Frost Amphitheater (Stanford university), Lasuen Street, Stanford, California

The Laurence Frost Amphitheater, commonly known as Frost Amphitheater is a prominent amphitheater of Stanford University.

San Jose News, June 14, 1937

It was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Frost in memory of their son, John Laurence Frost who graduated in 1935 and died of polio in the same year.^[2] It is a tree lined, grassy, tiered 20-acre (81,000 m²) bowl designed by landscape architect Leslie Kiler.^[3]It It first opened in 1937 and was the site of commencement ceremonies for the university from 1938 until 1984.^[1] It can hold about 6,900 people.

Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald played there, as did Louis Armstrong. With the rise of rock music in the Bay Area, however, brassy horns and sultry torch songs gave way to guitars and psychedelia. For more than a decade beginning in the late '60s, Frost played host to some of the most popular rock artists in the world. Jefferson Airplane played there on May 7, 1967 just as the San Francisco group approached national stardom. The single "Somebody to Love," which rose to No. 5 on the Billboard chart, had been released a month earlier.
However, their Stanford performance left a student reviewer at the Daily underwhelmed. "This is the Jefferson Airplane," a caption beneath a photo of the band read. "They make music, sometimes. They also make commercials for white Levi's. They played at Frost Amphitheater on Sunday. They stank."

Miles Davis performed here twice.
The second time, on October 1, 1972, after security faltered, people streamed in without paying, and the University banned all concerts, period.

Throughout the years, the amphitheater has been the host to many events including a prominent speech by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1992.^[4]
This place used to be THE PLACE to go to a concert because it had everything, a great stage, great seating, incredible parking, just the best but since Stanford went corporate a few years ago it doesn't hold many shows any more.
This is a very scenic grassy bowl with lots of trees draping over the fences.
Secluded, woody, grassy ('terraced lawn' is what I think they call it), views from wherever you stand.

Jerry performed here on
10/3/71 Merl Saunders
10/9/82 Grateful Dead
10/10/82 Grateful Dead
8/20/83 Grateful Dead
8/21/83 Grateful Dead
4/27/85 Grateful Dead
4/28/85 Grateful Dead
5/10/86 Grateful Dead
5/11/86 Grateful Dead
5/2/87 Grateful Dead
5/3/87 Grateful Dead
4/30/88 Grateful Dead
5/1/88 Grateful Dead
7/9/88 Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
5/6/89 Grateful Dead
5/7/89 Grateful Dead




1.)^Heineman, Alan, 2011-07/8, Golden Days, http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/mayjun/features/frost.html
2.)^Mitchell, George, 2011-07/8, Golden Days,http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=42529
3.)^Beck, Steve, Golden Days, http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/mayjun/features/frost.html