The first of many, many shows playing, in my opinion, the finest guitar Jerry ever owned. As already pointed out, no other guitar had the versatility of Tiger. It could sing sweetly on Row Jimmy or Stella, rock out on Good Lovin' or Sugar Mag, wail on Morning Dew or Fire on the Mtn, or take you on a psychedelic journey through Birdsong or Playin' (or even Dark Star, though it was only used twice for that song). Jerry was already moving towards the Tiger sound with Wolf in the spring that year, losing a lot of what I call the "70's lilt" in the process, and he would preserve the basics of that sound with the later incarnation of Wolf and with Rosebud. But once Tiger came along, he finally had it just exactly right. Also, Tiger gave some nuances to play with that he didn't have with his later guitars. For many of us, the sound of Jerry on Tiger with Brent on the keys is THE Grateful Dead sound we remember. My first 27 Dead shows plus my only Jerry Garcia Band show featured Jerry playing Tiger.

this was on today as the noon show on the Dead Channel.
they must have picked a different recording than this one. this one sounds great, nice and crisp.
the one the picked sounds like someone recorded it from the bathroom at the show.
maybe Dave picked it out.
update. i guess the first song was an audience recording( they couldn't find a better version?)
not a good way to get people to stay and listen.
kind of like hearing some woman on stage with them that sounds like someone pulling on a cats tail, i'm gone.

Only the first song was an audience tape. The rest are sbd!

As noted in a few reviews already, This was the introduction of Garcias 'Tiger' guitar.
As well as the fist time playing Althea and the introduction of Saint of Circumstance. This was to also become the new home of the Dead and the small park like area next to it where camping was now allowed (oh what fun it was). Not noted anywhere here is the introduction of the first major advance in sound design since The Wall of Sound. The Meyer Sound Lab equipment nearly brought us to our knees these two days and just about brought the ceiling crashing down. It was an intense experience that no tape has been able to bring across. The bass notes of Phil and wild stuff emanating from Jerry's new guitar during space these two nights was awesome. The creator John Meyer really shined here. Dan Healy also had a new partner on the mixing board with engineer Don Pearson being brought aboard.

...and then Chris U wrote:

"Brent knew just how to push all of Jerry's buttons, made it so easy for Jerry to squirt his delicious guitar juice all over the thirsty fans"


Eewwwwwwwww.

According to the below website, this is the debut of the Tiger axe.

http://dozin.com/jers/guitar/history.htm

A bit hissing, just turn down the treble a bit. In general sound great, a bit of the western then as bob notes. Miss Jerry.

Introduced Aug 4, 1979 - Oakland Auditorium

http://www.wald-electronics.com/tiger.html

Cool pics of Tiger there, and notes by one of the assistant creators.

It's a good sounding board with some hiss.

Hammond B 3

First and foremost, the 1989 and 1990 tours were some of the best playing the Big-Era band ever did. Chris U.'s proposition that Brent "Killed Himself" is absolutely incorrect. I saw EVERY show in the last tour. Brent and Jerry were on fire. Brent overdosed after the Buffalo 1990 show and was a bit rocky for Deercreek and Tinley Park. But dont be such an ignorameous.

I agree, Garcia's playing suffered after his 1986 coma, but get a grip dude. After his recovery he played some of his best and momorable shows. Get an attitude adjustment.

As for the review......

I was not at this show, but I must correct a misstatement. Yes, the Tiger was born in 1979, not the wolf, but interviews with Garcia and Parish confirm the Wolk was ALWAYS present. It was his main back-up guitar. I saw him play it with the GD in 1990 in Hamilton, Ontario and other shows in the Spring 1990. He used it every time he had problems with his other guitars. He also played a white Fender Strat with a Midi pick-up during space in the 1990s.

It is highly possible he played the Wolf at this show. It is very difficult to discern the tonal differences, seeing as he used the same pick-ups and it was built using the same woods. But to summarily dismiss the contention it was the Wolf is improper. I saw Jerry tons and tons of times, and dedicated many years of my life to touring. Still, we must rtust the recollections of those who were actually in attendance.

