thanks hifichoctaw, I could never find the right words. peace to the deadheads who enjoy this show. some get it, and for us it's paradise.

Anyone that gave this show less than 4 stars is so full of shit and if you look at most of their other so called reviews you'll know what I mean.Wanna be rock critics with no clue.
5 gold stars.76 was an stellar year for the Dead IMO.

The digital bank clock outside the arena after the show?
Click, click, click....

hifichoctaw!
Play the change, no matter how strange! or whatever the expression was! Jerry's way was to cause mistakes to find new places for his imagination...unless of course I'm wrong!
Just noticed (something that is unlikely to be of any impact in the world now or forever) that 31 years ago today I went to my first Dead show. And while the music had infected me prior, the experience of it was stunning.
Not even yet 17 and not yet a deadhead...

hifichoctaw -- you nailed it. Couldnt we all just sit back and enjoy the show.

Hey mind wandering...if only you couldve been there to help the boys out,with the setlist,the tune up,the consumables...hell,everything...maybe we could be enjoying this fine performance by these fine humans,who are not always at their best as you would have been no doubt....Oh wait..I am enjoying this performance...never"mind" cowboy,It was a dream I dreamt one afternoon..long ago....taker how she comes and as always.....Faque.

Both of the shows before and both shows after have been officially released (on DiP20, Spirit of '76, & DaP4), but this show has been chiefly ignored. You'd be forgiven for thinking it's a bum show. It's not - even if it's not as great as the shoulder shows - and like all of Fall '76 there are some great standouts. They played better shows at this venue (9/2/80, 11/5/77), but then those shows don't have a Help>Slip>Franks that is its own sandwich.

First Set. Average '76 versions (GOGD) until an exciting Deal. There are perhaps too many versions of Looks Like Rain in '76 & '77 but I dig the drummers here. Row Jimmy is too sluggish in this spot. It's played fine but the solos aren't the most engaging. The first half of It's All Over Now is patched with the AUD. Rather than getting sparked, Loser is also sluggish and spare. Bobby lifts things back with Lightnin'>Supp, which was great on this tour. This one is interesting because Jer stops for part of it, forcing it to become more rhythmic. Brown Eyed Women is unstudied and X-factored. Uptempo like many in '76 (a huge year for BEW), check Bobby and the crucial Keith. The excitement rolls through Music Never Stopped. Perfectly tightened, it's ... well, almost all '76s are.

Second Set. Might as Well is fine, if a rote run-through. Still a nice set opener, and a launcher for this wonderful Samson. Jer flings punctuation marks throughout, then Help on the Way boots all brands of butt. Way uptempo, there is some astonishing group interplay. The playback balance goes awry after the patch on Slipknot!, but damn is Phil inspired. There's a fine flow for The Other One but other than that the rest is average (or less) for '76. Franklin's>Slip is slightly clunky, or off, by tour standards, but Jer stays with it ... and stays with it, and at nearly 18mins it's one of the longest ever - and also one of the most vampy. As others have noted, by Around & Around there's a tired lack of energy compared to the rest of the tour, leading to a loose U.S. Blues with mixed-up verses.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: C
Overall = 3 stars

Highlights:
Brown Eyed Women - huge era; Bobby & Keith crucial
The Music Never Stopped - so perfectly tightened
Samson & Delilah - flung punctuation marks
Help on the Way - astonishing group interplay

SOURCES: Because there's an unusually good AUD for the era (it's not on the archive; the parrillo_3821 is a matrix), there can be a great Tobin matrix. The miller_87664 is the SBD upgrade. The pitch is fine but it still lacks image (it's almost mono in places), and the tunings are cut unnaturally. The balance also needs intervention. So if that's an issue you might try the Tobin MTX.

The aud was adjusted to match Soundboard, but soundboard pitch is off.

Mighty fine performance worthy of pitch correction. I wish I had the time.

A Good Show As The Band Really Began To Gel Again After The Layoff. This Run From William 'n' Mary Thru Syracuse Were Imaginative. Lots Of Interesting Set Lists. Still A Li'l Rusty But Gaining Momentum All The While.Nice Dynamics On Franklin's The Ebb And Flow With Some China Cat Licks From Bobby Around 14:00 Minutes And Again Near The Close. Nice Recording,Though Kieth Is A Tad Loud In The Mix. As For The Donna Commentator. ("Common Tater") Let's All Agree That He Sucks And We All Know It. For Always Grateful.

Hi. First review here. This was also my first Dead show. I went with a bunch of people I didn't know in the back of a van with no seats from Buffalo to Rochester.

Anyhow, I see a lot of negatives about the show, but I remember it as pretty damn great. I was about 40 feet back from the stage, and this was when there was room to move even that close. The band was tight, and I had been listening to Blues for Allah a lot, so the Help>Slipknot>Franklin's with The Other One and Wharf Rat sandwiched in between Help and Slipnot... well that was it for me and started my run of about 100 shows.

