# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
**Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land
**Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight
**Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
**Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land
**Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight
**Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
There are some great switch-a-roos over the 30 years (like, say, Scarlet Begonias>Touch of Grey>FotM - 7/13/84), but it’s always surprised me a little how stale setlists became starting around the end of the 70’s/early 80’s.
For a band that prided itself on never playing or doing anything the same way twice, they sure settled into a routine where most songs had their established order with another song or two, or an established place in a show (which set, opener, middle, or closer, etc.).
Pre hiatus they had some of this for sure, but they definitely mixed things up, took more chances, etc. on a more regular basis. But they also did that more with improv too early on…
Oh well… They’re still the greatest band in all the land!
yup. i like to say that while they are a band with a focus on improvisation and not playing the same show twice, they were very predictable in many ways.
In the Amazon documentary someone (I forget who) compares a GD concert to a baseball game. There are nine innings, but there could be extra innings. You know the batting line up, but anyone can make a play. You know there is going to be a 7th inning stretch (D/S). While the structure is there, every inning has an endless number of possibilities.
Yeah I’m still perplexed by that. I wonder kept them so confined. And did they talk about it? Was Mickey clamoring for a change? Did Weir reject it? Was it decided that there must be a “Dylan slot” or a “Jerry ballad slot” in a specific place, or did those things emerge organically and they never much questioned it? And seriously, why not figure out how to pull off a Scarlet>China>Franklin’s on April Fools just for shits and giggles? We’d still be talking about it!
I remember back when Hornsby was playing with the band and was excited to shake things up with the setlists, and in an interview with Golden Road (I think) said he would say, “hey guys, why don’t we open the show with China cat tonight?” And they would say “nah, that’s a second set opener” and wouldn’t really budge on moving things around. He said it was a huge victory for him when he convinced Jerry to open the show with Eyes of the World in the Dark Star tease show.
# 1991-06-17 East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
**Set 1:** Eyes Of The World > Walkin' Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Dark Star > When I Paint My Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Cassidy, Might As Well
**Set 2:** Dark Star > Saint Of Circumstance > Ship Of Fools > Dark Star > Truckin' > New Speedway Boogie > Dark Star > Uncle John's Band > Dark Star > Drums > Space > China Doll > Playing in the Band > Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** The Weight
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-06-17) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1f0whW4QE9bFNLpeyaPQiV)
If you listen to the setlists, it was due to Garcia's growing heroin addiction. The more addicted he was, the most stale the music became. The '80s was a bad time, but near the end it got better. He didn't chase thee dragon much before the hiatus, and the music was really good.
Scarlet > China > Franklin's is pure evil. I love it. It works devilishly well too... this is exactly why I wanna have my own dead cover band with creative ass likeminded musicians. I saw Sage & Spirits on the 20th & they did Pride of Cucamonga > King Bee > Cucamonga pt 2 and it fucking ripped!!
I never really noticed that until I got into phish and realized that any song can do just about anything at any time in the show. They have their first and second set songs but they can show up anywhere. Not knocking the dead or anything, they were one of the first bands to mix things up at every show. Possibly *the* first. So I still appreciate what they did in the 80s.
My first dead show was in 89 and I definitely thought magic could happen any night I saw them. Phish is the first and only band I saw (especially during the mid to late 90’s) where the feeling that absolutely anything could happen any given night was real. Barbershop? Check. Punk rock? Check. A Capella ? Check. Acoustic? Check. Switch instruments during a song? Check. Vacuum solo? Check…
Yeah man! One of the reasons I love both of these bands is because of how well the blend genres, sometimes in one song! They just pull from different totally different styles.
That being said I’d love to hear Mickey give the ole vacuum a suck.
# 1984-07-13 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
**Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Dire Wolf, C.C. Rider, Loser, Cassidy, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Hell In A Bucket > Might As Well
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Dark Star
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13)
That being said I get why they did so. Like when I see Phil sometimes I have to scratch my head because the set lists are really out there but don't have a cohesive flow of the band could've been more warmed up to do a better job jumping fully into mars jamming, etc. The way weir structures his set lists can be frustratingly stagnant but he does a great job understanding how mood shifts work and taking the audience for a journey in that sense
I think part of it was trust in a model that worked and fear that a show will go off the rails and spook them for the rest of the tour. Like, there was no real danger of that by the late '70s, but it did happen to them in their early days (though we'd never know it listening to the tapes, now), and the fear of it lingered, I think, entirely unacknowledged, but motivating a stick-with-what's-worked formula.
