Grateful Dead
Sunshine Daydream - Veneta, Oregon, August 27, 1972

THE REVIEW

Veneta: small locality in Oregon (Line County), United States, population approximately 4,100 people (2010 data), area 6.66 square kilometers, 80% white inhabitants, main economic activities agriculture and livestock. Classic American rural town where nothing ever happens, houses are wooden with white picket fences, each house has a private garden, and everyone knows each other. The only town festival is the Old Renaissance Fair, an ancient fair held every year at the end of August.

The only event that shook the tranquil life in this God-forsaken village was the Grateful Dead concert, a historic band that participated on August 27, 1972, in a benefit concert right in the countryside near the village, giving life to a memorable live performance, one of the favorites of the Deadheads, which circulated on bootleg for forty years before being officially released last month. In Veneta, that midsummer day, the atmosphere is festive; hundreds of young people arrived en masse in a field nestled in greenery, surrounded by streams and dense forests, eager to spend a day of peace and music. Thanks to a valid film from the era, you can see all these people arriving at the concert; there is no police, no controls of any kind, just lots of young people, fans of the band, offbeat characters, motorcyclists, dazed old folks perhaps drunk wandering in the fields, semi-naked women and children playing with dogs. On an improvised wooden tower, about twenty boys climb, and in a nearby clearing, a girl, likely under acid, dances and moves as if in the grip of psychedelic visions, and drugs flow freely among the large crowd. There are many people, but no fights break out, everything is calm, everyone speaks to each other serenely, everyone minds their own business in complete peace.

The concert was opened by the New Riders of The Purple Sage, a satellite group of the Grateful Dead, who entertained the audience for about an hour with their country rock. Subsequently, Garcia and company took the stage, greeted by a big round of applause from the fans, and began to play divinely, fresh from a stressful but exhilarating European tour, documented later by a splendid album, Live in Europe '72, an exceptional document that testifies to the greatness of the band live. Mickey Hart was absent (he had temporarily left the band), and on drums, there was only Bill Kreutzmann, while on piano, we have Keith Godchaux, who had recently joined the band replacing the great Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the historic organist, voice, and percussionist, who was forced to leave the band in December of the previous year, by then at death's door after years of alcohol and drugs that had undermined his health (he died of cirrhosis the following year). The band plays magnificently, the group is tight and healthy, and it shows; after breaking the ice with "Promised Land," an old Berry rock 'n roll piece, the musicians delight the audience with a slow and hypnotic "Sugaree," then move on to a breathtaking medley "China Cat Sunflower - I Know You Rider." Garcia has a velvety touch, using his Stratocaster divinely, alternating solos with the young Bob Weir who also handles the vocals. Phil Lesh on bass follows the improvisations of the companions excellently, and Godchaux with his piano skillfully fills the general sound. "Mexicali Blues," a track signed by Weir, with its cheerful and fun gait, turns out to be a beautiful piece between country and Tex-Mex and the crowd is enthusiastic.

The musicians' true mastery is well seen first with "Playing the Band," then with the epic "Dark Star," a true symbol of the Grateful Dead. The song, which unfolds for over half an hour, highlights all of our mastery; a river of notes, colors, that fall on you like a torrential stream. Every note has its precise placement, the musicians improvise each on their own, but they all go in the same musical direction. Garcia measures the notes with absolute confidence, moving from pure psychedelia to excellent jazz improvisations that leave you breathless. There is also time for a Merle Haggard cover, "Sing Me Back Home" and the classics "Sugar Magnolia" and "Casey Jones," to then close with another Bob Weir song, the excellent and spirited "One More Saturday Night."

Describing this concert in words hardly conveys its beauty and precision; I was nevertheless struck by the excellent skills of the Dead, of whom I am a great admirer. Even though I know many of the band's live performances, this one, in my opinion, expresses one of the highest points reached by the Californian musicians; the cleanliness of the sound, long but entertaining tracks, never heavy, songs that make your mind soar, superb technique and nothing ever left to chance. The work of Godchaux is excellent and essential, laying a beautiful and elegant piano base, creating a sort of foundation on which the guitarists launch into their infinite webs of sounds and colors.

As the cover reads "Finally, the most requested show in Grateful Dead history." It's right, I agree...