The Grateful Dead played a Bay Area New Year's Eve show every year from 1976 through 1991 (and several more in the early 70's). Among Dead Heads favourites is the gig presented on this new Three Disc Set, their 1981 effort. Joan Baez opens the show with the Grateful Dead as her backing band. If you like Joan Baez, you'll dig this performance. If you don't like her, this show isn't going to convert you. Her set isn't included herein anyhow! The Dead's first set starts with an incendiary Shakedown Street that gives one a pretty good indication of where this evening is headed. Even the short songs are booming tonight, 'Cold Rain and Snow' and 'Beat It On Down The Line' being good but not exhaustive examples from the opening set