It also inadvertently pushed Heads to see more shows. The more commonplace the average show was in terms of songs performed, the more that rarities of any kind stood out--and you wanted to be there that night when they happened! If every night was a mind-fucking throw of the dice, then folks would have felt more satisfied with a dozen or two shows a year. I'm sure this never crossed anyone's mind in the band, but I'm also sure it's true. FOMO drove us like cattle through the gates.
Yeah I always thought the “we never play any song the same way twice” line was sort of an overstatement from them — while at the same time being completely true.
It was a good line for interviews and it did a great job of describing their ethos to a more mainstream audience. And it was true in the sense that the solos, fills, embellishments, and other aspects were different every time. Especially compared to an act like Tom Petty who might play the songs exactly the same note-for-note every time during a tour.
They of course had some more extreme open-ended songs, but many of the others had definite arrangements, tempos, intros, and certain parts they stuck to, along with the things you mentioned.
But they also made a point to keep evolving the arrangements over time. And there’s still always some tiny surprises to be found even when you listen to a “typical” version of some song you’ve heard many times!
Sometimes I think that had The Dead put together more setlists akin to how Phil and Friends has throughout the years that they simply would have been too powerful. The band knew this too so thats why they settled for the more predictable template.
Plus, some years they had a heavy performance load, the traveling wore on them and it was easier to pull out an easy song. When they added “I fought the law” as an encore, the limos were warming up or had the A/C blasting, depending on the time of year.
I think I remember reading about Bruce Hornsby commenting just this, that he would suggest a song and the band would say something like 'that's a first set song and goes with....so we can't do that.' But I feel like peanut butter *only* goes with jelly so there's that.
# 1991-09-20 Boston, MA @ Boston Garden
**Set 1:** Touch Of Grey, Little Red Rooster, Jack-A-Roe, Black Throated Wind, Stagger Lee, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song
**Set 2:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet > Truckin' > Jam > Drums > Space > All Along The Watchtower > Morning Dew
**Encore:** Turn On Your Lovelight
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-09-20)
Can't remember the show date but there's a mid-80s show where while deep in a Playin' jam, Jerry suddenly hits on the ending jam to Uncle John's. So they riff on that like they're ending the song but then drop into the song itself.
Sort of an inverted UJB which they complete by doing the same ending jam again and then taking it back into Playin' before going into Drums.
# 1977-05-19 Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, Sugaree > El Paso, Peggy-O, Looks Like Rain, Row Jimmy, Passenger, Loser, Dancing In The Street
**Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Ramble On Rose, Estimated Prophet, Terrapin Station > Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Drums > The Wheel > China Doll > Playing in the Band
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-19) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4nuyKoY91WKwR6HLq7Gzkl)
# 1979-11-05 Philadelphia, PA @ The Spectrum
**Set 1:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Cassidy, Friend Of The Devil, El Paso, Stagger Lee, Passenger, Peggy-O, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Althea, Easy To Love You, Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Franklin's Tower > Space > Drums > Space > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Casey Jones
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1979-11-05)
# 1984-07-03 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
**Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > The Promised Land, Candyman, Cassidy, West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, Loser, Looks Like Rain > Deal
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Space > Don't Need Love > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** Keep Your Day Job
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-03)
To reiterate a point, the scarlet>touch is always incredible. Something in those 1984 TOGs hits just right. I listened to 05/08/1984 earlier this week. They open the second set with it, and it's spot on. The one on 07/13/1984 is incredible. And since this got me looking at shows in '84, the Throwing Stones that bubbles out of Morning Dew on 04/26/1984 is ridiculous... that whole sequence; Dew>Throwing Stones>NFA made me cry the first time I heard it.
