The was the worst possible day. The heat index on the stadium floor was 110 degrees. On stage, must have been 120 +.

Jerry was sick. His vocals were fine.

Go see Jerry in 1984 when he wasn't even bathing.

You all are such perfectionists. Makes me mad. Jerry carried the burden of the band and the "enterprise" for so many years.

Jerry himself had said if he could do 1 show with the dead, 1 show with his band and 1 show with Grisman in rotation he would be the happiest man alive.

But the weight of the engine of the "Dead" is what killed him. Not the "h".

RIP Jer

I'm happy I missed the show the night before many were treated for heat exhaustion. The heat index was over a hundred both days. Unbearable. I see a lot of reviews getting down on this performance, I believe this would be the reason why.

This was the last show before Garcia went into a coma. I was there for both RFK shows & it was hotter than hell ... I can't imagine what it was like onstage.

One minute he was working away on Good Lovin, the next he was in trouble...hit a wall. Honestly, they were lucky he didn't pass out. The break took forever. The encore — Satisfaction. Jerry just hung back and let Bobby do his thing. The song took forever — went on and on. In hindsight, I bet they played exactly their contracted length. I've seen them for 20 years and this was the only time I saw them introduce the members of the band — ever. Three days later he was fighting for his life.

For those who pi$$ & moan about the music quality; think about this: you saw Jerry's last show before he he went into the coma and he was never the same.

I remember this show vividly, I'd been on the summer tour since The Hubert Humphrey Metrodome and this was supposed to wrap up the Dylan/Dead venture with a nice little bow. It didn't really deliver.

Listen closely to the first few minutes of Baby Blue and you'll hear some really sour notes. Dylan was "struggling" with technical difficulties on his guitar and gesturing to Weir that something was wrong. Weir nods back stage seemingly suggesting that Dylan go for another guitar, but Dylan would have none of that. Then in a magnanimous gesture Weir gives his guitar to Dylan and disappears backstage with Dylan's. Now with Weir offstage Dylan steps to the mic at about 3:45 in and belts out his best vocal of the day with just him and Jerry out front. Weir returns to the stage with a guitar, and about 2 mins left, and promptly retrieves his guitar from Dylan and provides him with the one from the back. Dylan gives him a look like, "are you serious?" meanwhile Phil chimes in at the mic and lays down some heavy notes trying to cover up and keep the whole thing on track.

Now with egos flaring its time for the Bobs to do their duet of Desolation Row. That turns into a fiasco as Dylan keeps ducking back from the mic and Weir's voice naturally overpowers the lyric. Weir's body language encourages Dylan to step forward but almost every time, at the last second Dylan ducks back. Weir tries to compensate by singing softer but the whole thing is just unraveling.

In all fairness it's not the worst version of Desolation Row I've ever heard, a couple of friends and I tried it one night at an after hours party...

hey peeps, c'mon, I have heard much much worse shows, I have a real hard time listening to Jerry die on stage, that's my main reason I avoid the latter shows. I hate that "H" got hold of him and it damaged him so. I even heard at one time he had a greenish blue tint to his skin and somehow found enough strength to get on stage, and sometimes he shouldn't have.
as hot as everyone says it was, and we all know how many people pass out or buckle under the heat of a stadium show, packed in tight around the stage, dancing...geez, Jerry gets hot too, and yes, he was close to death, but I don't see a reason to rate this a one or two star. at this time Dylan sucked live anyhow, I am glad I passed up the Dylan/dead shows then, but the recording alone is fantastic, sounds like a decent matrix to me, I've heard worse that were matrixes. there aren't any hidden gems here to be sure, but it doesn't deserve a one star rating, that's why i'm giving a four star to this to help balance out the negatives

DollarBills said: "Jerry seems annoyed and irritated. The songs are fast and furious, like he really wanted to leave and go lay down."

NO Kidding Sherlock!! Perhaps Jerry seemed this way because he was about to go into a coma. That might have something to do with it!

Musically, this was not a strong show. But after seeing the Dead three previous times, this fourth show was magical for me. Something clicked in my head and heart during Terrapin, and I've been forever grateful.

RIP, Ol' Jer.

I've heard much better ones. You know that Weir was really pissed off about it being a let down. He let everybody know it with his "hey, hey, no fuckin way" encore...

Sorry to all of you who were there and had a great time but, this has got to be one of the worst Terrapins I have ever heard. The whole show seems lame and uninspired. Dylan does not help the first set either, not to my ears. Jerry seems annoyed and irritated. The songs are fast and furious, like he really wanted to leave and go lay down.

I'll give it two stars because the recording isn't bad, the playing is (mostly Jerry).

Yikes what a train wreck! Easily the worse show I've heard yet since I started diving into this archive. The whole performance oozes illness and misery. Bob Weir is the only band memeber who seems like he wants to make something positive happen on this gloomy night. I honestly believe everybody was expecting Jerry to die after the tour and the band member intros during "Satisfaction" were an Auld Lang Syne. I'm glad Jerry lived and that the band continued because it would have been a shame if they went out on this sour note.

the band intro alone makes this an amazing show :)that is so sweeeeeet.

Clearly this is one of those times that people can't differentiate between the quality of the performance and the quantity of mind altering substances they took. Sure, you had fun at this show, the boys gave an (always appreciated) effort, and the drugs you took were cool for you. But, let us not kid ourselves: this one falls somewhere in the basement because it makes for a bad listen. For example, try Dylan's horrible singing in the first set. Even Lesh's "Box of Rain" can't save this one, as it is mediocre. Garage band demos sound more professional than this sad load of un-listenable bottom- of- the- archive crud.

