Robert Hunter performed and recorded with the band Comfort for about a year, from mid-1977 to mid-1978. In particular he wrote a lengthy suite of songs called “Alligator Moon” which is well worth listening to for any Hunter fan. Hunter was unhappy with his studio version of the suite, so
the album was never released. Circulating live versions of the suite are excellent—it’s a shame they never saw an official release. A few Hunter/Comfort studio recordings were released on the album
Promontory Rider.
I started compiling lists of Grateful Dead shows in the early 1980s, soon after receiving the “Janet Soto” list. My Comfort list mostly comes from contemporary copies of BAM and Relix Magazines, as well as a few circulating flyers. In the 1990s, someone named Doug Aldridge was working on a complete Hunter performing history, but his work seems no longer to be online (although some parts of it are accessible at
Setlists.com).
Since there was no Internet or anything when I compiled this, I had no way of checking on late additions, cancellations or much of anything. There were considerably more dates, particularly around the Bay Area. Any updates, insights or corrections are welcome
(note: dates added to the original post are shown as added).
ROBERT HUNTER AND COMFORT 1977-78
Robert Hunter-vocals, guitar
Kevin Morgenstern-lead guitar
Rodney Albin-violin, mandolin
Richard McNees-keyboards
>Ozzie Allers joins in February 1978, replacing McNees
Larry Klein-six string bass
Pat Lorenzano-drums
Marlene Molle-vocals
Kathleen Klein-vocals
Larry Klein, the bassist, was from Seattle, and I do not believe he is the same as the bassist Larry Klein who played on Joni Mitchell’s albums.
May 12, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
A setlist exists, which is my only source for the date.
July 29-30, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
August 11, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
August 25-26, 1977 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
September 21, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [
added]
October 20-22, 1977 The Troubadour, Santa Monica, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Possibly moved to November [
added: see
Comments]
[
update]
The former soundman confirmed the October date. He recalls that
the show at the Troubadour was definitely that night in October because
it was the night of the Lynnyrd Skynnard plane crash. the other band
(who was supposed to open the show) was from macon, georgia (who knows
who they were?) and so we swapped and did a short set - the idea was to
do a showcase for label executives, but no one showed up - and then the
macon band did a really, really long tribute set.
October 23, 1977 Fubar, Santa Barbara, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [
added]
October 26-27, 1977 Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [
added]
October 28, 1977 Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
"Hooker's Ball" Robert Hunter and Comfort/others [
added]
November 10, 1977 Crossroads Inn, Santa Cruz, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort [
added]
A poster turned up on the Grateful Dead Archive.
December 4, 1977 Uncle Charlie’s, Corte Madera, CA Free Clinic Benefit
Robert Hunter and Comfort
December 5, 1977 Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Live broadcast on KFAT-fm (Gilroy, CA). There is an excellent 18-minute version of the Alligator Moon Suite, mixed by Bob and Betty in the truck.
I discuss the entire show at length elsewhere.
December 16-17, 1977 Crossroads Inn, Santa Cruz, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
The Crossroads was at the Old Sash Mill complex, where Highway 1, Highway 17 and River Street converge.
December 19-20, 1977 Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
December 22-23, 1977 Keystone Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
February 7-8, 1978 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Richard McNees left the band at the end of December, and was replaced by Ozzie Ahlers.
February 18, 1978 Marin Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
February 19, 1978 Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 4, 1978 Rio Theater, Rodeo, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort/Peter Rowan
March 6-7, 1978 Shady Grove, San Francisco, CA Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 9-10, 1978 My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
There were early and late shows each night. Each show had two sets, a solo acoustic set by Hunter and a full electric set with Hunter backed by Comfort. Some of the second night (March 10) was broadcast on WLIR-fm (Hempstead, NY). Setlists are available for all sets.
The soundman recalls:
my fondest memory is of the shows at my father's place. I had spent a
lot of time there during high school and half of comfort were from
upstate new york, so all the parents' showed up. my mother got very
stoned from all the people passing her joints in the audience.
March 12, 1978 Suffolk Forum, Commack, NY
Jerry Garcia Band/New Riders of The Purple Sage/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 14, 1978 Music Hall, Boston, MA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 16, 1978 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 17, 1978 Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ (early and late show)
Jerry Garcia Band/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
March 18, 1978 Warner Theater, Washington, DC (early and late show)
Jerry Garcia Band/Robert Hunter and Comfort
UPDATE:
A tape of a Comfort set from an WHFS-fm broadcast has surfaced. I assume that the Comfort set was broadcast along with the JGB show. It does beg the very interesting question of who paid for it (for a band to play live on commercial FM radio, the record company had to pick up the lost advertising costs). I assume Arista did it as a favor to Garcia, but that raises a host of interesting issues in its own right, such as whether Arista was considering releasing the Alligator Moon album.
March 19, 1978 Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
Jerry Garcia Band/ (Robert Hunter and Comfort)
UPDATE:
A commenter says that while the Jerry Garcia Band played this night, Hunter and Comfort did not.
 |
A long unseen poster for the March 22, 1978 concert at Sebastopol Veterans Hall (thanks JGMF) |
March 22, 1978 Veterans Hall, Sebastopol, CA
Jerry Garcia Band/Robert Hunter and Comfort [
added]
For more about the Sebastopol concert, see here. Ozzie Ahlers may have done double duty, and played with the Jerry Garcia Band on an emergency basis.
April 15, 1978 Knightsbridge, San Rafael, CA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 4, 1978 Bailey Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Robert Palmer/Robert Hunter and Comfort
Thanks to a Commenter for this.
Confirmed by an interesting link to Cornell rock events. There is a chance that this show replaced New Paltz (and may have been May 8).
May 7, 1978 SUNY Albany, Albany, NY (afternoon show)
Bonnie Raitt/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
(
update)
In the Comments, the former Comfort soundman recalls that this was an outdoor show at SUNY Albany.
May 7, 1978 Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY (evening show)
Robert Palmer/ Robert Hunter and Comfort
(
update)
The soundman recalls that Robert Palmer headlined. The New Riders were apparently scheduled originally as the headliners, but somehow got replaced.
May 8, 1978 SUNY, New Paltz, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 9, 1978 Paradise Club, Boston, MA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 11-12-13, 1978 The Other End, New York, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 14-15-16, 1978 The Cellar Door, Washington, DC
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 19-20, 1978 Main Point, Ardmore, PA
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 21 and 23, 1978 Player’s Tavern, Westport, CT
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 24, 1978 Hard Rock Café, Hartford, CT
Robert Hunter and Comfort
May 26-27-28, 1978 My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY
Robert Hunter and Comfort
Comfort stopped touring at this point. Hunter continued to tour, with bassist Larry Klein, and some excellent tapes of the duo’s performances endure, but that is a different post. Comfort did reform for the Rodney Albin Memorial (Wolfgang’s, San Francisco August 28, 1984) but Hunter did not perform with them. There was also a 1988 reunion show at The Shady Grove, which did include Hunter.