Smooth with wicked edges in all the right places!

Overlooked, patient little gemerald.

Bright, snappy, and full of mello P&V.

From the opening little parlay, hooked.

This one is the sound of a band that knows it can do pretty much anything. Smooth and fiery.

A landmark - such a beautiful mix of restraint and abandon. And Garcia steers the whole rig. One of the GREATS.

A psychedelic peek into 1970 - the ferocity of 1970 with a touch of the 1969 calliope. Garcia leads them into the fire pit and then allows the band to lift itself (w/him) out. Rescue rock.

Let's just face it: this show & everything in it is Michelin three-star restaurant quality. A great introductory Dark Star, but also ideal for the intermediate and advanced listeners in your family.

Just back in town for a revisit & man - what was I thinking waiting so long to listen to this pillow factory? Deserves to take its place next to 5/8 and 5/17 - if not as good, I'm not entirely sure what it lacks. The post-hiatus GD pretty damn near its best. + Garcia's guitar in Scarlet not as apocalyptic as Cornell, but a little smoother and more observational. His playing on the transition is just beautiful steel wire through magnet through 6L6 tubes though speaker. Where 5/8 has this one (and most others) is in the actual transition into Fire, not that there's anything lousy about this one. + @1:45 of Fire, the guitar interplay is so tight, detailed, and intimate, it doesn't even make sense that they're playing at a Civic Center. Warm, gloopy envelope filter, natch. Worth the visit or revisit. Rinse. Repeat.

A cooperative, slightly chatty vibe from the beginning, this Dark Star rides a nice soft wave and opens up slowly. The listener can hear the group listen to each other and the whole song radiates patience and contemplation. + Constanten sets loose a nice coppery sheen on parts of the song and the space out section is pure Apollo in orbit. Could be from nearly anytime from 1950 to today. + Garcia's arpeggiation @ 10:00 reminds the us that this a band playing on a stage in Honolulu. Kind of. + The jam they gradually cook into is commanding and completely earned. The fundamentals of how to build something beautiful, strong, and lasting.