Either in the jams between songs, in the freeform madness that’s the “Drums > Space” section or even in tried-and-tested songs like “Cold Rain and Snow,” “Black Peter,” or “He’s Gone,” there’s moments where everything comes together for the band.

The magic the band was able to work from night to night. But really, the biggest selling point is the one most obvious to any committed Deadhead:

And thirdly, there’s availability: the other releases from this period are out of print. Secondly, there’s a guest cameo from Bruce Hornsby on both concerts in particular, his accordion adds a nice element to “Sugaree” on the first night. More interestingly, all the Dead’s lead singers take a turn behind the mic, something which rarely happened at any one show. For one, the first show here has an interesting set list, mixing covers among Grateful Dead favourites. It raises a lingering question: what makes this set stand out from the others? But this is a period that’s admittedly been covered before with several other releases. It’s a great snapshot of the band during this late peak, and presents two lengthy shows in their entirety. The new release RFK Stadium 1989 captures the Dead at Washington DC’s RFK Stadium over two days in July, shows where the elements were rough (lots of rain and humidity) and the crowds were rowdy: “It was hot that day and the hash was potent,” wrote one eyewitness. Sure, they well over a decade from the early 70s heyday, but that year they were on a nice run of their own and riding high on the success of “Touch of Grey.” Indeed, the span of 1989-1990 is arguably their last great stretch before drugs, constant touring, and a general malaise took their toll on the Dead. By 1989, the Grateful Dead had been a touring band for over 20 years, hitting arenas and stadiums all across the world on a pretty regular basis.

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