This Friday, September 20th, a peak of the Grateful Dead's post-hiatus period will be immortalized with the release of Friend Of The Devils: April 1978. Available exclusively from Dead.net, the 19CD boxed set features eight previously unreleased concerts from the start of an historic tour – when “Drums” and “Space” first became regular live segments, and forever redefined the Grateful Dead’s live experience. "These eight shows tell the story of a band that was engaged, inspired, and focused on bringing their A-game every single night,” says Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux. “If there was ever a tour on which the Dead deliver every single moment, it's this one."
Ahead of Friday, a previously unreleased performance of "Peggy-O" is available digitally today, recorded at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium on April 12, 1978. “No one could have known that the X-factor would appear in such force at Duke ‘78,” adds Lemieux. “As the Dead barreled through their first set with ‘Beat It On Down The Line,’ and ‘Peggy-O,’ there was something magical happening on the campus in Durham, NC that night. The Dead, as everyone in the building that night could hear, were determined to play one of their best shows ever.”
Listen to "Peggy-O (Live at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC, 4/12/78)," as well as "U.S. Blues" and one of the most powerful live versions of "Truckin'" the Grateful Dead ever played
In addition to Duke '78, which receives its own 3CD, 4LP and digital release via Rhino this Friday, September 20th, Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 includes complete shows from Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL (4/6/78); Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL (4/7/78); Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL (4/8/78); Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA (4/10/78 and 4/11/78); Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA (4/14/78); and Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV (4/16/78).
Betty Cantor-Jackson originally recorded these shows, which audio engineer Jeffrey Norman has mastered using Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. To preview the unearthed concerts, Dead.net will be hosting an early listening party of Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV (4/16/78) tomorrow, September 18th (HERE), as well as a watch party for the Duke ‘78 concert at 5pm PT / 8pm ET on Thursday, September 19th (HERE).
Individually numbered to 10,000 copies, Friend Of The Devils: April 1978’s custom box was designed by Steve Vance, featuring a removable wave drum that invites listeners to unleash their inner Rhythm Devil. Christened Rhythm Devils by Mickey Hart, the "Drums" segments from the 1978 Spring Tour were unique affairs, where members of the band and road crew would join Hart and Billy Kreutzmann on stage for extended rhythmic explorations that frequently lasted over 15 minutes. Continuing as a permanent part of the concerts for the next 17 years, these intervals of free playing became so central to the Dead experience that it's hard to imagine shows unfolding any other way.
Acclaimed artist Matthew Brannon created the original artwork for Friend Of The Devils: 1978 and Duke ‘78, and has been exhibited in prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf. The deluxe collection also includes a 48-page book with original liner notes by late author Steve Silberman, as well as photos by James Anderson, Bob Minkin, and more.
Pre-Order Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 and Duke '78, and watch the unboxing video: HERE
Celebrating its 10th season, the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast is further exploring these eight shows and this era in depth, and inviting fans to contribute their memories at stories.dead.net. With more than five million downloads and counting, the official Grateful Dead podcast is a treasure trove of new interviews, rare archival audio, and surprising cultural history. Listen to previous episodes of the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast, read transcripts, and subscribe here: https://www.dead.net/deadcast
