There's a band out on the highway
They're high-stepping into town
It's a rainbow full of sound
It's fireworks, calliopes and clowns
Everybody's dancing
—John Barlow via The Grateful Dead, The Music Never Stopped
This week is all about celebrating Dead Heads, near and far! From your dentist to your pastor, your lawyer to your local congressman, they’re everywhere you look. We’ve curated a selection of Grateful Dead jams from Ben, Adam, and Mat. Plus, our bonus track takes you back to the unforgettable free concert at Vanderbilt University on October 21, 1972. The '70s were a golden era for Grateful Dead performances, and we hope this invites you to hop on the bus—this is where it all begins!
Terrapin Station (Adam)
Some rise
Some fall
Some climb
To get to terrapin
For a song to truly stand out to me, it needs three key elements: tempo transitions, a strong narrative, and climactic peaks. The Terrapin Station medley/suite has all of this and more. The song is divided into three parts, each deserving its own movie. While “Lady with a Fan” and “Terrapin Station” have been played extensively, “At a Siding” has only been performed instrumentally once in the band’s entire history—what an incredible statistic! The origins of this song are fascinating, so definitely take some time to explore them. Without a doubt, this is my all-time favorite Dead tune, and it’s one I NEVER skip. Enjoy!
Althea (Mat)
I guess if your dog’s name is Althea (see picture below), you have to choose that as your song, right? I have been into the Grateful Dead since high school and this is my favorite version of my favorite Dead song. Not everyone can get into the Dead, but I think most folks can enjoy “Althea.” It’s catchy and accessible and doesn’t have a long jam, but you still get a lot of hallmark Dead features like esoteric lyrics from Robert Hunter and incredible guitar solos from Jerry. Sit back, turn the volume up, and enjoy a classic.
Casey Jones (Ben)
I’ll admit I feel like the guy showing up to his first wine tasting with a couple sommeliers trying to describe some big, full-bodied European wine. I don’t really know what I’m talking about when it comes to this legendary band. I asked my daughters to listen and offer descriptions, they said - “it’s a little bit of a lot of things” and then “it’s world.” Not bad, right?
I went with the live track of Casey Jones from 1972, which has some classic flavors of the Dead’s instrumentation that only get better with time.
Bonus Track: Grateful Dead Concert Report by Richard Breen (Vanderbilt University, October 21, 1972)
I cannot recall what I did the day before or what I did the day after. But I will always remember where I was and what happened on October 21, 1972. That is the day that the Grateful Dead delivered an outdoor concert at Vanderbilt University. I was there.
I turned 17 in July 1972. In August I moved into a small single room in a freshmen dormitory at Vanderbilt University. Two months later I was at an outdoor Grateful Dead concert on Alumni Lawn. The day is etched in my mind for several reasons.
My dormitory lay roughly two city blocks from Alumni Lawn. Between my dormitory and Alumni Lawn lay Kirkland Hall, Vanderbilt’s main administrative building housing the Chancellor of the university and the deans. Kirkland Tower is tall with a clock face on each of its four sides and bells that tolled on the hour and played the Angelus. The bells were an important part in all our lives. The bells and the clock face are how we knew what time it was. As I was walking up to Kirkland on my way to the concert I noticed giant Mickey Mouse faces, ears, hands, and feet, on the faces of the clock. Wharf Rats! A vandalistic coup, to quote my 1973 yearbook.
Those were tumultuous days in 1972. We were weeks from a presidential election. One of the candidates for president survived an assassination attempt but was a paraplegic in a wheelchair the rest of his life. Watergate. The Vietnam War. Every young man at that Dead concert was required to register with the draft board when he turned 18 - susceptible to being drafted into the Army and placed in harm's way halfway around the world to fight in the war, whether he wanted to or not.
One of the regular occurrences on Alumni Lawn was its use as a parade ground for Navy and Army ROTC. As I walked past Kirkland to Alumni Lawn, I saw the people and the stage. I noticed the leaves were turning brown and the grass on the ground was smelling, sweet. Check out the picture I have attached from my yearbook. Look at all of those baby boomers grooving to the music. (Yes, we all wore Chucks). The Army and the Navy had yielded the field to the Grateful Dead.
I cannot tell you the Dead’s set list that day or name a single song they played. The Grateful Dead’s albums were not in my library at the time. The Who, Deep Purple, Three Dog Night, The Moody Blues, Captain Beyond, Steely Dan, The Allman Brothers, David Bowie, Jethro Tull—I still have some of their vinyl from then. None of us had televisions in our dorm rooms, but we all had record players. Listening to music was a large part of life. I was going to be a part of it I decided.
I have one word to describe the Dead’s sound, mellifluous. Jerry Garcia was 30 years old when he stepped onto the stage that day. The Grateful Dead had not been around long. None of us had any idea that day what the Dead would become. They were unique. Think about the next 30 years and the huge number of people the Dead would influence. I am glad I was a part of it. I wish I had gotten a selfie with them, but I forgot my iPhone.
*Editors note: Adam tracked down the setlist for this mellifluous-sounding concert.
Bertha; Me And My Uncle; Deal; Beat It On Down The Line; Sugaree; El Paso; China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider; Black Throated Wind; Tennessee Jed; Jack Straw; Loser; Playing In The Band
The Promised Land; Brown Eyed Women; Big River; He's Gone; Greatest Story Ever Told; Bird Song; Truckin' > The Other One > Morning Dew; Sugar Magnolia
Encore: Johnny B. Goode
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Richard Breen is a fifth-generation Louisvillian, has dedicated his life to public service and community support in Louisville. He and his wife Bonnie have been married for over 40 years and are proud parents of three children and four grandchildren. After graduating from Vanderbilt University and the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, he founded Richard Breen Law Offices, where he advocates for injured clients against large corporations. Known for his unwavering commitment to justice, Richard has earned a reputation as a formidable attorney, even serving as a special justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
If you’re new to the Dead, Mat has you covered with this Dead for NOOBZ playlist that turned Adam into a Dead Head.
-TheMusicSwap
Loved this so much, Richard. Thanks for writing!