it has been a while since i have written about dave’s series. there were some good releases last year, but for some reason i never got around to commenting on them. winter has hit the studios of redeyegin hard this past week or so. this new one, which arrived in my mailbox monday, has helped alleviate some cabin fever creeping in.

the first thing it has going for it is the fact that the show is from the spring tour of 1977, which most dead fans know is one of their peak live periods. that tour, which started in april 22nd and ran through may 28th, 26 shows in total, is one of their most consistently strong runs of their thirty year history. this one at the baltimore civic center is from may 26th, the second to last show of the tour. with this release, i now have 16 complete shows from this tour, and it is a welcome addition, as i knew it would be.

the second thing it has going for it, which i believe is true of all of these shows, is that it was recorded by betty cantor-jackson. as such it has that famous ‘betty board’ warmth and depth. for enthusiasts of the dead’s catalogue like myself, we are blessed that one of their greatest touring bursts was captured by one of their greatest sound engineers.

21 songs spanning nearly three hours, this show is a classic representation of what you would expect from this tour. solid energy, precision playing, and creative improvisation. one of the things dave lemieux mentions in the liner notes is that you will hear some of the greatest versions of ‘sugaree’ ever on this tour (of which i totally agree), and the one in the first set here ranks up there with the best of them.

these sell out fast, so it is yet another reminder to subscribe to his quarterly output. keep them coming, dave. but keep on message during your ‘seaside chats’….. (this time an eagle distracts him for a while).