Bob Dylan, Spencer Davis & Kitaro Join Grateful Dead In 1989
By Andy Kahn Feb 12, 2016 • 1:58 pm PST
The Forum in Inglewood, California was the site of a Grateful Dead concert held 17 years ago today that saw the band welcome multiple guests. The February 12, 1989 gig featured sit-ins by Bob Dylan, Spencer Davis and Kitaro during the bust-out filled two-set performance.
The third show of a three-night stand at The Forum wrapped a short run of shows in the band’s home state to start 1989. Toward the end of the first set, blues guitarist Spencer Davis emerged to join the band on a bust-out of “How Long Blues” for just its fifth performance and first since 1970. Davis stuck around to help out on The Spencer Davis Group hit “Gimme Some Lovin’” which was a staple of Grateful Dead setlists for many years.
The second half of the show began with longtime Dead collaborator Bob Dylan sitting-in on “Iko Iko.” Next up was a bust out of “Monkey And The Engineer,” the rare electric rendition was the first performance since 1982 and the final time Bob Weir led the band on the cover. Weir also took lead vocals on Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again,” but needed help with some of the lyrics from the composer mid-way through the song. Japanese musician and Mickey Hart cohort Kitaro was brought out to add intensity during the “Drums” segment, which was followed by a guest-less, second set closing run of “Space” > “The Other One” > “Stella Blue” > “Foolish Heart.”
Dylan returned for the encore that started with “Not Fade Away” before he took the band through his “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” to end the night. Below stream soundboard audio of the full show, followed by video footage of the second set thanks to voodoonola:
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| voodoonola (See 128 videos) | |
| Grateful Dead (See 1,285 videos) and Bob Dylan (See 27 videos) |
Setlist (via JerryGarcia.com)
Set One: Cold Rain And Snow, Hell In A Bucket, Row Jimmy, Beat It On Down The Line > The Promised Land, West L.A. Fadeaway, How Long Blues*, Gimme Some Lovin’*
Set Two: Iko Iko***, Monkey And The Engineer***, Alabama Getaway***, Dire Wolf***, Cassidy***, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again*** > Drums** > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > Foolish Heart
Encore: Not Fade Away***, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door***
Notes:
- * w/ Spencer Davis
- ** w/ Kitaro
- *** w/ Bob Dylan
