Garcia and company nail the harmonized vocals and delightfully toy around with this crowd favorite. His efforts are rewarded with a spot for a solo and he produces a phenomenal one before handing the reigns back to Garcia.Ī slow shuffle beat then signifies the start of “High Time,” and it never lets up. Almost surprisingly, they decide to ease up immediately afterwards with a slowed down and soulful take of “Friend Of The Devil.” Mydland’s keyboard tone takes a turn for the heavens, lacing the Dead classic with an ethereal tone throughout. For a song that had only been debuted weeks earlier at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, the groove is easy and seamless already, serving as the perfect opening salvo for this powerhouse show. As the opener progresses, Jerry Garcia and the effects his guitar bring to the table rise to the top, giving it an injection of funk. This year, the Dead take off from the starting blocks with “Feel Like A Stranger,” and Brent Mydland making his presence felt early with his electronic keyboards that are turned up way high in the mix. One listen shows why this was an easy choice for inclusion. So much so that the band recently included it on their massive 30 Trips Around The Sun box set that was released in 2015, 80 CDs worth of previously archived Dead shows celebrating the band’s lifespan. And it’s certainly one of finer shows from 1981. Pound for pound, it can certainly hold its own with the legendary ’77 show. The final one occurred 40 years ago today. But there were two other shows played at this field house on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. When terms like the Grateful Dead and Barton Hall come up in conversation, there’s a good chance the show being discussed is the band’s venerable performance.

Last dead show