The Lyons Den: Grateful Dead New Year’s Eve 1985 at Oakland Coliseum with George Lyons

December 30, 2025·3 hr 51 min·5 clips

George Lyons reveals why the Grateful Dead's 1985 New Year's Eve show was a historic first at the Oakland Coliseum.

This episode of The Lyons Den Radio Show features host George Lyons playing and discussing two Grateful Dead concerts from their 1985 New Year's run at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. Lyons, broadcasting from Las Vegas, pre-recorded this special to air near New Year's Eve. He presents himself as a dedicated fan and historian of the band's live performances. The episode plays the full first set from December 30, 1985, which opened with "Give Me Some Lovin'" and included "My Brother Esau," a song Lyons notes Bob Weir stopped performing. Lyons then transitions to the complete New Year's Eve show from December 31, 1985, marking the Dead's first New Year's performance at that Oakland venue. He explains that promoter Bill Graham booked Huey Lewis and the News for the 1986 New Year's Eve, believing Jerry Garcia would not recover from a diabetic coma. Garcia recovered, so the Dead played a smaller show at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center for 8,000 people that year. Due to high ticket demand, the band added three December 1986 comeback shows at the Oakland Coliseum. Lyons states the Dead played New Year's at the Oakland Coliseum from 1987 through 1991, stopping after Bill Graham's death. The 1985 show opened with acts by Baba Olatunji and his band and the Neville Brothers, featuring guitarist Brian Stoltz. A surprising detail is a fan-organized moment where the crowd chanted "love is real, not fade away" as the band took the stage, prompted by a distributed flyer. Lyons shares that Jerry Garcia had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes during this period, which he believes contributed to the shows feeling "a little short." He contrasts these 1985 Oakland shows with the "truly amazing" New Year's concerts he attended at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium in 1983 and 1984. Lyons expresses that hearing the Neville Brothers' "New Orleans funk" at this 1985 show began a long love affair with the band for many Deadheads. The host provides specific setlist details, recalling the December 30th second set included "The Mighty Quinn," "He's Gone," and an encore of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." His commentary blends personal anecdote with historical context about the band's touring decisions. The tone is conversational, enthusiastic, and educational, aimed at fellow music enthusiasts. Lyons speaks from a fan's perspective, offering insider knowledge and nostalgic reflection. This episode is ideal for Grateful Dead historians, fans of 1980s live recordings, and listeners seeking a detailed, music-filled New Year's celebration. Those uninterested in concert setlists, archival radio broadcasts, or the host's personal concert memories may want to skip it.

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