Grateful Dead

For the first time since its 1977 theatrical release, “The Grateful Dead Movie” will screen one night only in wide theatrical distribution on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30pm (local time). Click here for a teaser. The movie – part psychedelic rockmentary and part concert film – examines the Dead Head phenomena. The 4/20 screening will also include a never before seen interview with iconic leader, Jerry Garcia, conducted while he was directing the production over 35 years ago. Originally recorded at San Francisco’s Winterland Arena in 1974, the movie features epic performances of “U.S. Blues,” “One More Saturday Night,” the legendary “Casey Jones” and “Sugar Magnolia,” as well as other gems. Tickets are on sale now. Click here for a list of participating theatres or click here to look for tickets near you. The announcement is the second time this week the Dead have come up; the first a far more regrettable reason. Long time Grateful Dead friend and their early soundman, Owsley Stanley, creator of perhaps the most recognizable band logo ever, the ‘steal-your-face,’ was killed in a car crash in Australia last Saturday. He was 76. Stanley, or “Bear,” as the band called him, was also the supplier of LSD for a generation; it is said he produced over 1M hits of the drug. He was the force behind Ken Kesey’s acid tests, which informed Tom Wolfe’s epic documentation of counter-culture, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Similarly, Jimi Hendrix’s song, “Purple Haze,” was reportedly about Stanley’s legendary product and Owsley also inspired the Steely Dan song, “Kid Charlemagne.” He was a true individual who, like Timothy Leary or Kesey, was largely responsible for shaping an entire generation and subsequent movement. -Court

For the entire month of November, the band formerly known as the Grateful Dead is giving away one high-quality 320Kbps download from the band’s considerable live music vault each day on their site Dead.net. Adding to the challenge, fans are encouraged to test their knowledge and guess the date of the show and the venue in which it was recorded. Now almost three weeks into the contest, the oldest song identified is “Cream Puff War” from March of 1967, two years into the band’s career. Fans can differentiate the version of each download by identifying specific members playing on each track. The composition of the band fluctuated over their 30 year career with the addition of members to augment the sound and still, the tragic loss of others. Lead singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia, the reluctant figurehead for the band, died in 1995 while in rehab, and at that point the Grateful Dead was no more. Remaining members have continued not only as the truncated “Dead,” but also as members of other collaborative efforts. The band was known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, and psychedelia. Recognized for their music as much as for their legions of fans, the band became known for their improvisation-heavy live performances and perpetuation of counterculture. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Grateful Dead 55th in their Greatest Artists of All Time list.

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