These shows don't detract from the appeal of The Cornell Show, but rather place 5/8/77 in the context of the band's sustained power of performance during this near-midpoint of their career. Night after night Phil's slides on the fretless bass, Jerry's attacks on the Mu-Tron, Weir's jingle-jangle cowboy timbre, Keith's percussive melodic reinforcement, Donna Jean's wailing vocals, and of course the Rhythm Devils' locomotion together propel this band into the cosmos.

Twenty-five years later, the tapes crackle and spit fire out of your speakers and never cease to amaze upon each new playback. It's unlikely that we'll see any official vault releases of these shows as the master tapes are not in the vault. There are some cuts and splices throughout the tapes that do exist, yet the tracks below represent the best composite of what the band was capable of on any given night in May of 1977.