Set Lists

Truckin' Up To Buffalo review

Truckin' Up To Buffalo captures the Grateful Dead celebrating the 4th of July in typical fashion, playing a stadium show, this year at Rich's Stadium outside of Buffalo, NY. The opening act was 10,000 Maniacs. A few treats about this release. First, the video includes no animation and graphics, which result in some of the best band footage in the Grateful Dead's vault. Second, the audio is from multi-track rather than two-track tape, turn it up!

This Grateful Dead show is rather upbeat. It starts out with a rocker, "Bertha," getting the 50,000 or so in attendance off of their feet. Loads of solid material in set. "Row Jimmy" is well played with great rhythm and melody. Phil is really thumping and driving the band all night, and during "Looks Like Rain" he sets the tone of song. "Stagger Lee" has an impressive ending and the set closer "Deal" is ripping. 

The first portion of the second set is very good; however, the music post "I Will Take You Home" is a few tads better than fantastic! The band plays the conclusion of "Playing In The Band Reprise" that opened set one the performance before with moderate success. The "Terrapin Station" has plenty of solid playing. 

The bands performance really gets going during "All Along The Watchtower," which Jerry plays some blistering solos. The transition to "Morning Dew" is smooth. "I'm a big "Morning Dew" fan and this one impresses as both instrumental passages are tremendous and the vocals are especially heartfelt, notably between the two instrumentals. To top things off, the "Not Fade Away" is over of the top with Jerry and Brent trading off riffs to the delight of the crowd.

The Truckin' Up To Buffalo DVD is a welcome addition. A solid 1989 Grateful Dead performance delivered in first class audio and video. 
Grade A -
by Barry Small © 

Interested in more 1989 Grateful Dead? Rob Goetz reviews

DVD song list:

Set One:
Bertha>
Greatest Story Ever Told
Cold Rain and Snow
Walkin' Blues
Row Jimmy
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Stagger Lee
Looks Like Rain >
Deal

Set Two:
Touch of Grey >
Man Smart, Woman Smarter
Ship Of Fools >
Playing In The Band >
Terrapin Station >
Drums >
Space >
I Will Take You Home >
All Along The Watchtower >
Morning Dew >
Not Fade Away

Encore: 
U.S. Blues

A two-disc CD is available. The first two tracks of set two are on disc one. 

Released date - DVD - July 5, 2005; CD July 12, 2005
DVD Special features: Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options. 
Visible Lyrics Option. 
Directed By: Len Dell’Amico

From multi track recordings.
Picture from master 1" video.
Six cameras.

CD - Mixed from the original 24-track analog master tapes and mastered in HDCD for stunning sound.  Deluxe booklet features rare photos and liner notes by Blair Jackson.

Grateful Dead Flash #23
Question: In the View From The Vault series, some of the DVDs have graphics and animation that cover parts of the music that we want to watch. Can anything be done to eliminate these graphics ? ? 

Answer: For good or ill, the graphics and animation on the Views from the Vault DVDs are embedded in the video masters, and there is no alternate footage with which to cover these graphics. As much as we'd like to replace these graphics with shots of the band, we can't simply create footage that never existed in the first place. We are pleased to say, though, that the upcoming Truckin' Up To Buffalo DVD is void of graphics and animation, and you are left seeing some of the most impressive band interaction and joyfulness that we have on video in the entire vault. Summer tour 1989 featured completely clean video feeds being recorded to tape, so the concerts we have from that tour feature the whole band, and nothing but the band. 

David Lemieux
Audiovisual Archivist
Grateful Dead Productions 

From Monterey Video:
The entire band is in peak musical form, making “Grateful Dead: Truckin' Up To Buffalo” one of the very best concerts. Arguably considered to be the Grateful Dead's best tour of their last 15 years of touring, this complete concert at Buffalo's Rich Stadium on July 4, 1989, features the quintessential Fourth of July song, “U.S. Blues.”

With the picture taken from the master 1" video tape, shot with six cameras, and featuring an outstanding new 5.1 and stereo mix produced from the master multi-track tapes, this nearly three hour concert features such staples as “Touch of Grey,” “Morning Dew,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Deal,” “Terrapin Station,” and is sure to be a collector’s favorite!