119. 1971-10-31

youtube Columbia, OH 23:14

Main theme at 4:17 and 6:47.
First verse at 7:17.
Soulful Strut at 13:19.

Slow and stately this begins. We could look at BPM stats, but my sense is that Dark Star has been slowing down, and will continue to do so until 1973. Garcia sounds majestic and lovely on the Strat. One almost wishes he’d just alternate between the Fenders and Gibsons, but the latter emitted their last sounds on a Dark Star some months back.

The intro section tonight doesn’t have much truck with the main theme; for a while there, it seemed they were keeping the theme in play throughout the intro, but now they’re letting it go where it will. I’m not sure exactly what he’s doing (maybe @JSegel will elucidate it), but Garcia seems to be moving things about a bit harmonically; for instance, in the passage from 3:59 to 4:17, which ends with what sounds like a modulation when he takes it to the theme. At 5:08 Jerry hits on a repeated lick that has a sort of controlled scream to it, and he follows with some of his tuba-like expressions on the bottom strings. Then at 5:57 he embarks on a tremolo passage which then hints at the verse melody, although it’s been a while since they’ve played this with a crash to the E minor as they used to do in 1969.

This all culminates in some triplets that ascend to a high note at 6:40, which sounds like the signal for a return to the theme. This comes and ushers in the verse. This was an excellent intro section; although my comments have focused on Garcia, the band sounds really great here. Godchaux has been mostly blending in up to this point, which is a marked contrast to his presence on the first two Dark Stars of his career. His playing fits very well where he can be heard, and he may have been louder on stage, but his contributions seem less central this time out.

The band keeps trucking along after the post-verse reiteration of the intro theme. After about a minute of treading water, at 8:51 Garcia starts in with some triplets which Lesh and Weir latch onto, which brings them into a place not unlike Sputnik. I can’t hear Godchaux at all here. At 9:30 they almost go into Sputnik, but Phil starts playing a rocking line that gets them whipped up again, and by 10:00 they are into a vigorous jam. People start suggesting chords, but it’s not clear which ones, or if there is any consistency to it. Godchaux comes up a bit here, and there is a bubbly jam after about 11:00 which sounds pretty unique, and eventually begins to take on a minor key feel.

At around 12:10 they seem to be trying to get into some kind of modular jam, but I can’t identify which one it is, yet. But in fact it doesn’t turn out to be anything identifiable, but is rather another unique section. And this changes again at 13:04, when Garcia starts up a little riff as a precursor to Soulful Strut, which finally emerges at 13:19. Once again I cannot hear Keith as this gets underway, but they play the heck out of it.

At 15:30 Godchaux comes back into the mix, and he seems to be playing something a little slanty, or else he’s out of tune….either way, the effect is not unpleasant. Jerry caps it off at 16:54 with a one-note solo that takes things up a notch, and this culminates with him playing the melody an octave up from the usual spot. At around 17:48 he starts rolling the chords and it seems they are ready to make a transition. They stay with it for a while though, as Garcia does a Sputnik-like bit from around 18:30 and the energy begins to subside. They slow it down and drag it out; at 19:18 Lesh suggests the theme, and Jerry then echoes him, but they don’t go there yet—it almost seems like they’re going to space instead. At 19:55 Garcia starts in with the stuff that will become the Tiger meltdown in future times; they almost get there this time, with Garcia starting a fast tremolo at 21:17, but it never quite gets to a boil. At 22:25 Godchaux starts pounding away, and one could think we’re headed into another jam, but they grind to a halt, and at 22:29 Weir strikes up Sugar Magnolia.

This is certainly a superb version. It would be nice to hear Keith a little more, but otherwise the band sounds great. On the one hand it feels like Dark Star has entered a new era; on the other, in retrospect this still feels a bit transitional, in light of what is coming in 1972. Either way, they’ve grown and found new possibilities for improvisation, and late 1971 is a wonderful time for Dark Star.


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118. 1971-10-24

125887 Detroit 20:49
Main theme at 5:45 and 6:48.
First verse at 7:17.
Feelin’ Groovy at 13:10.
Main theme at 17:59.
Second verse at 19:05.
Goes into Me and Bobby McGee.

The second Dark Star with Keith Godchaux begins with a similar feel as the last, slow and spacey. Keith isn’t really very noticeable at first this time, but after about a minute he begins to make himself heard. The main theme is not in evidence this time; maybe they started that way last time for the benefit of the new guy. In any case, this is a lovely intro, with dark eddies and swirls everywhere.

A little after the three minute point Keith starts to originate a more rhythmic jam. This doesn’t catch on at first, or anyway they let it go by. At 3:20 Garcia plays a high A, hinting at the theme, and then Keith latches onto him and the intensity rises. By 4:05 this has played itself out, and they seem to be faced with a choice between the main theme and dissolution. They choose the latter, getting into a little space jam. Garcia and Lesh consider some strategies for getting out of this, and at 4:58 the latter briefly starts a funky riff, which is a move he will soon be making with regularity as the “elastic ping pong jam” develops.

