Playin' In The Band
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre
Put next to Keith's first one on the 19th, I'd have to say this one doesn't ever lift off. The tempo is slower, there are tuning issues (throughout the set) and while Jerry tries to lead straight out of the head for the deeper cosmos, the band doesn't follow his lead and they bring it back down quickly. On the 19th they just bite into the 10-beat form so hard that it almost pushes Jerry onward and to my ears it just flows better. Naturally these are both just amazing shows and must-knows for their historical and musical (!) importance, but my vote goes to the 19th. You can tell PiTB is just about to break its chrysalis. Damned they're both good.
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