1970 was a highlight year for the Grateful Dead. They were in the middle of a sharp transition from a psychedelic novelty to a legitimate musical tour de force with their updated sound and songwriting style which captured Americana and cowboy-like sentiments.
Never straying too far from their exploratory roots, the Dead continued to utilize a heavy dose of psychedelia to their live performances, but their songwriting approach by 1970 had cleaned up with a bit more musical and vocal clarity than the Acid Test days.
In early June of that year the band set up shop for a four-night run at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and for their show on June 5th, the Dead treated fans in attendance to a tasty acoustic set before diving in head-first for a great second half.
The show began with an acoustic “Dire Wolf” which eventually moved its way into a sublime take on “I Know You Rider”. Jerry Garcia was at his finest when playing folk music, and it showed on this early cover of “Rider”.
Songs which had then recently been added to their live repertoire including “Friend Of The Devil”, “Me & My Uncle”, and “New Speedway Boogie” made the first set on June 5th one to remember. Of course, the second half of the show wasn’t too shabby either, as it featured a full “That’s It For The Other One” suite and a bluesy, rockin’ “Hard To Handle” led by Pigpen.
Don’t take it from us! Revisit to the full show below:
Grateful Dead – The Fillmore – 6/5/70 [Full Audio]
[Uploaded by Jonathan Aizen]
Setlist: Grateful Dead | Fillmore West | San Francisco, CA | 6/5/70
Set One: Dire Wolf, I Know You Rider, Silver Threads, Friend Of The Devil, Me And My Uncle, Black Peter, New Speedway Boogie
Set Two: Cold Rain And Snow, Easy Wind, Mama Tried, Cryptical Envelopment, Drums, The Other One, Cryptical Envelopment, Attics Of My Life, Hard To Handle, It’s A Man’s World, Uncle John’s Band
Encore: St. Stephen, Casey Jones
[Originally published 6/5/17]
The post Grateful Dead Go Acoustic At The Fillmore On This Day In 1970 [Listen] appeared first on L4LM.
