Grateful Dead Resurgence: Shakedown Street Revival and Untold Garcia Tales

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The past several days have witnessed a thrilling resurgence of Grateful Dead energy, both onstage and off. In San Francisco, the beating heart of Dead culture, Shakedown Street is making a robust comeback, with veteran Deadhead Molly Henderson, Marin County’s Jay and Liora Soladay, and Love on Haight’s Sunshine Powers organizing the famous, grassroots bazaar to coincide with upcoming Dead & Company shows, according to reports by The San Francisco Standard. This is the same crew that helped run the sprawling, tie-dyed spectacle during the Dead’s Sphere residencies in Las Vegas, and they’re now working with city officials to secure permits and corral vendors—proof that even in 2025, the “organized chaos” of Shakedown Street remains a vital, living tradition. For those seeking a wilder scene, an unofficial auxiliary Shakedown is reportedly planned at Pier 48, near where Grahame Lesh, son of Phil Lesh, is scheduled to play, while Love on Haight plans to extend hours and call the weekend “the tie-dye hippie Olympics,” per The San Francisco Standard.

Meanwhile, the band’s legacy continues to grow in unexpected ways. Filmmaker and author Len Dell’Amico, whose 15-year collaboration with Jerry Garcia and the Dead yielded some of their most memorable concert films and music videos, is set to discuss his new memoir, *Friend of the Devil, My Wild Ride with Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead*, in conversation with Relix Editor-in-Chief Dean Budnick at the Koret Auditorium in San Francisco Public Library on July 31, reports Relix magazine. The book promises fresh insights into Garcia’s personality and the band’s journey from counterculture icons to mainstream giants, drawing on Dell’Amico’s unique perspective as a collaborator who helped produce the first national pay-per-view broadcast from Radio City Music Hall and directed videos for classics like “Hell in a Bucket” and “Throwing Stones.”

On the live music front, the CT Grateful Dead All Stars, led by Matt Helm and featuring musicians from some of the East Coast’s top Dead tribute acts, are headlining the Concerts on the Hill series in Connecticut this weekend, according to Easton Courier News. While not an official band event, these tribute shows underscore the Dead’s undiminished influence on both musicians and fans. Meanwhile, further south in Pennsylvania, Adams County Winery is hosting a Grateful Day “Days Between” celebration on August 3, featuring live music from Brahman Noodles, local artisans, and community nonprofits—another sign of how Dead culture continues to inspire gatherings far beyond the Bay Area.

Archival releases are keeping the flame alive, too. The Grateful Dead just announced that *Dave’s Picks Vol. 55*, a limited-edition 25,000-copy release, will feature the complete, unreleased show from October 28, 1990, at Le Zénith in Paris, France—a concert notable for the dual keyboard of Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby, following the tragic death of Brent Mydland, reports Quality Rock 975 The Lake.

In Los Angeles, the David Kordansky Gallery has launched *An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995*, a major new exhibition and photo book curated by longtime Dead photographer Jay Blakesberg and his daughter Ricki, featuring over 150 never-before-printed images along with iconic shots from 32 photographers, per Jambands.com. The show, which opened July 15, is billed as a landmark visual tribute to the band’s 60-year legacy, tracing their evolution from Haight-Ashbury to global jam band royalty.

No major social media campaigns or business ventures from the surviving members or the band’s estate have surfaced in the last week, but the Dead’s presence in pop culture remains undeniable. From documentary projects to grassroots festivals, the band’s spirit is as alive as ever—especially in San Francisco, where Jerry Day, the annual celebration of Garcia’s life, is just around the corner on August 2 at McLaren Park, promising music from Melvin Seals, Mads Tolling, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, and other special guests, according to Relix magazine.

