Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-08-11
The latest installment of Coast to Coast Dead Drops reaches across the country with two standout Grateful Dead performances from very different eras: Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in 1986 and Madison Square Garden in 1987.
Curated by David Lemieux and mastered by David Glasser from the original Grateful Dead cassettes, both shows are now available to stream in high-resolution audio.
The first stop is April 12, 1986, at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Laguna Hills, California, where the Dead opened a ten-show run up the West Coast.
The first set gets moving immediately with “Hell In A Bucket” into “Bertha,” followed by “Little Red Rooster,” “Loser,” “Beat It On Down The Line,” “Althea,” and a relatively rare “Willie & The Hand Jive.” A strong “Row Jimmy” leads into “Jack Straw” to close the set.
The second set opens with “Cold Rain & Snow” before moving into “Estimated Prophet” and “Eyes Of The World,” followed by “Drums” and “Space.” From there, the band launches into “Truckin’,” “The Other One,” “Wharf Rat,” and “One More Saturday Night.” “Quinn The Eskimo” closes the night.
Grateful Dead – April 12, 1986 Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre – Laguna Hills, CA
Set I:
Hell In A Bucket > Bertha, Little Red Rooster, Loser, Beat It On Down The Line, Althea, Willie & The Hand Jive, Row Jimmy, Jack Straw
Set II:
Cold Rain & Snow, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > Truckin’ > The Other One > Wharf Rat > One More Saturday Night
Encore:
Quinn The Eskimo
The second Dead Drop heads east to Madison Square Garden on September 20, 1987, the final night of a five-show New York run.
Before the music even gets underway, “Funiculi Funicula” and “The Addams Family” tuning draw a reaction from the Garden crowd. “Jack Straw” into “West L.A. Fadeaway” opens the first set, followed by “My Brother Esau,” “Far From Me,” “It Must Have Been The Roses,” “Desolation Row,” and a closing stretch of “Might As Well” into “Promised Land.”
The second set begins with “Hell In A Bucket” into “Iko Iko,” followed by “Looks Like Rain” and “He’s Gone.” After “Drums” and “Space,” the Dead return with “The Other One,” “Wharf Rat,” “Throwing Stones,” and “Not Fade Away.”
For the encore, the band delivers “Touch Of Grey” into “Brokedown Palace,” providing a fitting close to five nights at Madison Square Garden.
Grateful Dead – September 20, 1987 Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Set I:
Jack Straw > West L.A. Fadeaway, My Brother Esau, Far From Me, It Must Have Been The Roses, Desolation Row, Might As Well > Promised Land
Set II:
Hell In A Bucket > Iko Iko > Looks Like Rain > He’s Gone > Drums > Space > The Other One > Wharf Rat > Throwing Stones > Not Fade Away
Encore:
Touch Of Grey > Brokedown Palace
The two releases offer a coast-to-coast snapshot of the Grateful Dead in the mid-to-late ’80s, from the open-air energy of Irvine Meadows to the charged atmosphere of Madison Square Garden.
Both performances are now available through Dead Drops and the Grateful Dead streaming archive.
