Grateful Dead Gems: Reliving a Classic Ventura Show

Deadhead Cannabis Show

Phish Tour Kicks Off: Anticipation and Reflections from the Road

Larry Mishkin is excited about the ongoing summer tour of the band Phish, particularly looking forward to their upcoming shows at Alpine Valley and St. Louis. He reflects on a Grateful Dead concert from July 22, 1984, at Ventura County Fairgrounds, sharing personal memories of attending shows in 1984, which was a significant year for him. He discusses the song "Loser" by Jerry Garcia, noting its Americana themes and its history with the Grateful Dead. He praises Garcia's performance at the 1984 show and the song's growling vocals and guitar work.

Larry also talks about the song "Day Job," highlighting its unique history with the Grateful Dead as a song fans petitioned to be dropped from their setlists. He reflects on why the song wasn't popular among fans, comparing it to another song, "Liberty," which he personally didn't favor. Despite this, he appreciates the version performed at the Ventura show for its energy and Jerry's engagement.

In the music world segment, the he provides updates on Phish's summer tour, sharing setlists from recent shows in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He expresses excitement about attending multiple shows and describes how his appreciation for Phish has grown, comparing it to his experience with the Grateful Dead. He anticipates hearing specific songs and is eager to connect with fellow fans.

The show also features a segment on Stanley Jordan, a musician known for his unique guitar style. Jordan shares his journey to creating a project called Stanley Plays the Dead, a tribute to the Grateful Dead. He recounts meeting Phil Lesh and performing with him, which inspired his current project. Jordan's distinctive two-hand tapping technique on guitar is highlighted, along with his diverse musical collaborations over the years.

Grateful Dead

July 22, 1084 (40 years ago)

Ventura County Fairgrounds

Ventura, CA

The Grateful Dead Live at Ventura County Fairgrounds on 1984-07-22 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive

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INCOMPLETE BUT IT HAS ALL THE MUSIC CLIPS

CAN WE TAPE TOMORROW AT 10 A.M. MY TIME?

Let me know.

Thank you

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Fake Intro for my nephew, Ben Mishkin’s 11th birthday, I will just introduce it as “my podcast”, play the clip and wish him a happy birthday, then we cut back to our normal intro tune and I do a regular introduction. What do you think?

Bennie and the Jets - Elton John - Live in London 1974 HD (youtube.com)

0:08 – 1:18

"Bennie and the Jets" (also titled "Benny & the Jets") is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John.[3] The song first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs and was performed during his appearance at Live Aid.

The track was a massive hit in the United States and Canada, released in 1974 as an A-side using the spelling "Bennie". In most territories the track was released as the B-side to "Candle in the Wind", using the spelling "Benny". Album artwork (back-cover track listing and center-panel design) consistently lists the song as "Bennie" while either "Bennie" or "Benny" appears on the vinyl album depending on territory. The track was released as an A-side in the UK in 1976, as "Benny and the Jets".

It is ranked number 371 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Happy Birthday to my nephew Ben who turns 11 today while at summer camp in the Poconos. Great time to be alive. There with his big sister Lily and lots of good friends while his younger brother Nate has the run of the house! Have a great day big guy.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled show:

Normal house intro music

Great show today from one of the Deadhead’s favorite venues, Ventura County Fairgrounds. Basically on the car racing track and demo derby. View is of the beach and ocean. Shows start in the afternoon, 2 or 3, so no real light show except mother nature and if you are lucky, a beautiful sunset just as the show ends or shortly thereafter. Location of my first show ever and the only time I saw the boys there.

This show is two summers later and finds the Boys cranking along in 1984, a big year for me in terms of shows that included a big chunk of Spring tour, Red Rocks, my first summer tour experience, first Alpine, and first New Years shows. Still found time to graduate from Michigan and start law school.

INTRO: Loser

Track #4

2:40 – 4:20

The song seems covered in the Americana dust of so many songs from this period of Hunter’s and Garcia’s songwriting partnership. Abilene, whether in Texas or Kansas, is a dusty cowtown—at the time in which the song seems to be set, the cattle outnumbered the human inhabitants by a factor of tens. It’s easy to see the scene Hunter so casually sets, of a broken-down gambler in a saloon, with a dirt street outside full of armed cowpokes.