Nothing catches on, however; at 5:45, Garcia states the theme, but they’re not ready for that yet. Instead, they start to coalesce with a loping jam into which Garcia inserts hints of the theme from time to time. The rest of the band sets up the two-chord foundation, and at 6:48 the theme arrives. This leads to a relaxed reading of the verse, although Garcia’s vocals sound a bit strained.

Lesh seems to speed it up a little coming out of the verse, and the jam that starts here has a bit more pep than we’ve seen so far; then, at 9:25, it suddenly calms down. From here it again gathers momentum, and by 10:00 they are in a frenetic jam again. Keith really pounds on the keys here, getting a rocking thing going that the band is happy to jump into.

At 11:45 they mellow out a bit, but not for long as they soon are driving toward a peak. This seems to culminate around 12:15, but then it keeps going, and at 12:47 Lesh starts pushing toward Feelin’ Groovy, but instead the whole thing flames out in the strangest way—this might not hold together, in fact, so at 13:10 Lesh now insists on Feelin’ Groovy, and they follow him in. This is a very fast reading of this jam, and the band seems to be on the edge of chaos, which Keith seems happy to promote with some rather unorthodox accompaniment.

By 14:00 they are seemingly losing the thread again, although in a very interesting way. They come out of the pedal point here and dive back into Feelin’ Groovy, or almost in any case. It’s really hard to describe exactly what is happening here. Garcia has an idea he’s been trying to promote, and at 15:00 it becomes a rolling figure that will in the future generally herald the MLB jam or one of its permutations. It’s not yet time for that, though, so they gleefully go on skating at the edge of chaos and dissolution.

They get it together in a big way by about 16:45, when they seem to be driving for a peak, and Garcia is soon doing something in the neighborhood of Bright Star. This decisively ends at 17:08, and the band downshifts and seems ready for the main theme. Perhaps for the sake of prolonging things, at 17:27 Garcia throws Sputnik into the mix, although this doesn’t quite materialize, and at 17:59 it’s the main theme after all. This time we will get the second verse—enjoy it while you can.

I could understand if someone were to say that this one doesn’t quite work—at times they barely have it together, and they probably cross the line a couple times into simply not having it together. I think this is a wonderful version, though—it’s full of the spirit of discovery, and the band is willing to take chances exploring their new piano-infused powers. I think they really enjoyed themselves here, and they pushed it a bit. Some times Dark Star is a tour de force, and sometimes it’s an excursion…an expedition, even. This one bursts with life and joy, and it ought to make you happy, too.


What was said:

117. 1971-10-21

112086 Chicago 17:09 (1. 14:57, 2:12)
Main theme at :06, 1:31, and 5:20.
First verse at 6:37.
Bright Star at 12:47.
Feelin’ Groovy at 12:50.
Main theme at 2. :15.
Second verse at 2. :29.
Goes into Sitting on Top of the World and Me and Bobby McGee.

After another good break, Dark Star returns in October 1971. Garcia is now playing the Stratocaster he got from Graham Nash, which will be his main guitar for about two years. The Gibsons are now a thing of the past. It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about this, as he got such a great sound out of a Gibson, but the Strat sounds really beautiful here, and much great music will be played on it. This is also the first version with Keith Godchaux on piano, who debuted two days before on October 19th.

This one starts right off with the main theme, and then they start casting about the heavens. Garcia throws in some pinch harmonics at about :55, and he revisits the main theme at 1:31. Godchaux seems very much at home, and he starts to work himself to the foreground more; there is an intense moment at 1:51 when it seems like he’ll push them outside, and then beginning at 2:56 he starts spiraling upward and then locks together with Garcia, throwing everything into a pleasing sort of chaos.

The jamming loosens up considerably here, and it’s enthralling to hear how the band finds places to go with Godchaux on piano that herald new possibilities for their long form jamming in general, and Dark Star in particular. There is a jaw-dropping sequence that begins at about 4:55, with Garcia and Godchaux ratcheting up the intensity, and Weir providing single note counterpoint while Lesh provides an ominous undercurrent. Garcia then decides this is a good time to assert the theme, before they lose themselves altogether. They draw it out for a couple minutes before getting to the verse, which is delivered rather forcefully.

In lieu of the typical space jam there is a gentle passage, with lyrical musings from Garcia. Godchaux seems to take his cue from the latter, shadowing his line with running commentary, and this turns into more or less a duet, with Lesh laying out and Weir providing color. By 10:40 it is becoming a space jam at last, but at 11:11 Garcia starts a one-note vamp that seems ready to lead them out. Sure enough, a frenetic jam coalesces around him. This section is quite rhythmic, and it seems like it could burst into Feelin’ Groovy at any moment; instead, they drive it to a peak, which Garcia caps with Bright Star—and then, a few seconds later, Lesh and Weir drop them into Feelin’ Groovy after all.

