Labor Day Jams: Revisiting Grateful Dead's 1988 Capitol Center Show

Deadhead Cannabis Show

Labor Day Vibes: Grateful Dead, George Thorogood, and More

A special Labor Day edition featuring a recap of significant events in the music world, particularly focusing on the Grateful Dead's September 2, 1988, concert at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland. Larry Mishkin reminisces about the band's history, including the song "Hell in a Bucket," its significance, and its evolution in the Grateful Dead's lineup. There's a detailed discussion about the song "Dire Wolf," including its origins, inspirations, and its role in the band's performances.

The episode also features a tribute to Steve Silverman, a renowned science writer and Grateful Dead enthusiast who recently passed away. Silverman was celebrated for his contributions to the understanding of autism and his deep connection to the Grateful Dead community. The tribute highlights his life, his work, and his impact on both the music and science communities.

Larry shares reviews of the recent George Thorogood and Journeyman Tribute the Eric Clapton

https://www.georgethorogood.com/

https://vilarpac.org/

https://journeymantribute.com/

Grateful Dead

September 2, 1988 (36 years ago)

Capital Center

Landover, MD

Grateful Dead Live at Capital Centre on 1988-09-02 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive

I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend.

Night one of a four night run at the Cap Center to kick off 1988 East Coast Fall Tour (played Friday and Saturday, 2 and 3 and Monday and Tuesday 5 and 6). Took a night off for my wedding on Sunday 4th. Saturday night show was my rehearsal dinner and they played second encore, final electric Ripple and final Grateful Dead Ripple. Memorable weekend for all (except for my east coast deadhead buddies at the wedding who were bummed to have missed the Ripple.

INTRO: Hell in a Bucket

Track #2

0:00 – 1:34

David Dodd: The Bob Weir / John Barlow / Brent Mydland song “Hell in a Bucket” directly references the biker scene, and I’m sure that somehow Barlow just wanted to put that element into the band’s repertoire somehow. After all, there are plenty of outlaw elements sprinkled through the band’s songs.

In the case of this song, though, the singer/narrator seems to be wishing a sorry fate on his erstwhile main squeeze, with the argument being that once she has a biker charging up and down her halls on his chopper, she’ll realize that the narrator was really pretty good, at least by contrast.

“Hell in a Bucket” appeared on In the Dark, released in July 1987. The song frequently featured as the show opener over the course of the next two-plus decades, although it wasn’t used in that role until about a year after its first performance.

Played: 217 times

First: May 13, 1983 at William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, USA

Last: June 30, 1995 at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA

SHOW No. 1: Dire Wolf

Track #5

2:00 – 3:24

"Dire Wolf" is a ballad by the Grateful Dead, released as the third track on their 1970 album Workingman's Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter after watching a film adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. The music, containing elements of country and folk music, was composed by Jerry Garcia on the same day. The song tells the story of a man who plays cards with a "dire wolf" on a cold winter's night in "Fennario"; the lyrics have been variously interpreted. The piece became a staple of the Grateful Dead's performances, and was played more than two hundred times between 1969 and 1995.

A few months before the release of their album Aoxomoxoa in 1969, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and his then-partner Christie Bourne began sharing a house with the band's guitarist Jerry Garcia, his wife, and his step-daughter. Living in close proximity gave an impetus to their collaborative song-writing: Hunter and Garcia wrote every song on Aoxomoxoa.[2] Some time later, Hunter and Carolyn Garcia spent an evening watching a film adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. According to Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally, Carolyn later remarked that the hound was a "dire wolf".[3] However, according to Hunter himself, as quoted in the Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, he and Garcia were speculating about the identity of the hound in the story, and came up with the idea that it may have been a dire wolf.[4] Hunter wrote the lyrics the next morning, based on images that the phrase conjured for him, and Garcia wrote the music to them later that day.[3][4]

