This is a song that really had yet to be heard.
“In the Dark” studio recording pushed it into mainstream. The “regulars” at this show that had never heard it must have been blown away.
Berkeley Greek Theater was surreal.

The previous day may be below average, but this day is sometimes listed on Best-of-'85 picks (though it seems some have confused 6/14 for this show). The best of the run, it's arguably the best show of the month. Though the 2nd set is usually noted, the 1st set is better than I remembered. The 2nd is one song longer than usual, making up for a shorter 1st set.

First Set. Touch of Grey is a rough start but with a wonderful solo (try to save a little face). Minglewood gets it going (Berkeley fillies/T in Berkeley) and Friend has a major wake-up to finish, all getting ready for this major Cassidy. This part of the set got better after a few listens. Dupree's is an example: these all start shaky and end great, as if every song is its own warm up. Often overlooked for its prevalence, this Me & My Uncle is fire; a train threatening on wobbly rails that blithely gets there ahead of schedule. Good Brent & Phil, even if Billy and Mickey have differing ideas (true the whole show). Big River is a tad untight - especially the drums. But a good Jer show is win/win. Jug band playing in the old caboose and the drummers make it loose - though again Brent is great on this Might as Well.

Second Set. As good as this China Cat is, I love what Jer does on this Rider. It's so freaking emotive and inventive. That stays through an incredible Lost Sailor. Launched uptempo by Brent, he then adds and adds to what becomes the best in '85 (into a decent Saint). There is a long tease for The Wheel coming out of Space. It's a great version, made more so by the delightful tranny into Gimme Some Lovin'. The rest is average '85, though there is a nice section in Not Fade @3:20>3:40 (a cold ending from drummers prevents 5 minutes of handclapping). She Belongs to Me is the 4th of the 9. Not bad but not Chula Vista (if you can't place the original, pull out yr Bringing it All Back Home). U.S. Blues is uptempo but with muffed lyrics and more out-of-sync drumming.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 3½ stars

Highlights:
Cassidy - Jer played this once and forgot, yet it gets even better after a few listens
Me & My Uncle - train threatening on wobbly rails
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider - inventive
Lost Sailor - Brent adds and adds; must-hear
The Wheel - plus coming out of Space and into GSL

SOURCES: The s1_unkown_Bryant_Miller_Noel is a great AUD, but 1st set only. For the 2nd set AUD try anon-severson-poris_lmpp_97497(it runs slightly fast). The griesman_tetzeli_fix-5682 SBD fixes some issues of griesman_5682 but still runs slow and out of balance. The walker-scotton_miller_96317 is the preferred SBD (the first two songs and the second set through Saint need -1% pitch). It's marginally better than the gans-miller sources, but it's missing She Belongs to Me and the encore. For those last two songs, try set2_sbd_pcm_gans_miller_clugston. It updates sbd_gans-samaritano_28449, though U.S. Blues runs 1% fast. The 1st set has a rough vid up on YouTube.

I’m specifically addressing China Cat through Drums. China Cat starts off with a unique Brent intro that Jerry uses as a sling shot. The playing is smooth and inspired with Brent and Phil adding a lot to the Fat sound. I’m grateful to have experienced this recording.

Gimme Some Lovin'. Who would have thought that would become a later years staple?

Well, knock me over with a feather. I saw a ton of shows in 1985 but almost all on the east coast and while I had a great time at all of them, objectively speaking, they were not great shows.

In fact, I usually hold '85 quality-wise in something akin to contempt--the weak, creaky Garcia vocals, choppy playing, out-of-synch jamming, blown lyrics, &far too many TStones>NFA show closers.

This show is none of that. The jamming is tight and inventive, and there are great versions of tunes they almost never nailed like they do here.

The China>Rider in particular is amazing...Jer hits every lyric and belts it out to boot, his leads are fast but not distractingly so and the band keeps up. The bridge jam gets nasty in all the right places and there's an extra flurry of jamming at the end of Rider. Phil will bust your speakers on "Northbound Train" and Jerry steps up to let it fly vocally on same.

Other highlights include a segue from Wheel>GSL that belongs up there with some of the best ever...smooth as silk and both tunes rock. Half a point off maybe for Bobby yelling his way thru TStones but no denying he's into it. NFA is what it is in '85 (cheesy and repetitive), but this one's better than most for what that's worth.

Can't complain about a lovely "She Belongs" encore either, altho' Jerry struggles to remember the words at times...it aint Richmond but it's nice.

Overall, a really impressive show for a year I find lacking musically, and for good reason I suppose, given what happened to Jer in '86.

If anyone knows of any similarly good '85 shows, do tell. After hearing this, I'm all ears.

Both flawless *and* perfect.

Great show,,,,the west is the best, I'm only sorry I never got out to see them there.....thanks for the show

Good and sloppy like a sloppy joe, tasty, full-flavored, gets all over ya.

I had these tapes when I attended Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Mass. 1984-1988. Great sounding boards! Tasty playing! SICK 2nd set pre-drums selections!!!!!! I dig 1985.......