I was on vacation in Sarasota with my parents. We had been coming to Florida every year from Kentucky since I was 3 years old, and this was my last family vacation. I had just finished my junior year at Murray State University in far Western Kentucky and was very into music and weed, and perhaps a few other mind-altering things as well. I was certainly aware of the Dead but not yet a fan. I kept hearing a radio ad about what I recall was a rescheduled show as I lay on the beach day after day. I thought there would be no way that my parents, who were older when I was born would allow me to take the car and drive an hour to go see something called the GRATEFUL DEAD! I mean really, come on. But amazingly they did. I later learned how important live music and dancing was to my dad when he was young so even though he would never have liked the music he knew live music was an important thing. So off I went. At that point I had been to probably around 15 shows from various bands, the first being Three Dog Night at the Kentucky State Fair. As a horn player in the high school band I had been through my Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago shows (Terry you were one of the best ever and so glad I got to hear you once--you've never been given your due) and had just really started getting seriously into the Who, and had seen them for the first and only time with Keith Moon. As I drove to Lakeland by myself, and with no drugs, I was of course aware of some of the Dead's music but honestly it was more of just something to do, away from my parents, and an opportunity to expand my musical horizons. I don't recall having any real expectations. I arrived, and entered the auditorium and started checking out the crowd. If I remember correctly about 20 minutes before showtime I noticed some activity on the stage and then just like that a band I didn't really even recognize that much physically launched into Bertha, a song I'd never heard. Twenty minutes early?!? Never happened before or since. And then it was off to the races. I remember during one of the long breaks between songs someone saying "maybe they're writing a new song!". My other strong memory was how strong Not Fad Away was, just so powerful. Anyway, even though I was straight, well, maybe second-hand smoke?, I don't recall much else specifically, except that I was completely taken away musically and spiritually. Never been quite the same since. Just so thankful fate delivered me to Lakeland that night. So many reasons it might not have happened but thank God or whoever it did. And of course had no idea it was truly a magical show during a strong period for the Dead. I never became a card-carrying Deadhead but did make several more shows. Back at school I motivated a couple of friends to make a Nashville show. Later a great indoor show at Freedom Hall in Louisville. A really fun show at a great venue, the National Tennis Center in Indianapolis in the early 80s with the "passing of the folding chairs", still one of my strongest visual moments at any show by any band/audience (and amazingly available on YouTube) and my last show at Soldier Field, with a reformed Traffic opening, almost exactly a year before the last show. And yes I had just checked into a motel for the one and only show cancelled because of audience, at Deer Creek, when police were walking down the halls announcing that indeed the show that night was cancelled. Really sorry to have missed that one. Anyway, the Dead became and continue to be a major part of my musical identity. I love performing Friend of the Devil when I do shows with covers. And it all started, almost as a fluke, one wonderful May evening in Lakeland. A never-ending thank you to Jerry and the boys (and girl) and the gods of music.

Firstly, love the playlist. Bobby is just beginning to play those China Cat riffs he later came to embed within Bertha. This show benefits from the recording/separation as Barton Hall did. Keith's tickling in TLEO, J Straw, Tennessee Jed makes me smile.
This might be the quintessential Jack Straw of all time. Please listen to Jerry hit the opening line...we can share the wine... I can't remember him at the mike for that opening line since it was rearranged after '72. Again, Keith makes it work well. Vocals are blended well and solidly played from the first note. Keith also makes Minglewood memorable. That pair of Jacks. Jed. Minglewood is a great portion (hello Phil).
Tennessee Jed is also well played. Take a listen. Yes, Barton scarlet/fire is much better however this was an ending to a first set and not that second set tone-setter.
All the estimated's on this tour was in preparation for Raceway Park on 9/3. TOO want played a lot in'77 and I enjoyed this version as we prepare for the home stretch. Again, Barton gives us a better St>NFA>St.

