Fans of the Grateful Dead – and of Dead & Company and all of the jam band’s incarnations – are celebrating all aspects of the legendary band’s famous lifestyle and lore this weekend in San Francisco.
Three days of concerts and festivities kicked off Friday to mark the 60th anniversary of the original Grateful Dead’s formation in their hometown. Original members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart will play Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field with an estimated 60,000 attendees each day.
In its original incarnation, the Grateful Dead played more than 2,000 concerts in 30 years. Over that span they first appeared in Arizona as far back as June of 1968 when they made their Grand Canyon State debut at Celebrity Theatre (then known as Travelodge Center). The Dead played here 17 times in all, capped by their March 6, 1994, show at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (then-Desert Sky Pavilion).
