Grateful Dead - Dark Star 9-19-70

live from Fillmore East - New York, NY 9-19-70

[@bodhiheeren]

What a beautiful version.....

[@jeffreygreenberg3603]

This is absolutely what the Dead were truly about!! you can hear a pin drop, people must have been totally blown away. Great ride!!

[@rickhocks2616]

INCREDIBLE DARK STAR!!! It has been said that this was a tribute to Jimi Hendrix - who was found dead the previous day in 1970 ... It was terrible two weeks - as Janis died on October 4 ... At the time, I was especially shaken up by Jimi's death - as he was my favorite at the time - but Janis' loss hurt as well ... Jerry Garcia is fantastic here - and it's especially nice to hear Bob Weir high in the mix - "Dark Star" tends to bring out the best of jazz in Weir ... The percussion is somewhat annoying and overbearing at the beginning - but the song just builds - the silence and subsequent jams are simply stellar!!!

[@djaminc]

True Grateful Dead- it goes from silence into an amazing jam/solo,it would have been amazing to see this live ,on acid too!

[@chrischandler5653]

Yeah, but have you ever seen the Grateful Dead on WEED man?

[@InService77]

There are so many peak passages in this version. I'm blown away by the interplay between the 3 guitars. This song is not technically demanding like Zappa, Weather Report and the like, but nothing compares for my tastes in music. What the musicians have to say through their instruments speaks to the potential beauty human beings can create when they collaborate with a combination of free improv while closely listening to each other. My favorite passage is 18:07-20:44. I appreciate how Garcia drops out at 19:05, Weir and Lesh take the reigns for half a minute, Garcia drops back in, then briefly gives space (19:49-19:55) in which Weir and Lesh drive the heart chakra open in that 6 seconds, followed by Garcia seamlessly weaving his line back into the journey. I've heard musicians who can technically play circles around the Dead, but I have yet to hear any other group evoke such a deep resonance with my own nature (in a realm that is beyond words). By comparison, some of Duane Allman's slide guitar after the drums on Mt. Jam from Eat a Peach is exquisite and purely joyful, but even then the Allmans did not attempt what the Grateful Dead dared to try on Dark Stars like this one.

[@Stevopapito]

That was very beautifully expressed, thank you :)

[@donovanburkhard]

Never the same twice but always just as purposeful and some how spot on. Grateful Dead ladies and gentlemen, how about them.

[@jimgreene3914]

One of the finest

[@snoopcoopdaddy]

Dark Star was always a living song, never the same twice.. So grateful folks!

[@ooskerfoontney6326]

Wow. I am something of a connoisseur of Dark Stars, and this is an excellent Dark Star. Thanks for posting.

[@bigrobtheactor]

Me too, there was one from RFK Stadium, early 70's I believe, I had on tape but cannot find online, frustrating. Can you suggest your top three for me?

[@Terrapinonline]

@@bigrobtheactor Listen to 4/28/71, it's on Ladies & Gentleman.

[@stevemucci3996]

As am I. It's their greatest improvisational piece in my opinion.

[@InService77]

@@bigrobtheactor Since no one else put in there top 3, I'll put in my top 6.... 2-13-70, 5-15-70, the one on this video, 4-28-71, 5-18-72, 11-11-73.

[@dlm9293]

My goodness, gotta love just how much this tune (and the band as a whole) evolved in just a few short years. They were able to create such a compelling dynamic within the relatively simple framework of the song. The post-second verse abstract eerie weirdness gives way to the beautiful blossoming of the pre-Feeling Groovy vamp, the Feeling jam proper, and then, in many cases, the sublime Tighten up jam. All winding down to slowly bring back the main theme and settle back into the remainder of the song. Just so amazing to listen to. An incredibly unique group of musicians at the peak of their collective power💀⚡⚘

[@dustydiciurcio137]

Absolutely ASTRONOMICAL🌌🥳🙃Good ole Gr8ful @ their BEST!💀⚡🍄🌲🗣💨🍻☮🛐🙏✝️🕊THANK U GOD FER THEM

[@chrischandler5653]

Man,what a dreamy floating version!

[@daskitten1]

So nice to hear Bobby properly featured in the mix. Too often you have to imagine you're hearing him....

[@mobettabud30]

The day I was born :-)

[@sweetpeajunglebean]

i don't think that music gets any better than this.

[@djaminc]

Excellent feelin groovy jam starts at-16:00 what a great piece of Dead this is,thanx 4 postin such a great DarkStar.

[@johnberlinsky8120]

perfect!

[@liebl009]

One of the best Dead videos I have seen on KZbin. Fitting for a Dark Star too. Lovely version. That jam that starts at 16:02 is pure love. Cool to find it in another version besides 2/13/70.

[@steveanderson7864]

There is a thing on Bandcamp called Ego: Grateful Shed that is about 18 versions of the Feelin’ Groovy jam. It is my favorite thematic jam they do.

[@Docgrass]

I really think this one is the best.

[@newagainhousewashllc6932]

Favorite Dark Star.

[@minorthreat8240]

13:35 Bobby comes in with the riff. Yabba Dabbba Dooooooooooooooooooooooooo! .

[@jacksonchance1354]

Helluva jam

[@bhaktabilly4669]

...the day after Jimi Hendrix died.

[@dlm9293]

Many call this particular Dark Star a eulogy of sorts for their fallen musical brother. A nice thought to be sure

[@charlesryan427]

One of the best Dark Stars; had this on a shitty sounding tape back in the 90s

[@gfewgrwgrweewgegeg]

such a good DS. the crowd is just silent

[@dlm9293]

The relatively rowdy Fillmore East crowd always seemed to respect and greatly enjoy the Dead.

[@starcloud4959]

cool_gonna search the archives for 2/13/70. i like 16:02 as well. I like how bob wier's guitar is coming thru the mix.and the way he uses different chord patterns, like u just dont know whats gonna happen next..

[@rodciferri9626]

I think Weir is such a guitar genius that only a guitar genius can grasp just how advanced he is.

[@steveanderson7864]

@@rodciferri9626 I suck at guitar but I love his playing and can pick it out and appreciate it. Go fuck yourself, nerd. LOL

[@edwinhurwitz6792]

Weir's guitar is their secret weapon. He held everything together. Of all the shows I saw, 1976 to the end, I never saw him have a bad night on the guitar.

[@So_Stupendous]

Kings of Leon- Arizona tease at 17:33 :D

[@So_Stupendous]

The sounds of the cosmos are infinite and timeless. Everything will happen again. Peace

[@chrismcginn8475]

~13:00 is rather TASTEy

[@minorthreat8240]

Sooo damn good! I wish you could hear Billy’s kick a little louder in the mix, otherwise unreal

[@eflows]

I have to say, my favorite Jerry guitar tone is when he was using an SG or LP.

[@rickhocks2616]

Yes - I agree (up to a point) ... I love the later guitars through TIGER - it's like each of the new guitars (along with the evolving effects) added new voices and styles ... But there is something about Jerry Garcia with the Gibson Les Pauls & SG (with so few effects) that is so pure & elemental & beautiful ... It's a little like Eric Clapton and his Gibson / Marshall phase - and it's also the personal ages of these guitarists at that time ... And the historical age of 1967 - 1972 - a musical and spiritual moment never to be repeated ...