1st show of the famous winter/spring '90 tour, which the band considers their best. Tight playing, good crew vibes, Jer & Phil healthy, Brent at his peak, and the most reliable and sonically accurate sound system yet. This is also the first of a 3-day run, with the middle day best (a top 5 of the tour). Though this show is known for the Playing in the Band (and somewhat for the LiG), the great sequence in the back nine (Space>Black Peter) is the real takeaway. This is a show for which the matrix was invented.

First Set. The solid Cold Rain & Snow opener sets the tone for the whole tour. The end jam of Feel Like a Stranger is great - check Phil. This is the single best version, AFAIK, of Good Time Blues (Brent named it this, it came labeled as this on trades, the band called it this, yet now it's called "Never Trust a Woman". Go figure). A relative rarity, there were just 3 in '90. Most of the rest is average '90, though it IS exciting when they break out Loose Lucy. This is the first once since '74. If you were around in '90, you know how big of a deal this was. We didn't know if it was a fluke. I heard it was back and got worried I'd missed out (but saw one of the first ones a few weeks later)! Yup, a big moment in Deaddom at the time, but not one of the best versions - it gets better later. Why does it seem like they played Stuck Inside of Mobile at every other show in '90 (there are only 7)? Bathroom song for me. The last two are much better, especially Row. Though technically solid, the LiG seems musically shrugged like much of this tour (consistently great playing and sound quality but not always the most exciting).

Second Set. The energy comes back on a whopping Playing in the Band. Energetic and uptempo, it's the best Playin' of the tour - maybe of '90, better even than 3/19, maybe until Greensboro '91. And check Phil. After a UJB there's a sorta-coulda reprise-jam of Playin' that never resolves, though Jer tries with the riff. Space turns into one of those big arena shakers. It sounds much better on the matrix, because there are elements that are missing, or were mixed-out of the official (though it claims no patches, the matrix patches the SBD gap @4:32 on the ladner_8466). Dear Mr. Fantasy is equal-or-better-to the well-known 4/1, and carries the X-factor into I Need a Miracle (the matrix is again a better source). Black Peter was strong in '90: Phil and Bobby had ideas. This is up there with 3/25. Lovelight is rote and short.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: B
Overall = 3¼ stars

Highlights:
Good Time Blues (NTaW) - the period's best version
Playing in the Band - energetic & uptempo
Dear Mr. Fantasy - surpasses the better-known 4/1
I Need a Miracle - the matrix reveals the sparks

SOURCES: The ladner_8466 SBD is the solid source - though the Space is incomplete. But not only does the tobin_89693 sound better, the 2nd set sounds better than the the official (Spring 90 TOO). Let it Grow is on Without a Net.

Kevin from Tampa - "We'll use this innovation as we attempt to explain this experience to our children".
John L. White - candid and forthright

great show to start a great tour. the matrix sound fidelity is awesome.

Not the best sound, but very passable and the best we currently have. One hot show- right out of the gate for an E.C. Spring Tour it was something special- then and now. LL was a great first set tune and gets a heroines return. LIG (always looking for the big wave with this tune) is off the hook. A 1%'er. A taut, jazzy late Brent PITB gets a special nod as well. The crowd, the tunes and the boys were all mighty alright this night.

25 years ago today, 50 years of great musical memories. This recording is absolutely fantastic. Overall this is a stellar show for opening night of one of the last, great tours. Very mellow gig but extremely well played. I've listened to parts of this gig through the years, but never the whole show. Glad I did this all the way through as every note seemed as if it mattered and the whole band was on the same page musically. Been listening to a ton of 68 and early 70s lately, but this certainly made the transition into late era shows very easy. Viva la Dead from the badlands of New Mexico. Cheers.

cap centre was my home town dead show base ,and i loved it ,it seamed that the band loved it there too they would always break out the long awaited songs and new songs at the cap centre. i was very blessed to see some of the best shows they did from 1985 to 1995 .i don't know if cap centre was the first show on the east coast or not. but this loose lucy is so high energy and the next year the rubin and cherise was a nice surprise along with the casey jones at rfk. i really do miss those times and wished they could clone garcia somehow

I often think this is the best year for the Dead. At least 89' up till Brent died. Am I nuts? I'm sure if any remaining member were to really think about it they'd have to say this time in their career had to have been exemplary. Everything is so well orchestrated, tight, sophisticated and energetic. This show is really just one example. It seems like they're still exploring new sounds while amazingly still dipping into the same pool of great material.