Toodleoo

Someone below mentioned the Wolf was used here, that is incorrect just so people are not misinformed. This is the beginning of the Tiger era. Garcia used the Wolf in '73-'74, some in '77-'78. The Wolf was a Doug Irwin custom model, then he played the Travis Bean. The Tiger is the second Doug Irwin model he played, and was his main axeuntiol he went MIDI in late '90 / early '91. I saw a little over 100 shows, most of which were from '82-'86, I saw maybe 10 shows after Brent passed, they didn't do anything for me after Brent wasn't there. So I saw lots and lots of great music played on the Tiger (with about (16 JGB shows seen '83-'93 as well) and like all of us I loved it. What a tone on ballads like Comes a Time or Dew and just scorching on something like Fire or the Other One.

These two shows are great. Awesoem jam in the seocnd set, also check out 1/28 and 1/20, the Nassau shows,. these are among the best of the year. Can't quite go 5 stars thoguh. Thanks for the great work on the site. Enjoy all.

This is the show Jerry comes out with Wolf! He will use this guitar for the next 11 years, it's his most played guitar. For gear heads, this is a great show! So glad to have the archive! But all the original Grateful Dead shows are awesome, they are only here for us to enjoy! I'm sorry, but if you have to pick apart stuff and put things down then your going down the wrong road. I've never ever heard a set I couldn't find something I liked in it. Please people, lets try and remember/chat about the great parts of this great music. Not what sucks or is bad about it. Keep it positive and your life will positive! Take care everyone! Thanks again archive!

Love this show...was the Jack Straw was'nt missing but still a lush show for the late 70's. Plus, Jerry's famous guitar Tiger made its debut at this show.

Chris, you're way off, man. In my opinion 89-90 were the best all-around years after 77. And Jerry did so much beautiful work with the JGB and David Grisman in his later years as well. Also, saying that Brent "killed himself" because Jerry was playing so bad is just totally heartless and insulting. Sure, messing with hard drugs is self-destructive no matter what but Brent's death was pretty clearly a tragic mistake, there was no evidence to suggest an intentional overdose.
I do agree with you that this is a great show. Bust-out show for Althea and Lost>Saint, great Shakedown as you noted. But listen to this and then throw on a choice summer 89 or spring 90 show and tell me that Jerry didn't still have it.

not the best ever by a long shot, but this is enjoyable listening just the same. fun to hear the first timers...bobby may not be on for lost sailor, but jerry sounds pretty good. passenger is hot, playin' is pretty good. plenty here to make it worth the listen. as for quality of recording...i guess i can see what people are saying about the tracks being off, but still sounds pretty good to my ears.

Man, listen to that Shakedown Street. Sweet stuff. Brent knew just how to push all of Jerry's buttons, made it so easy for Jerry to squirt his delicious guitar juice all over the thirsty fans.

They sound like they are having *fun*. It was not terribly surprising when I heard that Brent killed himself. Jerry was pretty much a talentless lump (by his own admission) after his return from Coma Land in 1987. What fun could there be in pushing Jerry's buttons after that?

Anyway, glad that these tapes exist to remember what it was like when these veterans knew how to turn good coke and pot into great music.

As I recall this was the 1st show at the Aud since a benefit for the BPP in '70(?). What a great place; the scene outside in the little park was FUN and mellow, the scene inside controlled(barely)insanity, especially the bar. The shows were always so much fun; you gotta' thank Bill Graham and the whole staff for a large part of the cool scene. This show is pretty typical-damn fine! So many memories of the Aud.(sigh). Thanks boys.

