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We're huge fans of live archival releases as we love to hear classic, previously
unreleased recordings of our favorite bands. While 2013 hasn't been a great year for bands
opening up their vaults in terms of quantity, many of the releases that did come out were
exceptional.
With that in mind I've put together a list of my favorite 10 live archival releases of
2013. Now bear in mind each of these releases were available for purchase by themselves as
opposed to the many "bonus" live recordings that were included in re-issues such as The
Who's Tommy box set or the Allman Brothers Band's Brothers And Sisters
deluxe set. Also, bear in mind "live archival" is different from "live." I didn't feature
albums that contained shows which took place in the last few years. Let's get down to it
and be sure to share your favorites in the comments
section.
10. Widespread Panic - Oak Mountain 2001 - Night Two
This year Panic has released the first two nights of a three-show stand at Oak Mountain
Amphitheatre in Pelham, AL. While both releases are worth purchasing, Night Two's setlist
and performance is just ridiculous. The late Michael Houser was on fire throughout,
reminding us just what a force he brought to Panic's music. Miss ya, Mikey.
9. Jimi Hendrix - Miami Pop Festival
The Hendrix estate continues to mine the legendary guitarist's vault with varying success.
Some of the live releases haven't been all that impressive, but I've really enjoyed my
time with this recording of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's performance at the 1968 Miami
Pop Festival. Many of the hits are here as well as debut live takes on "Hear My Train a
Comin'" and "Tax Free."
8. Grateful Dead - May 1977
There were many GD vault releases in 2013 between the four Dave's Picks
installments and a pair of multi-track sets. May 1977 is a 14-disc boxed set
containing five complete shows from a marvelous year in the band's history. The shows have
never sounded better than they do on this release.
7. Phish - Niagara Falls
The most recent Phish archival release comes from the legendary month of December 1995.
Niagara Falls has one of my all-time favorite "Slave To The Traffic Light's" and
an
otherworldly "Mike's" > "Weekapaug" sequence, among other highlights.
6. Legion Of Mary - Garcia Live Volume 3
The GarciaLive archival series had a phenomenal year in 2013 and we look forward
to
hearing Long Island Sound featuring both the JGB and Weir/Wasserman. My favorite
release so far was Volume 3 which contains highlights of two Legion Of Mary
shows,
one of Garcia's best projects.
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