MADISON SQUARE GARDEN '81, '82, '83

5LP Boxset - Limited Rocktober 2023 Edition on 180g Black Vinyl

Madison Square Garden, the world-famous New York City arena, was a home away from home for the Grateful Dead, a reliable sanctuary where the band would ultimately play 52 shows, a record at the time. The venue's fine acoustics combined with the fans' unbridled energy consistently brought out the best in the Dead. At the band's 2015 induction ceremony into Madison Square Garden's Walk of Fame, Bobby Weir said, "This place was both horrifying and titillating with an audience that was discerning but ravenous. We had to rise to the occasion every time."

"As Jerry Garcia famously said, Madison Square Garden was 'juiced.' It had an energy unlike any other venue the Grateful Dead played, particularly of this size, owing to the symbiotic relationship between the Dead, the Dead Heads, and New York City itself," says Grateful Dead Legacy Manager and Archivist David Lemieux. "The Dead didn't play the Garden until 1979, almost the midpoint of their performing career. But once they got rolling, they made it a home away from home, playing 10 shows in the next 15 years.

Tracklist:

1.“Feel Like A Stranger
2.“Althea
3.“C.C. Rider
4.“Ramble On Rose
5.“El Paso”
6.“Deep Elem Blues”
7.“Beat It On Down The Line”
8.“Bird Song”
9.“New MinglewoodBlues”
10.“China Cat Sunflower”
11.“I Know You Rider”
12.“Samson And Delilah”
13.“Ship Of Fools”
14.“Estimated Prophet”
15.“Uncle John’s Band”
16.Drums
17.Space
18.“The Other One”
19.“Stella Blue”
20.“Good Lovin’”
21.“U.S. Blues”