There was a moment as the first notes of Unbroken Chain began when you could watch the dawning realization on the arena, a wave of roar until the whole beast unleashed with the first verse. A magical breakout in Philly and we got the second one here. Phil's singing was phenomenal. As many have noted the jump in Scarlet unleashed the lion's roar again and the band road the huge energy. It was like they had to adjust themselves to the next level, and why I believe Jerry messed up the lyrics, but once they got there, what followed was just brilliant. People say it was Bruce that pushed them to the next level, and no doubt he was incredible, but I say it was the crowd driving the band, making Bruce excited to play, which filtered down through the band. When Jerry dropped the opening licks to Fire, the audience almost drowned him out.

Corrina is nice, the jam after Mathilda is truly special. As good as the U->S->F + M jam is, for me the great take-away from this show happens out of drums. Space is really beautiful, haunting and melodic, with hints of darkness. And then the Days Between, the best ever.

One last point: people have asked how he could have flubbed so many lyrics given the Teleprompters. Those were only for new songs, not the classics, and apparently never worked very well.

Some lyrical flubs/mishaps on the Jerry tunes (in the first set), but he's playing beautifully, seemingly energized by Hornsby's guest appearance; his seventh visit post-tenure. The band - including of course Hornsby - and Garcia - really shining on the Bobby numbers: Wang Dang, El Paso, and even Easy Answers- I love this version, it's hopping! Tender and triumphant, if imperfect, So Many Roads to close out the set.

Solid Unbroken Chain to open the second set. Short and fast(ish) Scarlet. They sort of zip through it. It's not bad, though there's practically no first verse vocals. Transition is jammy, jazzy(ish), heavy-Vince salsa-laden from around 1:30-4:30. Fire is longer, some mumbles and is largely uneventful. Garcia sounds fine, don't get me wrong, as he does for pretty much the whole show. Highlight of the set and show is definitely the Mathilda->Drums/Space->Days Between. Good Loving set closer is also a rollicking version. High energy 95er, no question, Hornsby on lead piano throughout is a treat. The Weight encore is their final performance of the song (last played 46 shows prior on 7/31/94).

Compared to summer 95, Jerry sounds good. And for a guy that would be gone in less than 5 months...... dude gave all he had to give. How much, unfortunately, we know. As for the show, yes a shell of the band I first saw in 74. But better than 99% of the dreck passing for live music in 95. R.I.P. Jerry. Thank you, for a real good time.

On a good note the sound quality of this recording is okay. Thats about all I could muster up for positives. The keyboards in 1/2 Step are annoying & Garcia only makes it worse with a lackluster vocal effort & flubbed lyrics. With El Paso there is a bit of sunlight, but again its Garcia that blows it, by being off when he enters. He makes up for it, but his timing really was bad & it reappears towards the end. His solo in CR&S is so bad, i immediately skipped over it. I could not bear to listen to it. I have never heard the band play either 'Easy Answers' or 'So Many Roads' live, so I'll leave them alone. Neither are really of the same caliber as the bands prior musical adventure, so there is no need to beat a dead horse here.

Things don't change with Garcia in the 2nd set. He is so low in 'Unbroken Chain', I can only presume there was a band meeting that said we need to reign in Jerry, he's all over the place. If they did Its a good thing, cause 'Unbroken Chain' is as beautiful a song as they have ever written and he is so sloppy. After that its back to '95 business as usual as Garcia destroys Scarlet Begonias' 1st verse. His solo is okay which seems to bring him outta his nod. When Horsby chimes in on his grand for the segue to FOTM things seem to be looking up. Garcia's vocal are okay here but Hornby just can't harmonize worth a shit. He was a nice fit when he played the piano, but stuck out like a sore thumb when he harmonized with Jerry or Bobby. Then its back to the flubing & bad harmonies for the second verse. Then Garcia begins to lumber around the fret board, but he does attempt to pick it up, not well, but he does manage to play what resembles a guitar solo. It bears no resemblance to the band that played it when they entered the decade. Matilda would be nice if Garcia wasn't on a nod. This 1930's tune would have been a great accent for JGB in the late Eighty's. Again Garcia is revived by his bandmates for a rousing climax that leads into the saddest highlight in Dead history. A two minute jam that Garcia can't even stick around for. Thank god for drums & space, or this show would have completely sucked. Well it does completely suck, provided you saw a show prior to 1990 & didn't do ketamine. Since I have nothing more positive to say about this show, I'll leave it on Space, which is nice. Bruce runs the ship here & the Grand Piano is a welcome return for me. One last note, The Days Between would be really beautiful here, if it didn't sound like Garcia was literally on deaths door.

