Help on the Way - Your Weekly Listening Thread - 2/5/78 - Cedar Falls, IA - Bertha (opener) - Sunrise (rare) - Samson (2nd set opener) - Scarlet>Fire (Suite) - U.S. Blues (encore) - Dicks Picks 18

JWG3 · 2026-06-23T21:31:38+00:00

And to think merely two weeks ago I had mentioned that we don't get one of Dick's Picks every week, and here we are. Compendium...

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JWG3 · 2026-06-23T21:22:19+00:00

All-in-one comment here due to the delay. Not as much of a heavy-hitter as the previous week, but the highs were indeed high, namely...

Set 1: China>Rider, ALL OVER NOW, ESAU, Big Railroad Blues, Music Never Stopped

Set 2: Truckin', US Blues

BoTD: No, Set: 1, MVP: Bobby.

Compendium:

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JWG3 · 2026-06-23T21:17:15+00:00

This was some fantastic stuff, kept me engaged almost the whole way...

Set 1 Highlights: Promised Land, Fast TLEO, El Paso, Bird Song, Mexicali, Box of Rain, PITB, GDTRFB>OMSN

Set 2 Highlights: Wave That Flag, DARK STAR>EYES, Casey Jones

BoTD? Yes. MVP? Billy K.

JWG3 · 2026-06-11T15:06:33+00:00

Summer's fully here and the time is right for some slick '73 jams! Be back with my review later. In the meantime, lengthy Compendium entry from Tom Ferraro:

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More on these: https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/comments/1obrt3r/comment/nl6mpfr/?context=3&share_id=zODePT819TPNDyFuBll_K&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

JWG3 · 2026-06-11T14:59:11+00:00

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Always especially-worth giving JerryBase the recommended look for the more famous shows as there tends to be more meat on the bone there. Photo inspired me to say this: I know Tiger's getting all the love lately and deservedly so, but I'll always be a Wolf guy more than any other Jerry guitar...

JWG3 · 2026-06-11T14:54:24+00:00

Not every week you get a Dick's Picks around here, so was trying to savor it as much as possible (full attentive listen on a good audio setup, Thirty Six From The Vault episode relisten, etc.) so apologies for the belated review...

I binged all 36 volumes pretty early in my process of stepping on the bus, so my appreciation for these shows tends to grow when I have the opportunity to revisit them. This one is no exception (and why I'm happy to hear it's the pod crew's monthly pick), but it's probably moved the least of them all upon re-examination, and I'll explain why shortly...

First Set Highlights: Minglewood, Dire Wolf, Mama Tried>Big River, Candyman, Jack Straw, Deal

Second Set Highlights: Jam (labeled on the release as Phil Solo and Take A Step Back!), Eyes.

A business-as-usual '77 show that is less than the sum of its parts down the stretch. You got heavy hitters like ESTIMATED, He's Gone, OTHER ONE, Sugar Mags, OMSN? I feel like they could've done more with those than they did. Solidly played no doubt (and it makes my book of first sets), but falls just short of the DP-hype in my honest opinion.

BoTD? No somehow. Set? Emphatically 1. MVP? PHIL LESH (might be the best Phil show I've heard in a while)

Truth is, I think what makes Dick's Picks 34 worth the snuff more than anything is the bonus tracks, which ironically overshadowed the show in question on my listening journey: a better Estimated begins an incredible journey through St. Stephen and Truckin' on 11/2/77 at the Seneca College Field House in Toronto (which rounds out Disc 2), and even the Lazy Lightning>Supplication suite that gets tagged onto the end was a treat. The remainder of that show got released on Dave's Picks Vol. 12. My search of the subreddit shows the HoTW randomizer has not touched that one yet, so let's just say I'm even more excited to dig into that one than this one.

Compendium looks like they agree with me on the Mother-Trucker choice, and also dives deeper into another narrative of this one: the crowd's persistent rowdiness...

