STILL A LITTLE GAS IN THE TANK: Grateful Dead 1993 Chapter 2

2/21/93

After the killer trio of gigs to kick off 1993 in January of that year, the Grateful Dead returned once again to the Oakland Coliseum Arena in February sounding tired and uninspired. Were it not for the debut of three brand new songs on the night of the 21st, that evening’s performance would be almost completely devoid of distinction. Two debuts in a row in the first set (“Lazy River Road” & “Eternity”) surely had the ‘heads buzzing long before a third (“Liberty”) was unveiled to open the second half of the show. I’d love to say that all three were played with fire and precision but I didn’t come all this way just to lie to you. Noteworthy, yes. Exceptional? Not in any way, shape, or form. Oh well. At least Bobby’s guitar is sounding better.

2/22/93

We are several minutes into the second set on February 22 before things finally get interesting during the “Scarlet Begonias” jam that segues as usual into “Fire on the Mountain”. Jerry takes the reins here with some celestial sounds while Phil gets his stomp on. It takes only a few carefully placed notes on the bass and Phil singlehandedly dictates the parameters of a foundational Funk groove for the jam. It all takes place in a matter of subtle seconds but the transition is palpable. One assumes that entirely new dance moves were moving like a wave through the crowd in the blink of an eye due solely to the whims of Mr. Lesh. If you’re dialed in just right when the moment comes, it’s one of those instances when you can physically feel a change in your body’s inner pulse and the fluidity of your movements as the Grateful Dead spontaneously weave their sonic tapestry. The transition into “Wave to the Wind” is similarly something to behold.

Much has been written about this Lesh/Hunter collaboration, very little of it good. This writer won’t go on the record saying it’s a “bad” song. But I do find it difficult to rate it higher than simply unremarkable both lyrically and musically. In the last five years of their existence the Dead debuted a number of very promising new songs. But I certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to lump this mediocrity into that pile. I’m not put off by the song so much as I am bewildered to think they considered this track worthy of inclusion any night of the tour when they had so many other great tunes to choose from. Perhaps it is only in retrospect that we rank this track bottom of the barrel and the band must have believed in its potential to a degree. But when you add a Phil Lesh lead vocal to the preceding equation it’s near impossible to justify dropping this turd on paying customers.

Now, that said, this second set rolls seamlessly into a mercifully brief and not overly bombastic “Drumz” segment that is followed by a really tasty trip into “Space”. From there we are gifted the debut of “The Days Between”, considered by many to be the last truly epic Garcia/Hunter composition. There is a tangible sense of heavy sorrow in Jerry’s vocal performance here and this tune for its first time played already feels warm and fuzzy familiar like the beard on Garcia’s face. After the three-pack of debuts the night before, fans must have been reeling when they realized they were experiencing the unveiling of a totally unexpected fourth. I’m sure I speak for more than one Deadhead when I say that I can forgive a multitude of sins (I’m looking at you, “Wave to the Wind”) when I’m on the receiving end of a special delivery like “The Days Between”.

Not even the sweeping strings from Welnick’s cheezy synth can keep “Throwin’ Stones” from throwing down and we wrap up the set proper with an exceptionally hot “Not Fade Away” complete with audience singalong as the band fades out to take a bow. The Dead and their fans certainly loved the Bob Dylan covers that grew increasingly common in the band’s later years. But again this writer feels underwhelmed and a little bit ripped off when they encore with “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. The sad repetition of those four chords and the song’s redundant chorus feel lazy to me. Why come out for an encore at all if it’s barely enough to wake a sleeping baby? Aside from that lackluster encore this is a really strong second set and I think we can safely assume the fans’ excitement for the following night’s Mardi Gras show was running high.

2/23/93

The 3rd and final night of this run is something to behold. Although I assign that distinction based almost entirely on my opinion of the evening’s second set. The first set has its moments but none are spectacular. A better-than-usual “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” from Bobby is a nice treat and Jerry is solid throughout as always, slipping only and ironically in the “Johnny B. Goode” set closer. Ironic in that the tune celebrates a certain whiz kid guitar player but this version finds Jerry stumbling over his own feet. The band is cooking here but something trips up the big man and I am left with a better impression of Welnick’s piano pounding than Jerry’s rough hewn soloing. It’s been said that Jerry’s main axe was not functioning properly and this evening saw him break out the Wolf for what may have been its last appearance on stage with the Grateful Dead.

Didgeridoo player Graham Wiggins played a starring role in the evening’s stellar “Drumz” segment and later said, “On this night, just before the show started, a great fuss sprang up backstage with people saying ‘Jerry's guitar just BROKE’. I asked what they meant and someone said it had snapped in two. Roadies were rushing around and I was told it was not a good time to visit the stage to check arrangements for my didgeridoo appearance. So he was definitely playing a substitute guitar that night, but I can't tell you what it was.” Fans later confirmed that Jerry’s Tiger guitar was MIA this evening with the Wolf in its place.

