Song
Playing in the Band
588 plays · 1971 – 1995
Stats
Peak year
1972
66 plays
Peak era
Europe / Wall
151 plays
Years in rotation
24
avg 29.6/yr
Usually
Set 2
70% of plays
Set 1 closer
12%
77 of 650
Set 2 opener
7%
43 of 650
Debuted
1971-02-01Last played
1995-07-05Album
Ace (Bob Weir)
1972
Written by
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter
By decade
70s
331
80s
265
90s
115
Often comes in from
- 9%Terrapin Station(59×)
- 7%I Know You Rider(45×)
- 6%Uncle John's Band(38×)
Often leads into
- 26%Drums(155×)
- 14%Uncle John's Band(85×)
- 7%Terrapin Station(41×)
A Bob Weir / Robert Hunter composition that grew from a tight 5-minute song into a 23-minute exploratory vehicle by 1973. The 7/4 time signature gives the jam its forward lean. Often paired in 'sandwiches' where the band breaks open in the middle, plays an entire other song, then returns to close the PITB.
Best versions · Curator's picks
More high-scoring versions
By Curator Score across all shows that played Playing in the Band.
Every time Curator has written about it
23 mentions across the listening journal.
Numbers show each show's Curator Score · how it works
Pretty awesome Playing in the Band that turns into Celtic jam.
Sweet drums during Playin in the Band.
Blistering early Playin in the Band.
Great Terrapin into Playin in the Band.
Awesome early Playin in the Band.
Truly awesome version into 23 minute Playin in the Band.
Seamless Playing in the Band into Terrapin which is pretty cool.
New Speedway Boogie into some weird half jam of Playing in the Band and then into Uncle John's Band!
Tight a** 19 minute Playing in the Band with drums going nuts with jazzy greatness to end the first set.
Damn nice 21 minute Playing in the Band in which Jerry uses a Wah pedal on his solo more than he usually does.
25 minute Playing in the Band pinnacle version of when they were really getting knee deep in this one.
A f****** amazing Playing in the Band as well.
BEAUTIFUL Terrapin into 23 minute Playing in the Band that is also stupendous to start the second set.
Uncle John into drums into Playing in the Band back into Uncle John.
KICKASS Darkstar to start second set into Playing in the Band.
Awesome job going back into Playing in the Band out of Wharf Rat.
Eighteen minutes Playin in the Band to finish first set.
A solid long show with fairly tight tunes except for the wonderful 22 minute Playing in the Band and the 17 minute He's Gone.
Jerry has some tasty licks during Playing in the Band.
Make ya say “Yes sir!" Killer Playing in the Band.
Nice Playing In The Band into Terrapin.
Obvious staple of the Hornsby days but this one doesn’t disappoint and has an awesome bridge into Playing in the Band.
Killer Playing in the Band into an actual Uncle John's into a breathtaking Morning Dew, back into Uncle John, BACK into Playing in the Band.
Listen to Playing in the Band from 1973-11-30 — official release