04-27-1985
Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University
Palo Alto, California
When the boys open with a Dancin’ you know you are in for a treat. And this ’85 night from the Frost does not disappoint. The first set includes a lovely Ramble On Rose and a monster trio of Tom Thumb’s> Cold Rain> Music Never Stopped. And right when you think the Music Never Stopped cannot get any better, the boys head into a frenetic, almost unbearably tasty jam to end the first half. The second half will also blow your mind, beginning with the Scarlet> Eyes, which we believe to be the only one played. The transition between the two sounds quite natural and seemingly pregnant with unexplored opportunities; it is a shame the boys did not explore that space more, particularly because the Eyes absolutely soars. The Woman Smarter is plucky and fun, surely getting everyone up and shaking their bones, if they were not after the GDTRFB. Post-Space is awesome too, with a Wheel> Truckin’> Other One and then a nice Black Peter. All told, this is a great show from a venue where the Dead always threw down in the midst of a very under-appreciated year.

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