I remember being at our usual bar in the city before this show. The buzz was the shows in Cleveland and Philadelphia were mediocre at best. It wasn’t encouraging news. Brent had passed a few months prior, and Vince Welnick was now playing keyboards. I remember being at the Foxboro show in July 90 and my buddy commenting about Brent’s health. Now, only a few months later, the band was back on the road. Once again, finding their way.
The crowd was ready and excited to see their favorite band, Grateful Dead. When they hit the stage, the crowd gave them a big hug. I was on the first level, about 6 o’clock from the stage, hoping for the best.
John Scher introduced the band and away we went. By the time they wrapped up their 6-night stay at Madison Square Garden with their epic show on 9/20/90, the band was back and playing inspired music once again. All signs pointed that the band would survive. These shows gave us hope.
In 1991, we saw the band start to slowly decline. If Jerry was into it, it was usually a good or great night. If Jerry wasn’t into it, it was a long night. These 6 nights at the Garden were exceptional. Hornsby joined the band on 9/15/90. This show tends to get overlooked. On this night, it felt like Jerry’s band. Jerry is ON and playing like he had something to prove. He was leading them out of the darkness.
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