This show exemp exactly why Play Dead is worth having. Huntington 4/16/78 has that loose-but-locked spring ’78 energy: muscular, joyful, a little dangerous, and recorded with enough clarity that the whole band feels right up front.
The first set is no warmup. “Jack Straw” gets things moving with purpose, “Peggy-O” has that beautiful Garcia patience, and then the late-set “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” is the real prize. Not the longest version, not the most famous version, but absolutely alive. Jerry is bright and conversational, Phil keeps nudging the pocket sideways, and the drummers give it that rolling, almost airborne feel. “Scarlet” has lift; “Fire” has glide.
The second set keeps the argument going: “Estimated” > “Eyes” is spacious without getting sleepy, and the post-Drums run into “Iko Iko” and “Sugar Magnolia” lands with big Saturday-night-afterglow energy.