The location named "Fennario" appears in the folk song "The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie", including in the Grateful Dead's version of that song. It refers to a fictional location; a friend of the band members commented in an interview that it was the perfect name for a generic place, because it was evocative, and had four syllables.[4] In contrast, music writer Buzz Poole speculated that the name may be derived from Fenrir, a mythical Nordic wolf who was chained up by the gods.[6] The phrase "don't murder me", repeated in the chorus, was a reference by Garcia to his experiences driving around the San Francisco Bay Area at the time that the Zodiac Killer was active.[4]

The song became a staple of the Grateful Dead's live performances; the electric version of the song was typically featured on the band's first set.[4][7] According to The Grateful Dead's 100 Essential Songs, "Dire Wolf" was played 226 times between 1969 and 1995, and was played every year, except for 1975. Sixty-three of these performances were in the first two years after the song was written. In later years, the acoustic version of the piece became more common.[7] The structure and pace of the song did not change much over the years. It was sung most often by Garcia, although an early version featured Bob Weir on vocals, with Garcia playing the pedal steel guitar instead.[7] An AllMusic review of this version praised Garcia's "sweet" guitar playing as a "great feature" of the song.[5] Its lyrics have led to it being described as an essential Grateful Dead song by commentators.[7]

Played: 229 times

First: June 7, 1969 at Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, USA

Last: June 7, 1969 at Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, USA

MUSIC NEWS:

1. Steve Silberman passes
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4. Miracle in Mundelein

Miracle in Mundelein 2024 is an unprecedented cannabis and outdoor concert experience taking place at RISE Recreational Dispensary in Mundelein, IL on September 7-8, 202412. Presented by RYTHM Premium Cannabis, RISE Dispensaries, Dayglo, and Deep Cut, this second annual outdoor festival allows legal on-site cannabis consumption2.

SHOW No. 2: Althea

Track #7

3:10 – 4:53

When the Grateful Dead released “Althea” on their 1980 album Go to Heaven, it quickly became a favorite among fans. Robert Hunter, the Dead’s legendary lyricist, was known for embedding multiple layers of meaning in his lyrics. “Althea” is no exception. Jerry Garcia’s soulful voice brings Hunter’s words to life, but it’s the lyrics that leave listeners pondering.

The name “Althea” itself is rooted in Greek mythology. Althea was the Queen of Calydon, whose actions led to her son’s death, reflecting themes of fate and consequence. While the song doesn’t explicitly connect to this myth, the allusion to “your fire” might be a subtle nod to Althea’s tragic tale.

“Althea” was performed live by the Grateful Dead 273 times, making it a staple in their repertoire. Despite McNally’s belief that the band overplayed it in the early ’80s, fans cherished its live renditions. The song’s adaptability and depth allowed it to grow with the listeners, much like a trusted pair of pants with a sturdy elastic waistband.

Played: 273 times

First: August 4, 1979 at Oakland Civic Auditorium, Oakland, CA, USA

Last: July 8, 1995 at Soldier Field, Chicago

SHOW No. 3: Scarlet Begonias

Track #10

0:00 – 2:02

Garcia/Hunter

From The Mars Hotel (July 24, 1974)

The group first performed the song live on March 23, 1974, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.[1] When "Fire on the Mountain" was incorporated into the band's repertoire in 1977, "Scarlet Begonias" would often be paired with it when played live, resulting in what would be nicknamed "Scarlet > Fire" with the first iteration of this iconic pairing on Friday, March 18th, 1977 at Winterland in S.F. Interestingly, they played the combo to close the first set. Almost always a second set opener, once saw them open a show with it.

Had to play this because the opening is so special – sends a message to the Deadheads that good things lay ahead, best second set opener in their arsenal. Nothing like the reaction when you hear the first few notes. “Scarlet, into Fire, a great 25 minutes of grooving music and wonderful for “mind exercises” you may be experiencing at that time.

