Thursday, August 27, 2020

The Grateful Dead at Veneta, OR: August 27, 1972

Today, August 27, 2020, is the 48th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's performance in Springfield, Oregon that is widely celebrated as one of the group's best, with which I certainly agree. Tomorrow, the film Sunshine Daydream, which documents this performance, will be streamed for free. It can be seen here. If you haven't seen it before, it really is worth watching as a cultural artifact of the rural America in the early 1970s if nothing else.

I discuss this performance in chapter three of my dissertation, specifically the "Dark Star>El Paso>Sing Me Back Home" segment. The "Dark Star" is particularly remarkable. If you're interested, it can be downloaded here.

Sunshine Daydream doesn't unfortunately capture all the music performed. If you'd like to hear the entire concert, it can be streamed from the Internet Archive.

Besides, the segment mentioned above, the "China-Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider," "Birdsong," and "Playing in the Band" are all sublimely amazing versions of these songs.

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