R.I.P. Jerry: Listen to The Grateful Dead’s final Philadelphia show

Just last week, we were remembering Grateful Dead founder Jerry Garcia on what would have been his 70th birthday. Today, it’s a more solemn anniversary; seventeen years ago, Garcia passed away, but fans were left with the myth, the music and the memories to cherish. A consummate performer, Garcia was touring with his bandmates almost up until the end; his final show with The Grateful Dead was at Chicago’s Soldier field a month before his death. Here in Philadelphia, Garcia and the Dead made their final appearance with a two-night stand at The Spectrum on March 18 and March 19, 1995. The first show was notable for a stunning rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic “Visions of Johanna”, while the final show was the first time the band ever played the song “Unbroken Chain” in concert (the studio version of the Phil Lesh song was on their 1974 album From the Mars Hotel). Watch the Dylan cover in the YouTube player below, and listen to the May 19 concert in its entirety right here:

If you want to take it home with you, the entire show is downloadable at Archive.org. Rest in peace, Jerry…thanks for the music.