1993/06/11 Buckeye Lake Music Center, Thornville, OH, USA [Grateful Dead]

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After first showing Truckin' Up to Buffalo (July 4 1989) and the Grateful Dead Movie (October 1974) for Shakedown Stream, it was now the turn of the June 11 1993, show at the Buckeye Lake Music Center. A show that remains unreleased to this day, although some audience recordings are circulating, but now it can be seen in its entirety for the first time since 1993. Although "complete" might not be the right word, as the visuals for the last two songs have been lost, but fortunately the audio is still intact!

And that's a good thing, since these are Sugar Magnolia and Brokedown Palace. Buckeye Lake 1993 is situated at the end of the Grateful Dead's career, and although 1992 is generally considered a less successful year for their performances (it was also the year a tour was canceled due to Jerry Garcia's health problems), everything seemed to be back on track in 1993. What you get is a band that has mastered the tricks of the trade to perfection and perhaps has become a little too lazy as a result. The '90s isn't one of my favorite periods anyway (although I still think the Saint of Circumstance show from '91 is definitely worth it, where they seem to be having a lot of fun), but there's little interaction to be found here. That doesn't stop there from being some very impressive performances, such as a soulful Foolish Heart and a delightful Corrina that transitions into Space and Drums, ending with a very fine The Wheel.

The setlist is a nice mix of old and new material. Classics like Jack Straw and Eyes of the World get their place in sets 1 and 2, respectively, but there's also room for material that was ultimately destined for a new album, like Corrina and So Many Roads. You'd expect these to be songs that still need some time to develop, but actually, they're good from the very first note, and I can't help but feel that they were getting a bit tired of playing some of the older material. This is certainly one of the least energetic Promised Land versions I've ever heard. I was pleasantly surprised however, by a triple dose of Bob Dylan songs. The combination of Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and When I Paint My Masterpiece is being played exclusively in this show. All Along the Watchtower, later in set 2, is also good, but that version of Truckin' Up to Buffalo will be hard to top in any concert.

There's also something so wonderful about using Brokedown Palace as an encore; it creates such a sense of community that only Touch of Grey can match. Maybe it's just a feeling, but I had the impression the vibe wasn't quite right here, and even Phil Lesh singing (with Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Bob Weir takes over for When I Paint My Masterpiece) couldn't change that.

Setlist:
  1. Jack Straw
  2. Foolish Heart
  3. The Same Thing
  4. Lazy River Road
  5. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
  6. When I Paint My Masterpiece
  7. So Many Roads
  8. Promised Land
  9. Eyes of the World
  10. Playing in the Band
  11. Uncle John's Band
  12. Corrina
  13. Drums
  14. Space
  15. The Wheel
  16. All Along the Watchtower
  17. Black Peter
  18. Sugar Magnolia
  19. Brokedown Palace


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