Also, must say that this is probably still my favorite Franklin's Tower of all time, all 17 minutes plus of it.

I'm sure there's some nostalgia in this review, but that is a real nice show from the boys and Donna was mostly in tune for a change. Believe me, I know all about that. Cheers, Heads!

This show really gets rolling when they start exploring the spaces in between Lazy Lightning>Supplication.
From that point on the band is fluid and as the 2nd set attests they are ready to put the foot on the accelerator.
One thing I noticed up front is Keith during Samson being way more in the mix for this show and playing counterpoint or cutting across the grain of the tune. By 1978 it is the drummers that pull most of the weight in Samson.
Anyhow pretty creative show I kinda wish I had listened with the headphones because Phil is a little lost on me thru my speakers.
I Second that Emotion as far as Donna Jean. The Grateful Dead should be like our family. We don't turn our back on our family especially since what people get down on her for is her contribution to the music which to me is fairly subjective. When the band made the shift to Brent it had everything to do with Keith.
For those 2015 reunion shows the ensemble singing was sub-par it could have used some of Donna's sweetness.

people have opinions. How awesome in 2016 would it be to have Donna come back, even for just five minutes. Gonna tell me those 73 shows with let Me Sing Your Blues away etc. were "bad.", it's a somewhat low blow. anyways whatever, there will never be another,and the one now has some voices that rough up some tunes, like mayer doing Brown Eyed women, its noisey. anyways I did see bigfoot at the Albany show, she said she'll be at the 2016 Albany show if she can make it, if Bob does. I'd pay a lot to see this show, where's that time machine. Is $150 enuf. That is how much floor tickets for fenway cost for 7/16,17 etc. That wouldhave gotten one a tour book with14 tickets in 1984. I started in'82,andhad a blast. Donna exists, her band exists I think. lets get her back. for a moment. Before the earthquake.

Loved this show. Went up with a 2 women and a guy-we all met in the ticket line at UMass ( none of us knew each other) and made a deal to meet and ride up! What great fun! This is one if the all time second sets sorry Donna sucks..,one of the only times they split help slip franklins and wharf rat in the middle!!!! An all time version.
The crowd was mega stoked and the stage was only about ten inches off the ground so we were able to talk to Jerry in between sings! I saw a lot of shows in this time period and this was magic! Get the tape!

Don't understand the harsh comments at all - was at this show - loved it then - and loved listening to the 2nd set this evening - sweet, concise, at times powerful, and downright clever (Other One; Wharf rat "sandwich") - Great playing - loved this era - the next night in Syracuse was also great (Dicks Picks ) - terrific pair of upstate shows in my freshman (and only ) year at college. Both completely different (except All OVer Now) set lists - totally different flavors - this one more rockin' the next night spacier - just a great pair at a great time. Love my wife, life, kids, grandkids (!), but listening to this...ahhh....miss those days.....Glad I can listen in.....

Hey Donna lover. Why go to 330 shows just to be disappointed 8 out of 10 times. Tour rats shutting out civilians from the music. Uughh.... This show is decent listen and make up your own mind.

Sounded pretty good to me! Hell, it's a clean recording, lots of power, a DAMN good Other One at this late date (how long after this was the hurtful "Comin' around y'all" heard?) and overall a good listen. But hey, don't be wasting your precious 160 minutes on my account!

I saw them shortly after this and must admit this is my favorite era.

(The review below seems a little harsh but it's cool, maybe I didn't see enough shows to have any of them be bad, I always thought they were a hell of a band even on an off night. And I agree, Donna sucked, just like Brent, neither of them ever learned how to sing harmony. I mean that in a kind way, of course. Perhaps the s-word is too harsh.)

Hey - this is a music forum, not a political site, so go screw yourself and take Hillary with you, she is a disgraceful piece of sh*t.

Now, back to why we are all here, I saw over 330 shows in a 20 year period, was at this show, it was a dog in my view. I saw about 10-12 shows in '76 and the only one I liked was New Year;s eve. If you want some '76 get the two Oakland and Shrine shows, maybe Chicago and Columbus. Long Live the Dead.

Just wanna say, before I comment on this tape, what I've always said; You cannot judge a show by the tape. I've personally witnessed this many times, good and bad. That Dick's Picks from Norman, Ok comes to mind. No exaggeration, of my 180 or so shows over a 25yr period, Norman had the WORST crowd I ever saw. Not in numbers, but for whatever reason, they just weren't into it. There were literally maybe 40-50 folks off their asses dancing in the whole auditorium! And it was a damn shame because the boys were playing their asses off! Well, what I'm saying-and it's been stated millions of times-the crowd is ESSENTIAL in making a good SHOW. That said, I have no idea how good this show was because I wasn't there, but the tape is thin, the playing SOUNDS strained and unsure. Can't tell you how many shows I've seen where they come out and they're not quite there. You know the next tune is where it's going to start gelling, but...........it never does; Sure, they got it going a couple of times, but overall they just weren't on. This is what this tape reminds me of, one of those nights. And even on those "off" nights when I left the show, I KNEW I was one of the luckiest humans on earth. Hillary in 2016!