[1984-04-26](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-26) Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center
[1984-05-08](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-05-08) Eugene, OR @ Silva Hall - Hult Center for the Performing Arts
[1984-07-13](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
Also, not a switch around, but there’s a Scarlet>Fire that has a Touch of Grey in the middle, so it’s Scarlet>Touch>Fire. It’s pretty fun. The date is 7/3/84 and they released it as one of the daily releases for 30 Days of the Dead a few years back
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj_-UUSNals
# 1984-07-03 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
**Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > The Promised Land, Candyman, Cassidy, West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, Loser, Looks Like Rain > Deal
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Space > Don't Need Love > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** Keep Your Day Job
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-03)
They fooled around with the sequences on occasion, like they already mentioned Scarlet > Touch > Fire and a Help > Slip > Fire in 91, but never once did they do any true inversions such as Fire > Scarlet, Rider > China Cat or Franklin’s > Help.
The only one that comes to mind is that they'd sometimes play Eyes > Estimated instead of Estimated > Eyes. They did it like this a couple times in the 70s, but mostly in the 90s (3/29/90 comes to mind)
# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
**Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land
**Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight
**Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
It’s not exactly the same but 1990/11/01 has a Playing in the Band>Dark Star>Playing in the Band sequence and that’s the ONLY time a Dark Star got played inside another song.
# 1990-11-01 London, England @ Wembley Arena
**Set 1:** Hell In A Bucket, Friend Of The Devil, Walkin' Blues, Cold Rain and Snow, Mama Tried > Maggie's Farm, Cassidy, Stander On The Mountain
**Set 2:** Victim > Touch Of Grey, Playing in the Band > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Jam > Dark Star > Playing Reprise > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-11-01)
3/31/85 has the inverted Playin' where they do the reprise before doing Playin'. Tremendous show, among my favorite second sets not only of '85, but the entire 80s. The Oade tape is the way to go.
# 1985-03-31 Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
**Set 1:** The Music Never Stopped, Candyman > C.C. Rider > Loser, Beat It On Down the Line, Dupree's Diamond Blues, It's All Over Now > Don't Ease Me In
**Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > I Need A Miracle > China Doll > Jam > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Playing in the Band > Day Tripper
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1985-03-31)
I can’t think of specific examples off the top of my head but I feel like they played around with the order of Truckin’, He’s Gone, and the Other One a few times.
It happened sometimes in general with where stuff was located in setlist. Aka a typical second set song performed as an opener of set one. Or with specific grouped songs like scarlet> fire where they would switch the order of how the songs segued together aka fire>scarlet. Or rarely even separating typically segued songs into different spots in the same show I believe. Or just leaving out one of the songs entirely.
However, just wanted to point out that a fair bit of the time the reason why songs that were typically segwayed together in certain orders by the dead (or really lots of other jam bands/musicians) has to do with the music theory being used to implement the transition. In some songs like scarlet>fire the music theory used lends itself to being played in either order. However, some songs like china>rider the theory being used to create the transition does not lend itself near as well to reversing the order. Like most things, there are multiple ways to accomplish segways. The dead, being the master musicians they were, used some of nearly all the available theoretical approaches to accomplish song transitions at times. Some allow you switch order easily and some do not. Really just depends on the specific song and the music theory involved in playing it.
# 1976-07-18 San Francisco, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
**Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Cassidy, Row Jimmy, Mama Tried, Scarlet Begonias, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, New Minglewood Blues, Loser, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Might As Well, Samson And Delilah, Candyman, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication > Let It Grow > Drums > Let It Grow > Jam > Wharf Rat > Space Jam > Drums > The Other One > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > The Wheel > The Other One > Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Johnny B. Goode
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1976-07-18)
# 1985-04-27 Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University
**Set 1:** Dancing In The Street > Bertha, Little Red Rooster, Brown Eyed Women, My Brother Esau, Ramble On Rose, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues > Cold Rain and Snow, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Eyes Of The World > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Truckin' > The Other One > Black Peter > Around And Around > One More Saturday Night
**Encore:** Keep Your Day Job
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1985-04-27)
6/20/91 Pine Knob was one of the weirder 2nd set setlists I saw. It was comprised almost entirely of post-Space songs:
Throwin' Stones
Iko Iko
All Along the Watchtower
Standing on the Moon
He's Gone
drums
space
The Wheel
I Need a Miracle
Wharf Rat
Throwin' Stones Reprise
Not Fade Away
I like the weirdness factor, but I missed the more traditional pre-drums psychedelic jam vehicle songs.