By about 14:12 this seems to be dissolving into chaos, and Garcia starts playing a bit that will often lead into the Tiger jam in the future, although it doesn’t quite get there this time, instead veering into Sitting on Top of the World. This in turn comes back to Dark Star at the end, which proves to be a quick wrap-up with the second verse.

The meat of this is the first segment, and it is magnificent. We’ve heard other musicians sit in on Dark Star, and none have fared particularly well at getting the spirit of the kind of group improvising the Dead purvey. Keith Godchaux, however, at his second show with the band, not only fits in, but he is a central factor here. New and glorious possibilities are suddenly on the horizon.


What was said:

116. 1971-07-31

youtube Yale 22:48
Main theme at 1:15, 3:25, 7:27 and 9:37..
First verse at 10:20.
Main theme at 18:59.
Second verse at
Followed by Bird Song after a brief pause.

Dark Star returns after a gap of three months, and Garcia is again playing a Les Paul. The band sounds invigorated as they flex their polyphonic tentacles, with Jerry’s piercing brassy Gibson striking sparks off Lesh’s fat round bass runs. As Garcia strikes the main theme at 1:15, a small cut jolts us forward beyond the theme, although I don’t get the sense there is that much missing.

Starting at around 2:20 the band wanders into a kind of spacey pit where the time signature vaporizes and the tonality seems to have a relationship to the old standby E minor. In mid-1969 this might have led to some pre-verse exploration, but since then these interludes seem to lead into the main theme rather expeditiously when they occur during the introductory section, and tonight seems to be no exception, as after about a minute Garcia strikes up the theme. Instead of bringing it all together, though, this time the band darkly broods as Garcia, after some light tolling, strikes out with a spacey lead. By 4:40 this has become a full-blown space jam! Jerry flutters around with some hammer-on/pull-offs as Lesh intones some whole notes that suggest a couple of tonal alternatives in the neighborhood of 7:00, giving us E, A and finally lighting on a hanging G which frames the return to the theme, which Phil proposes at 7:05.

The band broods a bit longer, though, winding up on A with the G natural still hanging in their midst. At 7:37 Garcia states the theme, but we don’t quite get there yet; rather, a majestic and swelling jam rises and rises on the theme chords. As we come down the other side of this, Garcia swirls through the theme again at 9:27 against Weir’s delicate harmonics, again laying in the G natural, until at 10:20 he finally begins singing the first verse after the longest introductory jam since 1969.

After the verse there is a very heavy statement of the main chords, and it seems to be settling into space by around 12:10. This time they do not begin with silence, but rather Lesh plays some woozy effects as Garcia twirls the volume knob. At 13:53, after Kreutzmann beats his toms, the return of the Gibson brings back to us the concomitant insect weirdness. This instigates a dark and heavy jam that begins as a flurry of disparate elements held together by the beating toms, until Jerry’s riffing begins at 15:25 to suggest a way forward—at 16:00 Lesh decides this will be Feelin’ Groovy, and Weir soon picks up on it with some dirty chording. Garcia at times sounds unhinged and vicious in a way that he only does when he is playing a Gibson.

At 17:16 Garcia takes them out with some almost Sputnik-like squalling, then moving to some celestial lead that again heavily suggests the dominant 7th, G. At 18:00 he starts riffing in a pattern we’ve heard before, and which bears a family resemblance to several Dead vehicles like Sugar Magnolia and even Run for the Roses. It’s uncertain where this is going, and by 18:24 Garcia is suggesting a return to Dark Star, but they pause to tear it all down before Jerry strikes up the theme at 18:59. They stretch it out a bit, and there will not be a second verse tonight, an omission that will soon become standard operating procedure. At 22:20 a band member calls for Wharf Rat, and for a moment it sounds like they’re going to go there, until someone counts them in and they start Bird Song—I’m not sure how they figured that one out.

The band plays dark and heavy here, and Kreutzmann lays into the toms frequently which, along with the emphasis on the G, gives this one a rather humidly brooding vibe. The band is absolutely torrid, and there are certainly glimmers of 1972 at this point, which some of my confederates here have begun pointing out already in some of the recent renditions. Although Dark Star has been placed on the back burner relative to its previous central place in the set, in hindsight we can see gestation rather than stagnation, as it will soon return to its place of honor as the jam vehicle par excellence. While they play it less, Dark Star has nevertheless been uniformly strong over the past year and a half. Still, it is rather surprising to find them playing such a long and beautifully realized intro jam at this point. The post-verse section, centered on Feelin’ Groovy, is not as exploratory as the intro section, but overall this version is superb.


