My Definitive Grateful Dead shows in no particular order, other than when they came to my head.
Criteria = that combination of musicianship, energy, and x factor (that je ne sais quoi of special feeling created by the symbiosis of band, audience, and venue).
I also evaluated on show recording quality. I lean heavily toward Betty Boards or recordings that Betty was involved in (i.e., the '72 Europe shows). I love the big, breathy quality of Betty's recordings. Listening to her recordings with headphones, you truly feel like you're standing on the stage right about where Bob Weir typically played.
5-26-72
11-6-77
7-8-78
6-9-77
11-11-73
12-31-72
6-22-73
11-17-73
4-16-72
4-26-72
5-10-72
5-11-72
5-3-72
5-4-72
9-21-72
5-8-70
11-17-71
5-19-74
8-6-74
6-26-74
12-19-73
8-25-72
9-18-87
7-7-89
2-27-69
9-24-72
Okay, admittedly I lean heavy on '72. Like a fine wine, '72 is that perfect mix of mellow, subtle, complex, full character, maturity but with authentic youthful spirit.
