Grateful Dead Reveals ‘Dave’s Picks Volume 50’ Selection

Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux hinted that the concert featured on the forthcoming live archival release Dave’s Picks Volume 50 would be “an incredibly special show” and today that show has been announced. Dave’s Picks Volume 50 will contain the band’s complete May 3, 1977 show that took place at The Palladium in New York City with “a good amount of music” from the next night at the same venue thrown in for good measure.

1977 marked a musical high point for the Grateful Dead with the year’s spring tour among their most memorable. The band settled in at The Palladium for shows on April 29 and 30 and May 1, 3 and 4. A few nights later they would hit Barton Hall on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where they would deliver a show arguably among the best in their history.

Highlights from the Dead’s May 3, 1977 show at The Palladium include stellar versions of “Wharf Rat,” “Not Fade Away,” “Sugaree” and “Eyes Of The World.” The band at the time consisted of guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, bassist Phil Lesh, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. The Dave’s Picks Volume 50 bonus disc for Dave’s Picks subscribers adds the second set from May 4, 1977.

Dave’s Picks Volume 50 will ship in the spring. The first of the four Dave’s Picks due out next year is Volume 49 featuring two 1985 Frost Amphitheater shows. Each release is limited to 25,000 units.

2024 Dave’s Picks subscriptions are on sale now via Dead.net. Subscribers will receive all four installments due out next year along with the subscribers’ exclusive Volume 50 bonus disc.

David Lemieux shared the following in regards to Dave’s Picks Volume 50:

“I think we can all agree that the 50th volume of anything is a big deal. A very big deal. And so it seemed like we needed to do something very special to mark the release of Dave’s Picks Vol. 50. 50!! Whoa. We spent a long time working on this one, and it feels right go to one of the most special tours in Grateful Dead history for Vol. 50: the Spring Tour of 1977! We’re thrilled to announce Dave’s Picks Vol. 50 will be the complete show from 5/3/77 at the Palladium in New York City! The penultimate show of a five night run at the Palladium, just a few nights before the Cornell show, features a seemingly endless run of A+ Dead, including monumental renditions of “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat,” “Not Fade Away,” and “Uncle John’s Band.” With a bit of room at the end of CDs 2 and 3, we’ve included a good amount of music from the next night, 5/4/77 at the Palladium. And because we love our Dave’s Picks subscribers, the 2024 Dave’s Picks Bonus Disc is the second set from 5/4/77, featuring “Scarlet>Fire,” “Terrapin Station,” “Playing In The Band,” and what’s widely considered one of the best versions of “Comes A Time” the Dead ever played. If there was ever a year to subscribe to the Dave’s Picks series, and a Bonus Disc to subscribe for, 2024 is the year. We really couldn’t be more pleased with the way 2024 is starting, with the Frost 1985 shows making up the 4CD Vol. 49, the Palladium shows on 5/3/77 and 5/4/77 making up Vol. 50 plus the Bonus Disc, and what is going to be a tremendous Vol. 51 currently in the works. Big things ahead!”

Listen to an audience recording of “Eyes Of The World” > “Space” > “Wharf Rat”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvpNqdY_kO8

Setlist (via Jerrybase.com)

Set One: Promised Land, Bertha, Me And My Uncle, Peggy-O, Jack Straw [1], Row Jimmy, Lazy Lightning > Supplication, Deal, Good Lovin’, Ship Of Fools, The Music Never Stopped

Set Two: Might As Well, Estimated Prophet, Sugaree, Samson And Delilah, Friend Of The Devil, Eyes Of The World > Space > Wharf Rat > Drums > Not Fade Away > Around And Around

Encore: Uncle John’s Band

[1] Last known performance (by GD) 1974-10-20 (59 events ago)