20 Essential Grateful Dead shows

the scarlet/fire alone should put it on that list. The dancin is unparalleled,the Steven/NFA is some of the finest blues Jerry ever played. Top show ever? Probably not, but definitely top 5 IMO. The Branford show was hugely special because it brought so much dimension to so many songs, not just new life, but a new soul. Top 5 IMO.
Picking a "best" is like saying there is a "best" song. We play a game: pick your top 5 songs then kill one song. Generally people do it without much thought. People who find this easy usually change something within a year.

"Thanks, Mom!" - Phil

i have a friend, who knows the shows far better than I, who says, "No bad show ever opened with Bertha."

Do you all agree?

Worked for me. I always liked Feels Like A Stranger and Let The Good times Roll as openers. And of course Dancin' In The Streets, the first song I heard live.

I've been compiling that shit since the late 80's and they have a link for it now? It seems too easy