Phil Bombs | Grateful Dead Β· Baltimore Civic Center Β· May 4, 1980 | S1E01 - Grateful Shows

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Published on:

9th Jul 2026

Phil Bombs | Grateful Dead Β· Baltimore Civic Center Β· May 4, 1980 | S1E01

🎸 May 1980 EAST COAST · GRATEFUL DEAD · BALTIMORE > MAINE

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⭐ Production Note: This episode has been remastered for better audio quality and a more concise flow. We’ve combined the previous two-set format into this single episode, featuring expanded commentary and a more curated selection of excerpts. To keep our feed clean, the original unedited versions have been removed. Enjoy this new, streamlined version of the show!πŸŽ™οΈ

πŸ“ YOU ARE HERE: Show β€” Phil Bombs | Grateful Dead Β· Baltimore Civic Center Β· May 4, 1980 | S1E01 Β·


Grateful Dead Β· Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD Β· May 4, 1980 Β·

β¬… Previous:

➑ Next: Recreation Hall, Penn State

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πŸ—Ί NAVIGATE THIS TOUR

🎯 New to the show? Start at the very beginning!

S1E01 β†’ Baltimore May 4, 1980

πŸ“‹ Tourbook 1 Index (all 6 shows in order):

Tour Playlist

Grateful Shows covers Grateful Dead touring history - on tour at a time.

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🎸 OFFICIAL SETLIST:

Grateful Dead - Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD, May 4, 1980

Set 1

  1. Alabama Getaway>
  2. The Promised Land
  3. Friend Of The Devil
  4. Mama Tried>
  5. Mexicali Blues
  6. High Time
  7. Lazy Lightnin'>
  8. Supplication
  9. Ramble On Rose
  10. Lost Sailor>
  11. Saint Of Circumstance

Set 2

  1. Scarlet Begonias >
  2. Fire On The Mountain
  3. Samson And Delilah
  4. Ship Of Fools
  5. Playing In The Band>
  6. Drums>
  7. Space>
  8. Black Peter>
  9. Sugar Magnolia

🎡 Encore: U.S. Blues

β•β•β•πŸŽ™ CONCERT ANALYSIS

On May 4, 1980 the Grateful Dead appeared at the Baltimore Civic Center in Maryland as they hit the East Coast for their first full-fledged tour of the eighties. Spoiler alert: it's not all rainbows and unicorns.

The boys slog through plenty of grit and grime in this show. Highlights include the opening Half Step>Franklin's Tower as well as a wigged out Playing in the Band and a beautiful Black Peter

An excerpt from Playing in The Band:

"The band and this song highlight the common, raw instinct among predators, but the urge to survive is not optional; it is fundamental to life. Nature does not pose moral dilemmas; it simply follows the harsh principles of Darwinian evolution, a horror show, if you will. As you pause to consider this statement, Playing In The Band sheds its former identity, exonerating itself of any questionable actions encouraged during its tenure, and drifts, piece by piece, toward the drums."

You can probably tell where this one is headed.═══

πŸ“š LINKS & RESOURCES

πŸ”— Follow along with music on: Relisten

πŸ”— Navigate The Series

πŸ—Ί NAVIGATE THIS TOUR

🎯 New to the show? Start at the very beginning!

S1E01 β†’ Baltimore May 4, 1980

πŸ“‹ Tourbook 1 Index (all 6 shows in order):

Tour Playlist

Grateful Shows covers Grateful Dead touring history - on tour at a time.

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πŸ—Ί EXPLORE OTHER TOURS

Shall we go - to other tours? Why not. So far here's what we've got:

🎸 Grateful Dead May 1980 East Coast Tourβ€” Complete Playlist:

GRATEFUL DEAD MAY 1980 EAST COAST

Gritty, underrated Grateful Dead. From Baltimore to Maine, heady times in a downtrodden America's election year.

── WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE ──────────────

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Exploring the world of Grateful Dead live shows- one tour at a time, through history philosophy, fiction and poetic meditations.

Six shows per tour. Countless fun.

πŸ“– Full May 1980 Tourbook Ebook: Coming late April

πŸ“„ Free PDF Tourbook Sampler: GET IT HERE

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Grateful Shows
Poetic Meditations on the Grateful Dead...and Life
Grateful Shows is a tour-by-tour deep dive meditative analysis on selected Grateful Dead live concerts.

Each season covers one tour in depth-six shows, fully experienced, with setlist analysis, historical facts, philosophical and fictional rumblings. Companion ebooks go even deeper.

Season 2: March 1986 -The Grateful Dead welcome spring with six shows at two of the East Coast’s most renowned venues: the Hampton Coliseum and the Philadelphia Spectrum. Packed with energy and featuring a number of bust-outs, the tour was unforgettable, including the legendary β€œBox of Rain” in Hampton. However, a closer look suggests this might not have been either the highlight or the best show of the tour. Make sure to check out all six shows!

🎸 Grateful Dead live history · concert documentation · music history podcast
πŸ—Ί One tour at a time Β· six shows per season Β· VW bus not included

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J.Y. Pod is the author and narrator of Grateful Shows. Let him guide you into a dreamland blending fact, fiction, and the distilled memories of countless deadheads into the world known as Grateful Shows.