This year’s Grateful Dead Meetup at the Movies was my 3rd foray into the world of movie theater Grateful Dead weirdness. When I saw that the footage was a show from Giants Stadium 1991 I wasn’t sure what to expect. I know that 91 had some particularly hot and memorable moments, due mostly to the addition of Hornsby, but I figured, regardless of the quality of the music, I was in for a good time.
On the day of the show, my crew of fellow Heads dwindled a bit for all the usual reasons– weather, work, other upcoming show commitments (Tedesci Trucks, Moe). But a few of us faithful did make our way to the theater along with a fairly representative crowd of like-minded Atlanta area enthusiasts.
As for the show itself– it was absolutely amazing. I was completely blown away. From the opening notes of the Eyes of the World opener to the closing notes of the encore, The Weight, the Dead delivered their unmistakable brand of excellence in all areas. Having said that, there were a few standout tunes and themes.
The Vocals. With Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Bruce, and Vince all participating in the singing, the Dead had a particularly wide range of vocal options which were executed quite well. Vince’s voice really came through as he sang harmonies on Cassidy with Bobby. And the crowd roared when Phil took his first real vocal place joining with Bobby and Jerry in Truckin. Jerry sounded exquisitely sage and resonant. Bobby howled in all the right places, and Vince and Bruce added beyond measure.
Set 1 Highlights— The Eyes opener, as stated. Brown Eyed Women— this is when I knew the show was going to be a 5-star ordeal. During the interverse jam, Jerry took multiple passes that evolved into a full band jam. Bruce and Jerry spent the entire song (really the entire show) making eye contact and engaging in extensive musical flirtation. It’s clear that Bruce really got Jerry going. Listening to the band stomp through Dylan’s Masterpiece it was hard to envision a more down home version of that particular tune. And Loose Lucy was probably the hottest tune of the set, with full band jamming similar in vibe and energy to BEW.
Set 2 Highlights— Truckin—New Speedway Boogie. This was the essence of the show for me. I love Truckin, and I think New Speedway is a fine tune and was happy to hear it. But in this particular show, New Speedway was the key to the whole experience musically and spiritually. As Jerry repeated the haunting refrain of “One way or another, this darkness has to give” I felt a sense of empowerment and hope welling up inside of me. We live in the brightest of times, but they are also, in many ways, the darkest of times. But Jerry’s right, one way or another, this darkness has got to give. It’s an undeniable spiritual truth that light will eventually overtake the darkness.
To sum it all up, I can’t recommend this particular show or the whole enterprise of Meetup highly enough. Sadly, if we want have our ears rocked at stadium volumes by Jerry and the boys, it will have to take place at the local cinema. But we should all rejoice that previous generations had the foresight to capture so much of the Dead’s magic for us to continue to cherish and enjoy.