Cleveland has a venue, a 10,000-seater, called the Cleveland Public Hall; within the building is an auditorium one-third of the size called the Cleveland Music Hall. The Dead played Dark Star and Shakedown Street on both stages, and I believe that fact to be a metaphor. Anything can be a metaphor if you leave the words “as” or “like” out of it.

Enthusiasts, I present for your listening pleasure 11/29/79 from the Public Hall. There is, as mentioned, a Shakedown which might be referred to as tasty (depending on your palate), a roaring Estimated, and a first set. The show is also notable for being a rare Triple Berry:  Promised Land, Johnny B. Goode, and Around And Around. Those of you wondering Why the hell didn’t they just learn some more Chuck Berry tunes? should stop having those kinds of thoughts: bad for the digestion.