The Grateful Dead will release a 20-CD box set titled Summer Magic 1985, featuring seven previously unreleased concerts from their 20th anniversary tour, with a September 18 release and 10,000 numbered copies available on Dead.net.

The package includes performances from Hershey Park Stadium, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Merriweather Post Pavilion, along with a 96-page book of essays, photos, and original artwork.

Liner notes by Nicholas G. Meriwether describe the collection as a snapshot of the band’s artistic process during their 20th anniversary, emphasizing the ‘alchemy of time and memory’ and the peak PA sound.

The box emphasizes high-energy performances and improvisational fusion, highlighting moments like the 6/14 Greek Theatre opener with Clapton’s 'Keep On Growing,' the 6/15 Greek show introducing 'Touch Of Grey,' and the 6/30/85 ‘Shakedown Street.’

A standout Merriweather track is 'Sugar Magnolia,' with 'Shakedown Street' from the same show acclaimed by archivist David Lemieux as among the greatest performances.

The Merriweather 6/30/85 tracklist includes 'Sugar Magnolia,' 'Cryptical Envelopment,' and a version of 'Shakedown Street' regarded as one of the best.

David Lemieux singles out the 6/30/85 Merriweather ‘Shakedown Street’ as one of the greatest Dead performances, likening its significance to iconic moments from other classic shows.

Archivist David Lemieux notes that the 1985 summer tour marked a pivotal, fresh period for the band as they celebrated 20 years, fueling his mission to archive more 1985 Dead material.

Lemieux reflects on his early Deadhead days and explains his motivation to collect extensive 1985 material, highlighting the band’s freshness and peak PA prowess.

The archival story emphasizes the band’s ongoing push and reinvention two decades in, with 1985 as a transitional, energizing period.

Highlights across the seven shows include songs like Midnight Hour, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, a first-set Crazy Fingers, a Supplication jam, the Crypticals, Down In The Bottom > I Ain’t Superstitious, Keep On Growing, and three double encores.

The Summer Magic 1985 tour is described as a peak period for PA prowess, featuring multiple double encores and ongoing musical exploration.