Return to tape listColiseum, New Haven CT, 5/10/81 This was my third Dead show, and my first where I really recognized most if not all of what they were playing. Although I had very pleasant memories of this show, most vividly Bob's angry Other One, I was afraid listening to the tape would determine it was not up to snuff, for the simple reason that it took until the 21st century for me to even see it on anyone's tape list.
Not to worry, this show is a very fine snapshot of a transitional period for the Dead. You can hear songs like Cassidy and Let It Grow evolving toward the form in which they'd become staples in Dead shows for the next sixth of a century, but they're clearly not yet there. Unlike some '78s, this one is very energetic. Not to mention that it was my final live taste of Keith&Donna.
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