The Dead dusted off the acoustic instruments for a unique run of shows in 1980. For this tour, they opened every show with an acoustic set, followed by two electric sets. The shows were limited to three cities—San Francisco, New Orleans and New York City.

This video is from the Dead’s opening acoustic set on October, 30th. “To Lay Me Down” is one of the songs in the Dead repertoire that is a perfect fit for an acoustic guitar. The heart-aching melodies and beautiful Jerry and Bobby harmonies make this a version you will play over, and over, and over.

This run of acoustic and electric shows culminated in two live albums that were released the next year, Reckoning which was all acoustic and Dead Set which was all electric. Perhaps knowing that the material was going to be released as an album helped the boys stay more focused and tight.

If you enjoy this, watch Jerry and Bobby’s can’t-miss acoustic performance of “When I Paint My Masterpiece.”