6/27/2018 EDIT - Original review 7/11/2006
35 years ago today!!
Happy Anniversary to me!!

This was also my first show, I was 11.
I remember it rained all day and cleared up just as my father and his friend Jimmy were loading me into the green Gremlin, remember those?
We got to the lot and parked right next to some friends of my dads. I remember my dad giving a guy dressed in overalls a ticket and the guy about exploded in glee, running and jumping around. We went in and the show started, I knew most of the songs having been exposed from birth.
I watched as guys were sliding down the mud path in the center of the hill. One guy got going and slide all the way down to the walkway were he slammed into a guy carrying a tray of beers. It showered briefly again in their location. A few minutes later both of them came walking together up the hill with new beers and smiles on their faces as they watched others.
I saw a completely naked woman dancing on the hill/lawn/mudpile.
I haven't listened to this copy completely yet, but I will soon.
I have an audience from my friend that he taped on an old F1 PCM machine and Sennheiser 441s front of the board in the shell.
Sounds pretty good, I wonder how this compares.
It will be nice finding out.

First off the Charlie Miller version here is better:
http://archive.org/details/gd1983-06-27.fob.senn441.miller.89790.sbeok.flac16

Now for the review...
This was my second show. I was about to enter my senior year in High School and was one of the North Shore "heads" who lived north of Chicago so this was right in our backyard. I was so stoked I splurged and bought second row seats from a scalper for the incredible sum of $40 each. We were about 10 feet from Brent. This was before the era of security barricades. The stage was not very tall so it felt like he was sitting next to us. When they came out to start, but before the first song, we keep yelling "Brent" until he finally acknowledged us. We were so excited, everyone around us gave out a cheer of appreciation.

'83 is one of my favorite years. This is a very solid, fun summer show. It's shows like this that made me a deadhead!

Anyway, for the show. Great Bertha to start out and the Phil Bombs combined with Mickey's precisely placed beats on the toms made it version worth hearing. Brent was on for Minglewood. One of the things I remember most vividly from the show was how transcendent and mesmerizing the Bird Song was. Mickey's was playing a constant beat with his left hand on the snare -- the drumstick was basically a blur. If you just listen you might hear a beat here and there but you don't realize he was filling in the whole time with this non-stop playing on the snare. It's his style but actually seeing it was an eye opener. As a musician, it was something that amazed me.

Great vibe on Bucket and Sugaree. Just fun to listen to.

Scarlet - Fire are solid. I vaguely remember Mickey playing a xylophone in the segue to Fire but I don't hear it on the recording so who knows but you can hear him playing an African drum during Fire. It's the drum that he can tune up or down by pressing it against his body while he plays the beats with a thin mallet held in the other hand. I am not sure it works better than him just playing his full set but it's important enough to note.

Things really start heating up with Estimated Prophet. By then it was dark and people were starting to get really loose and wild and dancing like crazy. It felt like Dionysian orgiastic frenzy as the crowd surged back and forth towards the stage. Everyone was in rapture as the band whipped us into a manic free-for-all. I was completely blown away.

The rest of it is solid and well worth a listen.

To the one who said he thinks someone got busted and the band knew it. I do not know if the band knew it but there was a major bust at a near by hotel. If I remember correctly his name was "chuck" was more then just a bust as I recall but not having the proper info i wont coment any further on it.
As far as this show and both nights here at Poplar creeke they were really ON PURE SMOKE.... Anyone rememeber the night before the shows here? Barry Manallow (not sure if spelled correct) played the night before. We got there very early in the afternoon after hitch hiking from St Paul the night b4. A few of us met up with this couple going to the Barry manallow show they had extra tickets and took us in with them. Needless to say we got them very stoned on the KIND bud
I loved this show and the sound here is good. These are can't miss shows

I loved this place. Although it's not Alpine Valley. It still had pretty good acoustics and a nice pavillion. This was a fun show from what I remember with a really rocking Sugaree & Scarlet Fire! Jer's voice sounds a bit worn probably due to it being the end of the tour but they jammed!

What everybody has said below is true, in my opinion. However, I do have one thing to add, that I didn't see below, is that Jerry's voice is on tonight. There's a lot of inflection in his voice on this night.

Oh, I also agree with the comments below about the Sugaree being comparable to the lake placid show later this same year.