The last time I was in Charlotte Coliseum was Summer Tour 1992 and I still have very fond memories of that place. I saw Jerry there in 1991 and the boys twice in a row in ’92. memories of those electric green seats in that place while I was loaded had my head spinning in a matter of moments…Ahh the good old days. I think my bias for this arena(I had two really good shows there) may have influenced my opinion here. Also, maybe the fact that I finally listened to this one on the exact date of the performance 16 years later may also have added to my nostalgic feeling this morning. Anyhow, here goes..

I am going to start by making a general statement about Mississippi through Loser. It aint that bad. As a matter of fact, some of it sounded downright inspired. Wang Dang was done very well, and I don’t even like that song…CRS was not too shabby either. Easy Answers made me want to sit down with Bobby and ask him why he insisted on playing this song and killing any and all emotion/momentum and really anything and everything the show had going for it. Every time I hear this tune I wonder what the hell they must have been thinking looking out in the crowd. The response could not have been that great…But hey, what the hell do I know. I never saw it done live thank god…So many Roads kinda stuck with me as it was very well done, but then it hit me that Jerry can pull off any ballad, at almost any time. The second set was really where the highlight(s) lie, which would basically be a reasonable to not so good Scarlett>Fire (but the jam is kinda off or something)and the Matilda jam>Jam. Bruce was en fuego during Matilda and during that 3 minute Jam. I really enjoyed it. Best part of the show for sure. The rest of the second set was dogshit. I use that term only in the most loving fashion. As in “listen to Jerry right now, he sounds like total dogshit”.

All in all this show was much more tolerable than many others we have heard. Of course, again, I have a little bias here. Also, I think Bruce always brought out the best in jerry onstage. I have a vid of a JGB show with Bruce(Pure jerry Hampton I think) where Jerry is smiling so much at Bruce during the entire show it’s a little unnerving almost. Kinda like Jerry wanted to bang him or something…Ehh, anyways I do not recommend this show however I think the 3 minute Bruce jam after Matilda is worthy of a So many Roads type of release. Instead of giving this show a grade like I always do, I am going to grade this one like a “core class” at college…Pass/Fail…..This shows Passes, but barely. I pass it because I really think they gave it all they had this evening(very sad). Check out the 3 minutes between Matilda and Drums, you wont be sorry!

I don't know how many 95' shows many of you attended or have listened to, but this is the tops. Other than the Seattle Memorial show, Delta Center @ Salt Lake, or maybe the Rain setlist Pittsburgh show, this is the year the Dead fell apart, further than Jerry, we all know the story about the summer tour and all.

It almost seems like some people like getting on these Vince era boards just to say "the dead sucked after 91". I don't think this is an objective way of reviewing. We must compare to the quality of other shows during the period.

Bruce Hornsby sits in on PIANO the entire show. Not corny accordion, not for a few songs, the entire show. And as a previous reviewer stated, yes his presence certainly stimulated the band and overshadowed Jerry.

Best Easy Answers for sure (not too hard, most of the time it sounds like a Steely Dan nightmare).

Mathilda and post Mathilda Jam are sick. Obviously the show would not have been as special without Bruce, but that Jam before drums with the drummers and Hornsby is super upbeat. I use it to work out to.

All in all, Charlotte 95 sounds better than most other shows from the last year of Grateful Dead. If anybody show me a better solid performance especially the second set jam, please let me in on that.

As many people have pointed out, this Scarlet Begonias is a little jem in terms of jamming in '95. The lyrics aren't there, so I think they were smart to just skip some verses and try to pick them up later. The stars are for the Scarlet alone.

This was a good Unbroken Chain. Jerry kept pace pretty good and Bruce on piano gave it that extra kick. In my opinion the best of the Unbrokens that they did. Now Bruce & the band saved the begining of Scarlet, Jerry was clearly lost but Bruce was beating the hell out of those key's and made it a fa hucken powerhouse. Then Garcia woke up and drove the Scarlet jam (sick shit). INCREDIBLE JAMMING !!!! ..... Fire on the Mountain was wonderful.