He sounds like He's been around longer thab dirt and His boy Jerry comes right behind him and skies some rainbow solo's. This run from Oakland leading through the Sept shows and at a band peak in the fall that the band hasn't been at since spring and maybe early summer '78. I love that funky effect Brent bust out around this time period. The Shakedown's ,Dancin's and some NFA'S that old school synth. T he more popular version can be heard in the Cape shows the Dancin>Franklins has it and of coarse that DP 79 in Oakland but there are others from basically 8-4 12-31-79.
Old school by definition. Brent was a favorite of mine right from the start. His playin was so sweet. Just thinking about some of stuff on the frost 89 shows like Peggy O.

Very solid show beg to end
and nice sound.

This is also the 1st show with Jerry's Tiger guitar.

The first Althea and Lost Sailor--good new songs after a long drought. Unfortunately, Bob isn't very good here on Lost Sailor. He has trouble staying on the notes. (Bob does better on the next night, which is a better show overall.) Highlights of this show: Jerry smokes on Passenger; Playin' in the Band is interesting, with some of the old free-form, morphing jamming.

I was at this show. There was a wild scene outside before the show, like a street fair, almost as fun as the show.

1st LIVE ALTHEA!

hello! doesn't anyone else realize that this is the first show for althea and lost sailor? i can't believe it's not mentioned in the notes...

JACK STRAW IS LISTED TO BE THE OPENER, BUT THERES NO JACK, MUST OF GOT LOST ON HIS WAY TO OAKLAND!!!!!!!!!4 STARS FOR THE MISSING SONG, THERES A SLIGHT HISS TO THE SHOW, BUT THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE MAKES UP FOR THAT, FOR ALL YOU WHO ARE LIKE ME AND WANT THE COMPLETE DEADBASE ON CD-R THEN YOU'LL BE UPSET ABOUT THE MISSING SONG!! HAHAHAHA THE PLAYIN HAS A CUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SONG THAT IS PRETTY NOTICEABLE, BUT ONCE AGIAN THATS JUST A SPOILED FAN WRITEING HEAR!! REMEMBER THE DAYS OF TAPE TRADING AND JUST BEING HAPPY WITH ANYTHING YOU COULD GET YOUR HANDS ON!!!

IF INTERESTED IN OTHER GREAT SHOWS FROM THIS YEAR TRY (01-08-79),(05-09-79)!!! CHECK OUT THE MISSISSIPPI AND SCARLET>FIRE FROM 01-08-79 AND THE TRUCKIN FROM 05-09-79. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND YOUR FAVORITE YEAR IS 1979 THEN YOU WILL LOVE THESE TWO SHOWS , POSSIBLY THE BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR IS 01-08-79 AND ITS NOT EVEN LISTED IN DEADBASE. CRAZY!!!

Just since no one mentioned it, this has an absolutely E-P-I-C version of Playin in the Band. This one lifts off and circles the Crab Nebula a few times before the drums. Seriously. Peep this one on a stream for the Shakedown> Playin, at least. You will not be sorry.

Don is right- the mix is very odd. At first it sounds very clear and crispy but somehow the vocals don't stand out as they should and Bobby's guitar is just a tad low while Brent's keys and Jerry's guitar are right there. Drums are fine.

This was a really good show from what I remember. The second set left a crater of my mind smoking in the ashes of a FANTASATIC Passenger. Smokin' I say, smokin'. For me, this is about the time that Brent has been fully assimilated. The Band is ready to embark on their famous Fall East Coast swing.
Four skulls.

The playing sounds very tight, but the mix is off... The vocals are nearly lost on the fist set tracks. Will listen to set two, and if it's the same, I will not keep this show in my library.

It's nice to hear Brent more prominent in the mix. He sounds good on Shakedown, and it might be worth listening to Set One to see if he got some room on those tunes. Playin' is interesting (20 minutes; at 11:40 there is a one second glitch on the mp3). But Garcia is clearly lost during his solo on Stella, repeating the same lick and wondering what to do (compare to 10/28/79 Stella). Weir launches into Magnolia b-4 Jerry is really ready, and Garcia continues to play tentatively (compare to 2/17/79 where he is nailing everything).

Not the strongest setlist, but good performance & good sound. A most wonderful Stella Blue.