Tonight’s Dead Set Live is more than just a setlist—it’s a sonic journey into the vibrant and ever-expanding universe of Jerry Garcia’s solo projects, all told through the only lens that truly matters: live performance. From smoky theaters and small clubs to the grand stages of Madison Square Garden, we’re dialing in on Garcia’s other world—the one outside the Grateful Dead, where he painted in new tones, took musical chances, and played straight from the soul.
And if that wasn’t enough, tonight also marks a special edition of The JGB Radio Show: Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s Solo Projects with Live Music—where we’re diving headfirst into rare cuts, deep jams, and the more intimate side of Garcia’s legacy. It’s live Garcia from top to bottom—no studio polish, no overdubs, just raw, real, and relentless.
🎸 Beyond the Dead: The Live Tapes That Tell the Real Story
Jerry Garcia will always be immortalized as the lightning rod at the heart of the Grateful Dead, but to stop there would be to miss the bigger picture. Garcia wasn’t just part of a band—he was a musical force, constantly exploring, evolving, and collaborating. Over 4,782 live performances across various configurations? That’s not just prolific—that’s a legacy built on presence.
While the Dead logged more than 2,300 shows filled with sprawling jams and countercultural fire, Garcia’s solo work carved out something different: deeper blues, gospel-soaked soul, nimble bluegrass, and jazz-fueled improvisation. Each project gave him a new playground—and tonight, we’re rolling tape on that entire universe.
🎶 Setlist Spotlight: All Live, All Night
Here’s the twist: every track you’ll hear on tonight’s episode is a live recording. Nothing but boots, boards, and official releases from shows where the crowd, the moment, and the vibe were as much a part of the music as the band itself.
Some of what you’ll hear:
- “Don’t Let Go” – Jerry Garcia Band, 3/17/78, Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
A swirling, 20-minute workout that channels Garcia’s command of space, soul, and stamina. - “Shining Star” – Jerry Garcia Band, 11/9/91, Hampton Coliseum, VA
A vocal performance that proves Jerry could do heartache just as powerfully as he did psychedelic. - “The Harder They Come” – Garcia/Saunders, 1/19/73, Keystone Berkeley
Garcia’s love for reggae comes alive in this groovy, open-ended jam with Merl Saunders holding it down on keys. - “Midnight Moonlight” – Old & In The Way, 10/8/73, Boarding House, San Francisco
Garcia on banjo. Yes, banjo. A bluegrass explosion that reminds you of his roots and his range. - “Positively 4th Street” – Jerry Garcia Band, 10/28/94, Oakland Coliseum
Garcia channels Dylan with smoky reverence and understated vocal magic in one of his late-era gems.
Each track tonight is performed, not just played. You’ll feel the room, the sweat, the love, and the life in every note. That’s what Garcia did—he brought the room with him.
🎤 Jerry Garcia Band: Where Soul and Jam Collide
With the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB), Jerry was free from the demands of the Dead’s intricate songbooks and setlist politics. He could stretch out, lean into gospel and R&B, and jam on songs that let his voice—both guitar and vocal—shine through.
Formed in the mid-70s and evolving through the years, JGB logged more than 260 shows, many of which are cult favorites among tapers and collectors. The band played songs like Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue,” Smokey Robinson’s “Second That Emotion,” and gospel classics like “My Sisters and Brothers” with real reverence and joy.
If the Dead were a psychedelic circus, JGB was the warm fire on a quiet night. You felt closer to Jerry in those shows.
🎻 Collaborations & Side Trips
Garcia’s creative appetite couldn’t be contained in one or two bands. His work with Merl Saunders, David Grisman, John Kahn, Howard Wales, and others proved that genre was just a suggestion.
- With Merl Saunders, Garcia dove deep into jazz-funk and organ-led grooves that bordered on fusion.
- With David Grisman, it was delicate, intricate acoustic music—stringband meditations on folk, bluegrass, and world music.
- With John Kahn, Garcia found the glue that held so many projects together—Kahn’s bass providing the steady thump under years of spontaneous creation.
And every one of these collaborations came alive in front of an audience. Garcia didn’t hide these side projects—they were part of who he was.
🏟 Iconic Venues That Helped Shape the Sound
Some rooms became synonymous with Garcia’s musical explorations. A few that hold special resonance in tonight’s live retrospective:
- The Capitol Theatre (Passaic, NJ): Where Garcia brought the fire and the intimacy. Tonight’s “Don’t Let Go” comes from this historic venue.
- Keystone Berkeley & Keystone Palo Alto: Home turf for Garcia/Saunders and the early JGB. Laid-back, funky, and formative.
- Madison Square Garden (NYC): From Dead to JGB, the Garden was a cathedral for Jerry fans.
- Winterland Ballroom (San Francisco): The sacred space where so many magic nights unfolded.
- Soldier Field (Chicago): The site of his final show with the Grateful Dead on July 9, 1995—a hauntingly beautiful send-off featuring “Black Muddy River” and “Box of Rain.”
According to lore, Garcia’s last words to Bob Weir before leaving the stage were simply: “Always a hoot.”
🌹 Legacy in the Live Tapes
When Jerry passed away on August 9, 1995, just a month after that Soldier Field show, he left behind not just a body of work—but a way of being. A standard for musical openness. A sense that the song is never really done.
What continues to captivate fans is not just what Garcia played, but how he played it live. That’s why we keep coming back to the tapes. That’s why tonight’s Dead Set Live is more than nostalgia—it’s testimony.
And as we lead into this week’s JGB Radio Show, featuring nothing but live versions from Garcia’s rich solo catalog, we invite you to listen with fresh ears. Whether you were there in person or discovering these shows decades later, the truth is in the music. And the music is always alive.
🔊 Tune In Tonight:
Dead Set Live + The JGB Radio Show: Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s Solo Projects with Live Music
📻 Only live versions. Only Garcia. Only magic.
Streaming tonight on Sunset Radio & everywhere you tune in to feel something real.
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🎧 See you on the rail.
🌀 Dead Set Live.
