“It is said that, if you lined up all those who have ever been to a Grateful Dead concert head-to-toe, the line would stretch around the moon, and about halfway back. And nobody would complain!”
WSLR is slowly coming back with a very sparse number of live studio programmers, albeit with very
specific instructions as to how to protect both ourselves and our fellow WSLR volunteers.
And WSLR has now opened new Studio “B”, adjacent to the Joe Jacco On-Air Studio, wherein we will
be able to alternate shows in-house without programmer contacts.
Grateful Dead
Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines, IA
December 7, 1981
SBD > Cassette Master (Sony TC-D5M/Maxell UDXL-II)
All transfers and mastering by Charlie Miller
If you like Brent, or have not really listened to him, this recording is for you! But it sounds like
Bobby’s guitar is washed out a lot.
I’ve gotta admit I’ve listened to a lot of The Dead(along with many more), and I feel this is one of the
smoothest Dead performances I’ve ever heard. The jams are tight and they really step away from each
other. And the recording is staggering!
Disc 1 – Set 1:
1. tuning
2. Bertha >
3. Greatest Story Ever Told
4. Friend Of The Devil >
5. C.C. Rider
6. Dire Wolf
7. Me And My Uncle >
8. Big River
9. Deep Elem Blues
10. Cassidy
11. Althea
12. The Music Never Stopped
Disc 2 – Set 2:
1. tuning
2. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo >
3. Franklin’s Tower >
4. Lost Sailor >
5. Saint Of Circumstance >
6. Drums >
Disc 3 – Set 2 cont’d.:
1. Space >
2. Truckin’ >
3. Nobody’s Spoonful Jam >
4. Black Peter >
5. Sugar Magnolia
Encore:
6. break
7. Don’t Ease Me In
There are no reviews of this soundboard. These reviews are from audience recordings:
REVIEW: Intimate setting
After seeing them the night before at the 18,000 seat Rosemont Horizon outside Chicago it was kind of
a shock to see them at the 2,700 seat DMCC, a venue more accustomed to broadway shows than major
rock acts. I don’t know why they played a venue this size but I’m glad I got to be there. This was
probably the smallest venue where I ever heard them play. It had plush padded seats and a coat check.
A coat check?!? The lines for concessions and bathrooms were short and civilized. It was downright
genteel!
REVIEW: Not Bad
and well played. Highlights: Jam
REVIEW: wasn’t at this show
I was in ninth grade at Valley High School in West Des Moines. Had no idea who the hell the Grateful
Dead were, but remember students talking about this show. Years later my haircut lady said she cut
some members of the bands hair, around this date. She said they ‘smelled’.
REVIEW: My 7th show
The GD hotline that day urged people to go to this show, I got on the waiting list in the Lobby and
ended up w/ 7th row center seats!! While I was waiting I got some (Owsley got out of jail
commemoritive) Blotter. WOW what a nite 😉 what a show !!
REVIEW: MY FIRST SHOWWWWW!!!!
I finally found it! Thanks Mike! Sounds great to me! I was at this show, loaded to the gills on blue
valiums and alcohol. 17 years old and skinny as a rail. I bought two shirts at the break (which I still
have) and a hat (which I don’t). When I couldn’t find my ’63 Galaxie OR my buddy after the show, two
cops drove me around until we found it. It was an Obi-Wan Kenobi experience. God bless the Grateful
Dead.
REVIEW: Unnbahbahlievableble
TMSN. Build, build, back, back, outwards, outwards, spin, spin, release and a perfect 11.
REVIEW: Healthy introduction
Welcomed a new concert experience into the psychic playland on this date @ this show. Great cozy,
intimate venue for a first show …liberty caps and all. Deep Elem and Nobody’s Fault some highlights.
Overall, a great show for me, yet for others maybe average…still a fantastic first set and pretty good
second set. Loved the Althea, 1/2 Step, and Franklins. Again, not the top of 81 year shows, yet not
bottom and with the intimate setting it ranks higher. Wish there was a better recording of whole show.
I knew some people back in the day, but there stuff is inferior to even this recording, although one guy
might argue differently. Regardless, great memories on the 40th anniversary of Pearl Harbor!
REVIEW: ’81
I totally enjoyed this show and playing it back I’ve always enjoy listening to it. This, Indianapolis, the
Greek’s and Oakland were very nice after St. Paul and Cornell! Seattle was pretty decent. I still think
’77 and ’81 are the best years after ’73.
REVIEW: suplication
At the 9 minute mark of Saint/Jam really they start the supplication jam. interesting cause never heard
a hint of it before. That would of been a fun jam if complete.
These reviews are from the second set soundboard only:
REVIEW: Pearl Harbor Day
This was actually a fun show in a very small arena in the middle of the good ‘ol USA. Drove from
Lincoln, NE to Des Moines with a couple law school classmates in the middle of finals to hook up
with a college buddy exiled in Iowa City working on his PhD
REVIEW: bread crumb
When this show was played it was still very much a challenge to get your recording gear in. Everything
was covert, although indulged, particularly at venues that the dead didn’t play all the time and weren’t
used to the drill. The audience version of this show is a testimony to that difficulty. What’s interesting
about this board is the very hot mix of the keys. In general it doesn’t make for great repeated listening,
but it is fun to hear exactly what Brent does to add to the sound and to think about the differences
between what he did and what Keith did.
REVIEW: very cool jam out of St. of Circumstance
highlight of second set for me; a very enjoyable 2nd set with a dynamite Half-Step and just good
pacing and creative energy.