New Grateful Dead collection spotlights legendary show that ran nearly 5 hours

Didn’t score those much-sought-after ducats to see the final Dead & Company shows at Oracle Park in San Francisco?

Well, you could join the throngs outside the venue for those three nights, July 14-16, and hope for a “miracle” ticket or two.

Or you could stay home and just crank up some good ol’ Grateful Dead with the excellent new “Here Comes Sunshine 1973” box set.

The 17-CD collection, which is also available in digital download format, captures the mighty Dead in the spring of ’73 as the band makes its way through the final five shows of a tour in brilliant fashion.

These previously unreleased recordings hail from the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines (5/13/73); Campus Stadium, UCSB, Santa Barbara (5/20/73); Kezar Stadium, San Francisco (5/26/73); and Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. (6/9/73 & 6/10/73).

All of the shows are keepers, of course. Yet, the one that stands out from the pack is that second RFK Stadium concert, a legendary gig that ran nearly five hours and featured performances from Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band (who coheadlined the show).

“Here Comes Sunshine” runs $189.98 for the CD set (which is limited to 10,000 individually numbered copies) and $99.98-$124.98 for digital download ($124.98).

“RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. (6/10/73)” is also being made available as a standalone collection, sold as a 4-CD set ($39.98), digital download ($19.98-$24.98) and limited-edition 8-LP set ($174.98, beginning July 28).

Visit dead.net for more information on, or to purchase, these products.