This was part of a short campus ballroom tour at universities of AZ>UT>CO. After a club gig in Omaha they then resumed campuses, including the incredible show @Wash U in Saint Lou, then Purdue & Clark. This is the first of 9 Utah shows and 7 bookings ['95 was a run]. Note that the poster says these sets were ticketed as two shows, at 8pm & 10pm (this is why Bobby says they're done after the first set and the announcer ends the show). This means they were going to turn the house, which was common in '68>'70, but it sounds like the turnout was small enough that they may have let the early ticket holders stay while the second holders arrived. The second show is shorter than the usual on nights they turned the house. Either there is another song missing, or this was contractual obligation [not that that ever stopped the Dead from playing another half hour], or there was a curfew. The latter is most likely, since in Utah in '69 the majority of the population had never witnessed a midnight. Not only did Utah campuses have strict curfews, this was back when the proposal of live rock-n-roll caused angry letters, protests, spiritual crises and gnashing of teeth. The show was sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society, rescheduled from an initial March date. AoxoMoxoA hadn't been released on time, so they weren't touring the LP. Anthem was likely the only LP in Utah stores at the time, if any.

Early Show. Dew is a good opener choice for any students that had bought the first LP. Bobby then starts his Yellow Dog joke, but they cut him off to launch Pig. Schoolgirl is yr avg '69, but Jer and Pig playing off each other is always good. Bobby tries to finish Yellow Dog but Pigpen steals the punchline and Billy [sounds like] recommends "You don't have to laugh - nobody does". The 26th has the big one, but this Doin' That Rag is nice. Just a Hand to Hold maintains many maudlin monotonous minutes. The first Cryptical is cut after 1min. Most of The Other One is missing, coming back at the second Cryptical (the previous night's has a cut too). Probably 10-15mins is missing. Too bad - what we have is really good.

Late Show. Dark Star is missing probably 1>5min from the beginning. It's the standard '69 format [a Sputnik @10:25 and so forth]. The 17th & 27th are the tour's big ones (even if they don't have the discovery-majesty of the Feb versions). Imagine never having heard St. Stephen before going to this show. This is before prog broke, and it sounds like a medley, and then they pause to light a freaking cannon, then it sounds like TC plays a madrigal... Surely some students became fans. It's not unique so much as sterling, and leads to a The Eleven that absolutely smokes. Sink beneath the water to the coral sands below. You will notice a splice in Lovelight @16secs where it speeds up, switching to a different source (presumedly the same show...). Nothing above the average here, but they may have been at the curfew because the announcer tries to announce them offstage as they enter Feedback; the tape of which cuts off, probably missing 3-7mins. There was most likely a Bid You Goodnight.

Early Show:  B-
Late Show:   B
Overall = 3½ stars

Highlights:
Cryptical Envelopment - we have the tail of a TifTOO that tantalizes
St. Stephen - not unique as much as sterling
The Eleven - sink beneath the water to the coral sands below

SOURCES: The SBD needs a little pitch correction for authentic playback. It starts to get a tad slow at Doin That Rag and then needs +1% starting at Just a Hand to Hold, and through the first set. From 16secs in Lovelight to the end it needs -1%.

Has anybody counted how many renditions of the Yellow Dog Story he told in the era he was telling it? Can we make a graph: X performances by the Grateful Dead, Y renditions of the YDS? When did he stop telling it, and why? Why in God's name did he START?

All in all a great show, kinda loose & experimental. In fact I'm gonna up my earlier rating, since the Eleven is hot as high heaven, and since this is actually the first rendition of the Dog joke we have on recording.

very good version of He Was a Friend of Mine, and a powerful Dark Star too. recommended despite the major cut in TOO

One HOT Lovelight

Used to sign on with Pulver@Noyo. Now this is what ya' get. Thanks to SOC69 for the clarification on Spirit of Creation!

I have wanted to hear this show for quite some time but didn't notice it here so, "Thanks!" It's been here ten years and I didn't see it? The further I go, the rounder I get...

Being the Old Fart that I am, I love analog. Hiss, pops, warts and all. SDS Ballroom may or may not have had adequate grounding back then or the lights may have been bleeding off into the P.A. or...Back in those days you could pretty much guarantee that the hall was going to have its' faults and you just worked around them. I was an L.D. in SoCal late 60's to mid-70's. I distinctly remember all the SNAFU's.

i had to give a good rating for the "shine on me" section of lovelight, i dig that barbershop stuff and what there is of this show is well worth a listen, and you can hear it, that's worth stars
hay man, the hiss is why it is still music, the same thing that creates the hiss gives the glow, don't you know, and besides you don't notice when the music starts

Spirit of Creation was a band from LA that spent 2 years in SLC opening for various major groups from 1968 to 1970.
Their music was primarily jam oriented with occasional covers. The main players were Chuck Fraher/Guitar/Vocals, John Mehler/Drums/Vocals and Jay Truax/Bass/Vocals. They also opened a club call the "Old Mill" in SLC where bands like Alice Cooper, Chicago Transit Authority, Sons of Champlin, etc. performed. The band was managed by Stu Felton and Associates.

Though it's not as strong or as well played as the following night, this show is nothing to sneeze at. Haven't heard a "bad" Dark Star in '69 yet, and this one is no exception. Also dig the Dew, Friend of Mine, and The Eleven. The missing Other One does hurt, if it were in tact this would be a solid four star show. As is, I give it a 3 & 1/2.

this is simply the greatest site Ive ever found; trying to remember what I used the internet for prior to this discovery...

THANK YOU.x

Don't pass it by.
Peace, Bob

I have an original poster from this show and it's one of my most cherished wall ornaments. It's also a VERY rare poster. Only 300 originals made. The kid resting a ES335 knock-off, with head phones going from the guitar to his ears, against his body and the rainbow rocker over the top. I always wondered who Spirit of Creation was though...The warm-up act on the bill. The artist is Richard Taylor, of Rainbow Jam (early computerized light shows) fame back then. I got to meet him this past year and have him sign my poster in San Anselmo. He was a real nice guy.

Cool show considering the venue and the times. I didn't know that Utah could actually be a cool (well, sort of cool anyway) place until 1985, when I finally went there to hike and do some desert and mountain camping.

-Pulver

The "Dark Star" is similar in spirit to the "Live Dead" version from February 27. Not quite as perfect but equally interesting, in its own way, from moment to moment.

i like when jerry gets agitated by a non dancing crowd....do they play better? this is a gem...coming off the heels of the avalon shows and the fillmore a month prior....it is nice to hear a different take on the dead...great show..little hiss there to remind us the recording was analog i give it a 4 "right in da hissa" uh oh----looks like we missed the entire Other One too......4 goes to a 3 as the tune is my fav workout for the dead of the late 60's