Last Trip to Tampa: Grateful Dead 04.07.95

Last Trip to Tampa: Grateful Dead 04.07.95

It has been 30 years since the last Grateful Dead concert in Tampa. For years, they played the (now non-existent) Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, the (now non-existent) St. Petersburg Bayfront Center, and the USF Sundome (now the Yuengling Center). After almost seven years’ hiatus, the sextet scheduled what would turn out to be their last trip to Tampa at the Big Sombrero, as the (now non-existent) Tampa Stadium was affectionately know. Their concert 04.07.95 was the last of a dozen shows in the South. The Black Crows opened. The Tampa Stadium folks were smart enough to pair that show with a huge Elton John–Billy Joel show the following day (one stage, two shows).

For several days before the show, the lot people began to fill local parks and parking lots with those heady aromas and lot food. By the day of the show, there was near-gridlock around the stadium as tens of thousands of Deadheads and like-minded folks swarmed the area.

Before we proceed, an important caveat. There is no gray area about this show: you either loved it, or you hated it. And the nay-sayers are insistent. Separate issue: Jerry Garcia was spot on, lyrics-wise. None of the teleprompter issues that apparently arose later in the tour.

During the first set, Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia traded off lead vocals, Bobby up first with an enthusiastic “Jack Straw” before Jerry offered a tender “Peggy-O.” Bobby’s “The Little Red Rooster” was steeped in the blues and his slide guitar, followed by a really bouncy “Loose Lucy.” They traded leads on Bob Dylan compositions “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Visions of Johanna” before rocking the end of the 55-minute first set with Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land.”

The second set opened with a gorgeous, jazzy “Eyes of the World” and then “Saint of Circumstance,” Bobby on lead vocals for both. Next up was a treat as Vince Welnick, sounding superb on all manner of keyboards, especially piano, sang the song he co-wrote with Robert Hunter: “Samba in the Rain.” His synths and Jerry’s horn-effect guitar were perfect.

Then came another treat; we had heard that “Unbroken Chain,” the Phil Lesh song From the Mars Hotel, had finally surfaced, 21 years later, in March during the 1995 spring tour. The ripple through the crowd was palpable as we realized they were going to play it. PURE MAGIC.

And then it was showtime! The 41-minute sequence opened with a percolating, percussion-rich “Corrina” that melted easily into an outstanding “Drums” and likewise into a captivating “Space.”  Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann were outstanding all night but absolutely brilliant here. The deep stereo effects were more pure magic. Bobby and Jerry paired up for Rob Wasserman’s “Easy Answers” out of “Space.” Jerry then gave us a melancholy “Days Between”; we had no idea at the time how prescient that would be.

We recognized the end of the set as “Not Fade Away” emerged, a joyous feeling sweeping over the packed stadium. Nine minutes into the song, they had stripped the song down to drums and four-part vocals. A moment later, it was just a soft drum rhythm as the crowd as one clapped and sang “Love’s real, not fade away.” Of COURSE they returned for an enjoyable “U.S. Blues” to say thank you and good night.

And it was!

[SET 1: Jack Straw, Peggy-O, The Little Red Rooster, Loose Lucy, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Visions of Johanna, Promised Land; SET 2: Eyes of the World, Saint of Circumstance, Samba in the Rain, Unbroken Chain, Corrina > Drums > Space > Easy Answers > Days Between, Not Fade Away; E: U.S. Blues]

https://archive.org/details/gd1995-04-07.sbd.larson.35148.sbeok.flac16