What was said:

115. 1971-04-28

youtube Fillmore East 14:00.
Main theme at 3:23.
First verse at 3:37.
Sputnik at 7:50.
Main theme at 12:13.
Second verse at 12:33.
Goes into St. Stephen.

TC returns for a guest spot on this famous version from the Fillmore East. He’s an audible presence right off the bat, although he stays in the background. The introduction circles around the main theme, but it is not stated at first; Garcia soars into a near-Bright Star at 1:50. A turning point is reached at 2:50, and some minor-inflected musings ensue. This leads rather quickly, however, to the main theme and the verse.

Garcia’s voice sounds a bit strained on the verse, and he goes off key here and there. A broody section in e minor follows. The point where space arrives comes at 5:41, and the band seems about to bring it down to silence here like a 1970 version, although TC keeps swirling away. Volume knobs are twirled as they ease into a foreboding section with heavy Lesh and some feedback. At 7:30, Weir plays some Spunik-like licks, and then Garcia takes it up at 7:50.

By about 9:15 this is turning into a vigorous little jam that takes its cue from the rolling feel of the Sputnik they’ve just left. The band really starts kicking it up here, and it is popping off in all directions. This grinds to a halt at about 10:50, and they enter calmer waters. A bouncy jam emerges, until another hiatus at 11:55 leads to the main theme. Garcia sings the second verse, and we’re out.

This is a very nice version. It certainly could have been longer, as I wouldn’t mind hearing them run down some of the ideas here at length. TC’s return is welcome, if not overly momentous. It’s nice to have a keyboard in the mix, though. Overall this is a solid run-through.


What was said:

114. 1971-04-26

145130 Fillmore East 12:52
Main theme at :06, 1:20, 2:54, and 5:12.
First verse at 5:47.
Sputnik at 8:15.
Main theme at
Goes into Wharf Rat.

They start right off with the main theme, and the jamming when it starts stays close to home, circling back to the theme several times. There is a dark and languid sound to the playing tonight. From about 4:45 the band pedals a bit, and almost it sounds like they’re going to break into a modular jam here, but instead they return to the theme and sing the verse. There is a sudden and unexpected uptick in tempo just before they get there.

The post-verse space makes a bit of a comeback tonight. After the verse, they roll around on the Dark Star chords for a while, and then at 7:50 they crash into space ever so briefly before Garcia starts to spin out Sputnik at 8:15. This is played out by 9:14, where Garcia seems like he’s going to wind up the theme for a moment, but instead more spacey expressions are forthcoming.

At 11:22 Jerry fires up a lead line that seems like it wants to lead into the middle jam, and indeed not long ago it would have, but we’re almost out of road here. The jam seems to flounder a little before Jerry strikes up the Wharf Rat chords, and Dark Star is over.

This is a nice little piece of music, although it doesn’t particularly stand out among the Dark Stars we’ve considered thus far.


What was said:

113. 1971-04-08

141099 Boston 14:35
Main theme at 4:01.
First verse at 4:27.
Sputnik at 7:25.
Main theme at 12:44.
Second verse at 13:19.
Goes into St. Stephen.

Ned Lagin sits in, although I didn't really notice him until others pointed it out. This is the first Dark Star with one drummer, as Mickey Hart left the band after 1971-02-18.


Phil Lesh is quite loud here, and sounds somewhat different. They start out with a statement of the main theme pattern, and this provides the foundation of introduction. The band comes to a peak rather early, with some classically transcendent Garcia notes resounding, and then they regroup and reach it again. Things finally begin to shift as they approach the four minute mark, but this proves to be a brief respite before the main theme. The theme then takes them on to the verse without much ado.

I thought I detected a very short cut after the verse, of maybe a second or less. The post-verse space seems to have been abandoned; instead, they enter a kind of spacey jam. At 7:25 they grind almost to a halt, and Garcia assays some Sputnik-like runs. These are eventually absorbed back into the jam, which has a minor feel. At about 8:55 Garcia seems to want to shift it back to a major thing, but Weir is not eager to oblige. By 10:00 the three string players are locked in and playing some polyphonic madness that seems to be heading for a peak, which Garcia helps along with some near-Bright Star gleanings from about 10:38.

This all comes down again at around 11:10, where the band seems ready to make some kind of transition. A descending four-chord pattern emerges, but it does not stay for long. They instead bring it to a two-chord bit that stays for a little while until Garcia brings back the main theme, and they then go to the second verse, which contains a very short cut.

A short version this is, certainly, but it is nevertheless packed with wonderful playing. Dark Star seems to be receding in importance, judging by the amount of plays it gets, and perhaps they felt like they’d given it all they had in under 15 minutes this time. Nevertheless, though it doesn’t range far, the band sounds fantastic here.


What was said: