Does anyone know if George R. R. Martin is a fan of the Grateful Dead? I’m sure that I’m not the first Dead fan to read the Song of Ice and Fire series and have my attention pulled toward House Stark because their symbol is the Dire Wolf.
Dire Wolf was played 4 times on the Europe 72 tour (also 4/26, 5/24, 5/26) but this was the first one on the tour and the first version in almost a year. The last one being played on 4/27/71 as the Dead played their final run at the fabled Fillmore East in New York. Armed with that knowledge it’s easy to see why this version might seem a bit rusty in places, but that’s part of the fun, too!
Also, is it just me or does anyone else get visions of little red riding hood when they hear this song? The anthropomorphic wolf and the “timbers of Fennario” in the narrative trigger that story for me. Can’t explain it, but it’s an association I’ve always made in the back of my mind with this song.
This tour breakout begins a bit out of tune, and Jerry growls it just a bit tentatively. The high harmonies come in sweetly enough. This nice, sparse arrangement suits it. I don’t hear any organ, but maybe that’s okay here. After a couple of rounds, the guitar solo lights up the tune nicely. I’m glad they are playing this, but I would not give out any awards for the performance. It’s just kind of flat-sounding compared to what you know it could be. Another quick shot in the arm from the lead guitar gets it to the final triple choruses and cranky ending. All right. There’s a fade here, and presumably the end of the set has been reached.