While the Grateful Dead may no longer tour as a unit, the community, the music, and the lore continue to grow—proving, once again, that in the world of the Dead, the music never stops.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The past several days have witnessed a thrilling resurgence of
grateful dead energy, both on stage and off. In San Francisco,
the beating heart of dead culture, Shakedown Street, is making
a robust comeback with veteran Deadhead Molly Henderson, Marine Counties
j and Lera Soliday and Love on Hate's Sunshine Powers
organizing the famous Grains and Bazaarre to coincide with upcoming

(00:22):
Dead and Company shows. According to reports by the San
Francisco Standard, this is the same crew that helped run
the sprawling tie Dyed spectacle during the Dead Sphere residencies
in Las Vegas, and they are now working with city
officials to secure permits and corral vendors, proof that even
in twenty twenty five, the organized chaos of Shakedown Street

(00:42):
remains a vital living tradition for those seeking a wilder scene.
An unofficial auxiliary shakedown is reportedly planned at Peer forty
eight Mere, where Grain Lesh, son of Phil Lesh, is
scheduled to play, while Love on Hate plans to extend
hours and call the weekend the Tai Die Hippie Olympics
per the San Francisco Standard. Meanwhile, the band's legacy continues

(01:05):
to grow in unexpected ways. Filmmaker and author Len Dolomico,
whose fifteen year collaboration with Jerry Garcia and The Dead
yielded some of their most memorable concert films in music videos,
is set to discuss his new memoir Friend of the Devil,
My wild Ride with Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead in
conversation with Relix Editor in chief Dean Budnick at the

(01:27):
Corret Auditorium in San Francisco Public Library on July thirty first,
reports Relix Magazine. The book promises fresh insights into Garcia's
personality and the band's journey from counterculture icons to mainstream giants,
drawing on Delamico's unique perspective as a collaborator who helped
produce the first national pay per view broadcast from Radio

(01:49):
City Music Hall and directed videos for classics like Helen
a Bucket and Throwing Stones. On the live music front,
the c T Grateful Dead All Stars, led by Matt
Helm and featuring musicians from some of the East Coast's
top Dead tribute acts, are headlining the Concerts on the
Hill series in Connecticut this weekend. According to Eastern Career News,

(02:10):
while not an official band event, these tribute shows underscore
The Dead's undiminished influence on both musicians and fans. Meanwhile,
further south in Pennsylvania, Adams County Winery is hosting a
Grateful Day Between celebration on August third, featuring live music
from Brahmin Noodles, local artisans, and community nonprofits. Another sign

(02:32):
of how Dead culture continues to inspire gatherings far beyond
the Bay Area, Archival releases are keeping the flame alive too.
The Grateful Dead just announced that Dave's Pick's Volume fifty five,
a limited edition twenty five thousand copy release, will feature
the complete unreleased show from October twenty eighth, nineteen ninety

(02:52):
at Lezenith in Paris, France, a concert notable for the
dual keyboard of Vince Welmoc and Bruce Hornsby following the
tragic day of Brent Miidland reports Quality Rock nine seventy
five The Lake in Los Angeles. The David Kordansky Gallery
has launched an American beauty Grateful Dead nineteen sixty five
to nineteen ninety five, a major new exhibition and photo

(03:14):
book curated by longtime Dead photographer Jay Blakesburg and his
daughter Ricky, featuring over one hundred fifty never before printed
images along with iconic shots from thirty two photographers. Perjambands
dot com, The show, which opened July fifteenth, is billed
as a landmark visual tribute to the band's sixty year legacy,

(03:35):
tracing their evolution from hate Ashbury to Global Jam Band Royalty.
No major social media campaigns or business ventures from the
surviving members or the band's estate have surfaced in the
last week, but The Dead's presence in pop culture remains undeniable.
From documentary projects to grassroots festivals, the band's spirit is
as alive as ever, especially in San Francisco, where Jerry Day,

(03:59):
the annual celebrate of Garcia's life, is just around the
corner on August second at MacLaren Park, promising music from
Melvin Seals, Mad's Tolling, Stu Allen and Mars Hotel and
other special guests. According to Relix magazine, while the Grateful
Dead may no longer tour as a unit, the community,

(04:19):
the music and the lore continue to grow, proving once
again that in the world of the Dead, the music
never stops, and that is it for today. Make sure
you hit the subscribe button and never miss an update
on Grateful Dead. Thanks for listening. This has been a
quiet Please production. For more check out Quiet Please dot

(04:40):
ai or search the term biosnap wherever you listen