Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 (2024) [24-96]

We're hitting the bullseye with the eight previously unreleased stellar shows that make up Friend Of The Devils: April 1978. Filled to the brim with peak performances from the Grateful Dead's post-hiatus period, this collection captures the historic tour where "Drums" begat "Space," morphed into "Drums">"Space" and cemented the Rhythm Devils' second-set power move from the music business to the "transportation business."

Spring 1978 finds the Dead consistently weaving spontaneous magic, showing signs of great promise and potential - from the no-nonsense rock'n'roll in Tampa, where scholars cite the first "Drumz" leading into "Space," to the lengthy communal get down in Pembroke Pines to Jacksonville where the twain emerge fully formed, offering the primordial opportunity for "soul retrieval." It's evident in the dynamic range delivered on back-to-back nights at the intimate Fox Theatre and through the laid-back unity of the band's performance in Durham at Duke, a comfort that carries over to Virginia and West Virginia where the playing is unbridled, bursting with momentum, threatening to carry itself away. And nowhere can you hear that more clearly than through Betty Cantor-Jackson's original recordings, reliably crisp, bright, and vivid.

Drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart were frequently joined during this time by members of the band’s crew for their extended rhythmic explorations, originally dubbed “Rhythm Devils” by Hart, including Steve Parish, who played cowbell on 4/12/78 at Duke University‘s Cameron Indoor Stadium. Jerry Garcia even joined the Rhythm Devils that night, swapping his trusty guitar for a set of steel pans.

"These eight shows tell the story of a band that was engaged, inspired, and focused on bringing their A-game every single night, If there was ever a tour on which the Dead deliver every single moment, it’s this one." - David Lemieux

"The music in this collection, chronicling eight shows from April of 1978, captures the band in an intense period of accelerated evolution. While often overlooked in favor of earlier (Englishtown!) or later (Red Rocks!) shows at larger venues, the Dead’s month-long excursion through intimate concert halls in the South proved to be nothing less than a laboratory of the band’s future. Among the innovations introduced on this tour was the template for “Drums” and “Space” - the intervals of free playing in the second set that became so central to the Dead experience that it’s hard to remember shows unfolding any other way." - Steve Silberman

April 6, 1978 - Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL
April 7, 1978 - Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL
April 8, 1978 - Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
April 10, 1978 - Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
April 11, 1978 - Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
April 12, 1978 - Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC
April 14, 1978 - Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA
April 16, 1978 - Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV

Recorded By Betty Cantor-Jackson
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman
Restored & Speed-Correction by Plangent Processes
Label: Rhino / Release Date: September 20, 2024

Show Listings:

Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa FL (April 6, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Bertha >   7:18
2.  Good Lovin'   6:24
3.  Dire Wolf   4:38
4.  Me and My Uncle >   3:08
5.  Big River   6:27
6.  Friend Of The Devil   8:53
7.  Passenger   5:26
8.  Candyman   8:15
9.  Lazy Lightning >   3:28
10.  Supplication   4:37

Set 2
11.  Samson and Delilah   9:19
12.  It Must Have Been The Roses   6:50
13.  Estimated Prophet >   12:27
14.  He's Gone >   12:30
15.  Rhythm Devils >   7:21
16.  The Other One >   16:15
17.  Wharf Rat >   11:28
18.  Around and Around   8:30
Encore:
19.  U.S. Blues   5:56

Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL (April 7, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Promised Land   5:14
2.  Sugaree   12:13
3.  Cassidy   5:32
4.  Tennessee Jed   9:30
5.  Mama Tried >   2:38
6.  Mexicali Blues   3:52
7.  Peggy-O   10:37
8.  New Minglewood Blues   6:24
9.  Loser   8:12
10.  The Music Never Stopped   8:28

Set 2
11.  Jack Straw   7:20
12.  Ship Of Fools   9:52
13.  Good Lovin'   7:05
14.  Terrapin Station >   11:27
15.  Playing In The Band >   9:14
16.  Rhythm Devils >   11:00
17.  Not Fade Away >   10:24
18.  Black Peter >   10:25
19.  Playing In The Band (Reprise)   5:48
Encore:
20.  Johnny B. Goode   4:11

Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL (April 8, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo   11:44
2.  Me and My Uncle >   3:04
3.  Big River   6:59
4.  They Love Each Other   7:35
5.  Looks Like Rain   9:15
6.  Deal   6:38
7.  El Paso   5:06
8.  It Must Have Been The Roses   7:38
9.  Lazy Lightning >   3:47
10.  Supplication   5:30

