Grateful Dead - Fillmore West San Francisco CA 3/2/1969 (RSD Black Friday 2023 5-LP)

Released for Record Store Day Black Friday 2023, this 5-LP box set captures the Grateful Dead's complete March 2, 1969 show at the Fillmore West in San Francisco—the band's home turf during a period when they were perfecting the improvisational approach that would define their live sound for the next 25 years. With the classic six-piece lineup (Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Pigpen, Kreutzmann, and Hart) locked into peak form, this show documents the Dead between the psychedelic experiments of Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa and the roots-rock focus of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty.

The Fillmore West shows from this period are legendary among tape traders for good reason: the band was playing almost nightly in San Francisco, allowing them to stretch out without the pressure of touring. Extended versions of "Dark Star," "The Other One," "St. Stephen," and "Turn On Your Love Light" showcase the Dead's improvisational telepathy at full strength, with Pigpen commanding the blues numbers and Garcia leading the cosmic explorations. The dual drummers create polyrhythmic foundations that give the band room to explore, while Lesh's bass provides melodic counterpoint rather than just keeping time.

What makes this RSD Black Friday release essential is the complete document it provides—not just highlights but the full arc of a Dead concert, from opening songs through extended second-set jams to the encores. The soundboard recording captures every detail with clarity that audience tapes can't match. For Heads who want to understand the Dead's evolution from acid-test pranksters to improvisational masters, Fillmore West March 2, 1969 is a crucial chapter in that story.

5-LP box set. Record Store Day Black Friday 2023 exclusive. Complete show from Fillmore West, San Francisco, March 2, 1969. Soundboard recording.