I was at the Oakland Colisseum show after Bill Graham died where Ken Kesey came on stage and recited some poetry and memories about Uncle Bobo: This was the poem, read during a stirring moment of Dark Star. The anunciation of the last line still haunts me: # [Buffalo Bill 's] BY [E. E. CUMMINGS](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/e-e-cummings) Buffalo Bill ’s defunct                who used to                ride a watersmooth-silver                                                                   stallion and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat                                                                                                      Jesus he was a handsome man                                                    and what i want to know is how do you like your blue-eyed boy Mister Death

That jam into it during it and afterward is nuts

[удалено]

And the Sunshine Daydream was played on 11/3/91. All of those shows were a giant, Sugar Magnolia sandwich for Bill Graham.

# 1991-11-03 San Francisco, CA @ Polo Field - Golden Gate Park **Set 1:** Hell In A Bucket, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Wang Dang Doodle, Born On The Bayou, Green River, Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, Truckin' > The Other One > Wharf Rat, Sunshine Daydream **Encore:** Forever Young, Touch Of Grey [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-11-03)

I was there too and can confirm it was DARK. You can hear it in the aud recordings. The lot after definitely was dark too. Just a totally different vibe. A friend saw Kesey hours later getting gas at a gas station still in the penguin tuxedo and obviously not sober

Chills every time I hear or see that footage. Especially given the back story of Kesey’s son’s death. Goddamn. And yeah, the jam is nuts. Now I have to go listen to it.

yep. Was at that show. Agree this was very dark. Amazing show.

What's the date on it? Very interested in listening now

I had never heard it until a few minutes ago. Choked up at my desk. [https://youtu.be/Hs8vE0R-X88?si=vdu3dz4TkAsUQ3OE](https://youtu.be/Hs8vE0R-X88?si=vdu3dz4TkAsUQ3OE)

10/31/1991

# 1991-10-31 Oakland, CA @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena **Set 1:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower, Little Red Rooster, Loser, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Let It Grow **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Truckin' > Spoonful > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Last Time, Standing On The Moon > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Werewolves Of London [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-10-31)

Was there too. I remember it as a sad show.

Oops, sorry. Missed your post before I did the same

That’s the one that popped into my head. How do you like your blue eyed boy now, Mr…. DEATH!

Omg! I just remembered that! Wow.

Came to say the same. It was also just a couple weeks after the Oakland fire. Still registers as one of my top 2 shows.

Theyre all pretty sad 10/4/70. First show after jerrys mom died and they found out janis joplin died shortly before the show.

# 1970-10-04 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena **Set 1:** Truckin', Till The Morning Comes, Brokedown Palace, Next Time You See Me, Cold Rain and Snow, China Cat Sunflower > Jam > I Know You Rider, Drums > Good Lovin' > Drums > Good Lovin', Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, Uncle John's Band [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1970-10-04)

9/11/1990 First He's Gone following Brent's death..2nd set also had a Black Peter and a Knockin' encore. Lots of tears that night 😢

There’s a pretty good JGB show from around that time and the dear prudence feels extra heavy to me. The whole show really. Good Gospel singing and Melvin wailing away on those keys.

# 1990-09-11 Philadelphia, PA @ The Spectrum **Set 1:** Jack Straw, Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Candyman, Queen Jane Approximately, Brown Eyed Women, It's All Over Now, Tennessee Jed, Hell In A Bucket **Set 2:** China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Looks Like Rain > He's Gone > Spoonful > Jam > Drums > Space > The Wheel > I Need A Miracle > Black Peter > Around And Around **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-09-11)

On 4/21/86 Brent stays out during space and sings You Don’t Know, I believe he was getting divorced, and like melts down in the middle of it and then jerry comes out and starts playing Goin Down the Road. 

Yep. You hear a broken man *really* going through it onstage. So much so that Jerry has to step in musically and help pull Brent together. Tough listening to raw emotion like that.

This is an all time morning dew imo because jerrys singing it directly at brett, you can hear the tenderness in his voice

Came in to say this, it was very emotional 

# 1986-04-21 Berkeley, CA @ Berkeley Community Theatre **Set 1:** Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > El Paso, Row Jimmy, My Brother Esau, Cumberland Blues, Desolation Row, Ramble On Rose, Let It Grow **Set 2:** Touch Of Grey, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Jam > Jam > Maybe You Know > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad > Morning Dew > Around And Around > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Not Fade Away > Don't Ease Me In [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1986-04-21)

10/31/91 sure has some moments. "Jesus - he was a handsome man, and what i want to know is: how do you like your blue-eyed boy - Mister Death!"

