Every year between August 1 and August 9th has a certain je ne sais quoi that Deadheads know but outsiders probably don’t and that Deadheads probably don’t need to be reminded of because it’s really not all that important. Garcia’s birthday opens the window and Robert Hunter’s birthday closes it and for those 9 days we just listen a little harder to the music and play it a little better than usual.
Garcia would have been 84 this year which seems like a really strange age to me when I think about him passing because to me all of the early Garcia birthdays (when he was alive, that is) were sad, thoughtful days but always ending on a happy note because he was still here, still with us.
[Your story here: how does August 1st affect you? Does it get easier each year or do the feelings remain the same?] Tonight on the Fare Thee Well Radio Show at The Grateful Dead Live web site, we’re doing something that I think is appropriate for the evening since it’s the closest thing to music played by the people that loved Garcia and kept playing for him that we can possibly hear.
This evenings DON’T MISS THIS! pick is Jersey City, NJ 8/1/73, the night that Roosevelt Stadium threw a huge 31st birthday present for Garcia and the Grateful Dead played one of their absolute finest shows of the 70’s (probably one for the ages...more on that later). Let’s talk about what’s going on in nj this weekend first however. Read More!
I want to say this really needs to be said, because it really needs to be heard: five tribute shows in a single state this weekend is simply not the kind of music scene that’s whipped up by a casual fan club. That level of organizational density only comes about when the heads behind the boards, the musicians, the venues, and the fans who turn up really care. And New Jersey’s Deadhead scene sure cares, as this weekend’s events prove.
Alternate Ending Beer Co. on Route 34 in Aberdeen was the scene of the birthday’s opening soiree this afternoon, where frontman Alex Biese threw a two-set birthday concert under his own moniker Somewhat Dead Birthday Concert , free of charge for all who showed up. All right, all right, all right.
Tonight there’s also four separate Dead-related shows happening all at once. Achievers headline Two Ton Jerry Day at Two Ton Brewing Co. in Kenilworth, throwing out a pair of completely free concerts covering the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band songbooks. Disciples of the Dead meanwhile throw their own birthday bash at a vineyard in Cream Ridge, featuring local food trucks and a wine-tasting menu thematically appropriate to the celebration. At Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, the Zimmy Shelter crew presents a special show dedicated to the 1987 Bob Dylan / Grateful Dead tour, a unique and compelling insight into the bands’ collaborative history that serves as a thematic birthday centerpiece for the evening - and also an excellent choice for a show on the Fourth of July, if ever there was one! And finally, Elks Lodge 233 in Red Bank hosts a pair of full sets from CJB as part of a celebration featuring local artists, crafts, food, and drink, from both indoor and outdoor bars, rain or shine, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM.
Tomorrow night, Sunday, Kevin Hill and Secret Sound jam with Sandy Mack and Friends at the Baronet Rooftop at the Asbury Hotel for a birthday celebration also throwing tribute to Garcia’s work, as well as Sandy Mack himself. An open vista overlooking the Asbury Park boardwalk on a summer night sounds like as good a setting for a Dead show as anywhere outside an actual amphitheater.
[Your Story Here: have you been to any of these New Jersey venues for a Dead tribute night? What’s it like seeing this kind of music in a place like that?]
A music scene this prolific, spanning the length of Route 34 at a brewery, a Kenilworth taproom, a Cream Ridge vineyard, two different shows in Asbury Park, and a rooftop bar in Red Bank, isn’t created by accident. Garcia’s music always found a home among the people that heard it, and New Jersey’s always been a state rich with people ready to hear it. Read More!
San Francisco is doing what San Francisco does best on August 1st, as the 24th Annual Jerry Day at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park, the very neighborhood where Jerry first got his start, gets underway with a memorable celebration. Melvin Seals and the Jerry Garcia Band with Jazz Mafia headline the day’s events, joined by Stu Allen and Mars Hotel and Spencer Krenz and Friends, while the party continues on into the evening with a stop at Rocks Den near Jerry Garcia Street, and then a neighborhood tribute at the Excelsior Night Market the next day. McLaren Park on Garcia’s birthday with Melvin Seals is about as good as it gets in this moment in time.
