While the Grateful Dead never performed live at any of the Farm Aid concerts before Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, they did appear off-site via satellite at the 1986 and 1987 installments of the benefit concerts. On July 4, 1986 the Grateful Dead played a show at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, while the second annual Farm Aid concert took place at Manor Downs Raceway in Austin, Texas.
Three songs from the Dead’s show in Buffalo were broadcast live to the Austin crowd – The Wheel, I Need A Miracle and Uncle John’s Band. Just as the band was about to begin The Wheel, guitarist Bob Weir stepped to the mic and stated “America is an agrarian nation, let’s keep it turning” in tipping their hat towards Farm Aid’s goal. A few minutes ago Farm Aid organizers posted the three-song segment that was broadcast at Farm Aid II to the organization’s YouTube channel…
[via Copperpot5]
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