The Grateful Dead’s chaotic first appearance in Cleveland, at Cleveland Music Hall on Oct. 17, 1970, ended with a literal bang. But it started with four minutes of lazy noodling, sound checking and tuning. Rhythm guitarist Bob Weir picked at the “Star Spangled Banner,” while lead Jerry Garcia tagged “Me & My Uncle,” foreshadowing the setlist. “Good evening, football fans,” someone said, maybe referencing the next day’s Browns game against the Detroit Lions (a loss). The distant voice on the recording is unrecognizable, perhaps a roadie or bassist Phil Lesh or a “family member,” the freewheeling band’s hangers-on who were allowed to wander backstage and twirl on stage. Then, kicking off a 25-year relationship with Northeast Ohio, the band took off like a freight train with their biggest son

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