Woodstock, New York hosts the Garcia Project at the Bearsville Theater for their annual birthday tribute to Garcia, featuring a meticulously reconstructed set of songs in the style of a full-length Jerry Garcia Band gig from the ’70s through the ’90s. The appropriately named Bearsville has the kind of cred that makes a night out there something special, and the Garcia Project approaches the music and history with the respect it demands; another reason to make the road trip if you’re in the area.
Fayetteville, Arkansas is home to Grateful Festival 2026, a two-day, family-friendly affair at George’s Majestic Lounge. Featuring a mix of Deadhead vendors and the ever popular improvisational entertainments Shaky Feelin’ and Flagship of Fools, the festival in the heart of the Arkansas music scene is indicative of the state’s growing reputation as a destination for quality Garcia-related celebrations. Read More!
The Days Between are far from over after the opening weekend, and the rest of August has some dates worth noting.
On August 4th, in Wildwood, New Jersey at the Boathouse Restaurant waterfront, Cosmic Charlie Solo covers acoustic outlaw country, folk, and the Grateful Dead, and it’s all part of a very particular sort of summer night in Wildwood that you can’t help but remember. Read More!
On August 7th in Wayne, New Jersey, Karl’s Garcia Band performs a full tribute to the classic Jerry Garcia Band material played on traditional JGB instrumentation, at 118 North. Karl’s Garcia Band treats the JGB catalog with the harmonic and rhythmic precision the music requires, and Wayne is a short drive for most of the state. Read More!
August 8th and 10th, nationwide, the Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies features a screening of the remixed Giants Stadium 1991 concert, available for the first time in local commercial theaters, including here in New Jersey and just over the border in Pennsylvania and Staten Island. If you haven’t seen the show in a theater with the benefit of a surround-sound soundtrack, now is the year.
August 15th in Chester, NJ, Deadphish Fest takes over the grounds of the Bernie’s Hillside Lounge for a Phish/Dead-tinged musical fest that offers an array of local food truck delicacies as well as a 21-and-over crowd. Read More!
Tonight’s Don’s Pick on The Grateful Dead Live is the August 1, 1973, Roosevelt Stadium gig in Jersey City, New Jersey, and the choice of it is absolutely perfect for the occasion. It was Jerry Garcia’s 31st birthday, the first time in the band’s history that they’d played a gig on his actual birthday. And it was a performance that generated one of their most celebrated shows of an incredible touring career.
The context in which it occurred is also notable because it followed the band’s appearance three days previously at Watkins Glen, home to one of the largest concerts in America, attracting a reported six hundred thousand people. And they came into Jersey City having just completed a two-show stand at Watkins Glen, co-headlining the bill with the Band, who were a pretty incredible act back in ’73. Members of that Band came out during the second set to jam with the Dead, while fireworks went off in celebration of Garcia’s birthday above the stadium in Jersey City.
The second set is where this live recording excels, containing a four-song sequence stretching out from Dark Star into El Paso into Eyes of the World into Morning Dew that comprises nearly an hour of music flowing from a positively astral jazz space through a Marty Robbins cowboy song, into some incredibly liquid Garcia guitar before finding a gentle and fitting end in the concluding suite, Morning Dew.
It was fifty-three years ago tonight in a stadium that no longer exists, in the city of Jersey, New Jersey. Tonight’s the night Don finds the one and only recording that fits the occasion most perfectly and gets it on the air for you all to hear. That’s what he does every Saturday night, doesn’t he? Read More!
Saturday, which means Don’s Pick, and Don is giving us the August 1, 1973 Roosevelt Stadium show in Jersey City for Jerry Garcia’s 31st birthday.
This is one of those shows where the legend is deserved, but it’s also worth knowing at least a little about the context before you listen because it adds a nice layer of significance to the performance. The band had played Watkins Glen three days ago, which was at the time the largest concert in America, and they brought that electricity with them to Jersey City for Garcia’s birthday, where they played an equally memorable second set that stretched unbroken from Dark Star into El Paso into Eyes of the World into Morning Dew, about an hour of music that moved from the most jazz-inflected song in the Dead’s repertoire to Marty Robbins’ cowboy song to one of the most expansive Garcia guitar workouts in the 73 catalog to a Morning Dew that folded all of it back in like the closing statement on a huge topic.
It was also the first time the band had ever played a concert on Garcia’s actual birthday, and the Band played as the opening act, with fireworks going off over the Jersey City night sky during the performance and the members of The Band coming out to jam with the Dead.
