New Riders of the Purple Sage—Inn of the Beginning, Cotati, CA, September 18, 1969
One of my favorite NRPS shows on the archive is this ragged, early recording performed in a tiny bar in downtown Cotati, CA. The tape serves as a nice companion piece to the four-disc box set released in 2019 as part of Bear’s Sonic Journals. Everything on this Cotati set is played with swagger and features Jerry Garcia’s custom double-10 pedal steel work and prominent vocals throughout. The band is loose and stage banter abounds. About 30 minutes into the show, a cherry bomb explodes. It is overtly audible on the tape and one can only imagine what it must have sounded like in the club. The act is met with palpable disdain from the band, before Garcia exclaims: “Well we’re gonna take a break; Marmaduke just broke a string… that’s two stings and a cherry bomb, that must mean it’s time to take a break.”
Besides the coup de main brought about by the illegally manufactured explosive device, a few highlights from the night include a lilting Long Black Limousine and a shit-kicking Quinn the Eskimo, as well as superb takes on Death & Destruction, Henry, The Weight, and Mama Tried. Of note, the recording is one of the last New Riders shows to feature Bob Mathews on bass before his departure to assume a partnership role in the newly formed Alembic sound company.
Grab a cold one, throw your feet on the hassock, and dig into this fine performance.