The Closing of Winterland


The Closing of Winterland is a four-CD live album by the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert performed on December 31, 1978. The concert was also released as a two-disc DVD. The title derives from the fact that it was the last concert in San Francisco's Winterland Arena, which was shut down shortly thereafter. The Dead celebrated the closing as an approximately five-hour-long party and invited some guests including guitarist John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service and Ken Kesey as well as actor Dan Aykroyd who provided the midnight countdown. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA on December 15, 2003 under the category of longform video, selling 200,000 units. The New Riders of the Purple Sage and Blues Brothers opened the show.
Pre-ordered DVD sets included the bonus CD "New Year's Eves at Winterland". It contains an additional nine tracks recorded on New Year's Eve in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1977.

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "Sugar Magnolia" > – 7:21
  2. "Scarlet Begonias" > – 11:55
  3. "Fire on the Mountain" – 15:05
  4. "Me and My Uncle" – 3:11
  5. "Big River" – 7:05
  6. "Friend of the Devil" – 10:48
  7. "It's All Over Now" – 8:23
  8. "Stagger Lee" – 8:03
  9. "From the Heart of Me" > – 3:49
  10. "Sunshine Daydream" – 3:15

    Disc two

  11. "Samson and Delilah" – 9:17
  12. "Ramble On Rose" – 9:35
  13. "I Need a Miracle" > – 11:19
  14. "Terrapin Station" > – 12:23
  15. "Playing in the Band" > – 13:06

    Disc three

  16. "Rhythm Devils" > – 19:23
  17. "Not Fade Away" > – 19:34
  18. "Around and Around" – 9:19

    Disc four

  19. "Dark Star" > – 11:53
  20. "The Other One" > – 4:55
  21. "Dark Star" > – 1:09
  22. "Wharf Rat" > – 11:08
  23. "St. Stephen" > – 7:52
  24. "Good Lovin''" – 13:57
  26. "Casey Jones" > – 5:17
  27. "Johnny B. Goode" – 7:14
  29. "And We Bid You Goodnight" – 4:13

    Bonus disc – "New Year's Eves at Winterland"

  30. "Easy Wind" – 9:35
  31. "Jam" > – 2:07
  32. "Black Peter" – 8:42
  33. "Playing in the Band" – 18:26
  34. "Lazy Lightning" > – 3:36
  35. "Supplication" – 5:35
  36. "Sugar Magnolia" – 11:59
  37. "Scarlet Begonias" > – 8:48
  38. "Fire on the Mountain" – 10:06

    DVD

The DVD version of The Closing of Winterland contains the video of the New Year's Eve show, with stereo and 5.1 surround sound audio options. It also includes some related bonus material. According to the bonus DVD, the concert was recorded on 2-inch quad video, considered the best quality at the time, and also on 24-track audio tape.

Disc one

Grateful Dead
Additional musicians
Production