Soak Up The Sweet Sights & Sounds Of Grateful Dead Yule Log 2023

It’s time once again for everyone’s favorite part of the holidays, the Grateful Dead yule log, now live on YouTube. The musical selection this year are the 1974 concerts from the 2018 release Pacific Northwest ’73–’74: The Complete Recordings paired with video of a subtly crackling fireplace.

The Grateful Dead began the yule log video tradition in 2021 when they featured shows at the Lyceum Theatre in London on their famed Europe ‘72 Tour. Last year boasted the band’s three-night November 1973 run at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

This year, three shows from Pacific Northwest ’73–’74: The Complete Recordings play on a continuous loop: May 17, 1974 at P.N.E. Coliseum in Vancouver; May 19, 1974 at Portland Memorial Coliseum in Portland; and May 21, 1974 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle. The band’s lineup at the time consisted of guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Phil Lesh and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux.

Notable moments from the shows include Vancouver’s “Saint Stephen” tease in “Greatest Story Ever Told,” guitarist Jerry Garcia utilizing slide and an edgy distorted tone on “Mind Left Body Jam” in Portland and the longest uninterrupted jam in the band’s history — a 46:49 “Playing In The Band” in Seattle.

Sit down next to the Grateful Dead yule log and enjoy PNW ‘74 below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Cuo8jHPFE&ab

Setlists (via JerryBase)

Vancouver: May 17, 1974

Set 1:Promised Land, Deal,The Race Is On, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down The Line, Loose Lucy, Big River, It Must Have Been The Roses, Mexicali Blues, Row Jimmy, Playing In The Band [1]

Set 2: U.S. Blues, Me And My Uncle, Ship Of Fools , Money Money [2][3], China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Greatest Story Ever Told [4], Sugaree [1], Truckin’ > Nobody’s Fault But Mine > Eyes Of The World [1] > China Doll [1], Sugar Magnolia

Notes:

• [1] Released on Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: Believe It If You Need It
• [2] First known performance
• [3] Released on Beyond Description (1973 – 1989)
• [4] Includes a Saint Stephen riff durring the solo.

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Portland: May 19, 1974

Set 1: Mississippi Half Step, Mexicali Blues, Big Railroad Blues, Black Throated Wind, Scarlet Begonias, Beat It On Down The Line, Tennessee Jed, Me And Bobby McGee, Sugaree, Jack Straw, It Must Have Been The Roses, El Paso, Loose Lucy, Money Money, China Cat Sunflower [1] > I Know You Rider

Set 2: Promised Land [2], Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship Of Fools, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow > Wharf Rat, Big River, Peggy-O, Truckin’ [1] > Mind Left Body Jam [1][3] > Not Fade Away [1] > Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad [1] > One More Saturday Night [1]

Encore: U.S. Blues

Notes:

• [1] Released on Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: Believe It If You Need It
• [2] Includes Tico Tico tuning before
• [3] Light Into Ashes blog author describes this MLB Jam: “Though Garcia is on slide again, he has a distorted tone this time, which gives the jam a different edge; Weir plays the chords in a staccato way, and they quickly turn it into a funk jam which segues smoothly into Not Fade Away.”

Seattle: May 21, 1974

Set 1: Me And My Uncle, Brown Eyed Women [1], Beat It On Down The Line, Deal, Mexicali Blues, It Must Have Been The Rosesm The Race Is On, Scarlet Begonias, El Paso, Row Jimmy, Money Money [2], Ship Of Fools, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow > China Doll

Set 2: Playing In The Band [3][4], U.S. Blues, Big River, Stella Blue, Around And Around, Eyes Of The World > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

Notes:

• [1] Released on Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: Believe It If You Need It
• [2] Final known performance
• [3] Released on Playing In The Band, Seattle, Washington 5/21/74
• [4] Longest uninterrupted song ever played (46 min, 49 sec).

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