Flashback: Dylan and the Dead - 1987

This video is great because it gave me goosebumps. Dylan's sit in on Touch of Grey is an afterthought, although he's playing a much tighter rhythm guitar than Bobby. At that point in the summer of 1987, Jerry emerged from a coma, relearned how to play guitar, and was clean and sober and looking slim and animated. If anyone saw the last legs of the Dead in the 90s, then they know how the Jerry in this video (inspired, bubbly, gregarious) is the one they wished took the stage every night (instead of the somber and sullen junkie who just stared at the ground and nodded off in mid-noodle).


I keep searching for old Dead videos on YouTube because Deadheads have been migrating their videos collections to the digital realm. I dig the fact this grainy VCR tape made it to YouTube. I love the 80s-style trippy graphics toward the end of the clip.

Here's something from the same show, but just the Dead (no Dylan) covering Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy...