Dead of the Day: 09-07-1985
Red Rocks Amphitheater
Morrison, Colorado
On this date in 1990, the Dead welcomed Vince to the band, kicking off their fall tour at Richfield Coliseum. And back in 1969, the boys played a show along with Jefferson Airplane at the Great Highway in which Mickey and Billy rushed off headlong into Safari’s Wipe Out as the rest of the band struggled to keep up. But our Dead of the Day comes from this date in 1985 when the Dead played a phenomenal show out at Red Rocks Amphitheater.
The boys have some technical issues at the opening, causing Bobby to try to resurrect the Frozen Logger, which they had not played since ’72 a the Berkeley Community Theater. To say the least, he does not quite remember the lyrics, but, but it does have some solid kazoo riffs and provides the necessary time for the band to get the equipment issues figured out. And with that, they head off into Mississippi Half Step to really start the show. The rest of the first set is good, but the fireworks on this night are almost all in the second set. That being said, the Dupree’s is high octane with Phil providing some bombs on top of the psychedelic sound and Jerry adding some hot guitar.
Shakedown opens the second set, providing a funky, but not too disco-fide, ride with excellent, diverse jamming in the latter half. Then Shakedown sort of drops into Crazy Fingers with its sing-song, fantasy sound going strong throughout. Samson then comes blazing out, powerfully playing around before just a moment’s hesitation sends it into Uncle John’s. After Uncle John’s, we get a nice, but short, Playin’ In The Band without a really extended jam. Drums and Space are both really satisfying before breaking into Dear Mr. Fantasy. That tune rolls out in fine form until Jerry suddenly takes it into a short Hey Jude interlude – a sixteen-year breakout – that comes back around to a very brief Mr. Fantasy reprise. Then Truckin’ comes out, seeming rather perfunctory until the hot jam over the last two minutes or so, which settles down into a beautiful Comes A Time. Lovelight takes it out with Bobby doing his own weird rapping. Then there is a two-shot encore, starting with a rocking Johnny B. Goode and then slowing it down with It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.
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