011 - Ghosts of New Years' Past

It's December and, on top of the various religious holidays ahead, we close out and usher in a new and hopefully better year. Once upon a time, in Grateful Dead land, the eve of the new year was celebrated with a festive concert appearance, perhaps even a run of concerts. Sometimes, spectacle would accompany the strike of midnight but really, the Grateful Dead is all the spectacle we Deadheads need.

This month we take a look at a few of those New Year's Eve performances and play some choice cuts to help you close out your year. We've got the Rock & Roll, Blues, and, my personal favorite genre, Face-Melting Jams.

So, polish off the egg nog and break into the bubbly, cos we're gonna party like it's 1969.

Pardon as I take a moment to send a shoutout to my new friends, Aaron, Mel, & Apple over at the No Simple Road podcast. I had a great time chatting with them and think that you will enjoy them as well. My episode can be found here.

Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. We also now have an Instagram account. If you like pictures of things, you can find that here: BrokedownPod Instagram. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the word out.


Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, or in the player below.

010 - More with Jesse Jarnow & '67 Dead

We're going bi-weekly in November with our interview with author, Jesse Jarnow. In episode 009 (Listen HERE) we talked about Jesse's background as a Dead Head and writer and how the two streams combined. Then we began tearing into a survey of the recorded history of 1967 Grateful Dead.

That's where our conversation picks up this time. There's a fair bit of music left to discuss so we get right on into it.

It was a pleasure chatting with Jesse and whipping this show together with him so I hope you all enjoy it. I strongly encourage you to check out his books: Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo And The Rise Of Indie Rock (amazon) and Heads: A Biography Of Psychedelic America (amazon).

You can also check out Jesse Jarnow on Twitter @bourgwick and @headsnews as well as on his website, jessejarnow.com.

Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. We also now have an Instagram account. If you like pictures of things, you can find that here: BrokedownPod Instagram. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the word out.


Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

009 - Jesse Jarnow & 1967

This go ‘round we have a special guest joining the Brokedown Podcast: author, Deadhead, and WFMU DJ, Jesse Jarnow. In this episode we learn a bit about Jesse’s personal history as a Deadhead, his path to becoming a guy tapped by the Grateful Dead to write liner notes for some of their recent archival releases, and his books: Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo And The Rise Of Indie Rock (amazon) and Heads: A Biography Of Psychedelic America (amazon).

Then we dive into the archives and talk about the Grateful Dead in 1967. A formative year that, due to a spotty tape record, is somewhat mysterious. We break down all of the know live tapes including a few of the mislabeled ones that are out there.

The episode ran long so we've broken it into two parts, the latter will be out in two weeks.

In the meantime, you can check out Jesse Jarnow on Twitter @bourgwick and @headsnews as well as on his website, jessejarnow.com


Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. We also now have an Instagram account. If you like pictures of things, you can find that here: BrokedownPod Instagram. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the word out.


Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

008 - October '89

October of 1989 was a good month for The Grateful Dead, and for Deadheads on the East coast. After a three-night stint at Shoreline Amphitheater, the band came out to Hampton, Virginia to play a pair of shows that would soon be legendary. Billed at "Formerly The Warlocks" the band served up outstanding performances and much coveted bustouts of "Dark Star", "Help On The Way > Slipknot!" and the first "Attics Of My Life" since 1972. They went on to tour up and down the coast for the remainder of the month wrapping in Miami just five days before the release of their new album, Built To Last.

This month on the Brokedown Podcast we take a look at October of '89 and play for you choice cuts from the unreleased portions of the tour. So kick back and watch the leaves shed their green as the air turns crisp all around. It's time for some Fall Tour Grateful Dead.

Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. We also now have an Instagram account. If you like pictures of things, you can find that here: BrokedownPod Instagram. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the word out.

As always, Thank you for listening.


Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

007- September '72

The kids are back to school and we're making a study of one of the finest months in Grateful Dead history: September 1972. This time around we also have our first ever guest, Andy, bringing his knowledge and enthusiasm to the show.

The music on this episode ranges wildly and the conversation does too. We hope you enjoy it and hope you feel free to offer feedback on this change in the show.

Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the word out.

As always, Thank you for listening.

Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

006 - Happy Birthday, Jerry

August marks Jerry Garcia's 75th birthday and so, we're celebrating.

This month we've put together to mixed sets of music spanning the 60's, 70's, and the 80's. Tracks run from acoustic to very electric and all points in between. So open up the windows and crank the speakers. Light a candle and crack a smile because Jerry's Birthday is a time to celebrate, not mourn.

