Jerry Garcia onstage at Kaiser

Bob Weir sings

As we winged back to the Bay Area, we prayed the band would still have enough left in them to make the season- ending shows at Oakland's Henry |. Kaiser Auditorium memorable. And that's exactly the word I'd use to describe the series, which was billed as sort of a combination “Harvest Dance” and Thanksgiving celebration. The band was very relaxed and in good spirits all three nights. West Coast Heads unable to tour were understandably delighted when the first set opening night in- cluded an extremely rare west-of-the- Rockies “High Time.” And the whole second set was splendid, with a percolat- ing “Iko,” a long, brilliant “Terrapin” and a heart-wrenching “Stella Blue.” The “Sugar Magnolia” finale is also worth noting — during the extended break after the verses, Weir slung his guitar over his shoulder and climbed up on the scaffolding and nonchalantly strummed his part while perilously perched on a narrow metal bar. Only a supportive hand on his derriére, courtesy of stage sound mixer Harry Popick, saved Weir from certain death (or at the very least, embarrassment). When he casually returned to terra firma he was toasted by Phil and the other band members, and the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief. Bruce Spring- steen he aint!

11-20-85, Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA Jack Straw, Peggy-O, C.C. Rider, Stagger Lee, My Brother Esau, High Time, Beat It On Down the Line (no beats!) § Promised Land Don't Ease Me In Iko-Tko # Lost Sailor Saint of Circumstance Terrapin # jam # Don't Need Love § rhythm devils # space # Stella Blue # Sugar Magnolia/ U.S. Blues