By the summer of 1985, the Grateful Dead had fully settled into their arena-rock identity — a far cry from the ballroom days, but a band still capable of transcendent nights when the chemistry clicked. Brent Mydland, now six years into his tenure as keyboardist, had grown into the role with confidence, his gospel-inflected Hammond work and harmonies giving the band a muscular, full-throated sound. Garcia was still in relatively good form for this period, though the mid-'80s would prove a difficult stretch personally, and the group was riding the momentum of their ongoing summer tour. Pittsburgh's Civic Arena, with its distinctive retractable dome and hockey-rink acoustics, was the kind of cavernous mid-sized venue the Dead had made their bread and butter during this era — not an intimate theater, but not a shed either. The Steel City's faithful Dead community always turned out with enthusiasm, making it a reliable stop on the circuit. The three songs we have documented from this show offer a nice cross-section of what the Dead were doing on a given 1985 night. New Minglewood Blues was a reliable opener in these years — a Bo Carter cover the band had been playing since the early days, all swagger and locomotive momentum, a perfect engine to get a room moving. It's the kind of tune where Bobby's rhythm guitar and Brent's keyboard fills are worth watching closely; they push the groove forward with real urgency when things are cooking.
Man Smart (Woman Smarter), the Harry Belafonte-rooted calypso number that the Dead had claimed as their own quirky party piece, tends to show up mid-set when the band is feeling loose and playful. Its transition arrow suggests it flowed directly into something else — and those segues are often where the real magic lives. Then there's Cassidy, Barlow and Weir's gorgeous meditation on birth and forward motion, one of the great underappreciated gems in the Dead's book. When Brent throws his voice into the mix on the harmonies, it takes on an emotional depth that earlier versions couldn't quite match. The recording quality for this show reflects the Dead's mid-'80s taping scene — a healthy mix of soundboard and audience sources circulated through the years, and what you hear will depend on which version you've landed. Either way, the interplay between Garcia and Mydland on the quieter passages, and the crowd's warm Pittsburgh energy throughout, makes this a rewarding listen. Cue it up and let Pittsburgh 1985 do its work.