New Vault Release Coming October 30th — GarciaLive Volume 23: August 14th, 1993 Shoreline Amphitheatre
A late-era gem has been unearthed for the latest installment of the GarciaLive series, a complete look at the Jerry Garcia Band’s joyous final performance at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. GarciaLive Volume 23 features two blissful sets played at the Bay Area open-air venue on August 14th, 1993, captured to two-track digital audio tape straight from the soundboard and meticulously mastered by Fred Kevorkian for upcoming release on October 30th.
Although JGB was conceived as a low-key respite—a chance for Garcia to relax and cut loose in small clubs away from the stadium circus of his main gig—crowds eventually swelled for the eponymous side project, and by ‘93 the group was playing some of the same arenas and amphitheaters as the Dead. Still, on this summer night at the 20,000-plus capacity shed, the band spontaneously crafted a show with a freewheeling flow that carries an uninhibited energy from start to finish.
Save for a spry jaunt through “Run for the Roses,” the entire evening was devoted to covers, Garcia putting his inimitable imprint on many of his favorite songs across multiple genres. The show opening “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” sets a celebratory mood, as the gleeful swing of the Marvin Gaye staple gets uplifted by the soulful harmonies of backing vocalists Gloria Jones and Jacklyn LaBranch. Magical readings of “Forever Young” and “Like a Road Leading Home” soon followed, the Dylan chestnut and timeless Memphis-born blues ballad, respectively, both cascading the audience with wistful inspiration. By the first set-closing “Lay Down Sally,” the band has fully found its stride, as Garcia delivers gritty, buoyant solos on top of John Kahn and David Kemper’s deep-pocket groove.
The second frame is even more exploratory, beginning with a celestial, patient “Shining Star” that crests the 20-minute mark. Melvin Seals then gets his time in the spotlight, with some fleet-fingered piano runs during a funky take on Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell.” Garcia’s singing is particularly moving during “The Maker,” Daniel Lanois’s poignant meditation on mortality, and the set hits its peak with the following “Don’t Let Go,” which takes the Shoreline faithful on a mind-bending improvisational journey. For the encore, Garcia nods to his Old and in the Way bandmate Peter Rowan with an absolutely jubilant version of “Midnight Moonlight,” which blends a speedy country shuffle with soaring gospel harmonies.
GarciaLive Volume 23: August 14th, 1993 Shoreline Amphitheatre is now available for pre-order at Garcia Family Provisions ahead of its release on October 30th. The 2-CD set or digital download can be pre-ordered on its own or bundled with an exclusive 100% organic cotton t-shirt and/or limited edition 18” x 24” screen-print designed by Bronco Machete, signed by the artist and numbered in an edition of 400.
Track List:
DISC ONE
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
- Forever Young
- Struggling Man
- Run for the Roses
- Money Honey
- Like a Road Leading Home
- My Sisters and Brothers
- Lay Down Sally
DISC TWO
- Shining Star
- You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie)
- Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox
- Wonderful World
- The Maker
- Don’t Let Go
- That Lucky Old Sun
- Midnight Moonlight