Appearing, as it does, on Garcia (Jan, 1972), the song seems to pair naturally with the other gambling song on the album, “Deal.” It could be sung by the same character on a different day, in fact. And it fits in, as I mentioned, with a whole suite of songs that might be set in the same generic America of the late 19th or early 20th centuries: “Brown-Eyed Women,” “Jack Straw,” “Mister Charlie,” “Tennessee Jed,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Candyman,” and others, as well as certain selected covers, such as “Me and My Uncle,” and “El Paso.”

The crowning glory of the song, as in many other Garcia/Hunter compositions, is the bridge.

The song culminates in this cry of hopefulness: “Last fair deal in the country, Sweet Susie, last fair deal in the town. Put your gold money where your love is, baby, before you let my deal go down—go down.”

(It’s noted that “Sweet Susie” was dropped at some point, but then, occasionally, brought back. I think it was an optional decoration to the line. Alex Allan, in his Grateful Dead Lyric and Song Finder site, notes that “Sweet Susie” rarely appears after 1972, but that it’s sung in performances in 1974 and 1979.)

The version at this show is one of the best I’ve ever heard. Garcia’s voice is growling, his guitar playing spot on, energy bursting out of him. 1984 was a great year for the Dead and this show, and this tune, really epitomize all of it. Almost always a first set tune, usually first part of the set, traded off with Candyman, Must Have Been The Roses, and other first set Jerry ballads.

Played: 353 times

First: February 18, 1971 at Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA

Last: June 28, 1995 at the Palace at Auburn Hills, MI (Detroit)

SHOW No. 1: Day Job

Track #8

1:00 – 2:39

Garcia/Hunter “new tune” Never released on any studio recording, appears on Dick’s Picks #6, Hartford Civic Center Oct. 14, 1983 in case you’ve never heard it. It’s claim to fame, per Robert Hunter himself, is that “this song was dropped from the Grateful Dead repertoire at the request of the fans. Seriously.”

I heard it a few times. Not my favorite, but good when Jerry was sharp and rocking like this version. Really one of the best.

Played: 133

First: August 28, 1982 at Oregon Country Fair Site, Veneta, OR, USA

Last: April 4, 1986 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT, USA

SHOW No. 2: I Just Want To Make Love To You

Track #11

1:27 – 3:10

"I Just Want to Make Love to You" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon. In 1954, it was recorded by Muddy Waters,[2] and released as a single with the title "Just Make Love to Me". The song reached number four on Billboard magazine's R&B Best Sellers chart.[3]

Backing Waters on vocals are Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Fred Below on drums.[1] Waters recorded the song again for the album Electric Mud (1968).

The Rolling Stones covered the song on their 1964 debut album The Rolling Stones.

In 1972, British blues rock group Foghat recorded a studio version for their self-titled debut album in 1972. The song was also released as a single and it became their first single to reach the charts, appearing at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100[9] and No. 31 in Australia.[10] An eight-minute version from a 1977 concert performance is included on Foghat Live. It was edited down to 3:56 release as a single, which reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100[9] and No. 28 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.

I heard this on Foghat Live and thought it was a Foghat song. Could not believe when I heard the Dead had played it!

Dead played it 4 times: Pig in ‘66

Brent in ‘84

Jerry in ‘95

Times: 4

First: November 29, 1966 at The Matrix, San Francisco, CA, USA

Last: February 21, 1995 at Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

SHOW No. 3: Drums

Track #14

7;00 – end

INTO

Space

Track #15

0:00 - :36

SHOW No. 4: Space

Track #15

10:59 – end

INTO

Morning Dew

Track #16

0:00 – 1:28

Birthdays:

Benny

John Gross

OUTRO: Midnight Hour

Track #19

1:42 – 3:27

.Produced by PodConx

Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-show

Larry Mishkin - https://podconx.com/guests/larry-mishkin

Rob Hunt - https://podconx.com/guests/rob-hunt

Jay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesberg

Sound Designed by Jamie Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-humiston-91718b1b3/

Recorded on Squadcast