Favorite opener

[DesertDead]

30 minutes ago, John A said:

Let's change the discussion from best theoretical opener to best actual opener and ask what is the greatest opener ever....

 

My vote is Buffalo 5-9-77 Help>Slip>Franklin's.  With honorable mention to the 1st Terrapin San Bernardino '77.

That is one helluva honorable mention, John.  
 

I’ll just add Promised Land from 8/27/72 to the list so we can get it out of the way, too.

[John A]

The problem with anything trumping 5-9-77 is that we have one of the greatest versions of Help Slip Frank and it actually occurs right out the gate - insane to comprehend.   

 

It's like the Louisville '74 encore.  You have a just shy of greatest ever level Morning Dew.  In the freaking encore slot! How do you top that?!?

 

A super cool opener is 6-8-80 Boulder - Uncle John's -> Playin' -> Uncle John's in celebration of the 15th anniversary.  And you gotta love Halloween '85 in Columbia, SC.... Space -> Werewolves after Billy supposedly announced backstage that he wouldn't come out and play if Garcia didn't open with Werewolves.  Jerry was game, although he hadn't done it since '78 and didn't remember the words.  I really groove on that story and hope that it's true!

[BillK522]

Nice thread subject pivot, JohnA.

 

Got me to thinking about openers I had

personal experience with, and the first

that came to mind, while not an all timer,

blew the doors off out of the gate.

The 90/03/14 CRS/Stranger tour opener

at the Cap Centre left our group gasping

for air and mouths agape.  Little did we know

what we were in for at that three show run.

 

Praise DSO.

[vbf3]

3.28.85 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

 

Truckin>
Smokestacks lightening

High Time

[DesertDead]

39 minutes ago, vbf3 said:

3.28.85 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

 

Truckin>
Smokestacks lightening

High Time

Yes, this is a good opener 😎

 

Wow

[Greg from Chestertown]

11 hours ago, BillK522 said:

Nice thread subject pivot, JohnA.

 

Got me to thinking about openers I had

personal experience with, and the first

that came to mind, while not an all timer,

blew the doors off out of the gate.

The 90/03/14 CRS/Stranger tour opener

at the Cap Centre left our group gasping

for air and mouths agape.  Little did we know

what we were in for at that three show run.

 

Praise DSO.

Loose Lucy! 

[John A]

Interesting opener tidbit, if we may expand the definition of "opener" somewhat.  The 1st of 6 MSG fall '93 shows opened with the sequence of Rain; Shakedown Street -> Wang Dang Doodle; Cold Rain & Snow and it's arguable that the tour never reached the level of that 4 pack again!

[DesertDead]

7 minutes ago, John A said:

Interesting opener tidbit, if we may expand the definition of "opener" somewhat.  The 1st of 6 MSG fall '93 shows opened with the sequence of Rain; Shakedown Street -> Wang Dang Doodle; Cold Rain & Snow and it's arguable that the tour never reached the level of that 4 pack again!

A lot to unpack here, John.

 

That was incredible music, no one could question that.  But there was some pretty strong music later in that tour.  As I know you know.

 

Bold statement, though.  Love it!

[BillK522]

20 hours ago, vbf3 said:

3.28.85 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale

 

Truckin>
Smokestacks lightening

High Time

 

We had several dance parties at

hotels, and the biggest one was

98/12/31.  We had three sets that 

night (on tape), and that set was

set two of our NYE celebration.

The first set wrapped in a second set,

the set closed with China>Rider, a 

perfection construction to be between

a first and second set.  Venue was a 

conference room, we dropped balloons 

and an absolute mountain of confetti, 

which I am sure they are still vacuuming

up today.  Good times.

 

Praise DSO.

[John A]

3 hours ago, DesertDead said:

A lot to unpack here, John.

 

That was incredible music, no one could question that.  But there was some pretty strong music later in that tour.  As I know you know.

 

Bold statement, though.  Love it!

This is true, and I'm glad you recognized boldness for boldness's sake.  😆

 

Nonetheless, the statement holds its own due to the obviously uneven nature of the Dead by that vintage.  To wit, while the Estimated with David Murray later in that MSG run was sensational, the Dark Star that followed it was downright lame. 

[DesertDead]

8 hours ago, John A said:

This is true, and I'm glad you recognized boldness for boldness's sake.  😆

 

Nonetheless, the statement holds its own due to the obviously uneven nature of the Dead by that vintage.  To wit, while the Estimated with David Murray later in that MSG run was sensational, the Dark Star that followed it was downright lame. 

Well.  Now you’ve sort of upped the ante a bit.  😃

 

I thought you were perhaps talking just openers still with your previous comments, to which the Rain>Shakedown are probably the strongest.  The Jack Straw>Althea in Boston on 9/26 were quite good, too (although not better).

 

But if you want to put it up against all music later that tour, you have not only the Prophet from 9/22/93 to contend with, but also the Standing on the Moon from 9/26.  Both of those performances would rate stronger by any reasonable measure.  Although clearly these are deep into the shows and therefore, Jerry was all lubed up by then.

