Unearthing the Dead

I have located the mother of all Grateful Dead show mp3 repositories here at Archive.org. WOW. While my old tapes have been collecting dust, and I struggle with mustering up the enthusiasm to convert them to mp3’s, this site has saved me all the trouble.

I saw the Dead a total of 8 times in 1994-1995 (Phoenix, L.A., and Las Vegas), which is nothing compared to some friends of mine who were in the triple digits. Nothing will ever match the atmosphere and ambience of a Dead show, both in and outside the performance itself (the parking lot sideshow is something you can’t explain without experiencing it). It was a traveling carnival, a mass of friendly people selling their wares (both legal and not), dancing, drumming, walking around, checking each other out, smoking, and smoking some more and the throng would just take over the surrounding area. It was something to see.

Here’s part of one my personal faves:

Grateful Dead: The Other One > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away (mp3 16.5 MB) – live at the Oakland Coliseum, December 31st, 1987

Link to hundreds of Dead Shows at Archive.org.