GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST

Episode: Listen To The River: Kiel Auditorium, October 1973

Date: October 28, 2021
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Key Guests: Sep Donahuer, Tony Dwyer, Steve Brown, Tom Palazzolo, Dre Stein, John Ellis, Jan Mahan, Bill Mahan, David Lemieux, Graham Boone

Overview

This episode dives deep into the Grateful Dead's monumental October 1973 shows at St. Louis’ Kiel Auditorium—an era captured on the "Listen to the River" box set. The hosts dissect the band's transition to bigger venues, the launch of Wake of the Flood, technical evolutions like the early "Wall of Sound" PA, and the uniquely intertwined stories of fans, promoters, crew, and the Dead themselves during a pivotal juncture in their history. The episode combines rich archival stories, technical and promotional behind-the-scenes, and passionate fan reminiscences to paint a vibrant portrait of this era.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. The Dead's Evolution—Three Years of St. Louis Shows

• [04:54-06:05]
  David Lemieux observes the "Listen to the River" box set's power to illustrate how distinctly the Dead evolved from '71 to '73:

  "October 72 very different than it was in December 71. And then October 73 is a very different band once again...the one thing I can always come back to is, is how different Grateful Dead music is, if not tour to tour year to year. But it's still very distinctly Grateful Dead music."
  (David Lemieux, 05:10)

• Context: The 1973 shows represented a step up to larger venues, reflecting a surge in popularity and the need for greater technical capability.

2. The Journey to Kiel Auditorium: Promotion, Venues & Sound

• [06:30-10:56]

  • Kiel's 1973 concerts resulted from stepped-up promotion and a deliberate move to a bigger space after outgrowing the Fox Theatre.
  • Promoter Sep Donahuer:

    "We gotta sell 20 fucking thousand tickets. 21,000 tickets. We better get to work." (10:33)

• [09:01-10:17]

  • Plans for a Fox Theatre run were scrapped for logistical/touring reasons; promises were made regarding an improved sound system based on the one used at Watkins Glen.

3. Launching Wake of the Flood & Grateful Dead Records

• [17:11-19:56]
  • 1973 saw the Dead taking control of their business, launching their own label and press department, and becoming aggressively self-promotional.
  • Steve Brown on independent radio promo:

    "We were trying to set them up to let them know we'd be doing these albums on our own now as Grateful Dead Records..." (17:27)

  • KSHE Radio in St. Louis premiered Wake of the Flood two weeks before the shows, boosting excitement and ticket demand.

4. The Principle of Organic Setlists & Taping Culture

• [45:02-22:51]
  • The Dead famously never planned full setlists.

    "Kind of a natural pattern, but we never discuss what we're gonna play. We've got a few starter tunes and...a few ending tunes. In between, it's just whatever happens." (Bob Weir, 45:02)

  • Early embrace of the taping phenomenon—remarkably open for the era:

    "I think it's far out. I think it's okay as long as they don't try to make a lot of grit off it and try to promote it in a big way." (Keith Godchaux, 21:31)

5. The Chaos and Logistics of Touring

• [33:11-36:01]
  • 1973 shows required monumental logistics for the PA system. Frequent design changes led to extra scaffolding orders and complex set-ups, hinting at the soon-to-be-legendary Wall of Sound.
  • Tony Dwyer:

    "We make sure that we stay broke. We make sure that we spend anything that comes in. The whole wall of sound thing was interesting because you're sitting there with the speakers behind you...the technical element that makes that work was the twin microphones out of phase." (33:56)

6. The Audience Experience: Fans Old & New

• [37:03-41:47]
  • Kiel Auditorium's sound and ambiance differed starkly from the intimate, ornate Fox Theatre.
  • Newcomers' memories (like Jan and Bill Mahan, Rich’s parents) highlight the band's growing reach:

    "When somebody said concert, I was thinking of dressing up, maybe dinner first and you know, seeing something...it was something entirely different." (Jan Mahan, 39:09)

  • Unexpected first row tickets for an elderly couple led to a joyful swap and delighted young Deadheads.

7. Technical Deep-Dive: Wall of Sound Prototypes & Sound System Details

• [34:22-38:31]
  • The Keil shows featured an early version of the Wall of Sound, with hundreds of speakers and a large support crew.
  • Technical quirks meant the experience varied wildly depending on seat location.

