Grateful Dead Music Forum

Greetings all,

Been on heavy rotation lately with the 1980 shows, both acoustic and electric, and kind of think 1980 may have been one of the finest. I was only 7 then so naturally I missed the shows, though I did get involuntarily high at a Billy Joel concert my parents took me to.

Looking for some feedback from some of you all that caught some shows that year, and share a bit about the vibe, young Brent, acoustic stuff, etc. In particular, being a New Yorker I would live to hear about the Radio City run.

Thanks All!

WARNING: GRATUITOUS POST ALERT!

Also a New Yorker (suburbs of NYC anyway) but started with the dead in '81. Missed it by that much.

I think 80 was a great year, despite the weakest of all their studio albums coming out.

Jerry was on the button and snapping out his solos, probably pushed into a more positive pace by Brent who was flying and hit the ground running.

For me a large % of whether a show was great or not was what kind of tone and level of noodling Jerry showed up with.

im liken the early 80s as well, nassau is a good one i love tiger and this is a clear good chance to hear it

bye bruce!

love those Warfield shows, check out 10-10-1980

also pick up the go to Nassau release

I am a big fan of 06-07-1980. Great Lost Sailor -> Saint of Circumstance. Jerry is just rippin' in the build up before the 'sure don't know what I'm going for' part. And Bob's 'maybe going on a dream' yelping is excellent. Also Bertha with great Phil bombs, Althea, Wharf Rat etc.
My circulated tape has it listed as 15th Anniversary - Boulder, CO.

5/11/80 is a great show.

11-30-80.

I was at Rochster 9-2-80 and there was no better place to be. The Sugaree and the the Iko>Dew>Mags from that show are as good as it gets.

Did not first catch the Dead till 1981 but having done so was hooked and two of the first records bought were Reckoning and Dead Set from the Radio City/Warfield Theatre runs. Highly rated in my collection and as I have said in another thread the bonus material released to go with Dead Set I think really takes it up another gear.

Also have the Dead Ahead DVD which features extracts from the two shows. The only disappointment on the DVD is the version of To Lay Me Down, which to me does not match the one on Reckoning.

Great year though.

I used to have a horrible and I mean horrible beta copy of a great pay-per-view show from Halloween 1980. If anybody has a good copy I would consider letting you date my daughter.