If you’re like us at The Second Disc, you’re probably yearning for the day that live music is allowed again. Plans have shifted and events have been postponed in these past eight months of lockdown, but one thing remains the same: the thrill of a concert. Real Gone Music is allowing listeners to go back in time with two exciting live albums due January 8, 2021. There’s a set from Blue Oyster Cult recorded in 1983 (previously announced as a Record Store Day Black Friday vinyl release, now coming to CD) and the long-awaited reissue of Grateful Dead Road Trips, Vol. 2, No. 4, featuring the band live at Cal Expo Amphitheatre at the State Fairgrounds in Sacramento.

That Dead set features highlights from a three-night run in Sacramento in 1993 that is often regarded as a peak performance by that final lineup of the Grateful Dead. Previously only available to Deadheads through the band’s online shop, the 2-CD set now makes its general retail debut for fans everywhere.

Here, the band hits a new high with a blend of traditional songs, well-known favorites, and stunning jams. Just one listen to the astounding run of “Victim or the Crime” > “Crazy Fingers” > “Playing in the Band” > “Rhythm Devils” > “Corrina” > “Playing in the Band” > “China Doll” > Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around” shows the Grateful Dead were still capable of delivering magic, even after nearly 30 years on the road. Other highlights include “Dire Wolf,” a stunning “Deal,” and a set-closing version of Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” Though the bonus disc originally included with online orders from Dead.net isn’t reprised here, the 2-CD set includes the complete second show and excerpts from May 27. In all, it’s a thrilling collection of prime Dead and a treat for Deadheads new and old.

Real Gone will continue the long, strange trip with the release the 3-CD set Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 5 featuring the band’s show at the Boston Music Hall on June 9, 1976. The long-out-of-print final entry in the Road Trips series spotlights one night of a four-night jaunt during the Dead’s return to stage after a 20-month break. With rare material like “Franklin’s Tower,” “Crazy Fingers,” and a lengthy “St. Stephen” this June 6, 1976 concert remains a fan favorite, and with good reason. This collection features the full show – both sets and the encore – as well as highlights from the June 12, 1976 concert at the same venue. Out of print since its original limited online-only run, the concert is now resurrected for regular retail.

On the same day, you’ll be able to add a classic concert from Blue Oyster Cult to your collection. Live ’83 presents a treasured concert from Perkins Palace in Pasadena on CD for the first time ever. For the vinyl fans out there, the concert will also be pressed in a gatefold, 2-LP edition on blue with black swirl vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday. Originally recorded for radio broadcast, tapes of this show have circulated among fans for decades and have become a go-to for fans eager to show what makes the band a true rock powerhouse. Now fans can throw away their bootlegs as the show becomes available in a fully authorized set with new liner notes and rare photography. This is a must have for any classic rock aficionado.

So, though it might be a while before fans can stand on the rail cheering on a favorite band, this January Real Gone Music has the medicine to get you through. We’ve got all the details below, so peruse the track listings and order your copies of Grateful Dead Road Trips, Vol. 2, No. 4: Cal Expo ’93 and Blue Oyster Cult Live ’83 through your preferred retailer.

Grateful Dead, Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 4 Cal Expo ’93 (originally Grateful Dead Records GRA2-6008, 2009 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2020) (Real Gone Music / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD / Your Local Record Shop)

Disc 1:

1. Samson and Delilah
2. Here Comes Sunshine
3. Walkin’ Blues
4. Deal
5. Box of Rain
6. Victim or the Crime
7. Crazy Fingers
8. Playing in the Band
9. Rhythm Devils

Disc 2:

1. Corrina
2. Playing in the Band
3. China Doll
4. Around and Around
5. Liberty
6. Shakedown Street
7. The Same Thing
8. Dire Wolf
9. High Time
10. When I Paint My Masterpiece

Grateful Dead, Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 5 Boston Music Hall 6/9/76 (originally Grateful Dead Records GRA2-6008, 2009 – reissued Real Gone Music, 2020) (Real Gone Music / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)

CD 1: June 9 – first set

1. Cold Rain and Snow
2. Cassidy
3. Scarlet Begonias
4. The Music Never Stopped
5. Crazy Fingers
6. Big River
7. They Love Each Other
8. Looks Like Rain
9. Ship of Fools
10. Promised Land

CD 2: June 9 – second set

1. St. Stephen
2. Eyes of the World
3. Let It Grow
4. Brown-Eyed Women
5. Lazy Lightning
6. Supplication
7. High Time
8. Samson and Delilah
9. It Must Have Been the Roses

CD 3: June 9 – second set, continued

1. Dancing in the Streets
2. Wharf Rat
3. Around and Around
   June 9 – encore
4. Franklin’s Tower
   June 12 – first set
5. Mission in the Rain
   June 12 – second set
6. The Wheel
7. Comes A Time
   June 12 – encore
8. Sugar Magnolia
9. U.S. Blues
10. Sunshine Daydream

Blue Oyster Cult, Live ’83 (Real Gone Music, 2020) (Real Gone Music / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD / Your Local Record Shop)

1. Stairway to the Stars
2. Harvester of Eyes
3. Workshop of the Telescopes
4. Before the Kiss, A Red Cap
5. Born to Rock
6. Hot Rails to Hell
7. Screaming Dizbusters
8. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll
9. Burnin’ for You
10. Joan Crawford
11. Born to Be Wild
12. Don’t Fear the Reaper
13. Roadhouse Blues