These Charlotte shows were awful, and got progressively worse each night.

Yeah they played Unbroken Chain, but really, this band was a shell of its former glory by this time.

ssia

this concert should be billed as "Bruce Hornsby and the grateful dead"....Jerry could have stayed home that night and no one would have missed him

The dead had potential that nite, we were all anticipating a good time, but Jerry couldnt quite hang in there, even to the mercy of his own teleprompter, really rough! So weird and funny as the Coliseum sells season tickets to the venue, there were people there that had obviously never seen the Dead, in charlotte sports regalia, looks like theyt might have been there for the monster truck event. Classic to see their expression , as people started getting wild over the Scarlet Fire........I have always loved the Matilda and jam, nice to have hornsby there. The Space is really phenomenal. 1995 seemes like one big prelude to Jerrys funeral, Poor Guy, Love you All!!

Got in right at the end of ,"Easy Answers,"that was a blessing.I had an,"easy answer,"drop it from the setlist`s!..So,my 1st tune of the evening was,my fav,"So Many Roads!"A good one at that!Then,the unthinkable started the 2nd set..."Unbroken>Scarlet>Fire!!"...WOW...it really was that good.

Fun Thursday night show from '95 with Bruce Hornsby sitting in with the boys. Man, that place blew up when Unbroken Chain kicked off set 2.
This show's notes always read something like: "Bruce Hornsby on grand piano entire show."
That's not 100% accurate...Bruce played the grand most of the show, but Vince played the grand piano during space and Days Between, while Bruce played Vince's keyboards. After that they switched back, Bruce on the grand piano once again for the closer Good Lovin' and encore The Weight.

ALL NIGHT LONG,i remember i got as close to the stage as i could and found a single seat! i remember that crappy campground in s.c. also i think we stayed at the same camp ground!

I have not listened to this show in probably 10 years. I forgot the energy in the 2nd set, and the enjoyment I get out of the interplay of Bruce and Mickey/Billy in the drums out of Mathilda.
Overall, a decent show for the times, and probably the best show of 3 in charlotte. After this one we were off the road, unitl RFK for our last 2 shows ever.
Man do I miss that feeling of hair standing up on the back of your neck when the lights went down and the crowd ROARED ..

Stuck in some crappy campground over the border in SC, hear tell of a baby grand being wheeled out on stage on arrival, and resisting the urge to join the gate rush even though I had a ticket. This is probably my favorite show from 95 if for nothing else just because Jerry seems energized by Bruce's presence. Most of 95 he seems completely gone already.

"We all new what the problem was and we all kept going for the same reasons"

Confession: I stopped going in 1992 because the performances were increasingly lame and boring.

So lets look at it another way. Scarlet really makes a great instrumental.

This is a solid show. Half-Step is decent, So Many Roads is decent, Unbroken Chain is hot, Fire is hot. Bruce kicks ass, Phil is stellar, and you can feel Jerry's weathered soul swing temporarily back to the land of the living. Good Stuff. God Bless the Grateful Dead, Thank God for Charlie Miller.

I cannot believe I found this show!!! This was the first and only Dead show I had the fortune to attend, with someone who is very special to me. It was during a really tough time in my life, so finding this was almost divine, considering how things have turned out. Listening now,I realise that I was witness to an INCREDIBLE performance. There is SO MUCH I could say about this show!!! Thanks for uploading it.

I'll always remember this show. Listened to it two nights ago with a buddy. The Fire on the Mountain was, and is in the recording, absolutely ripping. If you were there, it felt as though something busted loose during the Fire on the Mountain. Quite a memorable show for it's intensity, in whatever year it was played.

I loved this show , what really gets me is not the amount of lyrics that were flubbed or who picked up the slack for who, but the people reviewing and knocking jerry for his playing in the late 90s . We all new what the problem was and we all kept going for the same reasons, for me even when it was bad it was ok because from my 1st show in 1978 to my last in 95 at giants statium I always went to and left the shows feeling good. How many things in life can you say that about - so just remember - there were days and there were days. p.s the Scarlet Begonias everybody critqued really got going after the initial senior moment. Miss you big guy.Go see Bobby in march at the Beacon in NY - see ya there

A friend of mine had an "extra" ticket, so I did what anyone in their right mind would- accepted the invitation to go the most unforgettable show in my life! He even bought me a very cool Huck Finn style tour T-shirt(which I still have and wear from time to time). In my book this gets 5 stars, I only wish I could have made it to more shows.

