This was my first Grateful Dead show and I had no idea… LOL

It was mesmerizing, it was overwhelming and it was spectacular.

The funny thing is at the time I had never encountered a band that spent so much time between songs tuning.

U S blues it was amazing

I've not heard much faster or more accurate guitar work than on this version of Dancin'. Jerry is metaphysically rockin' it here. Wow. Thanks to Grateful Don for bringing this to my attention. I have yet to listen to the entire show but I give it a 5 based on the notes I hear on this tune alone.

Jerry and Bob weave a monster groove with soaring leads and funky rhythms - just spectacular.

this info is incorrect. the show was recorded FOB ..

look for a new transfer direct from the source DAT @ 48k soon ... no digi or analog gens

This was my first of what turned out to be many, many shows. Only time I saw Keith and Donna so I feel privleged to have been there. Definitely holds a special place in my heart.

but really just a very good show, not excellent. Nice warm AUD recording.

U.S. Blues is not missing, the tracks are incorrectly labeled. Overall a good recording of a good show, I went to 8 shows on this tour and this one being in the middle, time and performance wise. The Dancing> Jam> Drums> Not Fade Away makes this one a keeper.

I don't understand why there are more U.S. Blues encores missing than any other song---it seems from 78-78-81 there are several + missing U.S. Blues

i had front row for this one and took some cool shots don`t remember much more,micgram

"." Nonintuitive

The dead were carrying me through some tough times of my youth in late 78 early 79 and this show was especially memorable in that I made the trip down from NY solo, without the support of fellow head friends. I remember dropping windowpane on the Amtrak on the ride down. Fond memories of the spring 78 Philly show carried me into the Spectrum, I sat my stoned ass down into a rather empty building early being that I was already ripped and had no reason to hang outside. I parked it dead center about 10 rows back and little by little the joint filled up. Surprisingly to me at the time nobody asked me to move.. the entire show. I remember the feeling of being lifted off my feet standing on the seat at one point during the first set. Musically, what brought me back to find this show now was the memory of the Jerry/Bill jam. That one knocked me out. This turned out to be my last Keith and Donna show and it will always have a sweet spot in my memory bank.

As has been mentioned, this is a very solid aud. What stands out to me, though, is how loud Bob is in the mix. Not just on GDTRFB but throughout the show. A true rarity. You'll want this if you like hearing what Bob's playing.

This was my 2nd Grateful Dead concer. This day was one of the best days of my life. I remember it being a Friday & we had off from school because of a snowstorm. How about being 13 years old & having a snow day & a Dead night. I remeber vividly just how cold it was after the show. I rembember getting on the Broad Street subway at Pattison Ave & dreading having to get off at Erie Ave. to wait for a trolley to get home. It may have been cold outside but it was HOT! HOT! HOT! inside. The Dancin is GREAT however the NFA is BETTER. However my feeling is the show rates 4 stars however my memories from it rate 10 stars. Definitely worth a download, you won't be disappointed.

This was a real nice show. Keith & Donna's last trip to the Spectrum. A nice first set, kinda average, but it's in the second that the band takes off.
Check out the Dancin In The Streets, The body of the song is about 17 minutes long, then everybody left the stage except for Jerry and Billy and they kept doing the Dancing jam for another 8 minutes, it's great. After Drums is just good old Grateful Dead, A raw and jammin' NFA >> GDTRFB, Jerry is just going nuts for the whole jam. Bob's slide is turned up a little too much on GDTRFB But it sounds pretty good to me, and as previously mentioned, this is the only 1979 GDTRFB. Also Jerry and Phil really take off and just wail in the jam behind Bob. I give the Dancin on 5 stars, but overall with the rest of the show it gets a 4 from me.

Wow, this show is really not what I expected from most of 1979 - some synthesizer sounds, some fast Jerry noodling, some lack of depth that they used to tap into - but wow - I was wrong. Jerry is just really playing his axe like a man possessed tonight. I listened from Dancin to Sugar Mag and let me tell you, it is a serious ride. Jerry solos in a new '79 tone that is grittier and has a little more sustain. He makes songs like GDTRFB seem very different and energized with fresh ideas.
The real gem of this show might not be the 25 min dancin, although it is fantastic and in 3D (Phil). The song that blew me away was the 15 min NFA out of drums. Jerry just plays all sorts of different themes I've never heard in a NFA. The song is really powerful and relaxed at the same time. Everyone is just giving everyone space in the music and Jerry is some where up in the rafters, just like a butterfly winding through a grapevine.

Oh, and the recording has some great low frequency sounds and it doesn't have any hiss. This is one hell of an audience tape - thanks to those who captured this awesome moment in time.

This is a solid show, although somewhat bittersweet with the knowledge that Keith and Donna would soon be leaving the band. The Dancin'>Jam>Drums>NFA portion is spectacular and clearly the highlight of the show!

im listen to this 30 years to the day and since this is the only show here for 1-12 i give it a great rating for a nice aud tape. i am usually a sb guy and shy away from aud tapes but to me this captures the feel of a great 79 show before brent joins the boys. im giving it five stars to help of set the sid weiss two star. it is definitely a show i would have loved to have had back in the day. people are so spoiled these days

Holy Smokes! Jerry is on fire this night. The Jerry and Billy Jam in tail end of Dancin' is like a wild fire out of control.

Listen for the China Cat tease Jerry does at the very very end of GDTRFB.

If I was a monkey I'd give this 4 thumbs up, but since I'm not, I'll give it 5 stars.

Philadelphia PA indeed!!
smokin' dancin' in.....worth a listen

This was a Friday Night show with "America" opening and performing an excellent original tempo'd FOTD.
Having been at the makeup show the Friday previous (November 78 tickets were used for 1/5/79) I was anxious to see what a quick romp to NYC had done for the boys. After an average Jack Straw came Candyman and Jerry's voice was the first noticeable casualty, it's frailty and quivering quality lent credence to the rumor that Jerry was having vocal problems (the original November 78 shows were cancelled because of 'laryngitis'). As the show went on his voice became weaker and weaker and yet his determination to deliver just touched my heart. The second set is what makes this show a 5 for me. Jerry's voice is truly endearing especially during Rose's he just aches with passion. The drums is one of my alltime favorites with just Billy and Jerry noodling "Dancin' a full 7-8 minutes after the band has left the stage.
Since I moved away form Philly shortly thereafter. This would be the last show I saw of the boys in my beloved Spectrum where I'd seen them so many times before.

Not good sound here, but the Dancin and the Jerry jam afterwards absolutely DESTROYS!! devastating. For those who love this era's JG lightning fast endless rolling waves of notes.

The sound is kinda lame and the energy is not bouncing. The Dancin' is def. the highlite. I love Keith & Donna and this is their last tour. Do not bother downloading, just stream. Long live Phil Lesh!

As previously reviewed this is a really nice show. The highlight is 25 minutes of Dancin in The Streets and Dancin Jam with Jerry and Billy followed, after drums by a hot 15 minute NFA. This show gets the short shift because of the great Nassau show right before it but as always the Boys turned it up at the Spectrum.

I just found this site. very cool

1/12/1979 was my first show and I have been looking for it for years. What do I need to download music here?

FYI vbrmp3 "Not Fade Away" is actually Goin Down the Road. GDTRFB is actually Magnolia, and I suspect that Magnolia is in fact US Blues. This show caught my eye, as it is the only GDTRFB performed in 1979. Weir tries out his slide on it, a real shame.

i was born during candyman in philly on this day! excellent!