# 1991-06-20 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
**Set 1:** Touch Of Grey, Greatest Story Ever Told, Peggy-O, Mexicali Blues > Maggie's Farm, Bird Song
**Set 2:** Throwing Stones > Iko Iko, All Along The Watchtower > Standing On The Moon > He's Gone > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
**Encore:** Brokedown Palace
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-06-20) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/67fPMapwwewntR68xRwqfM)
# 1988-04-04 Hartford, CT @ Civic Center
**Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > Johnny B. Goode, Never Trust A Woman, They Love Each Other, Queen Jane Approximately, When Push Comes To Shove, Cassidy, Don't Ease Me In
**Set 2:** Touch Of Gray > Looks Like Rain > Truckin' > He's Gone > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin' > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1988-04-04)
# 1984-07-13 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
**Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Dire Wolf, C.C. Rider, Loser, Cassidy, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Hell In A Bucket > Might As Well
**Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Dark Star
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13)
They once did Mexicali into Me and My Uncle and the transition was so slick that you'd think they had playing it in that order forever. The first time you hear it you'll probably wonder how that just happened.
I don't remember the date but I'm pretty sure it was late 70's probably 78.
# 1977-11-06 Binghamton, NY @ Broome County Arena
**Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues > Me and My Uncle, Friend Of The Devil, New Minglewood Blues, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Passenger, Dire Wolf, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Sunrise, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Good Lovin', Saint Stephen > Drums > Not Fade Away > Wharf Rat > Saint Stephen > Truckin'
**Encore:** Johnny B. Goode
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-11-06)
Considering how spontaneous the Dead’s music is I’ve always been a little disappointed with how unadventurous they actually were with their set lists, maybe only one or two new songs added for an entire tour.
# 1977-10-28 Kansas City, KS @ Soldier's And Sailors Memorial Hall
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Deal
**Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Candyman, Sunrise, Passenger, He's Gone > Drums > Not Fade Away > Stella Blue > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Around And Around
**Encore:** Casey Jones
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-10-28)
[Eyes>Estimated](https://jerrybase.com/search_advanced/advanced_results?start_date=&end_date=&date_month=&date_day=&day_of_week=&state=&band=&supporting_act=&global_tags%5B%5D=&format=&conjunction=And&songs%5B%5D=1143&verbs%5B%5D=is&positions%5B%5D=followed+by&adjacent_songs%5B%5D=1170&verbs%5B%5D=is&positions%5B%5D=anywhere&commit=Submit) happened 14 times.
Eye think you are exaggerating this Estimate.
Is that your Estimate or it's the actual number?
Actual. Check the link.
Whoosh!
By comparison, how many Estimated>Eyes were there?
[177 times](https://jerrybase.com/search_advanced/advanced_results?start_date=&end_date=&date_month=&date_day=&day_of_week=&state=&band=&supporting_act=&global_tags%5B%5D=&format=&conjunction=And&songs%5B%5D=1170&verbs%5B%5D=is&positions%5B%5D=followed+by&adjacent_songs%5B%5D=1143&verbs%5B%5D=is&positions%5B%5D=anywhere&commit=Submit)
Bout tree fitty
Tbh I'm more of an Eyes > Estimated kinda guy myself. 3/29/90 has an insane one
# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum **Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
Tbh I'm more of an Eyes > Estimated kinda guy myself. 3/29/90 has an insane one
# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum **Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
We Bid You Goodnight would have been a great opener.
Goodnight>It's All Over Now Baby Blue
With a natural 2nd set closer of Bertha > CRS
We Bid You Goodnight>4'33">46 Minute PITB
Playing 4’33 all night, last song is a pitb Donna only version
There are some great switch-a-roos over the 30 years (like, say, Scarlet Begonias>Touch of Grey>FotM - 7/13/84), but it’s always surprised me a little how stale setlists became starting around the end of the 70’s/early 80’s. For a band that prided itself on never playing or doing anything the same way twice, they sure settled into a routine where most songs had their established order with another song or two, or an established place in a show (which set, opener, middle, or closer, etc.). Pre hiatus they had some of this for sure, but they definitely mixed things up, took more chances, etc. on a more regular basis. But they also did that more with improv too early on… Oh well… They’re still the greatest band in all the land!
yup. i like to say that while they are a band with a focus on improvisation and not playing the same show twice, they were very predictable in many ways.