Set 2
11.  Samson and Delilah   8:28
12.  Scarlet Begonias >   11:36
13.  Fire On The Mountain   12:19
14.  Estimated Prophet >   11:47
15.  Eyes Of The World >   12:03
16.  Rhythm Devils >   14:44
17.  Space >   6:37
18.  Sugar Magnolia   11:32
Encore:
19.  One More Saturday Night   5:37

Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA (April 10, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Promised Land   5:27
2.  Brown-Eyed Women   5:59
3.  It's All Over Now   8:29
4.  Peggy-O   9:03
5.  Cassidy   6:02
6.  Dire Wolf   4:33
7.  El Paso   5:05
8.  Row Jimmy   10:02
9.  Passenger   5:58
10.  Candyman   8:02
11.  The Music Never Stopped   9:44

Set 2
12.  Jack Straw   7:11
13.  Ship Of Fools   7:50
14.  Dancing In The Street >   12:04
15.  Rhythm Devils >   15:29
16.  Franklin's Tower >   16:25
17.  Black Peter >   11:50
18.  Around and Around   8:48
Encore:
19.  U.S. Blues   5:53

Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA (April 11, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Bertha >   6:22
2.  Good Lovin'   5:46
3.  Friend Of The Devil   8:51
4.  Me and My Uncle >   3:12
5.  Big River   6:32
6.  Tennessee Jed   9:04
7.  Looks Like Rain   8:08
8.  Brown-Eyed Women   5:50
9.  New Minglewood Blues   6:10
10.  Deal   7:33

Set 2
11.  Samson and Delilah   8:20
12.  Scarlet Begonias >   12:42
13.  Fire On The Mountain   10:42
14.  Sunrise   4:02
15.  Terrapin Station >   11:34
16.  Rhythm Devils >   20:54
17.  Space >   2:18
18.  Iko Iko >   10:23
19.  Sugar Magnolia   10:39
Encore:
20.  Johnny B. Goode   4:17

Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC (April 12, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Jack Straw   6:29
2.  Dire Wolf   4:41
3.  Beat It On Down The Line   4:42
4.  Peggy-O   8:54
5.  Mama Tried>   2:29
6.  Mexicali Blues   4:03
7.  Funiculi Funicula   1:57
8.  Row Jimmy   10:50
9.  New Minglewood Blues   5:47
10.  Loser   9:02
11.  Lazy Lightning >   3:56
12.  Supplication   5:40

Set 2
13.  Bertha >   7:50
14.  Good Lovin'   6:59
15.  It Must Have Been The Roses   9:01
16.  Estimated Prophet >   11:43
17.  Eyes Of The World >   12:22
18.  Rhythm Devils >   25:52
19.  Truckin' >   8:47
20.  Wharf Rat >   10:38
21.  Around and Around   8:32
Encore:
22.  U.S. Blues   5:49

Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA (April 14, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Promised Land   5:00
2.  Tennessee Jed   8:45
3.  Me and My Uncle >   3:02
4.  Big River   5:45
5.  Peggy-O   8:19
6.  Looks Like Rain   8:51
7.  Dire Wolf   4:44
8.  It's All Over Now   8:03
9.  Dupree's Diamond Blues   5:37
10.  The Music Never Stopped   8:44

Set 2
11.  Samson and Delilah   9:07
12.  Ship Of Fools   8:22
13.  Dancing In The Street >   16:47
14.  Rhythm Devils >   20:23
15.  Space >   5:12
16.  The Other One >   8:10
17.  Black Peter >   10:58
18.  Sugar Magnolia   10:11
Encore:
19.  Johnny B. Goode   4:25

Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV (April 16, 1978)
Set 1
1.  Jack Straw   6:18
2.  Dire Wolf   4:37
3.  Cassidy   4:51
4.  Peggy-O   8:04
5.  Mexicali Blues >   3:29
6.  Mama Tried   2:53
7.  They Love Each Other   7:36
8.  New Minglewood Blues   6:15
9.  Scarlet Begonias >   9:59
10.  Fire On The Mountain   9:20

Set 2
11.  Samson and Delilah   8:06
12.  Ship Of Fools   8:31
13.  Estimated Prophet >   12:07
14.  Eyes Of The World >   11:44
15.  Rhythm Devils >   14:25
16.  Space >   4:33
17.  Iko Iko >   12:06
18.  Sugar Magnolia   10:23
Encore:
19.  U.S. Blues   5:35

Dead.net Digital Download [24-96]

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
Phil Lesh - bass, vocals
Bill Kreutzmann - drums, percussion
Mickey Hart - drums, percussion
Keith Godchaux - keyboards
Donna Jean Godchaux - vocals