8. The Show: Repertoire, Jams & Standout Songs

• [44:41-51:51]
  • The 1973 Keil shows featured debuts and staples: “Race Is On,” “Row Jimmy," "Eyes of the World," and the full “Weather Report Suite” among them, showcasing Dead’s evolving sound.
  • They alternated between Garcia and Weir songs; new material from Wake of the Flood was integral.

Notable quote:

"We hope that the audience will like what happens naturally, but it all starts on stage. Sure, a lot of people come only to hear Casey Jones, but there are others that come only for Dark Star. We play what seems right at the moment."
(Jerry Garcia paraphrased, 45:12)

9. The Keystone Jams: “Dark Star” Analysis

• [60:37-77:40]

  • The episode features a thorough musicological dissection of the 10/30/73 “Dark Star” with Graham Boone and John Ellis, including classic jam motifs (like "Mind Left Body") and discussion of improvisational strategies.

  • John Ellis, on the band's interplay:

    "They're dividing the wafer and passing it around among the apostles of this progression. Everybody's got their own take on it." (67:35)

  • Discussion includes the evolution and significance of jam themes, musical ambiguity, and the creative tension between naming, improvisation, and tradition.

10. Postscript: The End of an Era

• [84:41-85:53]

  • After 1973, the Grateful Dead’s relationship with their St. Louis promoters ended, and future tours would be managed differently.
  • Sep Donahuer:

    "That whole time window of like 71 through 74, ... that's my favorite time window of the Grateful Dead's music because they were young and on fire, you know, and I was young and on fire." (85:06)

• [86:13-87:37]

  • Jerry Garcia and others recall less successful returns to St. Louis Arena in '77—but also the band's habit of overcoming adversity for onstage alchemy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Dead's musical metamorphosis:

  “It’s all very distinctly Grateful Dead music, but it’s very distinctly one style...I get such great joy in all eras of Grateful Dead because they’re so distinctly Grateful Dead and not like anything else in my entire music collection.”
  —David Lemieux, [05:10]

• Promotion and new music:

  “We gotta sell 20 fucking thousand tickets. 21,000 tickets. We better get to work.”
  —Sep Donahuer, [10:33]

• On the organic setlist:

  “We never discuss what we’re gonna play. We’ve got a few starter tunes and we’ve got a few ending tunes. And in between, it’s just whatever happens.”
  —Bob Weir, [45:02]

• On the taping scene:

  “I think it’s far out. It’s okay as long as they don’t try to make a lot of grit off it and try to promote it in a big way. Because most of those performances and the recordings are just not up to any sort of quality scenery.”
  —Keith Godchaux, [21:31]

• On the challenges of the Wall of Sound:

  “We make sure that we stay broke. We make sure that we spend anything that comes in...In order to pay for it all, we had to play bigger places. In order to play bigger places and get decent sound, we have to buy a bigger pa.”
  —Tony Dwyer, [33:56]

• Fans’ first impressions:

  "When somebody said concert, I was thinking of dressing up, maybe dinner first...it was something entirely different."
  —Jan Mahan, [39:09]

• Musicological analysis:

  “They’re dividing the wafer and passing it around among the apostles of this progression. Everybody’s got their own take on it.”
  —John Ellis, [67:35]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:54] — Introduction to the St. Louis 1973 shows
• [05:10] — David Lemieux on the band's evolution
• [09:01] — Sep Donahuer on Watkins Glen and setting up 1973 shows
• [10:33] — Logistical hurdles and ticket sales
• [17:27] — Steve Brown on radio promotions for Grateful Dead Records
• [21:31] — Keith Godchaux on audience taping
• [33:56] — Tony Dwyer on the economics and technical hurdles of the Wall of Sound
• [39:09] — Jan Mahan on attending her first Dead show
• [45:02] — Bob Weir on spontaneous setlists
• [60:37] — Dark Star jam analysis with Graham Boone and John Ellis
• [85:06] — Sep Donahuer on the special magic of 71–74
• [86:13] — Jerry Garcia remembers the less-successful 1977 St. Louis Arena show

Episode Takeaways

• The Kiel Auditorium shows marked a coming of age for the band's audience, technical reach, and business model.
• Wake of the Flood and the Dead's DIY approach exemplified their constant evolution and commitment to authenticity.
• The live experience—from massive, unfamiliar venues to the most cosmic jams—cemented both fan devotion and the band’s mythos.
• The “Dark Star” from 10/30/73 remains a treasured example of improvisational magic and collective musicianship.

For more:

• Full show audio and box set details at dead.net
• Extra materials and archival stories in prior Deadcast episodes, especially on the St. Louis years.