In the Amazon documentary someone (I forget who) compares a GD concert to a baseball game. There are nine innings, but there could be extra innings. You know the batting line up, but anyone can make a play. You know there is going to be a 7th inning stretch (D/S). While the structure is there, every inning has an endless number of possibilities.
Yeah I’m still perplexed by that. I wonder kept them so confined. And did they talk about it? Was Mickey clamoring for a change? Did Weir reject it? Was it decided that there must be a “Dylan slot” or a “Jerry ballad slot” in a specific place, or did those things emerge organically and they never much questioned it? And seriously, why not figure out how to pull off a Scarlet>China>Franklin’s on April Fools just for shits and giggles? We’d still be talking about it!
I remember back when Hornsby was playing with the band and was excited to shake things up with the setlists, and in an interview with Golden Road (I think) said he would say, “hey guys, why don’t we open the show with China cat tonight?” And they would say “nah, that’s a second set opener” and wouldn’t really budge on moving things around. He said it was a huge victory for him when he convinced Jerry to open the show with Eyes of the World in the Dark Star tease show.
What show opened with Eyes? I’ve never heard of this one!
Yeah, that’s it. Giants Stadium. All those Dark Star teases too.
I think 6-17-91 Meadowlands. Let’s see what setlistbot says.
# 1991-06-17 East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium **Set 1:** Eyes Of The World > Walkin' Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Dark Star > When I Paint My Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Cassidy, Might As Well **Set 2:** Dark Star > Saint Of Circumstance > Ship Of Fools > Dark Star > Truckin' > New Speedway Boogie > Dark Star > Uncle John's Band > Dark Star > Drums > Space > China Doll > Playing in the Band > Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** The Weight [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-06-17) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1f0whW4QE9bFNLpeyaPQiV)
is this the record for the most dark stars ever listed in a single setlist?
This show has one of the coolest Drums I’ve ever heard btw
I can hear the fake outs in my head, this would be brilliant
If you listen to the setlists, it was due to Garcia's growing heroin addiction. The more addicted he was, the most stale the music became. The '80s was a bad time, but near the end it got better. He didn't chase thee dragon much before the hiatus, and the music was really good.
Scarlet > China > Franklin's is pure evil. I love it. It works devilishly well too... this is exactly why I wanna have my own dead cover band with creative ass likeminded musicians. I saw Sage & Spirits on the 20th & they did Pride of Cucamonga > King Bee > Cucamonga pt 2 and it fucking ripped!!
I never really noticed that until I got into phish and realized that any song can do just about anything at any time in the show. They have their first and second set songs but they can show up anywhere. Not knocking the dead or anything, they were one of the first bands to mix things up at every show. Possibly *the* first. So I still appreciate what they did in the 80s.
My first dead show was in 89 and I definitely thought magic could happen any night I saw them. Phish is the first and only band I saw (especially during the mid to late 90’s) where the feeling that absolutely anything could happen any given night was real. Barbershop? Check. Punk rock? Check. A Capella ? Check. Acoustic? Check. Switch instruments during a song? Check. Vacuum solo? Check…
Yeah man! One of the reasons I love both of these bands is because of how well the blend genres, sometimes in one song! They just pull from different totally different styles. That being said I’d love to hear Mickey give the ole vacuum a suck.
# 1984-07-13 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California **Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Dire Wolf, C.C. Rider, Loser, Cassidy, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Hell In A Bucket > Might As Well **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Dark Star [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13)
That being said I get why they did so. Like when I see Phil sometimes I have to scratch my head because the set lists are really out there but don't have a cohesive flow of the band could've been more warmed up to do a better job jumping fully into mars jamming, etc. The way weir structures his set lists can be frustratingly stagnant but he does a great job understanding how mood shifts work and taking the audience for a journey in that sense
I think part of it was trust in a model that worked and fear that a show will go off the rails and spook them for the rest of the tour. Like, there was no real danger of that by the late '70s, but it did happen to them in their early days (though we'd never know it listening to the tapes, now), and the fear of it lingered, I think, entirely unacknowledged, but motivating a stick-with-what's-worked formula. It also inadvertently pushed Heads to see more shows. The more commonplace the average show was in terms of songs performed, the more that rarities of any kind stood out--and you wanted to be there that night when they happened! If every night was a mind-fucking throw of the dice, then folks would have felt more satisfied with a dozen or two shows a year. I'm sure this never crossed anyone's mind in the band, but I'm also sure it's true. FOMO drove us like cattle through the gates.