I heard Bruce's name mentioned in passing and of the times I saw him perform with the boys this was the show that popped into my head. I was still trying to get over my Unbroken experience in Phili, the only show I ever bought a scalp for, and I remember how excited I was at Bruce playing the grand the for the whole show. I remember the elation and goose bumps caused by the tight feeling that was emanating from the stage. I remember having alot of energy and dancing my way throughout the Coliseum throughout the entire show...uncharacteristic for me who usually hung Phil side and in the later years enjoyed some fine ass time during the down moments...This show was a true high light of one of the best tour I was privy to. I also remember the effervescence in the lot and at Lazy Dayz Campground...you know what I'm talking about, those of you who were there. The fuzz was everywhere and busts were happening with ridiculous frequency. There was also a profusion of No2. The more they tried to crack down on the hippy crack the more noticeable it was to me. I remember a group of fellas, 7 or so, who had many canisters in the back of a U-Haul truck. There was a manager at the truck, two fellas to run the tanks, and two sets of two selling the goods, one to fill and one to lookout...and they all had lapel mics and earpieces and were good. There may have been other 'watchers' as well because these fellas survived the whole time in NC. I was not tankless myself but kept my self and my pal on the downlow... And Lazy Dayz...any one there? Drop me a line... Peace

This is a 5* show in 95 forsure! I agree with the folks out there who liked where the dead was headed musically. True they had consistancy problems but they were working on a new sound progressing forward with new songs. For those of you deadheads that get stuck in a rut listening only to selected years, songs like Days,Liberty,So Many Roads,Eternity,Easy Answers, and yes even Corrina offer to shed new light on an old stage. Corrina in particular gets a bad rap but I remember listening to corrina live and feeling like I was at a rave or some forign exotic show. Look for diamonds in the ruff - they offer somthing different. Great Days.

I've never reviewed a show on archive.org before, but after reading the other reviews on this one, I felt that I just had to weigh in.
First off, I consider myself to be a pretty discerning listener, so when I say that this is a pretty good show, I'm basing that on a limited experience.
I decided to check out this show because of Bruce's presence, and because on deadbase.com it is rated the best show of '95 and the 34th best show of all time.
I had a hard time believing that any show from '95 could be that good. I'm not sure if this one really is, but I think it should be in the top 50.
Most of the highlights of this show have already been pointed out, so I will just mention a one thing: Loser.
This song is really exceptional. I would actually rate this my favorite version of Loser. And before I heard this show, my favorite version of Loser wasn't one by the Dead at all, but one by Bruce Hornsby. What makes this version special is how Jerry's ragged voice underscores the desperation of the character's plight. It's the same quality which lends such incredible power to the best versions of Standing On The Moon and Days Between.
In general, the performance is average to good, ranging to very good on some songs (Loser, Days Between, Good Lovin'.)

What led me to write this review in the first place was the mini-dispute between factman and bootleg43. Regarding his comment on Bruce's contribution, yes, he doesn't elevate the show to legendary status, what he does do is contribute tasteful and creative paino fills that are more reminiscent of early '70s Keith Godchaux than anything else. Elswhere in his review he asks "If this version of Scarlet>Fire is so good why didn't they pick it for 'So Many Roads'?" This is rather a ridiculous question, since they had over 200 versions to chose from. But if you read the liner notes for So Many Roads, you'll find that they picked the version they did because it is an excellent showcase of Jerry's midi-guitar playing (which this version definitely isn't.) As to whether or not this show is deserving of a vault release, I would say, not on its own, but only if it was combined with another show, say March 19th.

what a flashback! to find a recording of the only dead show i ever went to! thanks to the uploader! :)

i cannot believe this show is from '95!! I usually can't even get through a single listen of any show from that year - until i stumbled upon this one. Bruce REALLY shines and i agree with other reviewers that he most likely kept Jer on his toes this night. They always had a pretty special chemistry. Very good scarlet>fire even with the vocal flubs. Bruce really carries Unbroken and Phil actually sounds damn good on this version.
Sound quality on this is excellent - another great charlie miller upload.

The less said of the first set, the better.

