“Ramble on Rose” is a classic Grateful Dead song that entered their canon early in their career and stayed in full rotation until the end. Not a vehicle for extended jams, but rather a Deadhead anthem and bouncy dance party that gets the people moving, “Ramble on Rose” holds a special place in the Grateful Dead discography. The song was first played on October 19, 1971, and by 1995 the Grateful Dead had played “Ramble on Rose” over 300 times. It never appeared on a studio album, though many consider the “studio version” to be the one on Europe ’72, as that was the first recording that was giv ..read more

“It Must Have Been the Roses” is a standout ballad among the Garcia-Hunter songwriting duo. It appeared on Jerry Garcia’s 1976 solo album, Reflections, but made its live debut with the Grateful Dead in early 1974. First performed at Bill Graham’s Winterland Arena on February 22nd, 1974, it was played quite often through the 70s and then became less common, but was played at least once per year until 1995. “Ship of Fools” and “U.S. Blues” also made their live debuts on 2/22/74. According to the Grateful Dead Family Discography, they performed “It Must Have Been the Roses” over 150 times. “It M ..read more

Jerry Garcia’s “Run for the Roses” is one of only a handful of his songwriting collaborations with Robert Hunter that never made it into the Grateful Dead repertoire. This one, appearing on Garcia’s 1982 solo album of the same name, his fourth and final solo album, became a staple in Jerry Garcia Band live performances starting in the 80s. Whatever the reason for the song never appearing in the Dead’s repertoire, it remains a beloved song among fans of Garcia’s solo work. Not exactly known for extended jams, “Run for the Roses” showcases Garcia’s talent at melody-making while Hunter’s lyrics ..read more

“So Many Roads” is one of the most well-known Grateful Dead songs from the final years of the band, unfortunately for bittersweet reasons. Making its debut on February 22nd, 1992, the song never did make it onto a studio album, but it holds a special resonance for fans of the Grateful Dead and lovers of the band’s guitarist, Jerry Garcia following a tender performance during the final Grateful Dead concert on July 9th, 1995. The video of Garcia performing “So Many Roads” takes place about halfway through the second set. Many see this moment as Garcia accepting that his road had come to an end ..read more

“Black Muddy River” is the final song from the Grateful Dead’s second-to-last studio album, In the Dark (1987). It entered the Grateful Dead repertoire on December 15th, 1986, during the band’s first show back after Jerry Garcia’s diabetic coma, and remained until the very last show they ever played (though it was not performed from 1992 to 1994). “Black Muddy River” has the distinction of being the final song that Jerry Garcia sang in public. It was played during the encore of the Dead’s last show, on July 9th, 1995, followed by the Phil Lesh-sung “Box of Rain.” Penned by Robert Hunter & ..read more

In my journey to build a rabbit hole of information for modern fans of the Grateful Dead, I have thought long and hard about two of their pillar songs: “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain,” and what would be the best way to present them on the site. I realized that I couldn’t possibly analyze either song’s lyrics without first acknowledging and documenting the kinship of the two songs in the live setting over the years. “Scarlet Begonias” came first, arriving in 1974, but once “Fire on the Mountain” made its debut in 1977, the two were almost always played as a pair. That’s why for t ..read more

Truckin’ Up to Buffalo, featuring the show from July 4th 1989 – an official release from July of 2005. “Truckin'” is one of the defining songs in the Grateful Dead canon. Released in November 1970 on the group’s famous album American Beauty, “Truckin'” made its live debut on August 18th, 1970 (along with “Operator,” “Brokedown Palace,” and “Ripple”), and remained a staple in the rotation for the next twenty-five years. With lyrics by Robert Hunter and music by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir, “Truckin'” encapsulates the freewheeling spirit of the Grateful Dead, and of the time in America ..read more

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s story is a fascinating blend of musical brilliance and personal struggle, encapsulated within the transformative era of the 1960s and early 1970s. His life, though brief, left an indelible mark on the world of rock music, particularly through his involvement with the iconic band, the Grateful Dead. Early Life and Background: The Making of a Blues Prodigy Born on September 8, 1945, in San Bruno, California, Ron McKernan’s Irish ancestry and his father Phil’s profession as an R&B and blues DJ laid the foundation for his profound connection with African American music ..read more

Bill Graham at the Fillmore, possibly on LSD, 1968-69. Photo by Amelia Rothschild. Source: Global Image Works. Legendary rock promoter Bill Graham was known for his long-standing friendship with the Grateful Dead, dating back to their earliest days in the 1960s. It is also well-known that the Grateful Dead were connoisseurs of LSD, the psychedelic drug that was perpetuated en masse by their sound guy Owsley Stanley. Bill Graham himself, as a businessperson known for his organizational skills and savvy in running the behind the scenes aspects of the production, not surprisingly, was not all tha ..read more

Ticket stub from 10/31/85. Source: u/smhbobby on Reddit. On October 31st, 1985, the Grateful Dead played in South Carolina for the first and only time. The venue was none other than the University of South Carolina’s 12,000 seat indoor arena, Carolina Coliseum. Putting things into context, this show comes in the midst of a big fall tour for the band, in the midst of the grungiest part of their pre-1990 career. Jerry’s health was rough, his addiction had progressed to its worst depths (he was arrested for freebasing cocaine in his car in January of 1985), but the band was still rolling strong ..read more