Three from the Vault

The February 19, 1971 Port Chester concert marked the beginning of Mickey Hart's temporary departure from the band. The previous night's show would be his last with the Grateful Dead until his return on October 20, 1974. The February 19 concert included the first live performances of the songs "Bird Song" and "Deal", and the second performances of "Loser", "Bertha", "Playing in the Band", "Greatest Story Ever Told", and "Wharf Rat". The concert, which was on a Friday night, was the second of a series of six shows in seven days at the Capitol Theatre.^[11] All shows in the run were recorded on multitrack tapes. Further releases include the February 21 show on the Workingman's Dead 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition in July 2020, the February 18 show on the American Beauty 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition in October 2020 and the February 24 show, with bonus tracks from February 20, on Enjoying the Ride in May 2025.

The opening act for this series of concerts, and for many other shows of that era, was the New Riders of the Purple Sage. At that time the lineup of the New Riders featured Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead playing pedal steel guitar. The band also included John Dawson, David Nelson, Dave Torbert, and Spencer Dryden. Songs that they recorded at the February 21 and February 23, 1971 shows at the Capitol Theatre were released as an album called Vintage NRPS.

Other live Grateful Dead albums recorded in early to mid 1971 with the same band lineup as on Three from the Vault are (in order of release): Skull and Roses, Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks Volume 35, Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3, Winterland: May 30th 1971, Skull and Roses (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), and Dave's Picks Volume 51. Additionally, shows from this era are included in the box sets 30 Trips Around the Sun and Enjoying the Ride.