By the fall of 1989, the Grateful Dead were operating at a level of commercial visibility they'd never quite experienced before — "Touch of Grey" had brought them a whole new wave of fans, and the touring machine was running hard through arenas and sheds across the country. Brent Mydland was firmly established as the band's keyboardist, his soulful voice and bluesy Hammond B3 work giving the band a rawer, more hard-driving quality than the Keith Godchaux years. Jerry Garcia, despite ongoing health concerns that had shadowed the second half of the decade, was playing with real fire during this period, and the fall '89 tour caught the band in generally strong form. Hampton Coliseum is one of those rooms that holds a special place in Dead lore entirely out of proportion to its size. The circular arena in Hampton, Virginia — affectionately nicknamed "the Mothership" by the faithful — became a reliable destination for the band through the late '80s and into the '90s, and the faithful who made the pilgrimage to the Virginia coast knew they were in for something special. The acoustics reward a tight, locked-in band, and the intimate feel of the room relative to other arenas the Dead were playing made it a favorite for tapers and fans alike. Hampton shows from this era carry a particular electricity, a sense that the band knew they were playing to a room full of true believers.
The version of "Walkin' Blues" from this show is worth your attention on its own terms. The Robert Johnson classic, which the Dead had begun featuring more regularly in the Garcia-Hunter blues revival that characterized some of this period, gave Jerry a vehicle to dig into his Delta roots, bending strings with genuine menace while Brent's organ smoldered underneath. A great "Walkin' Blues" is all about feel — whether Jerry's vocal drawl locks in with the rhythm section's shuffle, whether the whole thing breathes. Listen for the way the band settles into the groove and whether Garcia lets the song stretch or keeps it lean. Recordings from Hampton Coliseum during this era tend to circulate in solid quality, with a number of well-regarded audience and soundboard sources floating through the archive. Whatever source you land on, give it room to breathe and let the Mothership work its magic — this is exactly the kind of fall night that made people follow this band from city to city.