For this week’s edition of All The Years Live, Grateful Dead HQ has dipped into the band’s Oct. 18, 1974 stop at San Francisco’s Winterland – as made famous in the Grateful Dead Movie – with a pro-shot “Dark Star.”
Explains GD archivist/legacy manager David Lemieux, “Although played more than 50 times in 1972-1973 combined, Dark Star became a rarity in 1974, played only six times before being shelved until 12/31/78. At the Farewell Shows in October 1974, the Dead played this magnificent, introspective, powerful rendition of their ultimate improvisational vehicle. We were thrilled to locate the 16mm film negative when we were producing the Grateful Dead Movie DVD.”
Lemieux and company have previously highlighted the “Scarlet Begonias,” “Truckin'”, “Uncle John’s Band” and more from this October 1974 run at Winterland.
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Watch the 10/19/74 “Dark Star” below:
4 Comments comments associated with this post
Bartleby
November 6, 2020 at 9:14 pmA shame this tepid period was immortalized in the GD Movie, which is why it always left me cold (apart from the animation). By the same token: the live album from this run, which shall not be named. Just a drag to have documents like these out there when, like me, you thrive on turning receptive, intelligent folks onto the band.
Donato
November 6, 2020 at 7:36 amHey, just remember the GD was like a cheap trip to Bermuda. Sometimes ya fly cargo and sometimes ya fly first class. But ya flew no matter what.
Bob Hunter
November 5, 2020 at 10:26 pmLOL,
c’mon, man. Too funny. I am not sure where to begin. I’m too tired, but I will just say: LOL.
Please.
Steamdude
November 5, 2020 at 4:40 pmNot my favorite DS. Just doesn’t come close to holding up against the gold standard from February ’69 that’s on the Live Dead album. I feel uniquely qualified to criticize since I was there and saw this jam performed live. I attended four out of five of the gigs that stand, and I carry around the remnants (46 years in a wallet) of a ticket handed back to us at the end of the night on Sunday stamped “The Last One” should anyone doubt my street cred.
Let’s face it. This is why the band took a hiatus. The magic just wasn’t there anymore. And after a well deserved break they did not disappoint when I saw them at Barton Hall in May ’77. Easily one of the best gigs I ever attended. More than makes up for this lackluster stand in ’74, which was still worth the 3000 mile drive.
A Grateful Dead concert was like pizza. Even when it’s bad it’s good. It’s all relative.
Keep on keepin’ on!