That's 160 minutes I'll never get back. Seriously, it baffles me what Deadheads consider a good show. It's tepid at best, mostly not even up to being called mediocre. 3 is generous. It sounds like nobody can decide what to play, and nobody's playing very well.

Love that long, long intro to Wharf Rat. I'm in heaven.

It is hard for me to imagine hearing so many songs done to perfection or close enough to pretend.
Looks Like Rain, Row Jimmy, and the whole Help on the Way - Franklin's Tower sandwich truly are outstanding.
Sound quality is stella(r) as well.
A great listen!

Great performance from the boys. Other One > Wharf Rat > Slipknot > Franklins > Around is off the hook. I loved the Franklin's...very high energy....Phil plays lead bass for a whole verse...so cool.

Excellent performance from start to finish. The second set run of Help On The Way > Slipknot > Other One > Wharf Rat > Slipknot > Franklin's is extra special with some outstanding interplay between Jerry and Phil on the Slipknot sections. The Franklin's itself is a monster and you can almost hear a China Cat riff at around the 14 min. mark.

How does Charlie make it sound so good. Jerry flubs a lyric in brown eyed women, and then seems to make up for it by kicking it up a notch in the solo, if you listen closely to the end of the solo, Phil plays a nice outro comp lick right into "Delilah Jones...

My favorite version of Might as Well. Possibly the happiest tune Garcia ever wrote?

Wonderful musicianship. Stellar remaster by Charlie. Phil is low in the mix for all of you Phil phans without subwoofers.

This was my first show; I was new at U. of Rochester and the sophs on the second floor had turned me on to the Dead, playing live tapes all the time. Also, it was my first "trip", and what a combination! Jerry was playing right to me - I mean, I knew that HE knew I was there! The second set absolutely conquered me. My life changed then and there forever. I'm 50 now, and I still can't get enough of this music. I play keyboards in On The Bus, the DC area's leading Dead tribute band, and I will love this music until I, myself, am Dead and gone. There may be more technically perfect shows out there, but for me, this will always be the one. How lucky we were to be there for this.

Pulp79 pretty much said it all, and I probably never would have really listened to this show straight thru if it wasn't for that, so thanks! The second set is unreal, and as an avid 70's guy, who's heard all the "classic" shows, I have to say that it ranks up there with the best I've ever heard.

This could have been one of the classics if there were decent copies back in the 80's. Thanks to Charlie, we have one now.

This is the show that should have been released with either 9/25 or 9/28 on Dick's Picks 20! For whatever reason it wasn't, but this seriously blows both of those shows away, imo. The only reason I could figure is maybe it isn't in the Dead's vault, or else the recording is too flawed.

Mr. Miller once again did an amazing job, as it sounds a ton better than the previous copies up here. If 6/29's sound is a 10, than this is a 9.5, easy.

This has to be one of the most tripped-out shows of '76, and the 2nd set is a dream setlist: Help>Slipknot>Drums>Other One>Wharf Rat>Slipknot>Franklin's Tower>Around, and they're all played to perfection, with the Franklin's being my fave of '76, and trails only 6/9/77 as my all-time fave. Jerry and Phil are on fire the entire set(whole show for that matter), and the whole band is perfectly in sync.

This show seriously blows my mind every time I listen to it, but for some reason it's hardly ever mentioned as one of the great shows of the year. Maybe it's because there weren't any good-quality sbds floating around until this one.

Trust me, it's awesome, and imo it beats 6/9, 6/14, 6/29, 7/18, 10/9, and 12/31, especially now with the new and improved sound. I may have already gone on record as saying 6/29 is my favorite, but I've changed my mind, now that I've heard this upgrade. It really allows you to hear all the intricacies of their interweaving melodies.

Listen to your favorite Spring '77 show, then listen to this, and tell me it's not up there with the best. It even has a similar vibe to those shows, more so than the Oct-Nov '77 shows, as good as they are.

Crazy good! Listen now!

I don't know guys but don't you think this Franklin's Tower is one of the all time best?

First of all, great sound quality on this, very crisp. 1976 was a rebuilding year for the boys, but in the way that 2006 was a rebuilding year for the Patriots. By september they are firing on all cylinders. The first set here is very well played, though many songs are not nearly as polished as they would be at the outset of 1977. The second set on the other hand is just top tier dead. From Help to the end they just kill it. The other one out of drums is stellar, and the Franklin's features some very methodical playing from Jer. The second set manages to be very laid back without sacrificing any intensity whatsoever. Don't miss out.

Sound: 9/10
Playing: 8.75/10
Overall: 9/10

just watched darkstar recreate this set tonight and it was unreal... thanx for this post... upstate ny jam scene for life