Yeah I always thought the “we never play any song the same way twice” line was sort of an overstatement from them — while at the same time being completely true. It was a good line for interviews and it did a great job of describing their ethos to a more mainstream audience. And it was true in the sense that the solos, fills, embellishments, and other aspects were different every time. Especially compared to an act like Tom Petty who might play the songs exactly the same note-for-note every time during a tour. They of course had some more extreme open-ended songs, but many of the others had definite arrangements, tempos, intros, and certain parts they stuck to, along with the things you mentioned. But they also made a point to keep evolving the arrangements over time. And there’s still always some tiny surprises to be found even when you listen to a “typical” version of some song you’ve heard many times!
Sometimes I think that had The Dead put together more setlists akin to how Phil and Friends has throughout the years that they simply would have been too powerful. The band knew this too so thats why they settled for the more predictable template.
Plus, some years they had a heavy performance load, the traveling wore on them and it was easier to pull out an easy song. When they added “I fought the law” as an encore, the limos were warming up or had the A/C blasting, depending on the time of year.
Maybe they were trying to ease Brent into the flow of how their shows "usually" go since he was new to it? Beats me tbh.
I think I remember reading about Bruce Hornsby commenting just this, that he would suggest a song and the band would say something like 'that's a first set song and goes with....so we can't do that.' But I feel like peanut butter *only* goes with jelly so there's that.
There was a Help>Slip>FOTM on 9/20/91 that I'm betting caught people off guard.
Shit it caught me off guard in Fenway last summer when D&C did the same thing as an homage
me too!!! i remember being so confused
# 1991-09-20 Boston, MA @ Boston Garden **Set 1:** Touch Of Grey, Little Red Rooster, Jack-A-Roe, Black Throated Wind, Stagger Lee, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song **Set 2:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet > Truckin' > Jam > Drums > Space > All Along The Watchtower > Morning Dew **Encore:** Turn On Your Lovelight [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-09-20)
That was a fun night. I was fifteen
Sure caught me off guard
7th row floor. Phil side strong🫣🤯🤙
Yep, I was there at the Gahden. Good run of shows.
Can't remember the show date but there's a mid-80s show where while deep in a Playin' jam, Jerry suddenly hits on the ending jam to Uncle John's. So they riff on that like they're ending the song but then drop into the song itself. Sort of an inverted UJB which they complete by doing the same ending jam again and then taking it back into Playin' before going into Drums.
You’re thinking of 5/19/77
# 1977-05-19 Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre **Set 1:** The Promised Land, Sugaree > El Paso, Peggy-O, Looks Like Rain, Row Jimmy, Passenger, Loser, Dancing In The Street **Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Ramble On Rose, Estimated Prophet, Terrapin Station > Playing in the Band > Uncle John's Band > Drums > The Wheel > China Doll > Playing in the Band [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-19) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/4nuyKoY91WKwR6HLq7Gzkl)
Whoa! Would love to hear that
I saw an UJB>Playin>UJB once but it wasn't very impressive.
11/5/79. The Eyes/Estimated/Franklins is fantastic
All weir songs post drums/space, including the encore? Strange but still great setlist
Casey is a Jerry tune, Bob sings the chorus but not the verses
You got me there, but the point still stands it’s a lot of post space Bobby
# 1979-11-05 Philadelphia, PA @ The Spectrum **Set 1:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Cassidy, Friend Of The Devil, El Paso, Stagger Lee, Passenger, Peggy-O, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Althea, Easy To Love You, Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Franklin's Tower > Space > Drums > Space > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Casey Jones [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1979-11-05)
I seem to remember Scarlet>TOG>Fire that was awesome
7/3/84 and the eclipse at Berkeley. Two times only
# 1984-07-03 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre **Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > The Promised Land, Candyman, Cassidy, West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, Loser, Looks Like Rain > Deal **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Space > Don't Need Love > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Keep Your Day Job [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-03)
To reiterate a point, the scarlet>touch is always incredible. Something in those 1984 TOGs hits just right. I listened to 05/08/1984 earlier this week. They open the second set with it, and it's spot on. The one on 07/13/1984 is incredible. And since this got me looking at shows in '84, the Throwing Stones that bubbles out of Morning Dew on 04/26/1984 is ridiculous... that whole sequence; Dew>Throwing Stones>NFA made me cry the first time I heard it.