We hope you enjoy this little sampler of the treasures Jerry and the Grateful Dead gave to us over the years.

Please, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the work out.

As always, Thank you for listening.

Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

005 - Grateful Americana

This month on the Brokedown Podcast we take a look at the Grateful Dead's lyrical Americana. More an overview than a deep-dive, we're going to cover a fair bit of ground like a freight with a good signal and a head of steam. We're covering all four decades of Grateful Dead this time.

It's no question that the Grateful Dead are, musically, a potent amalgam of American musical styles. Bluegrass, jazz, rock, R&B, folk, country, and avant garde composition mesh into a tantalizing stew. Lyrically, the band tells stories that cover the gamut of American walks of life and even paint a romantic mythology blending old west, deep south, appalachian, and maritime themes with modern road songs.

This, along with some jamming, is what we set out to explore over these two sets of great live music. Naturally you'll get some discussion before and after each. The playlist will be posted after the jump to protect you from spoilers. So fire this up along with the backyard barbecue and have yourself a real good time.

Please don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae. Also, if you use iTunes, please consider posting a review as it really help get the work out.

As always, Thank you for listening.

Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

004 - June '73

It's June. It's hot outside in my town and, man, it's only getting hotter. I could drop in a lousy joke about how cool the Grateful Dead are but I'll spare you.

This month, with our fourth episode, we pay tribute to a fallen Brother and get into some deep jams along the way. As you well know by now, Gregg Allman passed on May 27 and though he may be sorely missed, he'll always be with us in his work.

The episode is broken into three chunks of music from three different shows. Each is accompanied by a bit of discussion along the way.

As I say in each episode, don't forget to follow the @BrokedownPod twitter account for regular news, live tweetstorms of shows as I listen, and other minutiae.

As always, Thank you for listening.

Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.


Track listings and such come after the jump!

003 - Spring '77

It's May, which is still Spring and a perfect time to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the laudable Spring '77 tour. The band has marked the occasion with the release of a new boxed set featuring the complete 5/5 (New Haven, CT), 5/7 (Boston, MA) , 5/8 (Ithaca, NY), and 5/9 (Buffalo, NY) shows. Additionally, the legendary 5/8 show from Cornell University has received its own standalone release on compact disc and vinyl. (You can grab these here: boxed set and here: 5/8 CD, Vinyl)

On this episode, we join in the party with a mix of tunes from the tour as well as a tribute to the 5/8 show itself. Whether it's your favorite Grateful Dead show or one that you feel gets a little too much love, we hope you enjoy what we've got in store for you here.

Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or in the player below.

002 - April '78

This month's episode focuses in on four shows in the Middle of April of 1978. Working their way out of the South, the Grateful Dead played Duke University on 4/12, VPI (now commonly referred to as Virginia Tech) on 4/14, William & Mary on 4/15, and Huntington Civic Center on 4/16. These four shows display a tidy cross-section of the band at the time and, fortunately for us, some quality tapes circulate.

The band is working into the layout of the modern Grateful Dead, with song oriented first sets and second set jamming but the jams aren't only in set two. In the episode, we talk a little about each show and then we've assembled a pair of 'sets' from highlights of the four nights.


Listen via iTunes, GooglePlay, or In the player below.

001 - Spring Tour

It's springtime (or very nearly.) 

Here at Brokedown Podcasting Central, Spring came early this year. Whether we've got snow on the ground, flowers in the trees, or both on the same day; this time of year makes me itch to get out on the road for tour. Yes, it's been a long time since Grateful Dead played a Spring tour but, every time I see a 3x5 card, it seems like yesterday.

For our first episode, we begin with a sampler from the Spring. Each selection comes from a show within the first ten years of the band with one basic requirement… a Springtime date. We hope you enjoy this little trip.

Welcome!

Welcome to the home of the Brokedown Podcast!

Here, you'll find show notes and links to each episode as well as to other resources and interesting items we might find out in the web.

Be sure to check out our partners and friends over at The Helping Friendly Podcast for your regular dose of Phish. You could also hear the HFPod episode that started all of this here.

The amazing blog, Thoughts On The Dead, will keep you entertained for hours with... well... You'd better see it for yourself.

Lost Live Dead dives deep into the obscure happenings over the history of the band. while The Deadlists Project is the go-to source for setlists.

If you're into albums and that sort of thing, The Grateful Dead Family Discography is a great resource for all things even roughly related to the Dead on vinyl, cd, or other.

Those should keep you busy for a little bit while we get the motor running on this here podcast. Watch this space or our Twitter, @brokedownpod, for more information on the first episode.

-bdp