I had to do it, I just couldn’t resist. May 1977 was both magical and mythical to anyone who collected and traded these tapes years ago. When the Dead announced they were releasing 5 shows from that Spring… I had to pull the trigger. My box set arrived yesterday and number 805 of 15,000 has been in rotation ever since. I can’t get over how well these shows were mixed. These Betty Cantor era shows sound simply incredible. This box set cost a serious pile of pennies, but after receiving it… I’ve decided it is worth every penny.
My favorite so far in this incredibly put together box set is the Jack-A-Roe from Set 1 on May 15th 1977 at St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO. The intro is simply sublime. I believe this is only the second time this tune was ever played (the first being two nights before in Chicago). Have a listen:
Here’s a little teaser “listening party” to get a sense of what else is in the box set:
“Wharf Rat” 5/11/77
“Mississippi Half-Step” 5/12/77
“Jack-A-Roe” 5/13/77
“Dancing In The Street” 5/15/77
“Terrapin Station” 5/17/77
CLICK HERE to check out Dead.net as there might still be a few of these beauties left!