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Live in Foxboro, MA 7/2/1989

Grateful Dead

Live in Foxboro, MA 7/2/1989

In the midst of a creative resurgence, the Grateful Dead kicks off its 1989 summer tour with an outstanding show filled with dynamic renditions of favorites, deep cuts and covers. This professionally shot film captures the complete performance and provides invaluable insight into the band's onstage communication.

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Nothin’ Left to Do But Smile, Smile, Smile

Brent Mydland isn’t merely serenading a stadium packed with 60,000-plus people when he begins to sing “Dear Mr. Fantasy” on July 2, 1989 in Foxboro, MA. The Grateful Dead keyboardist is in the process of turning the Traffic staple — a collective plea to a musician to break an overriding gloom by playing an upbeat tune that puts everyone in a good mood — into a resonant biographical statement. In the song, communal happiness comes at a simple albeit exacting cost, spelled out in the lyrics: Laughter for many in exchange for the tears of one, namely, the performer. Mydland knows the deal all too well. So does guitarist-vocalist Jerry Garcia.

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The ‘New Guy’ Emerges from the Shadows

By 1989, the only way for the Grateful Dead to get to Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, MA , which was deservedly notorious for its massive traffic jams, was by helicopter. From the sky it seemed as though there were Deadheads packed tight for miles in every direction. It was borderline spooky, part and parcel of the post-“In the Dark” GD, where we counted any show that wasn’t a disaster as a victory. And the astonishing reach of the crowd, as far as the eye could see, was even more impressive considering that this flight was quite early, so that Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir could film something with the opening act, our friends Los Lobos.

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Dennis McNally: The Coda Collection Interview, Part One

Grateful Dead biographer and former publicist, Dennis McNally, sits down with the Coda Collection to give an insiders look at the 1989 Foxboro, MA show and events leading up to it. Topics include the band’s groundbreaking relationship with their fans, the creative spark preceding “In The Dark”, their experimentation with MIDI, and Brent Mydland’s place amongst their rich history of keyboardists. Watch the first part here and get the rest on our Prime channel.

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Following an uneventful period, the Grateful Dead’s world began to radically change in the mid-‘80s. Here’s a look at the key events and developments that sparked a creative and commercial resurgence — and marked the end of one era and the beginning of another.