Known as the "Field Trip" or the "Creamery Benefit", this show took place at the Old Renaissance Fair Grounds in Veneta, Oregon on 8/27/72. The performance was to benefit a relative of one of the Merry Pranksters whose creamery, The Springfield Creamery, was in desperate need of cash. First off, the stage was constructed incorrectly. Instead of building the stage to where the sun would be at the backs of the band, it was built with the players directly in the glare of the hot August sun. And was it ever hot!, a then Oregon record of 108 degrees the day The Dead played. The direct sunlight and intense heat, at times, rendered the instruments out of tune. Early on, there was a water shortage which caused the local fire department to come by with a truck to hose down the huge, hot crowd. Finally, the water situation was resolved. And there was the band themselves. All acknowledged to have dropped acid that particular afternoon.
Whether that had anything to do with the playing or not, I can't say but this performance is generally regarded as one of the bands all time best featuring some of the most rocked out versions of certain songs and some of the most serious, psychedelic music explorations ever undertaken by any band. Many heads think that definative versions of songs such as "Bertha", "Playing In The Band", "Bird Song", "Sugar Magnolia", "One More Saturday Night" and "Dark Star" were played that day. Many folks also think that it was during the first sets "China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider" that the band began to "peak" from their trip. The Third set "Dark Star" is probably some of the most scary and surreal music I have ever heard. The third set began as the sun was thankfully fading, creating a weird orange light on the stage. A dog barks and Garcia hammers the opening notes to "Dark Star". It's apocolyptic. As the band winds down this 30+ minute version, Garcia clearly wants to go into "Morning Dew" but Bob Weir overrides and leads the band into.............EL PASO!!! Marty Robbins "El-fuckin-Paso"!!! A perfect and surreal segue! This concert was actually filmed and released semi-officially as the 90 minute movie, "Sunshine Daydream". The "China Cat-Rider" sequence is there in its entirety as is the complete "Dark Star > El Paso". Only horrible, grainy video releases of "Sunshine Daydream" circulate. At this point, an official release of the film is likely as rumors persist that it will eventually hit DVD completely remastered.
The setlist:
Set 1:
The Promised Land [2:58]
Sugaree [7:14]
Me And My Uncle [3:00]
Deal [4:39]
Black Throated Wind [6:31]
China Cat Sunflower [7:59] >
I Know You Rider [6:04]
Mexicali Blues [3:30]
Bertha [5:40]
Set 2:
Playing In The Band [18:13]
He's Gone [8:50]
Jack Straw [4:57]
Bird Song [12:16]
Greatest Story Ever Told [5:22]
Set 3:
Dark Star [32:09] >
El Paso [4:24] >
Sing Me Back Home [10:23]
Sugar Magnolia [8:26]
Casey Jones [6:07]
One More Saturday Night [4:33]
My verdict? One of my all-time favorite Dead shows. Rocking, spacey, trippy, psychedelic and scary. It's got it all and it has incredible playing and yes, even incredible vocals.
