Biden honors Kennedy Center honorees Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead
President Joe Biden honored Francis Ford Coppola and members of the Grateful Dead, among others, at the 47th Kennedy Center Honors.
SAN FRANCISCO – The long strange trip is proving to be even longer than anyone thought.
The Grateful Dead, this city’s iconic band with roots in the psychedelic era, has plans to return to one of its most legendary performance locales to celebrate 60 years since its 1965 founding.
Golden Gate Park, which sits in the city’s center and was a magnet for rock and theater performances of all kinds in the ’60s, will host three shows by Dead & Company – the name given to what remains of the original band plus current musicians – at the park’s Polo Fields Aug. 1, 2 and 3.
Artist presale tickets open at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET May 28, with fans able to register for three-day tickets. The general on-sale for three-day tickets begins May 30 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET with prices starting at $635 ($556 + $79 fees). Single-day tickets will be available soon starting at $245 ($209 + $36 fees).
In the late ’60s, the band used to play free concerts in and around Golden Gate Park, which was not far from their group home and headquarters near the corners of Haight and Ashbury streets.
Now, guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart continue to perform with John Mayer playing lead guitar and singing, longtime collaborator Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, former Allman Brothers staple Oteil Burbridge on bass and Jay Lane on drums with Hart.
Guitarist Jerry Garcia died in 1995 at age 53, bass player Phil Lesh died in 2024 at 84, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann, 79, stepped back from performing with the group in 2023.
Each night of the three-show celebratory run will begin with 75-minute opening sets. Billy Strings will take the stage on the first night, followed by Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson on Aug. 2 and the Trey Anastasio Band Aug. 3.
VIP Tickets include expedited entry and a dedicated upfront viewing area with exclusive bar access. Also included are premium food vendors, full-service bars, upgraded restrooms and an elevated lounge with bleacher seating, according to the promoters.
News of the anniversary concerts was first revealed May 13 by San Francisco’s new mayor Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune. Lurie has been making waves since taking over as mayor early this year with efforts to tackle some of the legendary city’s most pressing problems such as rampant homelessness and a moribund city center. The Dead & Company concerts are part of an effort to attract more high profile events to the city.
“From Haight-Ashbury and the Grateful Dead house to Ingleside, where Jerry Garcia grew up, the Grateful Dead is embedded in San Francisco’s history,” Lurie announced in a statement. “Sixty years later, we’re still enjoying their music. … This is more than just a concert, it’s a San Francisco homecoming.”
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