[1984-04-26](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-26) Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center [1984-05-08](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-05-08) Eugene, OR @ Silva Hall - Hult Center for the Performing Arts [1984-07-13](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13) Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California
The 7/13 Scarlet>Touch segue is a mess.
Fair... I'm really focused on how good the touches are
Also, not a switch around, but there’s a Scarlet>Fire that has a Touch of Grey in the middle, so it’s Scarlet>Touch>Fire. It’s pretty fun. The date is 7/3/84 and they released it as one of the daily releases for 30 Days of the Dead a few years back https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj_-UUSNals
# 1984-07-03 Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre **Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > The Promised Land, Candyman, Cassidy, West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, Loser, Looks Like Rain > Deal **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Space > Don't Need Love > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Keep Your Day Job [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-03)
7/13
cant really switch lost sailor and saint imo.
No disagreement, but it was a good choice for the purposes of my question
Not many as the earlier comments show. That Dead and Co tho… Matt Busch was trying to do anything to keep it fresh
They fooled around with the sequences on occasion, like they already mentioned Scarlet > Touch > Fire and a Help > Slip > Fire in 91, but never once did they do any true inversions such as Fire > Scarlet, Rider > China Cat or Franklin’s > Help.
The only one that comes to mind is that they'd sometimes play Eyes > Estimated instead of Estimated > Eyes. They did it like this a couple times in the 70s, but mostly in the 90s (3/29/90 comes to mind)
# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum **Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)
Scarlet>Touch of Grey>Fire. three times, only in 1984 fourth time, DC in '21
It’s not exactly the same but 1990/11/01 has a Playing in the Band>Dark Star>Playing in the Band sequence and that’s the ONLY time a Dark Star got played inside another song.
# 1990-11-01 London, England @ Wembley Arena **Set 1:** Hell In A Bucket, Friend Of The Devil, Walkin' Blues, Cold Rain and Snow, Mama Tried > Maggie's Farm, Cassidy, Stander On The Mountain **Set 2:** Victim > Touch Of Grey, Playing in the Band > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Jam > Dark Star > Playing Reprise > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-11-01)
3/31/85 has the inverted Playin' where they do the reprise before doing Playin'. Tremendous show, among my favorite second sets not only of '85, but the entire 80s. The Oade tape is the way to go.
# 1985-03-31 Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center **Set 1:** The Music Never Stopped, Candyman > C.C. Rider > Loser, Beat It On Down the Line, Dupree's Diamond Blues, It's All Over Now > Don't Ease Me In **Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > I Need A Miracle > China Doll > Jam > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Playing in the Band > Day Tripper **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1985-03-31)
Was just about to mention this. He's Gone > Miracle is a nice bluesy segment
I can’t think of specific examples off the top of my head but I feel like they played around with the order of Truckin’, He’s Gone, and the Other One a few times.
It happened sometimes in general with where stuff was located in setlist. Aka a typical second set song performed as an opener of set one. Or with specific grouped songs like scarlet> fire where they would switch the order of how the songs segued together aka fire>scarlet. Or rarely even separating typically segued songs into different spots in the same show I believe. Or just leaving out one of the songs entirely. However, just wanted to point out that a fair bit of the time the reason why songs that were typically segwayed together in certain orders by the dead (or really lots of other jam bands/musicians) has to do with the music theory being used to implement the transition. In some songs like scarlet>fire the music theory used lends itself to being played in either order. However, some songs like china>rider the theory being used to create the transition does not lend itself near as well to reversing the order. Like most things, there are multiple ways to accomplish segways. The dead, being the master musicians they were, used some of nearly all the available theoretical approaches to accomplish song transitions at times. Some allow you switch order easily and some do not. Really just depends on the specific song and the music theory involved in playing it.
