Echoing John W. Scott's Deadbase review of this show, the Dead were very much ON here. Perhaps it was my favorite concert experience ever - certainly one very fun Saturday night in my then-home town of Ithaca.
This show was available only as an audience recording for years and suddenly a beautiful soundboard appeared that Charlie Miller graced with his sonic talents, revealing the stunning greatness of this performance if there had been any doubt. The sound of everything, especially Brent's keyboards, in the opener and throughout is just incredible, and having a great quality soundboard now makes it possible for me to relive the thrill of being at this show. Near the end, as the beautiful Stella Blue starts, the soundboard cuts out and the old FOB audience tape is still used as a patch, in which you can really hear the hall sound of Barton Hall for the rest of the show.
The show had an interesting resemblance in some ways to the previous year’s Ithaca show, with some of the same classics of that time period. Both times the second set started with Shakedown followed by Bertha. But in 1981 the Dead would harken back to earlier periods more, with renditions of Spanish Jam and Nobody’s Fault Jam and other classics in the second set, the latter preceded by a Truckin with one of of Bobby’s notorious changes to the lyrics.
Let it flow, let it grow.
Ithaca is a magical place of falling and flowing waters and the waters of Cascadilla gorge fall rapidly not too far from where this show took place. Musically, everything just flows on this one. As the first set wound down, beautiful renditions of High Time and Let it Grow made their way through the Hall. Brent drives the set home with his rocking organ before a super jammed-out Shakedown starts the next set, an all-time fan-favorite version.
When I started school in Ithaca, Shakedown Street was the new album, and by now the Dead had played Shakedown twice for us in Ithaca.
By the end it was one great, great setlist loaded with musical treats.. Brent’s intensity and precision is just mind blowing throughout, he kills it on every song right along with Jerry. Heck, even Weir’s slide solo sounds amazing. Best of all, now you can hear (almost) all in truly sparkling soundboard quality.
At the end of the Charlie Miller version, the audience recording makes you feel like you’re in the middle of Barton Hall for the Saturday Night and then a stellar Uncle John’s Band as an encore. They take their time, playing the D minor jam section over, seemingly trying to leave as much of their magic there in the Hall as possible. This would end up being the last Grateful Dead show in the beautiful city of Ithaca, NY., and in my mind the end of an era.
