Jerry Garcia - lead guitar, vocals; Bob Weir - rhythm guitar, vocals; Phil Lesh - bass, vocals; Brent Mydland - keyboards, vocals; Bill Kreutzmann - drums; Mickey Hart - drums
Opening with the Dixie Cups 1963 Creole classic, "Iko Iko," the Grateful Dead log in with yet another great show, this coming after the band had seen its most commercial success with the hit "Touch Of Gray," which garnered MTV exposure for the band as well as a new, younger legion of fans. This was the first of three nights when the band performed at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California in 1988.
After the fun of "Iko Iko," the band gets down to business. "Walking Blues" leads into a Dead revision of the Lloyd Price 1950s classics, "Stagger Lee," proving the band's aptitude for redefining old songs and making them their own. The rest of the show is a mix of newer material and Dead classics, with passionate vocals from Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh. Crowd favorites like "Me & My Uncle," "When Push Comes To Shove," and "Bertha" are interspersed with more intricate fare such as "Terrapin Station" and "Let It Grow," the Mexicali-flavored tale sung by Weir, which clocks in at nearly 12 minutes.
The show includes material from both Weir and Garcia's solo albums, "Playing In The Band" and "The Wheel," respectively. There is a 17-minute drum-off featuring Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, and a holdover from the band's tour with Bob Dylan, "All Along The Watchtower." Phil Lesh is the real genius behind this track, with a deep, de-tuned bass throughout. The concert closes with the Dead classic, "Sugar Magnolia."
For years after the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia, the members of the band focused on various solo projects. The Dead resurfaced in 2003, first as the Other Ones, and then simply as the Dead, using guest vocalists and players such as Joan Osborne and Bruce Hornsby.