What to make of this strange, elusive creature? The boys are loose. It’s the first show of the year, weeks after the Briefcase of Infinite Felonies made a historic appearance in Golden Gate Park. They are playing the songs AND simultaneously offering extraneous commentary with intriguing if sometimes disorienting subtext. Another ingredient of the band’s unique recipe was immediacy, being right there with us in that ecstatic (or disturbing) moment. The slightly deconstructed patterns of the songs underline the group’s presence in that exact moment. It is not just the songs, but the band playing them, and on this night they are each carrying on conversations not just with each other but also with the timeless source material. There are ideas, explorations even questions asked along the edges and in between the vibrating lines of familiar forms. The songs shift and slide and saunter in and out of focus, and this becomes a night for much subjective introspection. This show signals the start of a really solid year. The energies surrounding the Dead were strong, and the group sounded as though they were percolating with psychedelic sorcery throughout the year. The vibes were palpable, even on the tapes. This show offers an ample introduction to the crackling lysergic electricity the band would wield throughout their 20th anniversary tour(s). This year, IMO, demonstrates why the band was not simply revival act in the 80s, but rather a gang of crazed wizards still ready to ransack the village with a freshly conjured beast. The scene was catching fire and expanding. For a GenX teen (at the time) like me, this type of no holds barred attack on convention was the perfect antidote to Reagan America.
