Don’s Pick: December 31, 1989 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Don’s Pick Brings a Legendary New Year’s Eve to Life With the Grateful Dead’s Oakland 1989 Marathon

Every Saturday night, The Grateful Dead Live transforms living rooms, late-night drives, and quiet corners into front-row seats for the most legendary concert recordings ever captured. Don’s Pick, the program’s signature feature, goes beyond nostalgia. It curates complete live performances that allow listeners to experience each show as it unfolded in real time, with every guitar bend, vocal harmony, and spontaneous jam presented exactly as the band delivered it onstage.

This week’s Don’s Pick spotlights one of the Grateful Dead’s most theatrical and musically rich New Year’s Eve celebrations: December 31, 1989, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The show is remembered not only for its deep setlist and extended improvisation, but also for its playful midnight spectacle and a pair of special guest appearances that made the night truly singular in Dead history.

The countdown into 1990 was guided by legendary promoter Bill Graham, who staged an over-the-top entrance that has since become part of Grateful Dead folklore. As the clock struck midnight, Graham descended dressed as a chicken, landing on a massive prop egg that “hatched” two New Year’s babies, one of whom was his son. The theatrical moment blended perfectly with the band’s celebratory energy, setting the tone for a sprawling second set that would become a fan favorite.

Musically, the night opened with a spirited run of live favorites that immediately ignited the Coliseum crowd. “Sugar Magnolia” flowed into “Touch of Grey,” keeping the mood bright and buoyant before sliding into the rhythm-laced groove of “Man Smart (Woman Smarter).” One of the most remarkable moments of the first set arrived when Bonnie Raitt stepped onstage. Her guest appearance on “Big Boss Man” marked her only public performance with the Grateful Dead, and her slide guitar and soulful vocals added a bluesy edge that elevated the already tight arrangement.

The first set continued with a live rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again,” followed by a funk-forward “Shakedown Street” that closed the opening frame on a dance-heavy high note.

As the clock turned to a new decade, the second set unfolded into a marathon of extended jams and rare material. After the midnight countdown, the band launched into a vibrant “Iko Iko,” joined by percussion master Airto Moreira and Taro Hart, whose layered rhythms pushed the groove into festival-level intensity. Moreira remained onstage for the rest of the set and encore, lending a global percussive texture that reshaped the soundscape of the evening.

One of the night’s most celebrated moments came with the return of “Dark Star,” which had not appeared in a setlist for more than a year. Even in its abbreviated first-verse form, the song’s reemergence sent waves through the Coliseum, signaling the band’s willingness to dig deep into its improvisational roots. From there, the performance flowed seamlessly into “Drums” and “Space,” where the musicians explored abstract sonic territory before reassembling into a powerful “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” punctuated by a coda of “Hey Jude” that had the crowd singing in unison.

The momentum continued through “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad,” “Throwing Stones,” and a triumphant “Not Fade Away,” which closed the main set in classic Dead fashion with call-and-response chants echoing through the arena.

The encore sequence delivered a heartfelt and celebratory sendoff. “Brokedown Palace” offered a tender moment of reflection before bursting into “Sunshine Daydream,” and the night reached its final peak with a rare and soulful live performance of “In the Midnight Hour,” sealing the celebration with a groove that felt both nostalgic and forward-looking.

Don’s Pick doesn’t simply replay concerts. It resurrects them. By featuring the complete live experience from this legendary New Year’s Eve, The Grateful Dead Live invites listeners to step inside a defining moment when spectacle, surprise, and improvisation collided. The Oakland 1989 show stands as a reminder of why the Grateful Dead’s live recordings remain a cornerstone of American concert history and why Don’s Pick continues to be must-listen radio for fans who believe the music truly lives onstage.

• Sugar Magnolia >
• Touch of Grey >
• Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
• Big Boss Man (with Bonnie Raitt)
• Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
• Shakedown Street 

• Midnight Countdown (preceded by the New Year’s countdown)
• Iko Iko (with Airto Moreira and Taro Hart)
• Victim or the Crime (with Airto Moreira) >
• Dark Star (first verse only; with Airto Moreira) >
• Drums (with Airto Moreira) >
• Space (with Airto Moreira) >
• Dear Mr. Fantasy >
• Hey Jude (coda only) >
• Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad >
• Throwing Stones >
• Not Fade Away 

• Brokedown Palace >
• Sunshine Daydream
• In the Midnight Hour