This was towards the beginning of my bus ride. I was young and foolish and had my whole life ahead of me, so I felt invincable.
The acid was clean and the band played with the audience to the best of their capabilities. I will never forget this show and the other Poplar Creek show. Scarlet Fire I was trippin my balls off andf a guy in front of us was painitn in a notebook as the music played, as if he were transposing the notes into some crazy type of language. Really, you had to see it to believe it, then he would turn the page of hid notebook and continue to scribble, or to groove his brush along with the music. This was back in the days when you could walk up to the 13th row and groove to the music while watching Jerry's fingers do their thing. The "throw me in the jailhouse" bomb was just that- like a nuclear bomb went off and they blew their magic so deep into my soul that I have never been the same since. I think someone got busted and the band knew about it.
There was no better time had by me at a Dead show that these two shows near my home town north of Chicago. Well, some I have better memories of, and had some amazing of times as, but this one will always be the show that truly popped my cherry and was the best trip I could have ever asked for that beautiful summer night back in 1983. Oh man, I would sell my soul to go back and do it all over again...hahaha...DIG THIS SHOW! IT'S THE REAL DEAL!!!!!

My memories of the show were fond. I had taken vacation time to do the summer tour but the Poplar shows were Monday - Tuesday so it was a regular workday for me. Certainly at the time, I didn't notice Jerry's flubs. Not only are Dupree's and Sugaree scrambled lyrically but the solo during Helen O'bucket is a full half measure behind the rest of the band.

It's still an enjoyable show.

Not to rag on him, but after hearin jerry flubbin the lyrics to sugaree, it dawned on me, Brent had the right kind of voice that he could have sang lead sometimes for that song. Jerry could have added the backup vocals like he does in lots of tunes. Maybe they tried it in rehearsals and decided against it. Anyhow this show is a smoker. Wish I had a time machine For REAL!

Hot show! Sure, Scarlet>Fire rages, and Sugaree is solid enough, but what about The Other One? It's easily one of the hottest from the '80s. Sound quality is decent, a little hissy for my tastes.

Wow- I started a scarlet-Fire thread a week ago- this one did not come up- what a pleasant surprise- it is really knocking my butt off- I just listened to it as the show was up here as a recent comment was added- so many surprises still to come

Love that description!grab the first set and run...a must for AUDS durin this period...

This 2nd generation tape is pretty hissy, but it's a very nice audience recording with the instruments and vocals having good presence. There's a dropout at the beginning of ColdRain&Snow.

Shortly after this show was performed, I received a marginal audience cassette. Quality limitations notwithstanding, I played this tape constantly until I wore it down to inaudibility. The Dead were entering a long period judged by many to be a dark and mordant time, lasting several years, and this show reflects that mood while still manifesting great vigor and energy. Strong East Coast-style performance, meaty and substantial, a sense of ominous power developing as the sweeter, lighter, faster style of the early 80s being to recede. Tripping at shows during the 83-85 period could be very demanding,
demons lurked on the periphery and awesome cosmic forces - not necessarily friendly - entered the musical arena. I presume much of this was due to heroin's increasing influence on Jerry.
Fine, fine stuff!

I miss Poplar Creek. A lot.

Have to agree with the previous review. This show is underrated to say the least. From start to finish, it crackles with energy. The first set loosens you up nicely, the second set is an absolute MONSTER beginning with the Scarlet->Fire. Listen to Jer's transition between S->F and tell me this man was not an artist. Great, great stuff.

Anyone over 30 and living in the Chicago area will tell youhow much they miss Poplar Creek Music Theater. Its replacement - THE WORLD - or whatever it is they're calling it nowadays is without question the worst venue I have ever been to for multiple reasons...period.

Admittedly I am biased because this was in fact my first show ever. I still find myself coming back to it today because of the undeniable energy put forth from the band.

This AUD recording is not A+, but its not too shabby either. Worth having just to hear a tight band that was RIGHT ON that particular night.

Enjoy.

How has this show not been rated yet? A truly stunning exhibition of summer time comraderie and a few songs showing up in odd places make this a keeper. The recording captures a real gutty audience tape. Deep in the bowels of general admission coupled with the sweet vocals of Garcia and ferocious Lesh-bombs. The opening Bertha>Prom land has a speedball feel to it and Lesh is testing the infrasturcture of the modest outdoor theatre. The first set is all Jerry, he pulls a magic bird song out of his graying hair and couples that with a loping Cold Rain. They end the set with Sugaree! Only the second time they have ever done that..and this one while shorter than Lake PLacid from that fall has the same unity and power that has recognized that one so deservedly. Truly stunning jams especially the middle stanza where the whole band shoots the motherload. The second set is sloppy but full of energy. Great transition to Fire but clearly the zoloft cocktail Garcia made at half-time didn't carry over. Still, throw a nice filler onto disc three and you have got yourself a nifty little nugget....