By the fall of 1987, the Grateful Dead were riding a wave that would have seemed implausible just a few years earlier. "Touch of Grey," released that summer on *In the Dark*, had cracked the Top Ten and introduced the band to a whole new generation of fans — the Deadhead population was exploding, and the touring scene was transforming in real time. Brent Mydland had been the band's keyboardist since 1979 and had fully grown into the role by this point, bringing a gospel-drenched muscularity that pushed the arrangements harder than the Keith Godchaux years. Garcia, though battling health issues that had nearly killed him two years prior, came back from his 1986 diabetic coma with something to prove, and the late-'80s shows reflect a band that is, against all odds, surging. The Spectrum in Philadelphia was a 18,000-seat arena that hosted the Dead repeatedly through their arena years, and by '87 it was one of those rooms where the band knew they had a passionate, loud East Coast crowd ready to give it back to them. Philly audiences had a reputation for intensity, and the Spectrum's concrete bowl could turn a good night into a truly electric one when the band caught fire. The songs we have from this show tell an interesting story about what the Dead were offering in this era.
"Touch of Grey" was essentially the band's calling card at this moment — whether it opened the show or landed elsewhere, hearing it live was a different creature than the polished studio version, with the band stretching into it and the crowd roaring in recognition. "Lovelight" is always worth tracking down: a Pigpen holdover that the band never fully let go of, these late-period versions became extended percussion-and-groove showcases, with Brent and the drummers locking into something primal and celebratory. "Bird Song" is a Garcia gem that rewarded patient listeners — its open, exploratory middle section was a vehicle for some of his most lyrical improvising, and a strong version feels like the song is discovering itself in real time. And "Throwing Stones" closing out into something (that arrow suggests a segue) signals the kind of second-set ambition that made these arena shows worth showing up for: the Dead reaching for something larger than the room. Recordings from Spectrum shows this era vary, but any clean source will give you a good sense of just how confident this band was sounding at the height of their unexpected commercial renaissance. Cue it up and let Brent remind you why 1987 was no afterthought.