Jerry Garcia Band’s Legendary Eel River Shows to Be Released in Box Set

In 1987, Wavy Gravy asked Jerry Garcia to play a benefit concert to raise money for his Hog Farm Collective. Garcia agreed, and brought the Jerry Garcia Band to French’s Camp on the Eel River in Piercy, California, a secluded spot three hours north of San Francisco. Garcia broke out Grateful Dead classics, covers like Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” Van Morrison’s “And it Stoned Me” and more.

It began a five-year Labor Day tradition for the Garcia Band, produced by Bill Graham, where Garcia and his string band would play a set followed by a full-band electric show. The half-acoustic, half-electric format that would become legendary when he took Garcia to Broadway later in 1987 for a residency, “Jerry Garcia, Acoustic and Electric,” which captured the full scope of Garcia’s virtuosity.

The electric sets Garcia performed at those special Eel River shows will be released in a six-CD box set, Electric on the Eel. The set highlights the Eel River electric sets – including the celebrated 1991 show including searing takes on Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” and the Band’s “Twilight” – the acoustic August 29, 1987 set will be available to fans who purchase it at some independent record stores.

Electric on the Eel Track List

Disc 1, Set 1

  1. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
  2. Forever Young
  3. Get Out Of My Life Woman
  4. Run For The Roses
  5. And It Stoned Me
  6. My Sisters And Brothers
  7. Deal

Disc 2, Set 2

1.The Harder They Come

  1. I Shall Be Released
  2. Think
  3. Evangeline
  4. Gomorrah
  5. Let It Rock
  6. That Lucky Old Sun
  7. Tangled Up In Blue

June 10, 1989

Disc 3, Set 1

  1. I’ll Take A Melody
  2. They Love Each Other
  3. Get Out Of My Life Woman
  4. Run For The Roses
  5. Stop That Train
  6. Mission In The Rain
  7. My Sisters And Brothers
  8. Deal

Disc 4, Set 2

  1. The Harder They Come
  2. Waiting For A Miracle
  3. I Shall Be Released
  4. Think
  5. I Hope It Won’t Be This Way Always
  6. Don’t Let Go
  7. Evangeline
  8. That Lucky Old Sun
  9. Tangled Up In Blue

August 10, 1991

Disc 5, Set 1

  1. The Way You Do The Things You Do
  2. And It Stoned Me
  3. You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie)
  4. Waiting For A Miracle
  5. Struggling Man
  6. My Sisters And Brothers
  7. Deal

Disc 6, Set 2

  1. Shining Star
  2. Think
  3. Lay Down Sally
  4. Twilight
  5. See What Love Can Do
  6. Lazy Bones
  7. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

via:: Rolling Stone