Played: 317 (Fire played 254 times)

First: March 23, 1974 at Cow Palace, Daly City, CA, USA

Last: June 2, 1995 at Deer Creek, Noblesville, IN

MJ NEWS:

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5. California allows sales of MJ at Farmer’s Markets

SHOW No. 4: All Along The Watchtower

Track #17

1:50 – 3:53

Bob Dylan

John Wesley Harding

"All Along the Watchtower" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his eighth studio album, John Wesley Harding (1967). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. The song's lyrics, which in its original version contain twelve lines, feature a conversation between a joker and a thief. The song has been subject to various interpretations; some reviewers have noted that it echoes lines in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5–9. Dylan has released several different live performances, and versions of the song are included on some of his subsequent greatest hits compilations.

Covered by numerous artists, "All Along the Watchtower" is strongly identified with the interpretation Jimi Hendrix recorded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience for their third studio album, Electric Ladyland (1968). The Hendrix version, released six months after Dylan's original recording, became a Top 20 single in 1968, received a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001, and was ranked 48th in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 (40th in the 2021 version). Dylan first played the song live in concert on the Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour, his first tour since 1966. His live performances have been influenced by Hendrix's cover, to the extent that they have been called covers of a cover. Dylan has performed the song live more than any of his other ones, with over 2,250 recitals.

Hendrix was a known Dylan fan. He even once cleared a dance floor by demanding that "Blowin in the Wind" be played in a New York club. In a 1967 interview, Hendrix described Dylan's influence on his own songwriting. "I could never write the kind of words he does," Hendrix said. "But he's helped me out in trying to write two or three words 'cause I've got a thousand songs that will never be finished. I just lie around and write about two or three words, but now I have a little more confidence in trying to finish one."
Hendrix acquired a copy of John Wesley Harding before the album's official release and instantly knew he had to cover one of the tracks. Initially, he was planning to record "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," but after further consideration he chose "All Along the Watchtower." Hendrix claimed he had a natural gravitation toward the track. "The songs Dylan usually gave me are so close to me that I feel like I wrote them myself," he added. "With 'Along the Watchtower' I had that feeling." Less than two months after Dylan recorded the original, Hendrix was in the studio laying down his version.

John Wesley Harding was Dylan's return to his acoustic roots after his motorcycle accident. But rather than bring back the topical lyrics about civil rights and the Vietnam War, he continued the evocative, surreal images that made his previous three records -- Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde -- so groundbreaking, adding biblical imagery that foreshadowed his born-again phase more than a decade later.

Dead started playing it while touring with Dylan in the summer of 1987. Not necessarily their greatest tour, and Dylan was not sharp on a night by night basis, but when they got to this tune, the crowd really responded. So after the tour ended, the Dead just kept it in their repertoire and played it until their end.

Played: 118

First: June 20, 1987 at William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, USA

Last: June 22, 1995 at Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY, USA

OUTRO: Black Muddy River

Track #20

4:15 – 6:34

Garcia/Hunter

From: In The Dark (1987)

Black Muddy River was a song that was a pretty decent “new” song for a while. Almost always played as an encore, it was a fan favorite in the Twin Cities, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans, all situated on or near the Mississippi River. Sometimes they would play it in those cities and sometimes they would wait to play it until they were in the middle of nowhere with no river around for miles and miles. Towards the end, Jerry seemed to lose his enthusiasm for it so, for example, when he rose to the occasion at the last show on July 9, 1995 and belted out a So Many Roads for the ages, his Black Muddy River encore left a lot to be desired. So much so that, as the story goes, Phil decided they could not end the summer tour on such a low note so he pushed in a Box of Rain making that song the last one ever played in concert by the band and a much nicer farewell than that not very good Black Muddy River would have been.

This one is “young” and strong, Jerry’s voice rings true and you can hear the energy build up inside him as he belts out the final lines of the song. A song that sent all those at the Cap Center out into the night longing for more without even knowing what awaited them the very next night. Some were there, some weren’t. That’s the story of the Dead and touring (like Phish waiting to Dick’s to play Fee!).

Played: 66 times

First: December 15, 1986 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA, USA

Last: July 9, 1995 at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Shout outs:

Wed – my anniversary, and H and Robbin

Thurs. – JW’s anniversary with the lovely Allie

Bella – birthday on Monday

Jackie G. in St. Louis on Sunday

.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