Unbroken is great fun of course. Scarlet>Fire. Hmmm, if this had been the setlist pre-drums pre-92 I would have wet my pants. As it is, it's just sad. Listening to Jerry blow a full HALF the lyrics to Scarlet. Well, in another age, that was merely unheard of, it's always Bobby who flubs the lyrics. (did he have the TPT this tour?)

And his guitar playing. Admittedly, I've always been partial to the Wolf and the Tiger, but Rosebud, and then later Wolf Jr.--talk about wimpy tone--yech. From 91 on (although there were many excellent shows through summer 92 imho), Jerry's tone was just kind of lame. But more so, the guy just sounds lost, like there's no confidence in his playing at all. Listening to him in the transition in Scarlet-Fire--the guy gives up lead time in a part which, in the best versions of this song-pair, is first and foremost, all about Jerry. He just plays these little rhythmic figures behind Bruce the whole time. Not that that's not appreciated, too, but c'mon, this is frickin Scarlet-Fire for God's sakes!!

The other interesting thing about this era is how the rest of the band is so clearly trying desparately to make up for the chasm caused by Jerry's checking out show after show. Pair that band with a Jerry up to 91, and you could have several nice tours under your belt. Oh well.

In a way, listening to this just reminded me how sad 93-95 made me. The shows I attended were fun, but not necessarily for the music. Would've loved to have seen an Unbroken, but as RFK was my last run, nothing more appropriate to end it all on than a perfectly played Brokedown. Little did we know.

this or 3 rivers is the best show of 1995. The scarlet-->fire could be among the best ever. seriously.

Up to this point i had nothing to compare it to so it was a awsome show for me... And after 10 more shows it still stands out as a top show for me. Bruce horsby was a nice suprise.

For a few months, I thought maybe my original review might have been a bit harsh, but by having the disclaimer that I wasn't attacking 'bootleg43', I figured that would be enough to forget about it and move on. And so I did, until today when I stumbled upon his "update", LOL.

<<>>

First, Hitler instructs you to ignore me. You must obey, though he doesn't seem altogether sure of himself by saying everyone else "seems" to agree with him.

<<>>

Yes, do that and you'll see most of my reviews are suggestions to avoid those particular shows. Nowhere in any of my reviews are mandates that someone MUST DL or spend a minute of their own time listening to something because I (capital I) SAID SO!!!! And where in my reviews is there some magical revelation that I'm a "newbie"? Brah, it's 2006. The Grateful Dead haven't toured in 11 years. Unless you're 16 years old, nobody on here is a "newbie". However, I'd love to read more evidence from you of my "newbieness".

<<>>

And your "experience" has motivated you to tell everyone who reads your pep rally for this show that their lives are not complete without this show in their collection. If I had to choose, I would trade off my Dead show experiences over having my ego take over my perspective of the quality of concerts I've attended. And I'm not trying to lead anyone anywhere, Adolf. We know it's sarcasm because if people here know what's good for them, it's to listen to YOU, not me.

<<>>

Good grammar, brah. Did I hurt your feelings? I wasn't aware that only your opinion was permitted in this review section. The title of my review reflected my points in the body of it. Did you bother to read my review at all? You certainly didn't bother to answer any of the questions I posed to you. I began by saying I wasn't attacking you, and the review reflected that.
Tell you what, post your review on Philzone.com's message board and see how fast the piranhas are disemboweling everything about you. And while you're at it, take some more cracks at me.
As of 1:18 PM EST, my update is over. Last version of review begins in the next paragraph.

