Perfection firing on all cylinders: Tight band, muscular beats, beautiful vocals (Donna's on!) and that applied greatness that is the '77 Dead.

Blissful '69 chaos: Jer says, "Help! Help! Hey, we need some organized minds up here" and then they launch. Great fun and a wild ride.

Pure. One of the first performances with beautiful, meaning-soaked delivery.

Suffers a cutout in the middle, but reaches transcendant beauty and interplay. They end on a harmonics/tuning just delightfully right out of the song.

Sweet and subtle, part of a mega-massive 2nd set jam. A beauty.

Listen, I know there's stiff competition for it. And this one can't be a winner until some lucky day when the rest of the 2nd set magically shows up in a pristine matrix... But in terms of musical precision - not a flubbed note that I can find - the perfect mix of intensity, drive, and exploratory weirdness, and that hometown x-factor that characterises the best Bay Area shows, I'd put it up there, yes. Plus it's a rare occasion when everyone's vocals were on. Is Veneta everyone's "favorite", sure, but is it their "best"? I've never thought so, because while fun-for-the-whole-family, they are pretty loose in places and waaaaaay out of tune during the Sunstroke Serenader portions. There are other contenders, of course, from Europe, and later in the year (jeez, the Texas shows are outrageous...) but I'm throwing it out there for this one. Edit from a few days later: Except Bertha, which is a hot mess. It rocks, but they fuck up the lyrics well and good!!!

I would add, just to avoid my own confirmation bias, that to my ears the Playin' from this date, while verrrrrrrry heady, does not top the immortal Playin' from Veneta.

I'm not one for overdoing the comparisons between shows, but the fact that this is at 3 votes, while Veneta (two days later) is presently at 79 exhibits a confirmation bias that is a bit 'madness of crowds'. Before people pile on: I LOVE Veneta. It is without a doubt a top show - but is that because we know it, or because we can all feel a part of it owing to the movie? Or do we have some misplaced nostalgia for the big show, because that's when some of us "got it" for the furthur spheres weirdness of a massive Dark Star? Listen to this Birdsong back to back with Veneta, and there's no doubt that this one is the superior performance. Firstly, they're in tune. That's a big one. Secondly, check out the first big solo from Jerry. This one is constantly inventive, the one at Veneta grasps quite a bit before hitting its stride. Finally Jer's voice is smoother, and the C.Miller mix puts it all beautifully in place, with Keith and Bobby's contributions there for the enjoyment. While both are superlative, I think some Heads gotta stretch out a bit. The Berkeley run is absolutely top-notch Dead, and this Bird Song stands up to any version ever, including the golden calf two days later.

Jerry sez that Bobby "had roses for lunch". Take it as you will.

There. I said it.