I recently listened to a decent show from 94' and really heard just how tight everyone was (except Jerry) which at first made me think how much they all stepped up to the plate. However, while listening to this it's clear that Jerry just had a way of overshadowing the best of bands. Still, his voice is not perfect here nor had it been for sometime and Brent and Bobby (especially Brent) really come to the rescue at times such as in UJB.

It's strange when listening to the Dead (even now) that I will give a pass for mistakes and sounding like old men. Who else would I ever do that with? Dylan? Honestly I stopped listening to him years ago and only incidentally. There is just so much more to this music than we get out of most anything I can think. Moreover, it is because of the risk taking and sheer volume of work that we have been given such a gift and I'll take that over any slick manufactured Cheese Whiz any day. Mistakes and all.

Thank you Kevin for another great recording. The sources may not be top notch, but a great matrix from what's available. The mix is outstanding for this show.

OK let me gush once more. For all the attention Loose Lucy got, I still say (23 years later) it was the least interesting part of the show. Granted I was never very caught up in novelty concerning set lists and first times, etc. so take it as you will, but still it says more about the quality of the show. A great balance of fun tunes and more weighty music. LIG! Crazy Fingers S2 opener!- Playin-UJ-Playin-Drumz/Space Black Peter... No one who ventures to give this an honest listen would ever dismiss the Dead as simply "Jam Band Music". This is serious music that was on fire while quite reminiscent and on par with the somewhat recent Hampton shows albeit a bit "lighter". (And yes I was at those too. No wonder I was such a freak for the Dead, I far as I was concerned they were all like that at the time since I seemed to have stumbled upon some good ones. Still, they made the odds almost unbeatable around this time.)

Well, there's my first five star rating. I'll have to figure out how to rate them fairly, but this one is easy.

This is it. Want to experience an awesome latter day Grateful Dead show? The band (and audience) is amped and on fire.

Every song is inspired and spirited. This matrix captures the great SBD Mix and the great AUD crowd.

Even if you prefer the old days of the Dead, you got to admit this is good stuff.

I must say that even though I tend to prefer the earlier days of the band, this show does boil over with energy. Love the way the crowd erupts with first verse of Loose Lucy. Great show, excellent Matrix mix, who could ask for anything more! 5 Stars for this one.

Neat to have a pristine sound board recording with the heavy taper pit crowd noise on top of it. I guess we'll use this innovation as we attempt to explain this experience to our children.

Very crisp and clear show. The vocals sound awesome. Check out Playin>UJB Phenom.! crowd participation is unprecedented
Nicely recorded and great song selection
Have fun!

I was there for all three shows (where's the 15th...Happy Birthday Phil). I was so psyched to see the Dead in my backyard. I was talking with a head before the show and he asked me what I expected. I told him that I'd read on the Terrapin Station BBS (remember that?) that they'd been soundchecking with Loose Lucy. He scoffed and said "They'll never play that again". After Jerry stepped up to the mike and started singing the verse, he went nuts and said "Dude, you called it". We were all jumping around and going crazy. These shoes were fantastic. High Times was there and published a story and photos of these shows. And yes, the Let It Grow is on Without A Net. A friend of mine and I remarked at the show how excellent it was. After listening to the bootlegs for several month, I heard the CD release, and I thought it sounded familiar. Good times in Landover. Damn, I miss the Dead.