March 25, 1966: Trouper's Hall

Listen to this show.

    We have yet another early 1966 show for today, and this one is both very early and very short. This is certainly not the whole show, but what we do have is more of the same energy of the early Dead that I discussed in my post on 5/19/66, including this show's recording by Bear (the Beatle mixing of hard-panned instruments is a trademark of his early recordings, so keep an ear open!), the fast pace of the performances, and covers making up a majority of the recording. There are still a few things that distinguish this Trouper's Hall recording, however, and its these small details that are worth further exploration.

    Of course, we have a different setlist, opening with a fairly spirited cover of the Memphis Jug Band's "Stealin'." This link back to the Dead's early days as Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions is both interesting and well-performed, setting the energy for the rest of the record. What follows is an analogous nine minute jam session in the key of C, something that helps to show a better sense for the group's ability at this point in their career. Pigpen's organ work is percussive, attacking, and not as fluid as either Tom Constanten's psychedelia or Pigpen's later work on the instrument during, say, their 1972 tour of Europe. But his work is immediate, bluesy, and makes for some decent play against the explosive guitar work of Jerry that populates the track. Bill's timekeeping is consistent and unshakable, and Phil's basswork works to drive things forward, and the melodic element of his playing shows through at points during this divergence. It's not the best Grateful Dead jam in the world, but it's comfortable and effective, and more than anything, it shows signs of what lay ahead.

     The rest of the show moves along in quick order from there. A gentle cover of "Hey Little One" follows the jam, possibly the highlight of the set. Jerry's voice feels earnest and sweet, and the chiming guitar work gives the whole performance a nocturnal, slightly mysterious feeling. The following "I'm a Hog for You Baby" is not so successful. A sort of fast-paced blues number with some ridiculous lyrics, it does little to inspire. The fact that the Dead only ever played this song three times says it all, really. The following "You Don't Have to Ask" is a Dead original, the only one besides the jam included in this recording. I'd liken it most closely to "Stealin'" in terms of performance, but it's a bona fide pop rock number, one that would fit in just fine with the rest of the San Francisco scene from around the same time. Not spectacular, but the energy is hard to ignore on this track. It's charming enough, and it leads into a comfortable enough "Cold Rain and Snow," one with a different melody and slower tempo than most performances of the song prior to later 1969. Admittedly, this is where some of the limitations of Pigpen's organ playing show through, but it doesn't subtract from a good performance of one of the Dead's stronger early songs. Ending the tape is a very early performance of "Next Time You See Me," a song that would be retired until late 1969 in due time. As a Pigpen feature, it's not the grandest, but it's a still comfortable demonstration of his bluesy ability, especially as he lets it rip on the harmonica for his solo. It's a comfortable ending to the tape.

    Admittedly, Grateful Dead shows from 1966 tend to have a lot of carryover between themselves, but that doesn't make it an era any less interesting. This Trouper's Hall show is a personal favorite of mine for this era, both for its brevity and for its moments of genuine excitement. For an era that had very little jamming, we get some good jamming here, and just about everyone is putting in some great energy throughout. It's certainly a primal look at the Grateful Dead, but a worthwhile one, and one that helps to showcase their creativity in a burgeoning time for the band.

Show Rating: ★★★★☆

Thank you for reading, and I bid you goodnight.