 

And having attended those MSG and Boston shows, I would comfortably add

 

OO

GDTRFB

Morning Dew from 9/20/93, parts of which had Edie enhancing the mood

 

Bucket>Bertha from 9/21

 

Help/Slip/Frank 

Bird Song from 9/22

 

Days Between from 9/24

 

to the list of songs that were extraordinary that occurred after the Rain>Shakedown>Wang Dang Doodle, CRS from 9/16 that you mention.  
 

But before I go, not so fast with the dig on the Dark Star from 9/22.  Yes, it was not as well-played as the Estimated that preceded it (a pretty high bar to eclipse), and yes it was not the best Dark Star of the year (I saw three of the four played that year and it was my least favorite), it was by no means a throwaway version if for no other reason than Phil alone.  
 

Anyway, fun stuff to rehash (pun intended).  Thanks for the Fall 1993 discussion!  

[Hardpan]

I gotta go with Bill Graham’s introduction into the Help>Slip>Frank from 8/13/75 as my all time favorite specific show opener. Gets me all charged up and it’s a killer version ⚡️⚡️

[Zuck]

I’ll stick with the 93 theme but switch coast.  12/8/93:

 

Rain 

Let the Good Times Roll

King Bee

[Rude]

HSF is the best way to open a show. Maybe you should say besides HSF which we all know is the best way to start a show, what would be your choice after that. 

[Greg from Chestertown]

Bertha/Good Lovin’, any one, doesn’t matter. 

[PoetryGirl]

7/19/89 Alpine Valley 

 

Beer Barrel Polka tuning ->
Hell in A Bucket 

 

because I was there !!

[Mango]

The best opener is different every day. That said,  I've been known to enjoy Half Step>Franklins or a Stranger>Franklins. I love Hell in a Bucket as well, it's an easy way to get dancin.  

 

Hardpan, i also love that 75 HSF. It was an early CD in my collection back in the day. Another one was DP3, i love that funicula>TMNS. I've always wanted to see DSO recreate this one....

[Greg from Chestertown]

I had the unfortunate trauma of going to quite a few shows in the late eighties, early nineties with a couple who kept a boat in the marina I used to run. They have been going to shows since ‘72. Anyway, she hated hell in a bucket and would vocalize this at the beginning of every show. If the band opened with it, she would bitch, moan and complain through out. A real Debbie Downer.

[DesertDead]

3 hours ago, Rude said:

HSF is the best way to open a show. Maybe you should say besides HSF which we all know is the best way to start a show, what would be your choice after that. 

RudeDog,

 

Besides HSF, which we all know is the best way to start a show, what would be your choice after that?

[Ammagamalin Crew]

4-8-85 Spectrum:

Midnight Hour>Walking The Dog>Big Boss Man

[John A]

85 really was a wacky year for GD setlists. Hell, Gimme Some Lovin' did some openin'!

[Rude]

21 hours ago, DesertDead said:

RudeDog,

 

Besides HSF, which we all know is the best way to start a show, what would be your choice after that?

bertha jack straw 

[John A]

On 12/22/2021 at 3:06 PM, Rude said:

bertha jack straw 

Check out 6-10-90 Cal Expo for an especially fine Bertha Jack Straw opener.

[Mojo Hand]

I've been thinking about this thread for the last few weeks.  

 

Half-Step is one of my absolute favorite Jerry tunes.  When I put together my dream setlists, there is always a half-step.  But.....I have a hard time with it in the opening slot.  I like the more random placements that you get with a '73 setlist.  I feel like I need to be in the zone for half step.  The melodies are very intricate and complex.  The section of the song with "upon the Rio-Grande-io" is so delicate and yet so powerful.  I feel like I can't fully appreciate the song in the opening slot because my mind and body aren't quite ready for that experience yet, and half the of the house is still getting settled in around you because it's the opening song.  

 

I have similar thoughts about Jack Straw.  I remember being at an outdoor ampitheater for one of the early post-Jerry iterations.  Maybe it was "The Other Ones" and it was definitely the Mann Music Center.  Jack Straw is as great a song as was ever-written and I love it!  But I remember thinking it was almost a throw-away because everyone was settling in and it made it hard to stay locked-in.  Just the fact that it was daylight made it hard in this case.  So.......I love Jack Straw as an indoor opener, but not outside in the daylight.  How's that for specifics.  Lol.

 

I think the reason I love Hell In a Bucket so much as an opener is because all I need is my legs and and some energy.  It's not complex.  It's straightforward and hard-rocking.  It does not take focus.  If I'm in the mood to dance, nothing can take me away from it no matter what's happening around me.  Approximately 5 or 6 years ago I was really close to the front for a DSO show at the Electric Factory.  Obviously, the front was already packed when they opened with Hell in a Bucket, so there was no hub-bub around me.  Just a bunch of people who were already settled and ready to go.  It was my favorite opener of all time at any Dead or DSO show.  DSO rocked it so hard.... it was unbelievable.  

 

In the end.....maybe Let the Good Times Roll is the best opener.  It's nobody's favorite song.  So you don't feel like you got ripped off by them playing one of your favorites before you are ready for it.  It's fun and and you can dance a little bit to get warmed-up, while still taking time to light a joint without feeling like you're missing something.  So there you go.....every show should start with LTGTR!

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Can't Come Down😳