Grateful Dead Stirs Up Nostalgia at Special Concert

Two tribute bands performed the music of the Grateful Dead on top of a flatbed truck in the Panhandle of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on March 8. The free concert marked the first time in almost 60 years that Dead music was played live in this exact spot. The band performed there in 1966 and 1967. Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Big Brother, and Jimi Hendrix also played for free in the same spot during that time.

Danny's Live Dead headlined the four-hour event. It was called Hard To Handle in the Panhandle. China Cats, a Santa Cruz band, opened. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people showed up on that warm, sunny afternoon.

Danny's Live Dead featured Grahame Lesh and Garrett Deloian on guitars and vocals. Danny Eisenberg played the keyboard, and Brian Rashap handled bass. Drummer Danny Luehring put the group together.

The concert was scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of Ron "Pigpen" McKernan's death. Grahame Lesh's father, Phil, was among the musicians who played in the Panhandle six decades ago. The younger Lesh spoke about his father's love of free outdoor shows. "He was like, 'Hell yeah! Outside, for free, we love it!'" said Grahame Lesh to Grateful Web.

Danny's Live Dead played two sets that stuck mostly to songs from the band's earlier years. China Cats also focused on older material. Only two of the songs they played were released after 1971.

A generator ran out of gas during "Wharf Rat" in the second set. The crowd sang to fill the void while the amplifiers were down.

This was the first time the city issued a permit for a flatbed truck show in this location. Luehring produced the concert with Adam Bergeron and Joby Pritzker. It was a celebratory, community-driven revival of Grateful Dead music.