First off, this is not an attack on 'bootleg43'. It's more an attempt to suggest stepping away from the aspect of sentiment in how you rate the show. Big red letters at the bottom, right above "Submit review", ask for issues of the show and sound quality. Personally, I try to make my rating a composite of both, whether I attended the show or not. Whether I felt it was a clunker or a must-have. I can certainly identify clunkers, given that 58 of my 68 shows were post-Brent.
That said, if this first set was mediocre and short with no real highlights, how can you possibly assert that it is the show of 95, shreds and should be a vault release?
If this Scarlet-> Fire is so SCORCHING/RIPPING/SHREDDING, why wasn't it the one GDP put on the So Many Roads box set?
Jerry blows some vocals and who cares? The only consistent lines he sang in Scarlet were following "The Wind In The Willow". He didn't bother with 2/3 of the lyrics to the darn song.
Bruce Hornsby's presence at this concert does nothing to change the fact that Jerry was horribly inconsistent by this point. It does not elevate this show to some legendary status.
My review is only the 20th overall paying any attention to this concert. The average concert from 90-91 features at least that many reviews, deserving or not.
Personally, I wish I could have seen Bruce play piano with The Grateful Dead that one time on that spring tour, but I think I would have walked away with the opinion I'm expressing now.
Take your pick from any of the Unbroken's AFTER this one, in my opinion. The harsh truth is take any of the versions from Phil's bands or either 2003 or 2004 Dead tours. Jerry simply wasn't up to the task of that song's arrangement. The first minute or two of this version sounds quite obviously like Bruce is either learning the song on the fly, or mentally rehashing it as he went. I'd give it 50/50 odds. If his only desire was to play the song live, he could have done a sicker version with his own band.
Put on the objective ears.
Granted, the Days Between with REAL piano sounds, even if wielded by Vince for half of the song or more, was a gem. But was there another choice for an encore given that Bruce hadn't played piano with them for 3 years?
Jerry was flat. If Bruce wasn't stepping on something, he was carrying Jerry the rest of the time. There actually are better shows from this year, and even this tour.
It IS worth having for the novelty of Bruce finally being allowed to play piano instead of accordion again. It's still from the last year of Jerry performing.
The truth can set you free.
The best part of this particular download is that it comes care of Charlie Miller, who has not yet let me down, and also accounts for this show gaining the rating of 3.
I must also add that this show is far more worth having FOR FREE than to have to pay to download it, if they ever get around to that mammoth project.
Frank
Revision as of 12-2:
Oh, the horrible irony of writing my last review 4 days before doomsday, of a show that certainly is NOT worth paying for, and reading it over again now. More freedom-setting truth is on the way in the posting area very soon.

I was at this one and completely sober. Great show and very sober. Sat a few feet from Hornsby where the crowd constantly shouted encouragement to Bruce. The band is very tight throughout and the show takes off after Unbroken Chain. Jerry is on fire on 'Fire'. The piano+drums jams after Mathilda *****

I like this recording and think this is the best show of 95 so I give it a 5


Listening again is bringing back memories. I recall that security was kept constantly occupied by ksids jockeying to get in front of the stage and being chased off to keep the aisles clear. A woman standing on her seat with her husbands head buried under her dress also kept getting warnings. Think she climaxed during 'mathilda'.

By 95 standards, this is an amazing show just for Bruce's piano (not accordion!) work and Jerry's relative competence. Placed alongside their 30 year history, though, this one's only average at best. The shining moment is The Days Between. This is a powerful, emotional song, and this version may be one of the finest. Bruce's playing is great throughout, but especially on his post-Mathilda solo. I can't ignore Jerry forgetting the entire 2nd verse, most of the 1st, and part of the 3rd of Scarlet. Half Step is actually pretty good until the end, when it's time for Jerry to shine; instead, he peters. Jerry's solo on Scarlet actually wails, but on Fire, he is too repetitive and not playing the kind of leads I associate with a great Fire - check out 3/5/81, 5/8/77, 3/2/87, even 12/31/84 to hear what I mean; or any number of 77's, 81's, 88's, etc. Carpal tunnel syndrome must have been getting in the way. At least he sings it well. Unbroken is much improved over Philly, meaning Jerry's performance has gone from embarassing to merely lackluster.

I have to say the sound quality is absolutely first-rate. I wrote somewhere that I wouldn't give a 95 show more than 2 stars. I'll make an exception and give this one 3 (5 for the sound quality and 2+ for the performance -- mostly on the strength of BH). I can't give it the 4th star, though, not even with that Days, let alone 5, which is reserved for 9/20/90, 9/21/72 or similar. I am no IAGKHB-head!

I finally, finally gave this show a focused listening. There's certainly enough buzz around it to pique one's curiosity. Well, I gotta say, I enjoyed it. The enthusiasm and energy is there, which always bodes well. And Hornsby adds so much right off the bat Half Step. I think the praise for the show is deserved. And you know what, I just listened to 10.26.89 right before this. Surprisingly, Jerry actually sounds sharper vocally in one or two parts of this show. Go figure... By '95 standards this is a 5-star show.

