Great recording of a killer show. The lightning going off over the river during Let it Grow and the sky during Cryptical sent this one way over for me!

I wish I could have been peaking about 5' before Iko. But then, judging from my sober state now, why do I feel a bit of the trip in my bones as I listen to this? There is a sound and an edge to this show that is only replicated a few other times. All of them in '85. Several on this tour.
It's so thick that you could rip off chunks.
Yes, trippy as heaven or hell, quite edgy, and one All-Time show. (Is that wretching I hear in the back? You, 100 times, 'This show is an All Timer!' On my desk after you listen to the whole show. Twice.)
I am exhausted after listening to this show. In a good way. A really good way. Like walking out after a great show and you are walking in that wondrous dreamscape. This is a Bobby show, but Jerry, Brent, BK, Micky are there. Lots of dancing around the One. Where's Phil? He shows up once in a while. Maybe he was on Heineken duty. Bobby is manic. The prophet from the burning shore indeed. He does things on this night that he never did again. This is the closest I have heard him play dueling guitars with Garcia for the whole show! And he wins sometimes.

First Set- From Alabama through, it's fun. Closest to not being so is Loser. Maybe Bobby and Healy, who had a so-so night w/ his tricks, threw Jerry off. Bobby proceeds to raffle off they rhythm section as Jerry is beginning the song. Also, Healy throws in space sound, kinda like Asteroids in the day @ 1:36. WTF? Let it Grow is a scorcher and pick of the set. Longest song of the night. Esau and GSET are place and show respectively.

Second Set- This set reminds me of angry sex. A playful beginning and then Here we go! You singing to me? Hot, sweaty, sticky and focused. I have listened to this set maybe more then any other. I received it so long ago and it's transportation music. (Just like another TDIH, hint, hint)
Bobby takes a verse in Iko for the only time. Listen to Brent in here. You wouldn't notice too much if you didn't pay attention, but he is right there to fill or nudge at the right times. Where is Healy @ 7:30 w/ Garcia's mike? Bad Healy. Too many mistakes this night that are too boring to recount, but he has his moments of redemption.
Samson is a beast. Just a reminder that this needs to played Loud. What an into! When it hits @:42 it's a Maxell guy in the chair moment. If the first set was good times, we are having great times now. Finger snapping, bopping along GD! Yeah! One of my fav. Samson's. Bobby. Bobby. Bobby.
And then things turn dark in tone. O.K. kiddies, you had two songs to dance to. He's Gone is mournful. Listen for Bobby in this one. What a tone and 'aint backing down. Everyone is where they are supposed to be. A beautiful and short version. Because around 7:30 Smokestack begins to slither into the song.
And what a Smokestack! O.K. gauntlet thrown down. This is the Best Bobby Smokestack bar none. An incredible intro, same with vocals. Conjuring the voodoo.
Why did they bring back Cryptical? The intro is 1:48, the outro :41. Shortest new song they could revive? I can understand him not wanting to sing it, but it's a great song to play.
Drums would have me bopping but nothing beyond the pale.
That can not be said of Insectiod Space, which begins the last two minutes of Drums. You know drums is over by the screaming.
Space we pass by 98% (a guess) of the time. I wouldn't miss this one. Unless you have just taken a bunch of hallucinogens and are having a bad time of it. Dark and creepy with many a TOO tease, a train whistle, and mooing cows. And the insects. All through, Jerry provides a quiet little place, so if you get scared you can run to Jerry. When Phil comes back it's full on TOO teasing and then,
Jerry drops in one of the most beautiful Comes A Time. This song is one that is better, later. This is a CAT for Jerry freaks like Arb. and Ring. As Grisman said (in general about Garcia), there is a high emotional content to this song. His solo is most beautiful and nestles into your heart or rips it out. "Only love can feel."
Remember the loud reminder? Well, we are into TOO territory. It suffers a bit from not having the momentum of Space, but recovers quickly. Hey, there's Phil! It takes 1:30 for them to find each other and then here we go! Short, intense and a lead into Jerry's biggie of the night.
This Wharf Rat is titanic. I don't care about flaws or whatever. The band gives its all for this song as you can tell by how tired they sound at the end of the set. Jerry's tone again starts out weary, but filled w/ desperation. Those little spoken words, dropped so quietly. I can't recall , "some other fuckers crime", sounding so clear. Then the gospel portion is beautiful. Not much jamming here, but what there is, fits right in. Bobby trying to go at it with Garcia at the end.
R & R- Is surprisingly decent. Maybe even good. Well, lets not get crazy. Brent finally takes his first (and short) solo of the night.
GLove- Tired, tired GD. Not a song I like anyways. An interesting rap by Bobby @ 5:08. Prescient? Or the more things change, the more they stay the same?
USB Rocks! Jerry and Bobby go at it again one more time.

edit- I love this quote from Evan S. Hunt, "What a hideously sick and raunchy version of USB this is. Sloppy> mistakes> galore> ignore> brilliance. All that change all that fast. A presence that follows you around and gives you chase to rhythm." 1985 in a nutshell.

What a tremendous performance. Bravo!

In my experience with Dead shows, they often tailored their sets to the venue, area or weather...and this is a prime example. We drove up to Cincinnati from Lexington,Ky, enjoying a beautiful sunny summer afternoon. Riverbend Ampitheater is set up so you can see the boats behind the stage and are looking across the river into Ky. 1st set the weather was perfect...then the storm clouds built up across the river. A torrential rain storm began during the break, with cloud to ground lightning strikes that made us wonder if the Dead would come back out at all. Of course, they did, during the hardest part of the rain for a scare the bejeezus out of you 2nd set. Enough has been said about the songs themselves, but the circumstances surrounding their performance is what stands out to me. I mean, when they sang "if I had my way, I would tear this whole building down" in Samson, they meant it! It seemed as if they were egging on the storm, daring it to do its worst...thundering drums echoing the actual thunder.And they wanted more. Smokestack Lightning during lightning...I mean come on!!!! Then Cryptical (REALLY?!?!) I remembered the Drums>Space as a frightening experience. WOW!!! You will be hard pressed to find a better show than this, in my opinion. Dick's Picks/Vault are you hearing me?

THIS IS THE LAST TRULY GREAT DEAD SHOW.