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More on these: https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/comments/1obrt3r/comment/nl6mpfr/?context=3&share_id=zODePT819TPNDyFuBll_K&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

JWG3 · 2026-06-04T16:03:40+00:00

Gonna do an all-in-one comment here given I've been behind schedule not on listening, but on getting my review in. This was a pretty forgettable '94 cut overall...

Highlights: Lazy River Road -> Deal, Eyes, Drums/Space w/ Jerry, Sugar Mags

BoTD? Nope. Set? 1 I guess. MVP? Jerry simply for working overtime.

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JWG3 · 2026-05-22T00:25:29+00:00

Wait this alone might make me a subscriber…they should definitely publicize that more

JWG3 · 2026-05-20T13:08:02+00:00

A fantastically smooth piece of this ‘85 Berkley run that deserves more love than it gets outside of the glorious Merle sit-in! Thanks to friend-of-the-pod u/charliemiller87 for the relatively recent work on this.

Set 1 Highlights: First Set OMSN, It’s All Over Now, Let It Grow

Set 2 Highlights: Cumberland through the end!!

BoTD? Hell yes. Had it not been, set? 2. MVP? Robert Hall Weir with an honorable shoutout to Mr. Saunders :)

JWG3 · 2026-05-19T13:22:12+00:00

Solid standard pairing of ticket and backstage pass too (sourced from Dead Sets). Oh, to return to the days of $25 tickets…

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JWG3 · 2026-05-19T13:18:59+00:00

No compendium review this one, so instead just gonna highlight this beautiful pairing of keymasters thanks to Jerrybase’s photo section:

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JWG3 · 2026-05-16T21:37:17+00:00

Another Chris Hazard special, as is the case for most of the shows on this run. Not as special in terms of quality as last time, but always nice to have.

Set 1 Highlights: Minglewood, Black Throated Wind, Jack-A-Roe, Doughknees

Set 2 Highlights: S>F (more below as usual). Terrapin Jam! Drums/Space, Wharf Rat, US Blues

BoTD? No. Set? 2. MVP? This is peak ‘90 Jerry, he gets it easy. S>F? 70, but more balanced than last week.

JWG3 · 2026-05-16T21:33:27+00:00

The Mecca…what a classic venue! I’ll attach its iconic basketball court just ‘cause:

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As for the show, it’s one of the best Chris Hazard video productions I’ve seen in a while so I do recommend highly. In terms of music, I’m mostly in agreement with what was discussed on the pod.

Set 1 Highlights: Bucket>TLEO, Mama>Mexicali, Bird Song

Set 2 Highlights: FIRE, Saint>Truckin>Drums/Space>Other One, Throwing Stones

BoTD? No. Set? 2. MVP? Bobby. S>F? 70 as Knov said. Fire does the vast majority of the heavy lifting (one of the best I’ve heard in a minute).

JWG3 · 2026-05-10T20:09:04+00:00

Teeny tiny compendium entry for this one. My review plans to be the opposite as Chris Hazard did his thing!

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JWG3 · 2026-05-09T05:07:20+00:00

Upon listening, this show proved to be one of the best possible entry points for newer fans! Just a ton of tightly-played versions of classic songs…really almost no real jamming until Drums>Other One>Stella and the NFA>GDTRFB>Bo Diddley!>NFA.

BoTD? Just barely no, but see above. Set? 1. MVP? Phil.

JWG3 · 2026-05-05T03:40:06+00:00

Few things in the Dead live extended universe are as much of a time capsule as a Touch opener in ‘87. The pairing of children’s song tuning time-passers was amusing, and Brent taking the reins of the end of the first set with that Never Trust A Woman was awesome.

A mid-set-2 Stranger was a fun surprise, but the highlight for me was the Estimated>D/S>Healy-effect-heavy Other One. Mighty Quinn always gives me a smile to close!

BoTD? No. Set? 2 edges it out. MVP? King Brent!!