Ignore "factman" and notice how everyone else seems to agree with me regarding this show. Take notice of the shows factman has chosen to review and one will see that he is a newbie who began going to shows probably in 89. What a wealth of experience this guy has to lead us all to the gems. (SARCASM) factman, leave me out of your reviews. I don't know you and don't want to know you. you aren't worth the breathe of speaking to you. Onto the show! I was fortunate enough to attend this show from the luxury sky box of one of the nation's largest banking institutions. Had the chairman of the board of that bank entered the sky box that evening banking might be done in an entirely different fashion. Undisirregardless (I made that word up for all those who don't know that "irregardless" is not a word), the boys were on that evening. The first set was mediocre and short (45 minutes) with no real highlights. There were, however, decent versions of Half Step, Cold Rain and Snow, Easy Answers, and a So Many Roads closer. The So Many Roads gave hints of things to come. Much like the second set itself, this version has some minor flaws but is actually quite inspired.
The second set opened and one could feel confusion, and then recognition overtake the Coliseum. Unbroken Chain had only JUST been broken out in Philly a few days before. And here it was in all it's glory. Phil's vocals are flawless. The jam section only hints at what could have been had they played this in the 70's or had Jerry cleaned up his act and lived a few more decades. Regardless, this is THE Unbroken Chain of all the live versions. I've heard them all and know of what I speak. The crowd was deliriously happy after they finished Unbroken Chain and they chose to follow it with a SCORCHING/RIPPING/SHREDDING Scarlet/Fire that brought the entire crowd back up to it's feet in a hurry. Yes, yes... Jerry blows some vocals. It's not the tape... it's the show... BUT WHO CARES?!?! Jerry plays as if every note is a fight for his life and he is winning the battle... intense, passionate, confident, one feels as if he could have gone on forever. This man is possessed! Bobby's rythm shreiks and fills are truly outstanding on Fire, in particular. Hornsby seems to drive the band. Ya just gotta own this in order to truly understand. Corrina is haunting and one of the best versions I've ever heard. Mathilda is the only song of the set that I don't really care for but it serves it's purpose as a great lead into the drums. And let me not forget to mention the piano/drums trio-ette (is that a word) leading into the drums. It rocks! Even the Space portion of this set is do-able. And as good as the first 4 songs of this set were, The Days Between which follows Space is a melancholy thing of beauty. Jerry's vocals are soulful and his playing inspired thus turning a slow song into something beautiful and inspiring. Good Lovin to close the set is about as inspiring as most Bobby songs to end concerts... short and sweet nothing spectacular but usually nothing horrible either. The Weight encore was a nice, different, unususal choice.
OK kids... this is THE show of 95 and must be owned. Your lives are not complete without it in your collection. The sound quality is tasty. The show itself just shreds. I even go so far as to nominate this as a Dick's Picks or a Vault release. And this recomondation comes from a guy who WAY prefers 60s/70s Dead to almost anything from the 80s or 90s. Ya just got to trust me on this one.

One of my favorite shows that I went to, absolutely amazing energy. I gotta tell ya listening to the SB copy really brought me back. Tell me how can I burn a copy of this?!!!

Now this show isn't perfect, Jerry screws up some lyrics but his excellent guitar work makes up for it. The keys sound excellent and I believe Hornsby played this show. But what really makes this concert special is that it offers listeners a showcase of the band's musical evolution.

The first set begins with some classics - Mississippi Half Step, Wang Dang Doodle, Cold Rain & Snow, El Paso, and Loser. The 1st set ends with some newer songs. Easy Answers, which is perhaps my favorite Weir song and then a powerful So Many Roads.

Unbroken Chain opens the 2nd set followed by Scarlet > Fire. We are then greeted with an extended version of Corrina into the rarely played Matilda. There is a pre drums jam with just the drummers and keyboard(s). Drums > Space provides the usual mind bending escape. The boys segue out of Space into The Days Between, Hunter's masterpiece in the eyes of many. Days melds into Good Lovin' and to finish the night we are treated with a classic encore, The Weight.