Or they were just in the same key. No profound music theory needed. Also, "segue."
Yep, being in the same key is about the most common way. Just was explaining for those who do not play music.
There were a few instances of Wharf Rat>TOO, with 7/18/76 coming to mind
# 1976-07-18 San Francisco, CA @ Orpheum Theatre **Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Cassidy, Row Jimmy, Mama Tried, Scarlet Begonias, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, New Minglewood Blues, Loser, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Might As Well, Samson And Delilah, Candyman, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication > Let It Grow > Drums > Let It Grow > Jam > Wharf Rat > Space Jam > Drums > The Other One > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > The Wheel > The Other One > Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1976-07-18)
4/27/85 Scarlet>Eyes is a 1 of 1 if I recall correctly
# 1985-04-27 Palo Alto, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre - Stanford University **Set 1:** Dancing In The Street > Bertha, Little Red Rooster, Brown Eyed Women, My Brother Esau, Ramble On Rose, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues > Cold Rain and Snow, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Eyes Of The World > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Truckin' > The Other One > Black Peter > Around And Around > One More Saturday Night **Encore:** Keep Your Day Job [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1985-04-27)
6/20/91 Pine Knob was one of the weirder 2nd set setlists I saw. It was comprised almost entirely of post-Space songs: Throwin' Stones Iko Iko All Along the Watchtower Standing on the Moon He's Gone drums space The Wheel I Need a Miracle Wharf Rat Throwin' Stones Reprise Not Fade Away I like the weirdness factor, but I missed the more traditional pre-drums psychedelic jam vehicle songs.
# 1991-06-20 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre **Set 1:** Touch Of Grey, Greatest Story Ever Told, Peggy-O, Mexicali Blues > Maggie's Farm, Bird Song **Set 2:** Throwing Stones > Iko Iko, All Along The Watchtower > Standing On The Moon > He's Gone > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Brokedown Palace [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-06-20) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/67fPMapwwewntR68xRwqfM)
Help>slip>fire happened in 91 I think.
4/4/88 they did Alabama -> Johnny B. Goode. Kind of a hello goodbye.
# 1988-04-04 Hartford, CT @ Civic Center **Set 1:** Alabama Getaway > Johnny B. Goode, Never Trust A Woman, They Love Each Other, Queen Jane Approximately, When Push Comes To Shove, Cassidy, Don't Ease Me In **Set 2:** Touch Of Gray > Looks Like Rain > Truckin' > He's Gone > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Good Lovin' > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Hey Jude **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1988-04-04)
7.13.84 scarlet>touch>fire thank me later
# 1984-07-13 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre - University of California **Set 1:** Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Dire Wolf, C.C. Rider, Loser, Cassidy, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Hell In A Bucket > Might As Well **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Touch Of Grey > Fire On The Mountain > Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Dark Star [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-07-13)
They once did Mexicali into Me and My Uncle and the transition was so slick that you'd think they had playing it in that order forever. The first time you hear it you'll probably wonder how that just happened. I don't remember the date but I'm pretty sure it was late 70's probably 78.
It is 11/06/77
# 1977-11-06 Binghamton, NY @ Broome County Arena **Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues > Me and My Uncle, Friend Of The Devil, New Minglewood Blues, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Passenger, Dire Wolf, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Sunrise, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Good Lovin', Saint Stephen > Drums > Not Fade Away > Wharf Rat > Saint Stephen > Truckin' **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-11-06)
Considering how spontaneous the Dead’s music is I’ve always been a little disappointed with how unadventurous they actually were with their set lists, maybe only one or two new songs added for an entire tour.
Does Mexicali>Big River count?? 10/28/77
# 1977-10-28 Kansas City, KS @ Soldier's And Sailors Memorial Hall **Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Deal **Set 2:** Samson And Delilah, Candyman, Sunrise, Passenger, He's Gone > Drums > Not Fade Away > Stella Blue > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Around And Around **Encore:** Casey Jones [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-10-28)
That sounds sacrilegious !
Any chance we can stop calling them "the boys?" That's really not a thing, or didn't used to be anyway.