.

COB1969 WHAT PART OF THIS SHOW WAS EVEN A LITTLE WEAK? I LISTEN TO THIS AND I CANNOT HELP BUT TURN UP THE VOLUME AND DIG HEARING IT FOR YET 1 MORE TIME.THIS SHOW WAS ON FIRE FROM START TO END,AND I WILL GO EVEN FARTHER AND SAY THIS WHOLE TOUR WAS ON FIRE. I AM JUST DUMBFOUNDED SOMEOME COULD SAY THIS SHOW WAS JUST OK.

I was at this show and it was crazy. The sound board recording is great but they really pump up the volume in VA and this show was so powerful and amazing live. Listen to the audience tapes and you'll see what I mean. I NEED A COPY OF THIS PLEASE!!!!!!!

Great work as usual from Hunter on the matrix, and good energy from the band. For some reason, all of the recordings of this show have some of Jerry's solos buried in the mix. Otherwise, I'd give 4 stars.

The set list looks good, the Help>Slip>Franklins is good, lot of missed lyrics on Franklins and through out the show from both Jerry and Bob. GDTRFB didn't play and skipped right into Sat. Nite, good Satisfaction encore, would have given more than 3 stars, but the show is kind of sloppy overall.