"Pigpen" McKernan - vocals, harmonica; Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals; Bob Weir - guitar, vocals; Phil Lesh - bass, vocals; Tom Constanten - keyboards; Bill Kreutzmann - drums; Mickey Hart - drums
This is the first set of the first night of a particularly interesting four-night run at the Fillmore West. Although no special guests are featured like the other three nights, this performance is an excellent example of the band toward the end of the classic Live/Dead album era.
After warming up with the opening "Morning Dew" and the following "Me & My Uncle," the band performs an unusual pairing of "Doin' That Rag," transitioning into "He Was a Friend of Mine." A rousing version of "Hard To Handle" gives Pigpen his one and only chance to lead the group night, before they head back into psychedelia with a "Cosmic Charlie" that, uncharacteristically, is performed alone as opposed to ending a jam sequence. The set closes with the Anthem of the Sun LP's opening suite, "That's it for the Other One." The "Cryptical" reprise, in particular, features some beautiful interplay between Garcia and Lesh before dissolving into feedback to close the first set.