1981
Bands
Featured
Bands
Grateful Dead
Today In History
June 16th
Years
1995
30.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.5k182
7d1.4k185
30d30.1k4.2k
49 shows
343 tapes
1994
12.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.6k240
7d4.5k665
30d12.7k1.8k
85 shows
460 tapes
1993
38k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.8k247
7d6.9k909
30d38k5k
83 shows
656 tapes
1992
45.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h2.8k375
7d8.2k1.1k
30d45.1k6k
57 shows
539 tapes
1991
43k
PlaybackListensHours
48h2.7k360
7d11.1k1.4k
30d43k5.8k
78 shows
973 tapes
1990
48.5k
PlaybackListensHours
48h5.3k747
7d12.4k1.6k
30d48.5k6.3k
78 shows
1,139 tapes
1989
48.9k
PlaybackListensHours
48h2.2k274
7d7.4k925
30d48.9k6.1k
78 shows
1,017 tapes
1988
20.3k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.1k134
7d3.4k397
30d20.3k2.3k
82 shows
882 tapes
1987
42.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h4.1k505
7d13.8k1.7k
30d42.7k4.8k
88 shows
1,025 tapes
1986
12.5k
PlaybackListensHours
48h86499
7d2.6k292
30d12.5k1.4k
47 shows
684 tapes
1985
24.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h6.8k776
7d5.9k693
30d24.7k2.9k
73 shows
1,357 tapes
1984
27k
PlaybackListensHours
48h2.2k280
7d12.1k1.4k
30d27k3.3k
67 shows
1,075 tapes
1983
21k
PlaybackListensHours
48h967122
7d3.4k441
30d21k2.7k
71 shows
1,069 tapes
1982
42.4k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.3k159
7d3.6k443
30d42.4k5.3k
63 shows
753 tapes
1981
31.2k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.9k242
7d5.3k665
30d31.2k3.9k
92 shows
868 tapes
1980
71.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h3.9k441
7d15.3k1.8k
30d71.1k8.3k
91 shows
794 tapes
1979
21.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.1k161
7d4.1k580
30d21.7k3k
79 shows
608 tapes
1978
38.8k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.6k216
7d4.9k672
30d38.8k5.2k
87 shows
592 tapes
1977
267.8k
PlaybackListensHours
48h7.8k1.1k
7d26.6k3.7k
30d267.8k37k
64 shows
418 tapes
1976
91.9k
PlaybackListensHours
48h16.1k2.2k
7d42k5.6k
30d91.9k12.4k
45 shows
298 tapes
1975
6.3k
PlaybackListensHours
48h42745
7d88291
30d6.3k647
25 shows
63 tapes
1974
89.9k
PlaybackListensHours
48h3.2k412
7d9.8k1.3k
30d89.9k11.4k
42 shows
324 tapes
1973
90.4k
PlaybackListensHours
48h4k517
7d18.7k2.6k
30d90.4k11.6k
75 shows
445 tapes
1972
62.9k
PlaybackListensHours
48h2.5k314
7d6.6k846
30d62.9k7.7k
88 shows
361 tapes
1971
33.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.6k169
7d4.3k482
30d33.7k3.9k
82 shows
357 tapes
1970
39.3k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.2k146
7d4.3k504
30d39.3k4.2k
101 shows
376 tapes
1969
28.3k
PlaybackListensHours
48h1.5k231
7d3.8k540
30d28.3k4.2k
112 shows
326 tapes
1968
8.1k
PlaybackListensHours
48h73290
7d1.7k205
30d8.1k1k
41 shows
125 tapes
1967
1.7k
PlaybackListensHours
48h13819
7d31345
30d1.7k233
23 shows
55 tapes
1966
8k
PlaybackListensHours
48h45828
7d89261
30d8k538
32 shows
78 tapes
1965
639
PlaybackListensHours
48h302
7d1097
30d63938
2 shows
2 tapes
1981
Sources
Taper: David McGee and Chief
2:36:14
SBD
Taper:
David McGee and Chief
Transferrer:
Vocal Phase Repair by Charlie Miller December 2025 Mastered by Scott Clugston January 2026
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.176326.sbd.phase.repaired.mcgee.chief.miller.clugston.flac1644
Source:
Master Soundboard Cassette > ? > DAT (16/44.1k)
Lineage:
DAT (Sony PCM-R500) > Tascam DA-3000 (16/44.1k) > Adobe Audition 2026 > TLH flac16 > iZotope RX11 Advanced (vocal phase repair) > Adobe Audition 2026 > flac16
Taper Notes:
View NotesNotes: - Thanks to David McGee and Chief for the source DAT - Thanks to Charlie Miller for the transfer and coordinating this effort - Thanks to Jamie Lutch for the soundboard which supplies 0:28 of tuning/noodling into "Scarlet Begonias" - Thanks to Barry Glassberg and Bob Menke for the Nakamichi 700 source which supplies an 0:18 patch in "Eyes Of The World", a 0:16 patch in the "Eyes Of the World > Drums" transition, as well as a 0:16 patch in the "Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia" transition - This source includes the "Don't Ease Me In" encore - There is no digital noise reduction - Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his assistance with the pitch correction