The recording quality is fine for an audience tape and the crowd is having a great time. However, this one deserves a listen only because it could have become Garcia's last show. Clearly we were lucky to get almost another decade out of our favorite lead guitarist. Don't believe me? Listen to the poor man struggle through "It Must Have Been the Roses." He was obviously very devoted to even attempt to play in such a condition, but that extra bit of sadness only makes this recording even less easy to hear.

The show was so good he had to die

Sorry to disagree with everyone but this show is very memorable to me. This was one of only a handfull of tours that I saw every show. Yes the first day was aweful with the heat and the first time I ever saw Jerry AND Phil wearing shorts. The second day did cool off quite a bit. I loved seeing Dylan play Desolation Row with Bobby as I think it was a big thrill for the both of them. At this time I never heard about the Bobby role-call at the Greek so when he did it here I was completely surprised. If you listen the The Greek role call youll see we definitely got the better one. The crowd was screamin when Bobby said "and over here we have ole' Jer" and after a defining guitar rif Jerry comes back and says "one of my favorite people in the whole wide world Mr Bob Weir!" People that are saying this is the only good part of the show may be right but hell you were always lucky just to get one moment. The same argumet can be made about the 83 St Stephen at the Garden or the Dark Star at the 89 Warlocks shows. Especially since this was almost the Deads last moment, I see it as a pretty important show. If anyone wants to listen to another important show, check out the first Black Peter (after near death) that Jerry sang at the New Years Kaiser run later on in this year. Another single moment from a show I will always remember.

I had attended the day before. The temp. was outragious. The first day couldn't tell if Dyland and Petty were good as the sound system sucked. The Dead show was pretty much standard fair. Nothing really great. At that time I didn't know that a year and a day from then I'd hear a real killer U.S. Blues in Roanoke

Traveled down to DC from Boston. Throughly enjoyed the Southern Hospitality.

Bob Dylan and Tom Petty opened. It was typical 86 Dylan, but Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were great, when they did their mini-set.

It was very hot, 103 or something like that. The crowd was being hosed down and loved it.

The show wasn't that bad. Dylan and Weir on Desolation Row was interesting and I enjoyed it.

I went to DC for the 4th of July weekend hoping for some hot shows. Well the shows were hot, but not the music. Down at the bottom of all the shows I've been at, or heard. A 5 song first set? And Dylan made an embarrasement on stage during the last 2 songs. The only song worth keeping is Satisfaction, and that is only because of the band member announcements. It's almost as if they knew that they wouldn't be playing for a while. Download this show at your own risk.

This show was very high energy in the second set with great Jerry solos on all songs both sets. Sure, his voice is scraggly, as it was from '84 onward. The Playin' jam is short but incredible, Phil and Bob taking over after Jerry and Brent temporarily ducked off stage. Great playing all around the second set. There is a soundboard of this show out there somewhere, I have a partial high generation tape of it. Last pre-coma show for Jerry, a pro despite being very sick at the time.

This show was great. The weather cooled down a bit from the day before which wasn't that good a show. There were less people at this show. I believe it was a monday. Anyway, if you were there you had a great time. Ramble on Rose opener was sweet and Dylan joining in to end the first set w/ Baby Blue , Desolation was very nice. All and all one of my fave shows out of the more than one hundred I attended. If you were there lets hear from you. Let's get this shows rating up to where it should be.

this could possibly be the worst show in dead history.


listen to the two songs with dylan if you really want to laugh your ass off

as tough as the 95 summer shows. They ole boy was in bad shape and his vocals and the short show prove it. Take a listen to the Satisfaction and then bail.

take the satisfaction and keep moving

I thought the show was pretty good. I remember that great crowd response when Dylan would actually sing with the Dead. However, I believe Weir helped Dylan through most of the lyrics to Desolation Row. Still, although Jerry was quite febrile due to an abcessed tooth, he played well. Always remember to see your dentist regularly. But the jam after Jerry left the stage after Terrapin was still great...fine interplay with Wier, Brent and Phil.

These RFK shows were a lot of fun. The weather was unbelievably hot (how did they manage to schedule all the east coast summer tours with the heat waves?). If I remember correctly, the Summer 86 stadium shows were abbreviated for the Dylan/Tom Petty sets. The first Dead set of this show was way short (4 songs) with two mellow Dylan songs (accompanied by Mr D himself). Sometimes Dylan/Petty opened, and sometimes the Dead opened. The Dylan/Petty sets were very weak, especially compared to the Dead/Dylan sets of 87. Anyway, back to the show. Jerry's playing is quite good considering his physical condition. Phil is killer on this show - and the Band introductions during Satisfaction is a Hall-of-Fame moment. I'll never forget the helicopters circling the parking lots after the show - with the heads jumping in and out of the beams of light...

This is one of the worst shows I ever went to. Jerry, sick as he was, kept walking off the stage during the second set. The performance was completely uninspired. Many shows in '86 had a strange vibe and were short, but this one took the cake. A few days later Jerry was in a coma. 'Nuff said.

Satisfaction was indeed a treet, but I thought the whole second half of second set rocked. It was one of my favorite shows, but then again, I was 18 and out of my mind.. ("I don't know, it must have been the doses.....")

One of the all time great GD moments as Bob goes around and introduces the band during Satisfaction. Priceless!

Very strange and mediocre performance otherwise. But then again, Jerry was dying . . .