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Grateful Dead Debut “Bird Song” & “Deal” At The Capitol Theatre, On This Day In 1971 [Full Audio]

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In February of 1971, the Grateful Dead made their way to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY—a room that Jerry Garcia famously referred to as one of his favorites—for six nights of shows that would mark the band’s final performances at the venue, but they made them count.

Today (February 19th) marks the 52nd anniversary of the second night of the Dead’s 1971 Capitol Theatre run. Following an opening night on February 18th where the band debuted five new songs including “Bertha”, “Playing In The Band”, “Wharf Rat”, “Loser”, and “Greatest Story Ever Told”—it was also Mickey Hart‘s last performance with the band until October 1974—the Dead returned for night two on February 19th where they debuted two more songs that would become staples in their shows over the next 24 years in “Bird Song” and “Deal”. Both songs first appeared on guitarist Jerry Garcia‘s debut solo album released the following winter in January 1972.

Related: Grateful Dead Debut “Althea”, “Lost Sailor” At Oakland Auditorium Arena, On This Day In 1979 [Audio]

Relive the Grateful Dead’s historic February 19th, 1971 performance in full via the audio player below.

Grateful Dead – The Capitol Theatre – 2/19/71 [Full-Show Audio]

[Audio: Jonathan Aizen]

Setlist: The Grateful Dead | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 2/19/71

Truckin’, Loser, Cumberland Blues, It Hurts Me Too, Bertha, Playing In The Band, Dark Hollow, Smokestack Lightnin’, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider Greatest Story Ever Told > Johnny B. Goode, Bird Song*, Easy Wind, Deal*, Cryptical Envelopment > Drums > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Good Lovin’, Casey Jones

*Live debut

The post Grateful Dead Debut “Bird Song” & “Deal” At The Capitol Theatre, On This Day In 1971 [Full Audio] appeared first on L4LM.

Source: L4LM.com