Taper: Barry Glassberg
2:42:29
Taper:
Barry Glassberg
Transferrer:
Bob Menke, Charlie Miller, Scott Clugston
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.176367.nak700.glassberg.menke.miller.clugston.flac2496
Source:
Barry Glassberg's Master Audience Cassettes: Nakamichi 700 mics > Sony TCD5M (Maxell UDXL II)
Lineage:
Master Cassettes (Nakamichi CR-7A) > Behringer Ultralink Pro MX882 > KORG MR-2000S (DSF 1-bit/5.6MHz) > KORG AudioGate (.wav 32-bit/96k) > Adobe Audition CC2026 (DDi codec) > TLH flac2496
Taper Notes:
View NotesNotes: - Thanks to Barry Glassberg for the master cassettes - Thanks to Bob Menke for the fresh transfer - Thanks to Charlie Miller for coordinating this effort - Thanks to Rip Thompkins and Richie Stankiewicz for the Beyer M160 source which supplies some crowd and beginning of "CC Rider (0:46 total), a 0:14 patch in "Eyes Of The World", as well as a 2:39 patch in "Drums" - Thanks to Joe B. Jones for his assistance with the pitch correction Mastered by Scott Clugston January 2026
Taper: Frank Streeter
2:38:24
Taper:
Frank Streeter
Transferrer:
Charlie Miller and Scott Clugston
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.139732.fob.beyer.m160.streeter.miller.clugston.flac2496
Source:
Source Info: Frank Streeter's Master FOB Audience Cassette; Beyer M160 (patched out of Rip Thompkins)> Sony TC-D5M (Maxell MX90); Transfer Info: Cassette Master (Nakamichi CR-7A) > Tascam DA-3000 (DSF 1-bit/5.8 MHz)> KORG AudioGate 4 > Adobe Audition 3.0> TLH flac2496; Transfer by Charlie Miller; Mastered by Scott Clugston
Taper Notes:
View Notes- Thanks to Rip Thompkins for the patch - Thanks to Frank Streeter for the source cassettes - Thanks to Charlie Miller for the transfer - Between song transitions smoothed - Thanks to the folks responsible for Barry Glassberg's Nak700 source, shnid20344, which supplies the crowd/tuning between "Loser" and "CC Rider", the final 0:48 of "Fire On The Mountain", the first 0:10 of "Estimated Prophet", as well as the patch in "Drums" from 13:43 thru 15:08
Taper: Frank Streeter
2:38:24
Taper:
Frank Streeter
Transferrer:
Charlie Miller, Scott Clugston
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.139731.fob.beyer.m160.streeter.miller.clugston.flac1644
Source:
Source Info: Frank Streeter's Master FOB Audience Cassette; Beyer M160 (patched out of Rip Thompkins)> Sony TC-D5M (Maxell MX90); Transfer Info: Cassette Master (Nakamichi CR-7A)> Tascam DA-3000 (DSF 1-bit/5.8 MHz)> KORG AudioGate 4 > Adobe Audition 3.0> TLH flac2496; Transfer by Charlie Miller; Mastered by Scott Clugston
Taper Notes:
View Notes- Thanks to Rip Thompkins for the patch - Thanks to Frank Streeter for the source cassettes - Thanks to Charlie Miller for the transfer - Between song transitions smoothed - Thanks to the folks responsible for Barry Glassberg's Nak700 source, shnid20344, which supplies the crowd/tuning between "Loser" and "CC Rider", the final 0:48 of "Fire On The Mountain", the first 0:10 of "Estimated Prophet", as well as the patch in "Drums" from 13:43 thru 15:08
Transferrer: Hunter Seamons
2:39:12
Rating:
9.00 / 4 ratings
Transferrer:
Hunter Seamons
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.mtx.seamons.130386.flac16
Source:
flac16; Matrix by Hunter Seamons using Final Cut Pro (SHN & FLAC > AIFF > Final Cut w/EQ work > AIFF CD tracking via Audacity > FLAC16 via xACT w/meta-tagging)
Taper Notes:
View NotesWhen I first started listening to matrixes in 2006, it was specifically with volume two of Chris Chappell's masterwork Sick Bits series, which was the entire three-night stand at the Uptown Theatre in 1981. As a long-time Chicagoan, and because these were incidentally the first concerts the Dead played after I was born in January, I was naturally drawn to listening to these recordings. Not surprisingly, I have read different reviews of these shows where each performance has been lauded as the "best night" of the run, which speaks to the high praise of this Uptown trifecta as a whole and why Chris decided to include them all in one volume to begin with, and so early in the series. The Dead were obviously on fire right out of the gates in 1981, and the very impressive spring '81 tour is where this incendiary new energy was headed. This was the last time the Dead would play at the Uptown due to it becoming heavily flooded later that winter from water pipes bursting during a deep freeze, making it beyond immediate repair. The venue still exists today in a dilapidated state, with hopes of it one day being restored - after 33 years. I lived within walking distance from the Uptown. It has always been a kind of mythical place in the Dead's concert history for me, particularly because of the consistently amazing shows that were played there and the very ornate architecture of the theatre, which was built in 1925 as the largest movie palace in America with "an acre of seats" - 4,381 (imagine seeing the latest Chaplin film with that many people). Also true among Dead lore is that it was a great sounding venue, and the audience tapes consistently convey this. The Uptown always seems to exude a sonorous and intimate sonic energy that pulls the audience in for an especially magical evening. Of course I thought it would be awesome to matrix these shows, but I never considered it worthwhile since Chris's matrixes were already of such fantastic quality. Then, until only recently, new tapes of this run emerged out of the woodwork by prolific Chicago taper, Mason B. Taylor (a great photo of him just so happens to appear on page one of "The Official Book of the Dead Heads"), which provide a new aural landscape of these historic concerts when compared to Barry Glassberg's tapes that Chris used. While perhaps not as clear and defined as Barry's recordings, Mason's cassettes more so capture an airy spaciousness and raw, electrified energy that works well with the crispy yet flat soundboard tapes. Jerry's guitar also resounds more prominently in Mason's pull, which always seems to makes things sound nicer. With some excellent new sources in the trading pool, there was no resisting giving at least one of these Uptown shows a shot. This matrix of the 27th is my first foray into this run, seeing that it's the best sounding audience tape of the three nights Mason captured. The 28th is the second best sounding recording, while the 26th is more muffled and boomy sounding due to a different microphone placement. So here is the cream of the crop from the '81 Uptown run, Mason Taylor style (and Dan Healy style, of course). I hope matrix listeners will find this to be a pleasurable new experience of a very fine night in Grateful Dead history, which features a Scarlet Fire of blinding brilliance amidst a non-stop second set. If you've been searching for the sound, you might find some of it here. Hunter Set 1 was matrixed in Chicago, Illinois, one mile west of the Uptown Theatre. Set 2 was matrixed in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Taper: Mason B. Taylor
2:32:55
Rating:
7.00 / 2 ratings
Taper:
Mason B. Taylor
SHNID:
gd1981-02-27.naks.mason.128712.flac16
Source:
Recorded By Mason Taylor on a Nakamichi 550 Cassette Deck, on chrome tapes, with Nakamichi microphones
Taper Notes:
View Notes"Mason B. Taylor was a taper from Chicago that recorded concerts by many bands in the Chicagoland area and on Dead tours. He used a Nakamichi 550 with Nakamichi 300 mics with shotgun capsules for most of his earlier recordings. In later years he used Sony D-5 and Sony D-3 cassette recorders with Nakamichi 300 mics. Mason captured spectacular musical moments and loved to share them with his closest friends. In honor of Mason and all the love he put into his recordings we are now able to share these moments with those who can appreciate them most. As the shows get uploaded we would love for you to share your stories about the epic times the music evokes so we can all dial back into that moment when the magic was happening. Thanks to Mason’s family and his Chicago and Cleveland friends for opening up Mason’s Jar…"