Fresh on the heels of the much loved Barton Hall show, the Grateful Dead followed up that evening with a show at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium the next night. Some consider this show to be superior to 5/8/77, one that is overshadowed by years of hype and adoration for the Cornell performance. While the debate will continue, we offer up for your consideration May 9, 1977 as a potentially equal if not better show than the night prior.
Starting with a “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot” > “Franklin’s Tower” opening trio, the energy takes off over more than 30 minutes to start the show. From there, stand out versions of “Cassidy,” “Tennessee Jed” and a set closing “The Music Never Stopped.” This first set stand out on its own as one of the best you’ll find among 70s Dead shows.
The second set kicks off with “Bertha” and The Rascals’ “Good Lovin,” before impressive versions of “Ship of Fools” and “Estimated Prophet.” With Donna and Keith Godchaux on board for this journey, the show features a pair of “Not Fade Away” and “Comes a Time” that stand up to any pairing from the previous night in Ithaca.
Including the shows on May 5 in Boston and May 6 in New Haven, May 1977: Get Shown The Light covers all four incredible shows, a stellar component of one of the Dead’s best years. Enjoy these two shows from Ithaca and Buffalo, a true sign that the Grateful Dead perform with the highest caliber when in the Empire State.
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