Tangentially;
The Grateful Dead archive (
https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead ) had many concert recordings available. Sadly these are no longer freely available for download.
There were “Soundboard” recordings taken from the mixing desk
but more importantly for me were/are the “audience” recordings.
These were made by enthusiasts in front of the stage using their own equipment and were sanctioned by the Dead.
These tapes were published as converted digital files on the archive.
While they were still free I downloaded recordings of concerts I attended and can partially remember, remember we were deadheads!.
Listening to these much less than perfect recordings captures the essence of the band and their music in a way
that no perfectly recorded studio album or soundboard recording ever can.
The music is what matters, much more than the equipment.
