‘Drink ’em up, it’s the last one’: JGB at Keystone Palo Alto, July 23, 1977

Meh. This doesn’t light me up. Equipment gremlins running amok, things never achieve escape velocity to my ears.

Jerry Garcia Band
Keystone Palo Alto
260 South California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
July 23, 1977 (Saturday) – 9:30 PM
MSC Miller flac1644 shnid-30662

–set I (6 tracks, 64:25)–
s1t01. tuning [1:02]
s1t02. Sugaree [15:01] [3:29]
s1t03. Stop That Train/ [15:13#]
s1t04. /Mystery Train
s1t05. Simple Twist Of Fate [10:53] [0:18] % [0:07]
s1t06. The Way You Do The Things You Do [8:52] (1) [0:10] %
 
–set II (7 tracks, 67:08)–
s2t01. tuning (2) [1:16]
s2t02. They Love Each Other [7:20] [0:11]
s2t03. Sitting In Limbo [11:04] (3) [2:46]
s2t04. Tore Up Over You [10:08] [1:34]
s2t05. My Sisters And Brothers [7:00] (4) [2:48]
s2t06. Stir It Up [10:53] (5) [0:58]
s2t07. Tangled Up In Blue [10:44] (6) [0:25]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #3
! lineup: Jerry Garcia – el-g, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn – el-b;
! lineup: Keith Godchaux – keyboards (piano, electric piano, organ), vocals;
! lineup: Ron Tutt – drums, vocals;
! lineup: Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; … = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [m:ss] = recorded event time. The recorded event time immediately after the song or item name is an attempt at getting the “real” time of the event. So, a timing of [m:ss] right after a song title is an attempt to say how long the song really was, as represented on this recording.

! Jerrybase: https://jerrybase.com/events/19770723-01

! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/30662 (this fileset); http://etreedb.org/shn/31319 (Bertha remaster of this fileset).

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/7AzlG

! band: JGB #3 (http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html)

! venue: JGBP http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2012/11/keystone-sophies-260-s-california-ave.html. The venue is in some doubt. The tapes seem to say Keystone (Berkeley). But there is hard contemporary historical evidence [redacted] that says both 7/23 and 7/24 were at KPA. The equipment gremlins and the emcee talk, including outroduction of the band, screams KPA more than KB. There’s not much question to me what the actual venue is, whatever tape labels might say.

! historical: the contract rate between Freddie and Jerry had moved from $500 to $750, but if you  believe that’s how much the band was getting, we should check some math. Sounds like a packed house this Saturday night. I have capacity 420 around this time (Staska and Mangrum 1977). I don’t know what the door price would be in mid-1977, need to check. By some of the end-of-show exhortations to “drink up!”, sounds like liquor revenue would have been robust this night, as well.

! R: Recording Info: SBD -> Cassette Master -> Dat

! R: transfer Info: Dat (Sony R500) -> SEK’D Prodif Plus -> Samplitude Professional v7.02 -> FLAC (2 Discs Audio / 2 Disc FLAC). Transferred and Edited By Charlie Miller, [email protected], August 26, 2005.

! personnel: Donna Jean is present, Maria Muldaur is not.

! P: meh.

! R: s1t01-s1t02 some static, level flux, etc.

! P: s1t02 Sugaree. Real slow and swampy. Keith on electric piano. Donna harmony vocals. Jerry’s doing nice work, e.g., 7 min, but I am not jumping up and down. Keith’s work 9 is lame. Major fanning in 12-min mark, then bending toward the jubilee. A few bad feedback spots early 13.
! s1t03 STT Keith on organ, ?Tutt? singing harmony vocals, so, JG, Donna Jean and Tutt three-part vocals, I believe.

! R: s1t03 STT clips out

! R: s1t04 MT clips in

! R: s1t06 TWYDTTYD some overloading, on bass and on piano.

! s1t06 (1) JG: “We’re gonna take a break and try to fix some of this stuff [inaudible].” So, obviously, the overloading and such is a problem of live, not tape.

! s2t01 (2) sounds like Kahn is playing “She’s Not There”. Keith hits it @ 0:30. JK still noodling it -0:43, Keith joins up again over 1. Somewhere I have note that TTB said he thought it was the Wailers’ “Lively Up Yourself”, would need to check more carefully. Jerry’s having none of it, either way; TLEO it is.

! P: s2t02 TLEO still some equipment issues on the bass, especially. Gremlins afoot in the gear this night.

! s2t03 (3) someone asks if they want to play that new rock and roll song. I wonder if he means Rhapsody In Red? Check session info.

! R: s2t04 bad static, now bringing bass down? Some bad shit this night.

! P: s2t05 Sis and Bros has four-part harmonies, KG doing baritone here.

! s2t05 (4) unknown speaker: “It’s getting close to 2 o’clock. So will you finish your drinks, folks? Please?” Crowd guy yells “Or what?” Start of SIU announcer says “C’mon, just drink ’em up.”

! s2t06 (5) guy in charge, maybe Freddie?: “C’mon, let’s drink ’em up! Drink ’em up, it’s the last one. Drink ’em up, you guys!”

! P: s2t07 TUIB sounds really fresh and nice. Bad bass distortion. Gremlins.

! s2t07 emcee: “Yeah. We want to thank the Jerry Garcia Band, [inaudible] tonight [inaudible].”