“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.
Grateful Dead
Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
July 6, 1987
UltraMatrix SBD > PCM Master
All transfers and mastering by Charlie Miller
A while back, a friend asked if I ever featured a performer outside the Grateful Dead sitting in. Well, several times in the past, yes; here is another.
Iko Iko thru Drums and Johnny B. Goode with The Neville Brothers. And the day “In The Dark” was released:
Disc 1 – Set 1:
- tuning
- Feel Like A Stranger >
- Franklin’s Tower
- New Minglewood Blues
- Row Jimmy
- Mama Tried >
- Big River
- Far From Me
- Stagger Lee
- Desolation Row >
- Don’t Ease Me In
Disc 2 – Set 2:
- tuning
- Shakedown Street >
- Samson And Delilah
- Iko Iko > *
- Banana Boat Song (Day-O) > *
- Man Smart (Woman Smarter) > *
- Drums >
- Space >
- Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door > *
- Good Lovin’ *
Encore:
- encore break
- Johnny B. Goode *
- with 2 singers, 1 guitarist, and 1 drummer from the Neville Brothers:
Art Neville – Hammond B3 played on Brent’s keyboards and sang a verse of Iko, plus backing vocals
Aaron Neville – vocals and hand percussion, cowbell,
Charles Neville – tambourine *
Brian Stoltz – guitar *
Cyril Neville – drums/percussion, vocals andbacking vocals
Bryan Stoltz – guitar
Reviews from this recording:
REVIEW: Chemistry
This is an outstanding quality recording for a few reasons. 1st the Neville Brothers fit rite in with the boys. As
Bobby used to often say ” Just Like a Swish Watch ” Smooth as silk transitions between songs on this night.
Think about it this tour featured Dylan & Dead for a 3rd set In Philly along with Giants stadium and Foxboro
the 2nd set as they played one long set to themselves then Dylan and Dead . All the practice sessions in early
May were about this upcoming tour to get the tunes down just rite. And what we have here is the Neville Bros
joined the Dead mid tour without practice sessions . And Yes I know they played few times before this.
Sounds like they were the featured tour guest.
2nd reason is the person put this recording together for our listening pleasure ….. This one is an A + show all
around.
REVIEW: Engineering masterpiece?
Well, maybe not… We always hoped they would roll the roof back when they played here, but had to settle for
it being symbolically blown off. A great seedy place to see shows. Created the perfect Dead environment. This
particular night there was supposed to be reserved seating on the floor, but after careful review, we started at
the front, & stacked up all the folding chairs & got on with it. Long ass overnight haul to Roanoke that may
have been slightly underestimated. As for the music- Thanks for this huge upgrade CM! Just listen to the crowd
(plenty of it on this Ultramix). Takes a good bit of Stranger to get the sound dialed in, but pretty good after that.
A very nice show. Enjoy. We did.
REVIEW: Pictures of 1987-07-06
Fun show! It was a great break from the overblown, hot as hell stadium shows that summer. Pittsburgh and
Roanoke right after were really 87 summer highlights for me. Here are some pictures of this show that I took.
http://www.dead.net/fanphotos/1987-07-06-pittsburgh-civic-arena-pittsburgh-pa-5
http://www.dead.net/fanphotos/1987-07-06-pittsburgh-civic-arena-pittsburgh-pa-1
http://www.dead.net/fanphotos/1987-07-06-pittsburgh-civic-arena-pittsburgh-pa
Reviews from other recordings:
REVIEW: Yes Thank you
We finally get a crystal clear board of one of the better shows of this tour. Is so nice to hear a board of this one
for a few reasons. 1 is I don’t think has been a clear board released till now, other is this was a very very very
fun tour and this here is one of the best nights of it. This along with the Roanoke shows. Have always been
stingy with the 5 stars. it gets for 5 because it sounds so clean and the fun of the set list along with the tour.
REVIEW: awesome show!!!!
I used to have this show on cassette years ago and am
truely grateful!!!!!
REVIEW: Awwwwwesommmmme Show
I always looked at this as Jerry’s comeback party. It was during the Dylan tour but he wasn’t scheduled, so there
was lots of rumors that he might just show up. Well special guests did show up, the Neville Brothers who
rocked out on Iko-Iko DayO and Woman Are Smarter if I remember correctly. The Shakedown is awesome,
listen for Jerry’s skat singing. And there wasn’t a dry eye in the place after the Knocking on Heaven’s door.
REVIEW: Totally excellent 2nd Set!
I have fond memories of post-show grooving to this tape on tour…Reminds me of good times with Mary K,
Dave, and George. FUN stuff with the Neville Brothers! Great audience recording here, and a simply
spectacular run of tunes in the 2nd set.
REVIEW: I was there
My first show–and an amazing start to the GD journey. Went on to see most Pgh and Philly shows in late
eighties while in college at Penn State. Remember the look on Jerry’s face when Neville Bros came on stage
(smiling broadly). I was amazed how everyone danced throughout 2nd set. When Heaven’s Door started, we
finally sat down and took a break.
REVIEW: My First Show, too
The day they released “In The Dark” and, in true GD-anti-establishment-fashion, they don’t play ONE song
from it! CLASSIC! The 2nd set of this show is just insane. The Shakedown & Samson are rippin’….then along
come the Neville Brothers…the whole damn band! The first version of “Knockin” withOUT Mr. Dylan and it’s
gorgeous.
REVIEW: Day-O
The Neville bros. were in town for their own show, I had tickets to see them at the now defunct Graffiti
Showcase, which was a great venue. What a fun GD show, I had tickets with my gal, 1st row center ice, we
lived less than a mile from the Civic Arena at the time. Shows like this we would get our Deadercise, serious
aerobic workout! The next night the Nevilles just rocked the graffiti! I remember their guitar player being
especially more animated than usual. I was seeing the Nevilles a lot back then.
REVIEW: Truly tremendous !!!
I agree with everything the previous reviewers have noted. You can hear the excitement in Jerry’s voice all
through Aiko like he was a little kid again and his guitar playing was one of the strongest I had witnessed from
someone who saw a lot of shows in the 80’s. This show was just plain fun! I think it is chuckle worthy that they
did not play one song from In the Dark (released that day) as another reviewer stated which truly represents the
classic way the boys did things throughout their career. “Everyone is going right we are going left” and that my
friends is why they were such a unique, fun, magical musical experience!
REVIEW: You had to have been there
I was in about the 25th row on the floor, and the energy when the Nevilles came on was just out of this world. It’s
just too bad it was so short! But quality beats quantity. I will always remember the night the Nevilles sang with
the Dead.