By the summer of 1987, the Grateful Dead had arrived at a paradox: they were bigger than they'd ever been, riding a commercial wave that had brought them to arenas and amphitheaters across the country, yet the band was playing with a looseness and warmth that could still surprise even the most seasoned followers. Brent Mydland, now eight years into his tenure as keyboardist, had fully grown into the role — his Hammond work had taken on a muscular authority, and his voice was one of the most distinctive in the ensemble. Jerry Garcia was still finding his footing after his near-fatal diabetic coma in 1986, but by mid-1987 the recovery was audible: there was a renewed attentiveness in his playing, a sense of gratitude that colored even familiar passages. The In the Dark album had just dropped that year, bringing "Touch of Grey" to MTV and an entirely new generation of fans to the front of the stage. Red Rocks Amphitheatre needs little introduction to any serious fan of live music. Carved into the red sandstone hogbacks west of Denver, the natural bowl seats around nine thousand and creates an acoustic environment that feels almost conspiratorial — the rocks themselves seem to focus the sound back toward the audience, and the altitude gives everything a crystalline edge. The Dead had a long and storied relationship with the venue, and Colorado crowds had always been among the most ecstatic in the country.
An August evening here, with the sky shifting colors behind the stage, was as close to a perfect setting as the band ever played. The songs we have from this date offer a glimpse into a well-balanced night. "Cassidy" was a staple that suited this lineup beautifully, its forward momentum and open chord voicings giving the whole band room to breathe. "Far From Me," one of Brent's own tender ballads, showed the quieter side of a band that could fill arenas without losing its intimacy. The segue out of "Estimated Prophet" is always something to follow closely — that 7/8 groove builds a kind of pressure that the band could release in any number of directions — and "Row Jimmy" brought the temperature back down with Garcia's aching, slow-burn tenderness. If you can find a clean source for this one — and Red Rocks recordings from this period are often surprisingly good — pay close attention to the way Brent and Jerry trade ideas during the "Estimated" section. This is a show worth settling into.