JGB's First Gig in NYC - October 28, 1975 - Beacon Theatre (early show)

LN jg1975-10-28.jgb.early-1.aud.135275.flac1644

Tape of the JGB's first New York City gig, at the Beacon Theatre on Tuesday, October 28, at 7:30 PM has just emerged. Welcome to the world, tape, and thanks to all involved for making it so.

It features Nicky explaining a time he couldn't play the Bottom Line (8/18/75?) because he fell off his piano bench in Austin (note 1) - Research could pin this down. I have Nicky in Atlanta at the end of July, and I know I had at some point a listing for Nicky and Nils Lofgren opening 8/18/75 in NYC, but I can't find it.

Not that surprisingly, given the Dead-NYC connection, rumors were flying before the show. "Persons close to the Dead office in California have been dropping hints," it was reported, that these Bottom Line billings would end in "a full-blown Dead show", what with Kingfish and Keith and Donna Godchaux also touring the eastern time zone (Flatte 1975). But it was not to be, instead a couple of good shows and a $15k payday for Jerry and his band, which is fine, too.

Gotham media were all over this, with reviews in the business papers Billboard (Frost 1975 and Variety (Kirby 1975) and the Grey Lady (Dove 1975), the latter describing Garcia as one of those "middle-of-the-road entertainers who trundle out their old hits time after time, unworthy of the kind of adulation" the fans apparently supplied, giving a show characterized by "retrenchment ... inertia ... [and] going through  motions" (Dove 1975).

Dove saw the late show, which I recall linking and hope to revisit some day. In terms of this early show, I am not coming out out of my seat, except that the "Let's Spend The Night Together" is very strong. Why shouldn't it be, with Nicky on the keys? It's not massively long, but it's smart and satisfying. It appears to be headed for "Edward" before the tape ends, but there is no guarantee of this. There are nights (I'd have to go back and check) where they sound like they have Eddie cued up, but maybe it's closing time or something. Or maybe it was amazing and it's lost to history.

A propos of nothing, is there any board tape of this whole tour? Seems not, unless I am forgetting something.

Jerry Garcia Band
Beacon Theatre
2124 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
October 28, 1975 (Tuesday) - 7:30 PM Early Show
all-1 aud shnid-135275

--(13 tracks, 87:57)--
e-t01. John Scher intro [0:27]
e-t02. Sugaree [7:39] %
e-t03. Catfish John [8:43] [0:02] %
e-t04. All By Myself [6:28] [0:01] %
e-t05. [0:32] Mission In The Rain :33-6:22 %
e-t06. Lady Sleeps [3:23] ->
e-t07. No Time// [4:09#]
e-t08. Friend Of The Devil [5:35] %
e-t09. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down [9:08] %
e-t10. /Let It Rock [#8:11] [0:13] %
e-t11. (1) [0:42] Russian Lullaby [7:08] %
e-t12. [0:43] How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [6:47] [0:06] %
e-t13. Let's Spend The Night Together
e-txx. [MISSING: Edward]

! ACT1: Jerry Garcia Band #1
! lineup: Jerry Garcia - el-g, vocals;
! lineup: Nicky Hopkins - piano, vocals;
! lineup: John Kahn - el-b;
! lineup: Ron Tutt - drums, vocals.

JGMF:

! Recording: symbols: % = recording discontinuity; / = clipped song; // = cut song; ... = fade in/out; # = truncated timing; [ ] = 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 [x:xx] 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/19751028-05

! JGC: jerrygarcia.com/show/1975-10-28

! map: https://goo.gl/maps/GPqqNgDHNPp

! JGBP: http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2011/09/beacon-theater-2124-broadway-new-york.html
 
! db: http://etreedb.org/shn/135275 (this fileset).

! band: Jerry Garcia Band #1 (http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-garcia-band-personnel-1975-1995.html).

! exante: Flatte 1975;

! review: Dove 1975;

! review: Kirby 1975;

! historical: Good Old Boys and (unbilled) Rowan Brothers opened.

! JGMF: Contract dated 10/19/75, two shows of two sets each. $10,000 guarantee for the two shows, plus 60% gross over $27k. GP 35254.  Given that the shows sold out, we have to assume that JGB made that percentage, too, another $4k+. Kirby says both shows SRO. Promoted by Ron Delsener "in association with John Silver's [sic] Monarch Productions", i.e., John Scher. JGB's first show in NYC.  Flatte (1975) describes Dead rumors. Dove describes Garcia as one of those "middle-of-the-road entertainers who trundle out their old hits time after time," unworthy of the kind of adulation fans gave Jerry. "Retrenchment ... inertia ... going through  motions" (Dove 1975).

! JGMF: see also 10/30/75 Cooper tape and "Bloody Hell", a close look at Nicky through the Gerry Moskal tape of that same night.

! R: source: AUD of unknown lineage, rescued from ebay for five bucks.

! R: transfer: Maxell XLI (normal bias) > Nakamichi CR-5A (Dolby off) > Edirol FA-66 > Wavelab 2448 > R8Brain > CD-Wave > TLH > FLAC 1644 tagged. Transferred by Andrew F. 02/2016.

! R: seeder notes: "Tight edits between songs. No Time cuts out at the end. Jam after Let's Spend the Night Together is complete, it appears the  band is preparing to start into Edward as the tape runs out."

! R: e-t07 cuts out

! R: d-t10 LIR clips in

! P: e-t10 LIR sounds sluggish. Enthusiastic fanning late 6.

! e-t11 (1) NH: "Somebody [inaudible] why wasn't I at the Bottom Line. OK. The reason was that I fell into the piano system in Austin, TX." Crowd guy: "You all right?" Nicky: "Yeah, I'm fine now. But there's no way I could play the Bottom Line at that time" [inaudible].

! P: e-t13 LSNTNT is outstanding! Big giant guitar filligreeing late 10, band is cooking now. I really wish this "Edward" were present on the tape.Kirby says both shows SRO. Promoted by Ron Delsener "in association with John Silver's [sic] Monarch Productions", i.e., John Scher. JGB's first show in NYC.  Flatte (1975) describes Dead rumors. Dove describes Garcia as one of those "middle-of-the-road entertainers who trundle out their old hits time after time," unworthy of the kind of adulation fans gave Jerry. "Retrenchment ... inertia ... going through  motions" (Dove 1975).

! R: source: AUD of unknown lineage, rescued from ebay for five bucks.

! R: transfer: Maxell XLI (normal bias) > Nakamichi CR-5A (Dolby off) > Edirol FA-66 > Wavelab 2448 > R8Brain > CD-Wave > TLH > FLAC 1644 tagged. Transferred by Andrew F. 02/2016.

! R: seeder notes: "Tight edits between songs. No Time cuts out at the end. Jam after Let's Spend the Night Together is complete, it appears the  band is preparing to start into Edward as the tape runs out."

! R: e-t07 cuts out

! R: d-t10 LIR clips in

! P: e-t10 LIR sounds sluggish. Enthusiastic fanning late 6.

! e-t11 (1) NH: "Somebody [inaudible] why wasn't I at the Bottom Line. OK. The reason was that I fell into the piano system in Austin, TX." Crowd guy: "You all right?" Nicky: "Yeah, I'm fine now. But there's no way I could play the Bottom Line at that time" [inaudible].

! P: e-t13 LSNTNT is outstanding! Big giant guitar filligreeing late 10, band is cooking now. I really wish this "Edward" were present on the tape.