Heads & Tails Vol. 2 Pairs Garcia Band Shows
The second Heads & Tails LP collects Jerry Garcia Band performances from 1976 and 1993 pressed on lavender vinyl.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Folk
Heads & Tails: Volume 2 gathers Jerry Garcia Band recordings from a January 26, 1976 show at the Keystone in Berkeley, California and an August 8, 1993 performance at Portland Meadows in Portland, Oregon. The record is available for pre-order and is pressed on lavender eco-mix vinyl.
Why it matters
The release draws on tapes previously considered unusable, bringing archival material from Jerry Garcia's work outside the Grateful Dead to physical format. Each side of the double-A-sided LP pairs two distinct eras of his musical life.
The Keystone side includes "Russian Lullaby" and "Who Was John?" from January 26, 1976, while the Portland side features "And It Stoned Me" and "The Maker" from August 8, 1993. The Volume 1 installment previously paired a January 19, 1972 Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders performance with a February 5, 1988 Santa Rosa show.
The players
Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia was the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Grateful Dead, and he also led the Jerry Garcia Band and collaborated extensively with keyboardist Merl Saunders.
The details
Heads & Tails: Volume 2 collects performances from the Keystone in Berkeley and Portland Meadows, with the version of "Who Was John?" currently streaming. The series follows Volume 1, which paired Garcia recordings from 1972 and 1988, and the Volume 2 release is also offered as part of a bundle.
Timeline
January 26, 1976: Jerry Garcia Band performs at the Keystone in Berkeley, California.
August 8, 1993: Jerry Garcia Band performs at Portland Meadows in Portland, Oregon.
December 2026: Heads & Tails: Volume 2 is scheduled for release.
Season Trajectory
Volume 2 continues the Heads & Tails format begun with Volume 1, which paired a 1972 Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders show with a 1988 Santa Rosa performance. The series extends a pattern of releasing archival Garcia material from outside the Grateful Dead catalog on physical formats.
Listeners can pre-order Heads & Tails: Volume 2 on lavender eco-mix vinyl or purchase it through a bundle. The version of "Who Was John?" is also available to stream now.
The takeaway
Archival releases like Heads & Tails give listeners access to recordings once deemed unusable, offering a window into Jerry Garcia's work beyond the Grateful Dead. Fans interested in the series can pre-order Volume 2 or stream available material now.
What happens next
Heads & Tails: Volume 2 is scheduled for release in December 2026, and pre-orders are currently open.
Further reading
Explore more Folk coverage for context on archival releases from the genre's artists.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Relix Media.