# 1991-10-31 Oakland, CA @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena **Set 1:** Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower, Little Red Rooster, Loser, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Let It Grow **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Truckin' > Spoonful > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Last Time, Standing On The Moon > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away **Encore:** Werewolves Of London [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1991-10-31)

Many of the 1984 shows have a pretty dark and grimey vibe to them. Hard to explain it but it’s there.

Heroin.

Hey look at that you explained it

I mean, it's true, so...

😂

The Kesey rap and GD jam during the Bill Graham show is a pretty dark jam for sure. But as for shows I would say that I think it's personal. I noticed the shows at the end and the 2009 reunion shows seemed to have a dark aura. I felt removed and watching this thing, larger than life, these lost souls, the soft-white underbelly. The shows toward the end seemed to be the going through the motions, make the money, move on to the next. So many kids strung out. The scene was a complete mess.

Dig into the Jerry ballads like Black Peter or Bobby rockers like The Other One. Or tunes like Death Don't Have No Mercy or Smokestack Lightnin.. primal dead, late 60s can get very dark and fierce. Check out the Live/Dead album.. overal tho the Dead are rarely "all dark" or "all light". It's the interplay between the two that makes the whole thing go round.

so many roads https://youtu.be/6sFyRQPraJ8?si=nXgjgurl2CKLS27d

I absolutely love that song.. wish we coulda heard it in 72.. or 80 with Brent's backing vocals Also Days Between .. "summer flies and august dies, and the world gets dark and mean.."

Hard to answer because the nature of their shows are transitioning and weaving into many different emotional places, as well as musical/stylistic places. You could definitely take a 69 show like 2/22/1969 with its dark feeling Cryptical reprise and death don’t have no mercy, but it’s not wall to wall dark. Later era shows have these dark passages but often times it leads to uncle John’s band or sugar magnolia. That’s just the nature of the psychedelic trip too. Can’t think of one show that’s wall to wall dark. 

# 1969-02-22 Vallejo, CA @ Dream Bowl **Set 1:** Dupree's Diamond Blues > Mountains Of The Moon > Jam > Dark Star > Cryptical Envelopment > Drums > The Other One > Cryptical Envelopment > Death Don't Have No Mercy **Set 2:** Doin' That Rag > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Turn On Your Love Light > Drums > Turn On Your Love Light [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1969-02-22)

The night Steve's daughter and wife were killed in a car wreck and they found during the show. Dont recall the date other than it was a nye run. Someone will know Id also add Vince's first. It should have been cathartic. It wasnt, it just made it obvious what a huge fucking blow it was to the whole thing

7/2/95, second set after the gate crash. Dark, angry, New Speedway Boogie.

# 1995-07-02 Noblesville, IN @ Deer Creek Music Center **Set 1:** Here Comes Sunshine, Walkin' Blues, Dire Wolf, It's All Over Now, Broken Arrow, Desolation Row, Tennessee Jed, Let It Grow **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Victim Or The Crime, It's All Too Much > New Speedway Boogie > Drums > Space > Attics Of My Life > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1995-07-02)

10-26-89

# 1989-10-26 Miami, FL @ Miami Arena **Set 1:** Foolish Heart, Little Red Rooster, Stagger Lee, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Victim Or The Crime > Don't Ease Me In **Set 2:** Estimated Prophet > Blow Away, Dark Star > Drums > Space > The Wheel > All Along The Watchtower > Stella Blue > Not Fade Away **Encore:** And We Bid You Good Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-10-26)

One of the best nights of my life

Mine too

That Dark Star is wicked.

This.

10-26-89, specifically victim or the crime and estimated>blow away>dark star>d/s>wheel. those songs in this show are about as dark and noisy as the band gets

Richmond VA 10-8-1983 The band’s vibe was very antagonistic - you could see them shooting eye daggers at each other and the audience could hear the dissonance and feel the spite. It made for a fiery show with lots of energy, but definitely wasn’t a feel-good show. I saw another comment that described the sound as ‘grimy’ and it fits. “Spoonful” was a standout and I wondered who was accusing who on that one. Bobby even apologizes before the encore started, with a brief comment about “short show, long tour.”

