Show Notes
Following a heavy metal phase in junior high, Joel discovered the Dead in the late eighties. And since then, he has, in his own words, “spent an unfathomable amount of time collecting, listening to, and obsessing over all things Grateful Dead.” That obsession included taking in a healthy number of shows and amassing an impressive tape collection in the 90s and listening to, downloading, and archiving everything in the digital era. In this episode, Joel shares his thoughts about Wall of Sound and early 80s audience recordings, explains how Jerry’s passing sent him on a different path, confesses to being a digital hoarder, and covers a whole lot more ground.
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Some of the shows mentioned in this episode:
June 14, 1985 - Greek Theatre, University of California - Comes a Time and Dancin' In The Streets both come off a Doug Oade and Jim Wise recording that was mastered by Dan McDonald.
March 27, 1991 - Nassau Coliseum - A Ray Ackerman recording transferred by Joe Noel and Charlie Miller gives us the Hell In A Bucket and Reuben and Cherise.
March 28, 1991 - Nassau Coliseum - The Terrapin comes from an audience recording by Fitzy that Keo kindly transferred.
July 15, 1988 - Greek Theater - A recording of the FM broadcast that DG Hale taped and transferred gives us the Fire On The Mountain.
June 17, 1991 - Giants Stadium - We took the Eyes Of The World, New Speedway Boogie, and Playin' Reprise from a front of the board recording, transferred by Todd Evans and Jamie Waddell.
July 13, 1994 - Franklin County Airport - Another front of the board recording, this one transferred by Bill Koucky, gives us the Let The Good Times Roll that got things started at Highgate.
March 20, 1994 - Richfield Coliseum - We took the Cold Rain And Snow opener from a first set audience recording, transferred by Terry Watts.
June 21, 1995 - Knickerbocker Arena - We get the Easy Answers from a Dan Stephens transfer of an audience recording.
March 7, 1981 - Cole Field House - A Barry Glassberg MOTB audience recording, transferred by A. Egert and C. Ladner gives us the Bird Song.
Other music in this episode:
November 30, 1980 - Fox Theater - Scarlet Begonias comes off a front of the board audience recording of the second set by Bob Wagner that Charlie Miller remastered.
June 23, 1974 - Jai-Alai Fronton - The Cumberland Blues and Casey Jones are both from a Jerry Moore recording that Rob Berger and John Tallmadge transferred.
December 12, 1980 - Swing Auditorium - A Barry Glassberg recording, reworked by Mouth of the Beast, and transferred by A. Egert and SirMick provides us the China Cat Sunflower.
December 19. 1973 - Curtis Hixon Conventional Hall - Here Comes Sunshine comes off an audience recording seeded by Scott Clugston.
September 19, 1987 - Madison Square Garden - When I Paint My Masterpiece is from a Michael Hessberg audience recording that Charlie Miller and Scott Clugston transferred.
June 4, 1977 - The Forum - A Bob Menke tape that was reworked by Mouth of the Beast and transferred by Derek McCabe gives us the Peggy-O.
June 18, 1983 - Saratoga Performing Arts Center - The Morning Dew is off a Jeff Silberman audience recording from front row balcony that Charlie Miller transferred.
September 21, 1982 - Madison Square Garden - I Know You Rider comes off a Charlie Miller master and transfer of an unknown audience recording that came to him by way of Bucko.
June 21, 1980 - West High Auditorium - Brokedown Palace comes off an audience tape recorded by Eddie Claridge at the board.
More from Heads' Tales
You may know Joel from our Facebook page, where he has been a major contributor over the years. If not, you will quickly find out on this episode that he is a knowledgeable and passionate Deadhead who listens to tapes all day long while working hard in his studio building beautiful handmade art deco furniture. Joel has been a Head since the mid-70s when his brothers indoctrinated him. Originally from Long Island, he caught his first show at Nassau in 1979 and regularly attended the New York area shows through the eighties while catching a few dates out West during an epic 1982 road trip. Despite all those Brent era shows, it is still the early stuff that he really loves, which he talks affectionately about throughout the episode.
Our guest this week, Teri, grew up Mormon listening to The Cure in Salt Lake City. In her early twenties, her ex-husband turned Teri onto the Dead, in time to catch her first shows at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in '93. But it was not until a Brown-Eyed Women the next year at the Desert Sky Pavilion that she really got on the bus. Cue up our latest episode and listen to Teri's tales of walking to the '95 shows at the Delta Center with her Mom, mourning Jerry at a Lyle Lovett concert, and living as a Deadhead in the Rocky Mountain West.
Winterland in the 70s, the hiatus shows, and Egypt 1978 are just some of the greatest moments in the history of the Grateful Dead that our guest this week, Don Defenderfer, experienced in the flesh. Margaret and I were thrilled to listen to his intimate and captivating stories and were just as floored by his heartfelt insights into the music and culture of the Dead. Cue up this special episode of the Heads' Tales podcast and smile, smile, smile as Don relates all his incredible memories.
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