This concert features a unique set list that highlights several newer songs with other classics. The sound quality is top notch, enjoy!

of the over 600 shows i have ive probably got less then 25 from 92-95 and i listen to even less then that, this is one that i have, its a good show amongst many shitty shows of the time, i still think this DAYS BETWEEN is the best they did as far as what ive heard, also THE WEIGHT is one of the best if not the best ive heard, listen to those two songs

I thought the Dead were supposed to have sucked in 95... This was the last really good Dead show I went to. The middle night of three. Jerry was out of it the night before and Bob took the show. Jerry came out like he actually wanted to try on this night, though. When we got inside and saw the piano on the stage, the excitement was palpable for Hornsby. Kept Jerry on his toes. Maybe by those days he was embarrased to get real wasted if Bruce was sitting in. He does lose his place w/ the lyrics several times, but the guitar playing is good. The sound quality on this is good too, but you will have to crank up the bass to really get Phil. If you are looking for good shows from the last year of the Dead, get this one!

According to Deadbase, Bruce and Vince switched instruments for "Days Between".

Crowd was really psyched to hear how the Dead would sound with a keyboard player since it had been missing for years, and Bruce brought the chops. Kinda hated the shows where he'd bust out the accordian.Flashback to folks watching Lawrence Welk as a child!!

Lawrence Welk + Vince Welnik Strangely similar names??

It's a show like this that gets me steamed about Vince. Check out matilda as an example. The band knows Garcia is struggling during this time and a guy like Hornsby is able to pick up the slack with some passionate jamming. Much like Brent, they guy could save a bad show and propel a godd show into a great one. Vince unfortunately, couldn't do that and never progressed.

Despite the obvious flaws and there are a bunch, this is a fun show with some great work by BH

ya know, I'm so into different songs at different time periods, in the 90's...mostly 92-95...(even though there are som fuc*ing awesome spaces with BRENT!!)..i have found myself discovering Jerry's genius in space....throughout the 11 minute segment of space Jerry is doing awesome shit on the midi, some mystical eastern sounding melodies, and then at 12:27 he starts playing some sinister darkness and the rest of them (even vince?)fill in around and then mesh perfectly,the entire remainder of space is completetly representive of everything i've ever felt and seen, and i mean everything, sadness, joy, bright and darkness, happiness, sorrow , fear. Bliss,Terror and horror, regret and pain,and life and love. i saw it all, i saw some cornfields in my head and the world go by and the whole time I could see jerry in my head black shirt and eyes, looking not there already, and i could understand everything clearly...its funny b/c it's only like 7 minutes of space and then a song Hunter wrote in the last few years of Jerry's life and just a soild beautiful version, Jerry flubs only 2 lyrics, but the solo, although extremely simplistic, was at least prestent (unlike 93) and undoubtedly beautiful nonetheless. Insane how my heart could wrench and tears could FLOW from this 20 minute perdiod in the second set of a show when jerry had less than 5 months left on Earth. thank god for Bruce on Days too
I never got to see the dead, but I had this tape and found it like 6 months ago, to find this lovely sounding copy on here so I could hav immeresed myself into the space>days has been a dream for me, the tears are surely welcomed

The SBD is a treat for those who have been listening to the Dead before the days of CD. I highly recommend and request you to check out the audio version of this show without any editing. It is the most increadible audience tape at least of 95 if not all of the 90s dead. Just imagine the UBC and Jerry forgetting the Scarlet lyrics.

my oh my, i saw the grand and i had flashes of being a kid creeping coming downstairs christmas morning. we were right up front and Bruce, oh Bruce, was in absolute prime form heckling all night while pulling off some of the most inspiring keywork i have ever heard. jerry was grinning and shining on us all the whole night.

bruce even did a frankenstein impression at one point, pointing to vince suggestively beforehand... that night was so great...

1st thing I saw when I got to my seat was Bruce's black grand piano.That got the crowd
excited.Good 1st set solid,cold rain & snow was hot.2nd set started right and the smoker there
was a 25min scarlet/fire.Then for an encore they play 1 of my favorite covers the weight.

back in these days, most people depended on dupree's or relix for their setlists...there was no real instant way of getting a setlist without talking to someone who had attended the recent show(s). most people were internet-challenged. Because of this, not very many people actually believed that the boys had really played unbroken chain a couple of days earlier in philly. after all, in those days, unbroken chain was the classic song that few ever expected to played on stage. turns out the rumors were true and they played it. wow!!! the grand piano on the side of the stage let us know we were in for a great one. this show was also cool for the jam going in to drums. the only drawback was the vocal flub in scarlet->fire but it is easily forgivable ;-)...thanks to charlie miller for getting this great source out. this is, without a doubt, one of the best dead shows from their final year.