By the summer of 1994, the Grateful Dead were deep into what would prove to be their final full touring year before Garcia's health would force an extended hiatus and, ultimately, his passing in August 1995. The band at this point featured the long-settled lineup of Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Hart, Kreutzmann, and Vince Welnick on keys — Welnick having stepped in following Brent Mydland's death in 1990 and gradually finding his footing as a member of one of rock's most demanding ensembles. By mid-1994, the band was navigating a complicated moment: Garcia had cleaned up following his near-fatal health collapse in 1986, but the years had taken a toll, and perceptive listeners can hear both flashes of genuine inspiration and the unevenness that marked much of this late era. Still, the Dead were pulling massive summer crowds, and Deer Creek — a beautiful outdoor amphitheater tucked into the wooded hills of Noblesville, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis — had become one of the Midwest's most beloved stops on the touring circuit. The natural bowl setting, the trees, the summer heat: it was the kind of place that made a long second set feel like it could last forever. The fragments we have from this July 21st show are anchored by a "Franklin's Tower," one of the band's great vehicles for ensemble interplay.
A song that lives or dies on the chemistry of its groove, a crackling "Franklin's Tower" finds Garcia's lines weaving through Lesh's probing bass and the dual-drummer thunder of Hart and Kreutzmann — and on a good night, it can feel genuinely weightless. The Drums and Space segment that surfaces here is a reminder of just how committed the Dead remained to the experimental heart of their concerts even in the arena era, and the way they burst back out of the psychedelic fog into "Good Lovin'" is the kind of moment that rewarded patience. "Good Lovin'" was a reliable crowd igniter in the Welnick years, his gospel-inflected fervor giving the old Rascals chestnut an extra shot of juice. Recording quality for 1994 Deer Creek shows varies widely depending on the source — this one is worth checking the notes on before diving in, as audience tapes from this venue range from muddy to surprisingly crisp. Whatever the source, the energy of that Indiana summer crowd tends to bleed through regardless. Cue it up and let the "Franklin's Tower" tell you everything you need to know about where this show is headed.