The Deadpod

This week's Deadpod continues our visit to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, as we present the second set from May 8, 1981. After last week's well‑played opening set, the band comes out strong here with a big "Shakedown Street" into "Samson and Delilah," then digs deep with "Terrapin Station" flowing into a wide‑open "Playin' in the Band" and on through Drums and Space. Ken Kesey even joins in on harmonica during Space and the "U.S. Blues" encore, adding a unique extra flavor to the proceedings. The home stretch features a fiery "Not Fade Away," a beautiful "Stella Blue," and a rousing "Sugar Magnolia," capped by that "U.S. Blues" encore that feels just right for this time of year.
 
Grateful Dead
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, NY 5/8/1981 - Friday


Two
Shakedown Street [16:09] >
Samson And Delilah [6:50] ;
Terrapin Station[12:28] >
Playing In The Band [16:27] >
Drums [4:#36] >
Space** [6:30] >
Not Fade Away [9:17] >
Stella Blue [9:24] >
Sugar Magnolia [8:58]
Encore
U.S. Blues** [5:37]
Comments **with Ken Kesey on harmonica
 
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here: 
 
https://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod052926.mp3
 
May this music bring a smile ..

For this Memorial Day weekend edition of the Deadpod, we're traveling to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, for the Grateful Dead's spring tour stop on May 8, 1981. This is early‑'80s Brent Mydland era, and the band sounds sharp and energized: Jerry's in good voice, Brent's keys add color and bounce, and the rhythm section keeps everything moving with plenty of drive and nuance.

In this first installment we feature the opening set, a compact but very satisfying run that opens with "Jack Straw" and "Peggy‑O," moves through "Me and My Uncle," "Big River," "Loser," and "Althea," and builds to a strong "Let It Grow" before closing with "Don't Ease Me In." Next week we'll return to Nassau for the second set, highlighted by a big "Shakedown Street" opener, a deep "Terrapin Station" into "Playin' in the Band" sequence, and a powerful closing stretch that feels just right for the start of summer.

I hope you enjoy this slice of May 1981 from Nassau.
 
Grateful Dead
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, NY
5/8/1981 - Friday
One
Jack Straw [5:38] ;
Peggy-O [6:47] ;
Me And My Uncle [2:59] >
Big River [5:39] ;
Loser [8:05] ;
C C Rider [7:49] ;
Althea [8:43] >
Let It Grow[10:27] >
Don't Ease Me In [3:12]
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here: 
https://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod052226.mp3
Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend.....

This week on the Deadpod, we travel to Nassau Coliseum on May 14th, 1980, for a second set that finds the Grateful Dead settling confidently into the early Brent Mydland era. The band sounds relaxed yet focused, blending that familiar late‑70s drive with a more expansive, textural approach.
 
The set opens with the cool, pulsing groove of "Feel Like a Stranger" and flows into a beautifully unhurried "Sugaree," then turns inward with the reflective pairing of "Lost Sailor" and "Saint of Circumstance." From there, the music loosens into space, only to coalesce again around a heartfelt "Comes a Time" and a powerful "Other One" that still crackles with unpredictability.
 
Things land on more earthbound ground with a tender "Black Peter" and a burst of rock and roll energy to close. It's a spring 1980 Nassau journey that moves like a tide—easy, searching, and full of subtle turns, a fine snapshot of where the band was heading at the dawn of a new decade.
 
Grateful Dead
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, NY
5/14/1980 - Wednesday
Two
Feel Like A Stranger [8:03] >
Sugaree [11:15] >
Lost Sailor [6:18] >
Saint Of Circumstance [6:01] >
Space [2:50] >
Comes A Time [8:24] >
The Other One [7:37] >
Drums [8:45] >
Space [3:11] >
Black Peter [9:17] >
Around And Around [3:57] >
Johnny B. Goode [4:09]
Encore
Don't Ease Me In (audience version)
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here:
https://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod051526.mp3
My thanks for your kind support

The Dead have a long history of great Spring performances, and 1980 was no exception. This week we go to Nassau for the May 14, 1980 show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. This was the first night of a three‑show run, with the last two nights later compiled on the 2002 "Go To Nassau" release, leaving this opening show as the odd one out from the official catalog.

This show comes shortly after the "Go To Heaven" release, so they open with "Alabama Getaway." Jerry gives us a fine reading of "Candyman," and the arrangements on Weir's "country" tunes—"Mexicali Blues" and "El Paso"—are rockin'. "Tennessee Jed" follows, with Brent providing a lovely counterpoint to Garcia's leads. "Let It Grow" then leads into a still‑new "Althea." Another "Go To Heaven" tune follows, Brent's "Easy to Love You," which leads into a rocking, set‑closing "Music Never Stopped."

Let's settle in at Nassau Coliseum, May 14, 1980, on this week's Deadpod.
Grateful Dead
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, NY 5/14/1980 - Wednesday

One    

Alabama Getaway [4:10] >
The Promised Land [4:08] ;
Candyman [7:32] ;
Mexicali Blues [4:33] >
El Paso [4:22] ;
Tennessee Jed [9:25] ;
Let It Grow [9:00] >
Althea [8:15] ;
Easy To Love You [3:49] >
The Music Never Stopped [7:38] 
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here: 
https://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod050826.mp3  
As always my sincere thanks for your kind support.

This week's Deadpod takes us back to Pasadena, California, and the Rose Palace on May 10, 1969. This is a fierce, high-energy slice of early Dead, complete with a few rough edges from the road. "Hard To Handle" and "Morning Dew" both run into technical trouble, with the band's frustration coming through loud and clear, but the real centerpiece here is the long psychedelic run from "Dark Star" into "Saint Stephen," "The Eleven," and a nearly half-hour "Turn On Your Love Light."

It's primal Dead, unpredictable and powerful, with all the danger and electricity of 1969 still crackling through the tape.
Grateful Dead
Rose Palace
Pasadena, CA 5/10/1969 - Saturday
One 
Hard To Handle [5:33];[1:05] 
Me And My Uncle [3:31];[0:57] 
Morning Dew [8:06] 
Yellow Dog Story [1:51];[0:23] 
Doin' That Rag [6:32];[0:31] 
Dark Star [20:59] >
Saint Stephen [6:08] >
The Eleven [15:56] >
Turn On Your Love Light [29:31]
You can listen to this week's Deadpod here: 
 https://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod050126.mp3  
This was originally recorded by Bear on an Ampex C90 cassette on a Concord F-400 Cassette Deck