Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks, Vol. 11: Century II Convention Hall, Wichita, KS, 11/17/72
Jesse Jarnow on November 24, 2014
The sole “Jack Straw” played in Wichita comes midway through the first set without any cheers, but with some nice remembrances by local crew member Gary Houston in the liner notes. A platonic show from the band’s nimble quintet period, “Bird Song” flutters with self-renewing grace, “Box Of Rain” lopes along in its strident ‘72 arrangement, and “The Other One” dissolves into underwater atmospheres and bass lines that pull against the drums as if by some alternate set of physics. The three-disc set comes with a lush half-hour “Playing in the Band” from two nights earlier—a crisp monument to the lean, mean Grateful Dead, in fighting shape for the forces of love.
Artist: Grateful Dead
Album: Dave’s Picks, Vol. 11: Century II Convention Hall, Wichita, KS, 11/17/72