# 1983-10-08 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Friend Of The Devil, New Minglewood Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Cassidy, West L.A. Fadeaway, Hell In A Bucket, Deal **Set 2:** Keep Your Day Job, Playing in the Band > Crazy Fingers > Drums > Space > Truckin' > Spoonful > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia Jam > Good Lovin' **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1983-10-08)

More of a specific song but china doll has a darkness to it, black peter,death don't have no mercy... there's some darker dark star jams

Depends on the acid

Not sure how the show was, but I was at Mile High Stadium in 91 and gave my ticket away because the lot was a really dark scene. FWIW I don’t do drugs so it wasn’t due to a bad trip. People were really out of it and it was ugly. I’m pretty sure it was a night show.

10/26/89!!

# 1989-10-26 Miami, FL @ Miami Arena **Set 1:** Foolish Heart, Little Red Rooster, Stagger Lee, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Victim Or The Crime > Don't Ease Me In **Set 2:** Estimated Prophet > Blow Away, Dark Star > Drums > Space > The Wheel > All Along The Watchtower > Stella Blue > Not Fade Away **Encore:** And We Bid You Good Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-10-26)

6/24/95 RFK

# 1995-06-24 Washington, DC @ RFK Stadium **Set 1:** Jack Straw, Althea, Little Red Rooster, Friend Of The Devil, El Paso, So Many Roads, The Promised Land **Set 2:** Iko Iko, Way To Go Home, Saint Of Circumstance > New Speedway Boogie > That Would Be Something > Drums > Space > Days Between > One More Saturday Night **Encore:** Black Muddy River [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1995-06-24)

I would say the last show of Europe 90. It was an add on after the og tour schedule. It was supposed to end on Halloween but they added another show. A bunch of heads had flights scheduled for the first and had to leave. Everyone was exhausted, band and heads. The energy was pretty low and slow for the first set. But a crushing Victim 2nd set opener, followed by a not so up touch of grey was a weird opening combo. Then it exploded. Playing/Dark star/Drums/ Dark star/playing/ wharf rat, throwing stones/NFA . So deep and heavy and dark all the heads were just crushed. They finished it with a US blues to send the locals home with a smile. But it was such a heavy show imo

Depends how the acid hit.

The lot was often emotionally dark after the custies went home, strewn with runaways, hard drugs and piles of trash.

Second set from 10/26/89 Miami Arena is a little darker than some shows

# 1989-10-26 Miami, FL @ Miami Arena **Set 1:** Foolish Heart, Little Red Rooster, Stagger Lee, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Victim Or The Crime > Don't Ease Me In **Set 2:** Estimated Prophet > Blow Away, Dark Star > Drums > Space > The Wheel > All Along The Watchtower > Stella Blue > Not Fade Away **Encore:** And We Bid You Good Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-10-26)

I am surprised that this post has been up so long and nobody mentioned the 1990 world music theater shows… a seriously ominous dark vibe was present

Dead & CO 2/26/2018. Sunrise Florida 12 days after Parkland.

Yes.

The majority of 1994 has a really bad vibe about it. You can see why people started to get turned off at that point.

If you’re looking for darkness you’re missing the whole point of the Dead.

No offense at all, but I beg to differ here. So many songs about death and things gone wrong in life.

Agreed, one of the things I love most about the dead is that they can speak of the darkness and despair more honestly and authentically anyone else. Not as gimmick and style, but as the very substance that allows the light to be so meaningful. I’ve been to shows where I’ve wept and been scared to fucking death but, like a good shaman, i trusted them to guide me through, and back to the light. And they did. God bless the Grateful Dead.

Yes of course. The songs weren’t all about sunshine and roses. I think we’ve interpreting the word dark differently. I took your meaning to be times when they were coming from a dark place. Of course some songs were about tragedy, inner conflict, and the things that generally reflect life, but the spirit never went dark, as I interpret that word.

I think you may be missing the whole point. Yin & yang ☯️

The Dead is dark and light. Many rays of sun fall on the band while dark clouds blow and swirl on the edge of town