I don't think this is the best Scarlet>Fire of May 1977. It's not even close to 5/8, which I feel is the single best Scarlet>Fire of the 70's and probably of all time (the only one from the 80's/90's I've heard that might come close is 3/5/81). I also disagree about Row Jimmy -- there's nothing really special about this version compared to others from 77 or for that matter, 73-74. Bertha is quite strong, though -- check out Keith's lightly arpeggiated chord right after, "Ran into a rainstorm." Jerry's late with his next line, probably due to checking out what Keith was doing. TLEO is also a stellar version; man, I prefer the slow TLEO's to the fast one's of 73-74 any time. I'm not wild about the early second set playlist, but the Other One to the end is all killer. Not quite 5 stars IMO.

Wow. They really nailed it on every level. I would like to have seen Jerry keep going on some of the solos and licks he was playing. I don’t want to overhype this for the same reason I want it to rain on someone’s beach vacation. Greedy I guess. But this has some stuff on it that are some heavy hitters. They only get played for special occasions.

These feckers got their moneys worth!
seriously this ones good

May 77, what can you say. This has to be my favorite Jack Straw, they just get this thing going!

I was there. My fourth show if I got it right. Not only is this in the top 10 shows that I saw, it is a top shelf tape as well. There was a great band meeting a ways into the second set where they planned out the rest of the set. Great stuff.

Considering this is the only recording of this show and a nice board to boot, surprised this hasn't gotten more traffic.

I have been slack on reviews.
How many variations of wow
and freaking wow can one post?

This is great tune selection here.
1st set was mighty fine at Passenger
but they press on for a Scarlet >Fire.
To me the song does not really get going
until the transition into FIRE
but once they get going --wow!
There is some very cool scatting during Fire,
me thinks it is Donna Jean
right at the same uptempo as the band,
the effect is like getting run over by a rogue wave.

Set two already well spoken for!
It is great to hear the band discussing the set list for the rest of the evening after B.E. Woman-- not so much a set list as a road map.

Lakeland, Fl in 1977 was pretty off the beaten path now it is a suburb of both Orlando and Tampa.
As for a summary of the music here in--freakin wow!!

This has easily become my favorite of spring 77. The only thing I can add to the reviews is that there is no need to cringe at the end of Scarlet as Donna's voice stays subtle and complimentary, that helps make this a perfect show.

Is this the best Jack Straw to any one else?

This is one of the best shows of May 1977, and contains some of the year's finest moments. The first set is strong, with nice versions of Bertha, Row Jimmy, and Passenger. But the standout is the transcendent Scarlet>Fire medley, that is a possible best of the year performance. The transition in particular is total magic: note perfect and smooth as smooth can be, while at the same time maintaining an amazing sense of flow and buildup, like only the finest improvisations can.

The giant second set medley is spectacular as well, particularly the jam out of He's Gone (rarely jammed out during this time) which has a very Other One-ish feel before segueing into the song proper. The Other One is very spirited leading up to the verses, rivaling the intensity of the version from 5/18. After that we get another fine 1977 performance of Comes A Time, followed by strong versions of St. Stephen and NFA to cap off this excellent set.

This was released on DP 29 as well LikeWeir. It's 6 discs.

It says that this show was commercially released as Dick`s Picks 29, but that was the Atlanta show, not Lakeland.

I think this was my first show and I still have the ticket stub, but it says 5-15-17. Anyone know if this show was postponed?
Anyway, I was hooked for life.

my buddy gave me a crisp betty-board tape of this set back in '91. i've never heard a better rockin brown eyed women. since its the only tape deck i have now,i always listen to it driving and i always catch myself speeding when i hear that version. I simply cant pick the best spring '77 show. its like they were all one big show. but this is one of the tops for brown eyed

Why this is never mentioned as one of the best of the year is beyond me. Every song is played to perfection. Pulp79 is right about the Bertha solo; there is no equal. And the TLEO is without question the greatest version of all-time. Jerry and Keith's mid-song solos are absolutely beautiful. I probably play the first set as much or more than the second. I can't even pick highlights, just make sure you listen straight through. You won't be sorry.