Everything you are reading here is based on my impressions of recordings I have heard of the Grateful Dead from 1993. Many others who were actually in attendance at this show claim that Jerry was on fire for this performance of “Johnny B. Goode”. I can only tell you what I am hearing after the fact. First hand accounts may conflict with mine but there’s no doubt in my mind that there is truth to be found on both sides of the argument. It may not sound great to me but I wasn’t there.

Even in this otherwise unremarkable first set the band’s performance is a study in contrasts. Opening with “Cold Rain and Snow” they sound assured, confident, solid as the ground you’re standing on from the first notes. Over the course of the following 50 minutes they are in turns wobbly, smooth, loose, eager, lazy, simultaneously out of step with each other yet thick as thieves. Sleepwalking through fire.

Bobby singing the old soup bone “Wang Dang Doodle” in the number 2 slot is no way to build momentum. But of course Jerry’s Blues licks are razor sharp and no one in the crowd is bothered in the least by the band’s promise to “romp and stomp 'til midnight… fuss and fight 'til daylight… We gonna pitch a wang dang doodle all night long”!

Jerry takes a stroll through “Loser”, always heartfelt and emotional in his delivery. Then Bobby knocks “Stuck Inside of Mobile” out of the park. Next comes the first real surprise of the night with Phil Lesh taking a lead vocal on the band’s first ever performance of the Robbie Robertson tune “Broken Arrow”. No one’s ever gonna mistake Phil for Pavarotti. But the Dead knew what they were doing when they added this number to their repertoire. Lesh’s vocal style is utterly lacking in grace and subtlety. He may sound like a walrus trying to sing a lullaby but his natural, easy charm is undeniable and relentless without being pushy. It may border on overbearing but never quite crosses the line. Listen to the crowd response at the song’s conclusion and that’s all you need to know how the audience felt about this bust out.

The less said the better about Welnick’s “Way to Go Home” and then this first set stumbles drunkenly into the past with the mixed blessing of “Johnny B. Goode”.

For all the bust outs and surprises over the course of 3-night run, it’s safe to assume that few if any fans were shocked to hear “Iko Iko” at the Mardi Gras show. Parade floats and multiple percussionists ushered in this second set with “Iko” rising like a tipsy phoenix out of the drummers’ festive din. The party atmosphere is unstoppable and not even Bobby’s second pass at “Corrina” in 3 days can derail the fun. Of the late-era original tunes debuted in their final years, “Corrina” is unique in more ways than one. It sounds unlike any other song by the band, Bobby’s guitar attack aided by an insistent slapback echo effect. This particular version doesn’t quite make it to the stratosphere but “Corrina” was a frequent jam vehicle in the second half of the show in its relatively brief lifespan and a curiosity in and of itself because one never really knew what to expect of it as the opening notes began to bounce over the crowd. Another recent composition also played just two nights previous, Jerry takes us once again down to “Lazy River Road” before the real magic begins as it so often did with “Playin’ in the Band”.

To these ears it is Welnick who actually starts the song in the wrong key but the ship is quickly righted and we’re off on the first real adventure of the evening. It is a strangely calm and steady jam that ensues as the band indulges in some spontaneous experimentation without ever sounding rushed or frantic. A fistful of crystals in a warm acid bath, the jam disintegrates into a ferocious “Drumz” segment augmented beautifully by the aforementioned Graham Wiggins on didgeridoo. It really sets this mess apart from the usual drum circle monotony and its wicked growl makes me wish they’d brought the didgeridoo into the mix on a more regular basis.

Now, fasten your safety belts as alto saxophone legend Ornette Coleman joins the band for what is likely one of the more gratifying “Space” jams by the Grateful Dead that you are ever likely to hear. Jerry for one must have been on cloud nine all night, after sitting in for the last song in Coleman’s opening set. (Did any tapers out there manage to capture THAT? I’m dying to hear it.) Coleman remained onstage for the remainder of the show, taking the always adventurous “The Other One” into completely uncharted territory as well as sprinkling some unexpected sweetness over “Stella Blue” before the ensemble closes out the set with “Lovelight”.

From “Playing in the Band” all the way through the evening’s encore of “Brokedown Palace” is an hour-plus of unparalleled American virtuosity and real sparks flying. Absolutely essential listening for Deadheads and likely to stun casual listeners as well. Even with its many flaws, this show saved a three-night run I was ready to flush midway through.

Recommended tracks:

Some interesting new tunes unveiled on 2/21/93 but little of merit. From 2/22/93 the whole second set is worth checking out. Ditto the 2/23/93 Mardi Gras show, the band’s eleventh consecutive concert at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. A 20-date Spring East Coast Tour would begin 15 days later in Rosemont, Illinois.