[hesgone95]

Hey y'all,

I was just wondering if you have favorite shows that you have used to turn non Deadheads on to the boys. I have my fave shows obviously, but I think alot of the times the faves of those of us in the know aren't always the best for newbies, a little to esoteric at times, if that makes sense.

I just started dating this girl who knows nothing about the Dead, and I'd like to give her a good show to give her an idea of the band. She's really into goth, so I was thinking one of those mid-70's shows with one of those really dark help>slip>frank's monstrosities. Any ideas? Or maybe just shows that have worked for you in the past. Thanks....

[shakedown_04092]

Hey y'all,

I was just wondering if you have favorite shows that you have used to turn non Deadheads on to the boys. I have my fave shows obviously, but I think alot of the times the faves of those of us in the know aren't always the best for newbies, a little to esoteric at times, if that makes sense.

I just started dating this girl who knows nothing about the Dead, and I'd like to give her a good show to give her an idea of the band. She's really into goth, so I was thinking one of those mid-70's shows with one of those really dark help>slip>frank's monstrosities. Any ideas? Or maybe just shows that have worked for you in the past. Thanks....

Cornell 5/8/77 (quality alone)

Buffalo 5/9/77 (Great Help/Slip/Frank...this is the one song(s) that turned me on years ago)

Copps Coliseum 3/22/90 (2nd set is one of my favs)

Nassau Coliseum 3/28/90 2nd set w/ Branford. Makes you melt.

Boston Garden 10/1/94 (1st set is phenomonal...best So Many Roads ever, IMO. Turned my wife onto the Dead 7 years ago with Jerry's emotion on this version)

Find a good TERRAPIN. I'm trying to think of a powerful version, and I know which one it is, I just can't think of it right now....

PS - Without A Net are great discs to turn somebody onto the Dead with (turned my sister onto them with that one...the Eyes is from the Nassau show above)

PSS - sometimes playing some familiar covers that the Dead did works, too. That way its more recognizable to the person and they may say "Hey, I love that song, I didn't know the Dead played that! What else do they play?

Good Lovin, NFA, any Bob Dylan, The Weight, etc.


GOOD LUCK! (with the songs/shows AND the girl!)

[tigerstrat]

Shows for newbies-
The Classics: 4/29/71, 5/2/70, 5/8/77, 8/13/75 (One From The Vault), and of course Live Dead(mostly 2/27/69)

My own first formative boots (which did a great job of hooking me): 6/29/76 I, 8/19/80 II post-Space (still the greatest Comes a Time I've ever heard), 6/30/84 II, and the above-mentioned 4/29/71 II and 8/13/75.

Really the best thing for newbies is not to push them into it. A lot of people I know who don't like the Dead felt like they had it imposed on them by overzealous roomies, etc. Plus, we folks who LOVE them tend to overplay them a tad..

[b weird]

I became a DeadHead back in '04 and the show/shows and albums that turned me on to the Dead were: Ladies And Gentelmen from April 24-29, Workingmans Dead, American Beauty, and Skeletons From The Closet. If She likes darkness stuff try any Day's Between. I can't think of anything else right now. I hope you succeed in makeing her a Dead Head I still can't make my mother one. Peace.

[jck_strw]

I would start someone with the studio albums first--American Beauty, Workingman's Dead, Wake of the Flood, From the Mars Hotel, Terrapin Station. If she doesn't like those, she probably won't like any live version. If she's open to/likes the studio albums, she'll probably like the live stuff as well and then she'll know the song a bit, know the melody, etc. so the live stuff will be easier to follow. IMHO, it's a mistake to start people out with the live stuff, even the "easy" stuff.

[shakedown_04092]

Plus, we folks who LOVE them tend to overplay them a tad..

WHAT?!?!?! Well I never! That's proposterous!

[shakedown_04092]

PS - To add to what Jck_Strw said from the studio stuff, Casey Jones, Uncle John's Band, Ripple, St. Stephen are always good "popular" Dead songs.

[caspersvapors]

71 shows for sure, their sound in general was the most accessible then

8/6/71

[tigerstrat]

I couldn't disagree more about the studio stuff. Very sterile and mostly pretty lifeless and unspontaneous- NOT what the Dead were all about and not a good way to turn someone on to them.

Get her 4/26/83.

[jck_strw]

I couldn't disagree more about the studio stuff. Very sterile and mostly pretty lifeless and unspontaneous- NOT what the Dead were all about and not a good way to turn someone on to them.

I couldn't disagree more with your disagreeing with me.

How else did most of us find the Dead? Sugar Mangolia on the radio? Uncle John's Band on the radio? It wasn't 45 minute live Dark Stars for me, that's for sure. If you don't like the song, as it was recorded, you're not going to like the song live, IMHO. The melody is the same, the lyrics are the same, etc. You just don't get the "energy" and the extended guitar solos that you get from a live show.

I agree that the studio recordings are unspontaneous (but I disagree whole heartedly with the "sterile" and "lifeless" adjectives) but part of the appeal of the Dead, for me, is---they have good tunes. And you'll get that from the studio version of the songs.

[squire758]

i must say it actually was the 45 minute dark stars that did it for me, love that jam

[jck_strw]

i must say it actually was the 45 minute dark stars that did it for me, love that jam

Gah!!! There's always one. :)

[phreaker]

Anything from 71. Thats what got me hooked, and thats still my phix.

[kevo]

i must say it actually was the 45 minute dark stars that did it for me, love that jam

Gah!!! There's always one.

Make that two

[Shooster]

I feel that it's hard for a non-musician to get into the dead's lengthy jams right off the get-go.

Personally, I would recommend Reckoning or the first disc of Dick's Pick's 8- Harpur College..

You gotta love those two.... especially Reckoning ...