After such a killer first set, you may be worried that it's all downhill from here. It's not. Amazing He's Gone, Other One, and the most gut-wrenching version of Comes A Time I've ever heard. Jerry just pours his heart out here, through his guitar and his voice. Jerry's 4-minute solo near the end is one of the most unbelievable, haunting pieces of music I've ever heard. Seriously, this is one of Jerry's peak performances; the entire show is for that matter.

GET THIS however you can. Buy it, or go to losslesslegs.com and get this version, which is pretty much the same quality as DP #29. I'm sure you'll agree that it's one of the very best.

could you email that to me? anthonyjgiorgianni@yahoo.com :) :) :)

I got the download before boards left the archive ............

imo. The list of songs that are top 3 for the year is just rediculous: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, TLEO, Jack A Roe, Tennessee Jed, Row Jimmy, Brown Eyed Women, Scarlet>Fire, He's Gone, Other One, and Comes a Time, with Bertha being my absolute favorite version of all-time. Everyone I play it for agrees. Jerry's mid-song solo is absolutely perfect. Row Jimmy here destroys 5/8/77 IMO. Jerry's playing drips like honey throughout. One of the few great shows where the first set is every bit as good as the second. Scarlet has a killer, rocking Jerry solo, along with one of the most tripped-out segways into Fire, which is also stellar. The band interplay is amazing the whole show. The second set features a tight post-He's Gone jam, followed by one of the best and most adventurous post-'74 Other One's, into THE definitive version of Comes A Time.

I never tire of this show. I've worn out my Dicks Picks 29 and my old-ass "dead hour" tape listening to this one. This show doesn't really get the glory of the one preceeding and the one following it, but I think this has alot to do with the fact that there weren't many good-quality tapes of this show floating around back in the day, unlike those other two. But trust me, this is one of the great ones!

There aren't enough superlatives in the English language to allow me to fully articulate the greatness of this show.....and I'm not even sure where to begin my review. Perhaps I'll keep this brief by simply stating that it was an EXTREMELY wise choice for the Dick's Picks series and is a real contender for the Best Show Of 1977......which is saying ALOT. As a whole, in my humble opinion, it leaves the Cornell show in the proverbial (magic) dust.....


This show, along with

07May Boston
09May Buffalo
17May Tuscaloosa (WOW!!)
19May Atlanta - and -
29Oct DeKalb

round out my choices for Best All-Around Shows Of 1977. Not discounting the brilliance of, say, 1969 or 1972, May 1977 was, IMHO, the month that the band reached the ULTIMATE peak in it's 30-year journey.....the month in which (as I read it here on the Archive described as) "weeping angels were hovering over the stage". Amen.

I'm just now realizing that perhaps I've gotten myself in over my head in attempting to review this supreme show. I could write a review hundreds of words long.....but I won't; I'll beg off that task and just mention a couple of highlights:

"They Love Each Other" is my all-time favorite, bar none......and I'm a TLEO junkie! Everything is "just exactly perfect" in this version; in 25 years of tape trading and thousands of hours listening, I've found no other to match it. Additionally, this show features my pick for the All-Time Champion "Scarlet Begonias". The band is beyond the farthest galaxy on this one, everything in complete synch, with the absolute PERFECT "roll-and-jump" tempo.....and Garcia at the EXTREME peak of his powers!!!

For God's sake, if you haven't heard this show, it should be at the top of your Must-Hear list!!!

Anyone out there have a hi-quality AUD tape?!? I'd love to hear it.....!!

Another excellent show from May '77. It's amazing how they were able to keep up the pace of one fine show after the other. Wonderful performances of the current crop of songs - not necessarily any "best ever" versions, but consistently good. Excellent sound quality in the recording. I don't remember where I downloaded the SBD - nugets.net or deadboots?

http://www.deadboots.com has a downloadable version of this. Pretty good quality too.
The highlight for me is the Jam out of He's Gone.