Grateful Dead Announce 19-CD 'Friend Of The Devils: April 1978' Set

 

The Grateful Dead's 1978 Spring Tour was more than just a peak of its post-hiatus period; it forever redefined the band's concert experience by establishing "Drums" and "Space" as regular live segments.  An upcoming boxed set called Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 includes eight shows from the start of that historic tour, capturing the early days of these second-set traditions.

Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 will be available exclusively from Dead.net on September 20. This 19-CD box set is limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies and contains eight previously unreleased concerts. 

Pre-Order Friend Of The Devils: April 1978

Check out an unreleased live version of "U.S. Blues," recorded at Duke University on April 12, 1978, below.

Betty Cantor-Jackson originally recorded these shows, which audio engineer Jeffrey Norman has mastered using Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. Steve Vance designed the collection's custom box, which features a removable wave drum, inviting you to unleash your inner Rhythm Devil. Acclaimed artist Matthew Brannon created the set's original artwork. Celebrated for his unique approach to printmaking, Brannon's works have been exhibited in prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf. The deluxe collection also includes a 48-page book with original liner notes by author Steve Silberman and photos by James Anderson, Bob Minkin, and more.

Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux says: "These eight shows tell the story of a band that was engaged, inspired, and focused on bringing their A-game every single night…If there was ever a tour on which the Dead deliver every single moment, it's this one."

Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 includes complete shows from Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL (4/6/78); Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL (4/7/78); Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL (4/8/78); Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA (4/10/78 and 4/11/78); Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC (4/12/78); Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA (4/14/78); and Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV (4/16/78). 

The concert at Duke will also be released separately. Duke '78 will be available on September 20 from Rhino.com in triple CD, four-LP, and digital configurations. 

On Friend Of The Devils: April 1978, the Dead mine their rich 13-year history, performing early songs ("Dupree's Diamond Blues" and "New Minglewood Blues"), favorites from the 1970s ("Jack Straw" and "Eyes Of The World"), deep cuts ("It Must Have Been The Roses"), and traditionals ("Iko Iko" and "Peggy-O.") "Estimated Prophet" and "Dancing In The Street" from their latest album, 1977's Terrapin Station, were already in heavy rotation. Meanwhile, "Fire On The Mountain" was an essential part of the tour, even though it wouldn't officially come out until the fall. 

Christened Rhythm Devils by Mickey Hart, the "Drums" segments from the 1978 Spring Tour were unique affairs. Members of the band and road crew would join Hart and Billy Kreutzmann on stage for extended rhythmic explorations that frequently lasted over 15 minutes. On Friend Of The Devils: April 1978, the "Drums" and "Space" combination was emerging as a permanent feature of Dead shows, one that would continue for the next 17 years. Indeed, these intervals of free playing became so central to the Dead experience that it's hard to imagine shows unfolding any other way.

The "Drums" performance at Duke University was particularly intense, lasting more than 20 minutes. In the liner notes, Steve Silberman describes the scene: "[It] began with Billy thrashing on his kit and using his elbow to change its pitch, making it sound like a talking drum. Mickey, equally engaged, was wearing a Jerry T-shirt. Then the road crew joined the party. What's that? Steve Parish is playing a cowbell! Finally, the big man himself comes out, strokes his beard, sits down, maybe takes a puff or a toke, and picks up a pair of sticks. Mother of God, Garcia is playing steel drums – and loving it!"

Celebrating its 10th season, the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast debuts on August 29th, exploring these eight shows and this era in depth, and inviting fans to contribute their memories at stories.dead.net. With more than five million downloads and counting, the official Grateful Dead podcast is a treasure trove of new interviews, rare archival audio, and surprising cultural history. Listen to previous episodes of the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast, read transcripts, and subscribe at https://www.dead.net/deadcast.