Grateful Dead - RFK Stadium, Washington, DC 6/10/73 (Live, 8-LP Vinyl Box Set)
Read more about Grateful Dead's RFK Stadium, Washington, DC 6/10/73 in our featured coverage from September 2023 on jambands.com.
On June 10, 1973, the Grateful Dead played RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., as part of the Summer Jam with the Allman Brothers Band and The Band—a massive outdoor concert that drew 60,000 fans to the nation's capital. This 8-LP box set captures the Dead's complete performance, documenting the band at the peak of their 1973 touring power when they'd perfected the sound that would define their live approach for the next two decades. With the "Wall of Sound" PA system still in development but the band's improvisational telepathy fully realized, this show represents the Dead commanding a stadium with nothing but their music.
The RFK show features extended versions of "Playing in the Band," "Dark Star," "Eyes of the World," and "China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider" that showcase why 1973 is considered a golden year for Dead performances. The band navigates complex transitions between songs with ease, building improvisational passages that evolve organically rather than feeling forced. Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux had been with the band long enough to be fully integrated, adding piano textures and vocal harmonies that enriched the Dead's sound without overwhelming it. The outdoor stadium setting brought out an energy in the band's performance that indoor venues sometimes lacked.
What makes this 8-LP box set essential is the complete document it provides—not just the highlights but the full arc of a Dead concert, from opening songs through the extended second-set jams to the encores. Spread across 16 sides of vinyl, the performance unfolds with the natural pacing and dynamics that made Dead shows transformative experiences rather than just concerts. The soundboard recording captures every detail: Garcia's guitar tone singing clearly, Lesh's bass providing melodic counterpoint, the dual drummers creating polyrhythmic foundations. For Heads who want to understand the Dead's stadium-era peak, RFK '73 is definitive.
8-LP box set. Complete show from RFK Stadium, June 10, 1973. Summer Jam with Allman Brothers Band and The Band.