Frost Amphitheater

Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at the Amphitheater in 1976

The Laurence Frost Amphitheater, commonly known as Frost Amphitheater, is a prominent amphitheater at Stanford University. It first opened in 1937 and was the site of commencement ceremonies for the university from 1938 until 1984.[1] It can hold about 8,000 people.[2]

History

The amphitheater built in 1937 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.[3] It is a tree lined, grassy, tiered 20-acre (81,000 m2) bowl designed by landscape architect Leslie Kiler.[4]

Throughout the years, the amphitheater has been the host to many events including a prominent speech by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1992.[5]

Music venue

The Grateful Dead played 14 shows at the Amphitheater in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989.[6] Since 2012, the Stanford Concert Network, a student organization, has hosted the annual Frost Music and Arts Festival at the Amphitheater each May, which has featured headliners Modest Mouse, MGMT, Dispatch, Flume, and Fetty Wap, as well as Eyes Lips Eyes, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Delorean, Kuroma, Paper Void, Yeasayer, Kaytranada, AlunaGeorge, and Sage the Gemini.[7][8][9][10][11]

Frost Arts & Music Festival Performers
Year Headliner Opening act
2012 Modest Mouse Benjamin Francis Leftwich
2013 MGMT Delorean, Kuroma
2014 Dispatch (band) Yeasayer
2015 Flume Kaytranada, AlunaGeorge
2016 Fetty Wap Sage the Gemini
2017 Zedd Broods
2018 Glass Animals Ravyn Lenae, Monte Booker
2019 Kali Uchis, Jorja Smith Mia Carucci

The amphitheater usually hosts a concert (either jazz or classical) and fireworks on July 3.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Frost Amphitheater: A trove of Stanford history". Stephanie Condon. Archived from the original on 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  2. ^ "Frost Amphitheater Returns as a Fully Refurbished Concert Venue".
  3. ^ "John Lawrence Frost". Wheaton History A-Z. Wheaton College. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  4. ^ "Frost Amphitheater". Goldstar. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  5. ^ "Gorbachev defends pace of his reforms in Stanford speech". Stanford University. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  6. ^ Internet Archive - Grateful Dead shows at Frost Amphitheater. Retrieved May 2009.
  7. ^ "Stanford's Frost Amphitheater roars back with Modest Mouse on May 19". Stanford University. 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  8. ^ "End-of-year Frost Music and Arts Festival features MGMT, Delorean and Kuroma". Stanford University. 2013-03-29. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  9. ^ "Paper Void, Yeasayer open for veteran indie band Dispatch at Stanford's Frost Amphitheater". Stanford University. 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  10. ^ Flanagan, Clare (2015-05-17). "Frost 2015: A rave to remember". Stanford Daily. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  11. ^ Sorensen, Benjamin (18 May 2016). "Festival review: Fetty Wap shines, but Frost is far from the right fit". Stanford Daily. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Frost Amphitheater Information, Stanford, California". Retrieved 2023-05-22.

Further reading

37°25′50″N 122°9′57″W / 37.43056°N 122.16583°W / 37.43056; -122.16583