In short, it is one of the great concerts that this band ever played, in New Jersey, on a birthday, and tomorrow night, Don’s Pick will air it for you to hear. Read More!
Planet Drum Circle!
Planet Drum Circle is a thrilling radio show that invites its audience to join in a rhythmic celebration of the world of drums. Its engaging hosts are Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, the famous rock drummers and the founding members of the legendary band Grateful Dead. Every Sunday, Planet Drum Circle offers its listeners a one-hour ride through the universe of drums.
An old fashioned Hour A Week Good Ole ‘Planet Drum Circle’ every Sunday Morning at 11AM EST!
Every Sunday Morning at 11AM EST
The JGB Radio Show!
Celebrating Jerry Garcia’s Solo Projects with Live Music. When it comes to iconic figures in the world of music, Jerry Garcia is a name that stands out. Known primarily as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Grateful Dead, Garcia’s influence on the music industry cannot be overstated. However, what many people may not be aware of is Garcia’s extensive solo career, which produced some incredible music that deserves recognition.
FIVE (5) Hours of Live Jerry Garcia Music from His Solo Projects Every Sunday Night!
Every Sunday Night Starting at 9PM EST
The Ace Radio Show!
The Ace Radio Show immerses you in the world of music rock legend Bob Weir, known as the Grateful Dead band’s rhythm guitar, singer, and founding member. It is a collection of the iconic musician’s solo work performances that captivated people’s hearts and minds for many years. This radio show presents Weir’s unique style of playing and singing.
The Bob Weir ‘Ace Radio Show’ features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music from his solo projects every week!
Phil & Friends Radio Show!
The Phil & Friends Radio Show is a fascinating glimpse into the musical world of legendary bassist, Phil Lesh. Lesh first gained fame as a founding member of the rock band, Grateful Dead. The program showcases his work, both solo and in collaboration with an ever-changing group of musical collaborators, as they perform an extensive repertoire of live concert recordings.
The Phil & Friends Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music from their shows every week!
Every Tuesday Night at 9PM EST
Music Plays The Band Radio Show
The Music Plays The Band Radio Show features live music performances by Grateful Dead Cover Bands. Grateful Dead, the american rock band that made an enormous contribution to the music industry, is still loved by people all over the world. They performed thousands of concerts and developed unique music styles, but most importantly, they gathered a large group of passionate fans. It might be hard to believe that the members of the band are already gone, however, the grateful dead are still entertaining people, playing their legendary songs. In this essay, I will discuss the topic of Grateful Dead cover bands and explain why they are so important.
The Music Plays The Band Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music every week!
Every Wednesday Night at 9PM EST
Fare Thee Well Radio Show!
Fare Thee Well is a radio show that was created to perform music written by the band’s members that had previously been performed by Jerry Garcia, who is dead now. This program is essentially a celebration of the music created by those who survived his death and who continued spreading the Grateful Dead’s spirit.
Fare Thee Well Radio Show features FIVE (5) Hours of Live Music every week!
Every Thursday Night at 9PM EST
Don’s Pick Radio Show!
Every Saturday Night “Don’s Pick” will go into the vaults of Grateful Dead and bring you a show that captures the Grateful Dead at their best and most representative, with the intention of providing new shows and new renditions of songs that represent the band at their peak. Whether it’s famous concerts or obscure ones, Don’s Pick will give you a treat on each show that will keep you coming back for more and you will get shows that will not be available in either stores or as live downloads.
Every Saturday Night Beginning at 9PM EST
The Ace Radio Show provides an insight into the musical world of the legendary rock band Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. This radio show is dedicated to his solo career and unique style of music, which has been captivating listeners for many years.
FOUR (4) TIMES DAILY AT 9AM, 12 NOON, 6PM & 830PM EST
Dedicated entirely to live Grateful Dead performances. Radio shows include JGB Radio (live Jerry Garcia), Ace Radio (live Bob Weir), Phil & Friends, Music Plays the Band (Dead cover bands), and Fare Thee Well (post-Jerry shows). Don’s Pick spotlights a handpicked live show weekly, while Planet Drum Circle dedicates an hour to Drums.
The Grateful Dead Live Merch Stand in The Vending Lot!
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