Formed in the 1965 hills of Palo Alto, California, The Grateful Dead proved to be a prolific cultural force with global acclaim and lasting impacts on the psychedelic rock genre. The original band members hailed from various musical backgrounds and local bay area bands like The Warlocks and Mother McCrees Jugtown Champions. Jerry Garcia, the lead guitarist and perceived leader of the band, melded his eclectic musical background and distinctive vocals with the country rhythm guitar of Bob Weir, the blue’s harmonica of Ron “PigPen” McKernan and the funky jazz drumming of Bill Kreutzmann. Phil Lesh would soon join the band, adding his classical jazz training to elevate not only his electric bass but Kreutzmann’s drumming and Garcia’s lead guitar.
They grew an immediate cult following in San Francisco but their first big break was Ken Kesey’s decision to make them the house band for his Acid Tests. Kesey was an American novelist and author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, who helped unite the Beatnik generation of the 1950s to the 1960s hippie counterculture.
By 1967, Mickey Hart had joined the rest of the crew adding his own percussion to the band’s evolving sound. The band continued to grow as they departed on an arduous — and ultimately transcendental — touring career, adding Tom Constanten, the couple Donna and Keith Godchaux, Brent Mydland and Vince Welick, on keys and vocals. In later years, Bruce Hornsby joined the band with his accordion, piano and vocals to the already comprehensive mix.
Throughout the entire history of the band, songwriting, lyricism and sound mixing expanded beyond the core members of the band. Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow aided Garcia in Weir in creating the story-like lyrics reminiscent of musical Americana. The layers of instruments and blend of musical styles created a one of a kind sound that inspired generations of people to follow, and in some cases, worship the mystical experience of a Grateful Dead concert.
Wrapped in tragic lore, psychedelic mysticism, and counter culture philosophy, The Grateful Dead is a cornerstone of the psychedelic rock genre as it continues to teach generations about the power of community consciousness.
How ‘LSD Clubs’ Impacted Their Music
The Grateful Dead is almost synonymous with psychedelics. Their roots lie in the LSD Clubs of Ken Kesey and the groundbreaking musical style has often been attributed to the bands propensity towards intoxication. Turned on by Timothy Leary, Kesey created spaces for curious minds to come together and communally experience the spiritual effects of LSD up until it’s illegalization in 1966. These acid tests were LSD-fueled gatherings that helped perpetuate a new way of life juxtaposed to the stifling conformism of the 1950s.
The energizing and euphoric aspects of LSD allowed the band to reach new levels of synergy. Free from the bounds of judgement and continuity, the band was able to create unique musical experiences driven purely from creative expression. If the band began to trip too hard at the acid test, and their set became difficult to play, they were free to stop and join the crowd without recourse. It was about expression, performance and the freedom to embody the music in the moment rather than on a static set list. Unofficial band leader, Jerry Garcia specifically curated the atmosphere to be conducive for people undergoing spiritual psychedelic transformations. Creating a safe environment for audience and band members was a goal, though sometimes not perfectly executed.
LSD trips allowed the band to perfect the collaborative jam style rock band. Free from the constraints of sobriety, they were able to tap into a unity that seeped into their live performances. Each show was a unique experience, taking audience members on the band’s journey of musical and emotional expression.
The Grateful Dead’s Impact on Psychedelic Rock
Timothy Leary called for people to utilize LSD in order to “Turn on, tune in, drop out” and reject the conformist culture of his generation. The Grateful Dead provided opportunities to commune amongst like-minded folk searching for meaning amongst the world’s traumas. Rock music has always been counterculture, urging people to reject societal norms and exercise their freedom to choose. The Grateful Dead leaned into the counterculture movement occurring around them and pioneered a massive grassroots coalition of fans that created the first system of fan recorded live tapes. This was an excellent form of promotion as giving out their music for free drove concert ticket sales. Today we can see this same strategy play out: free music streaming services and emphasis on concert sales.
Musically, The Grateful Dead drew from numerous genres, combining rock, bluegrass, country and jazz music into a new amalgamation of Americana.
Concert promoter Bill Graham described the exceptional quality of The Grateful Dead as “They’re not the best at what they do, they’re the only ones that do what they do.”
No one else was jamming for hours, tripping on acid, with thousands of fans following them around, participating in the magic. No one else was translating the psychedelic experience into music, allowing people to listen and tune into the existential questions that plague the human condition.
The interconnectedness of the psychedelic experience and the music of The Grateful Dead solidifies it as a cornerstone of the psychedelic rock genre. Psychedelic experiences are often ones that slip through the fingers of the mind, appearing vividly and passing into memory, sometimes too deep to even realize. The ability to translate that into a physical sensation, available to anyone interested in partaking will continue to impact visionaries for generations.
Long-Term Cultural Impact
The cultural impact of The Grateful Dead exists in the hearts and minds of fans as well as on stages across the world. Modern rock and jam-bands with entirely unique styles such as Phish, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Umphrey’s Mcgee, all point to the Grateful Dead as a significant influence on their music.
The layered sound of The Grateful Dead meant a lot of instruments and therefore a lot of sound equipment. In order to accommodate the quantity of speakers, sound designers engineered a high wall of sound. Composed of 600 speakers and weighing 75 tons, this expensive sound setup allowed for the crystal clear recording of every instrument and the careful mixing of studio albums. Today, this speaker setup is common amongst touring musicians.
The Grateful Dead impacted the entire concept of what a band could be. Despite the strong culture, tragedy, side projects and clashing personalities — all fueled by copious amounts of substances — the band was able to remain united. They are a testament to the tremendous power of psychedelic experiences, both in their groundbreaking art and cautionary tales.
What Does It Mean to Be a DeadHead?
According to Jerry Garcia, a DeadHead is a person in American society looking for an adventure. Not for the faint of heart, being a Deadhead requires the bravery and curiosity to put oneself out into the wild world. Outside of nationalism and capitalist ideals, DeadHeads found a community of people interested in creating a world free of the conventional American Dream.
People from all walks of life can be DeadHeads, psychonauts or not. The band welcomed DeadHeads into the experience by allowing them to record shows. The record companies were wary of fan recordings because they saw it as lost record sales. The Grateful Dead took a less punitive approach and saw it as an opportunity for everyone to participate in the conversation. Out of 2,350 shows there are 2,200 taped recordings allowing for an archive of experiences to live on.
Even as the band split up or members tragically passed, The Grateful Dead is prolific. The surviving members continue to make music together and separately. Modern DeadHeads can also obsess over different eras on archive.org including the Dick’s Picks concert series and extensive live recordings.
The Grateful Dead lives on, though the band was never a Billboard topper or Grammy winner. Their legacy is more personal and inspired generations of people to think differently about the world around them. The band is proudly a part of the psychedelic rock genre, never bowing away from criticism about their decision to experiment with psychoactive substances. Their ability to press forward through the decades, sacrificing their time for their beloved DeadHeads still continues to inspire listeners to tune into the complex dualities of life.
What are some of your thoughts about The Grateful Dead and their legacy? The topic is expansive and we would love to hear your take on the ripple effects this band has had in the psychedelic rock space in the comments below. If you are into psychedelic music subscribe to our newsletter and get updates on our monthly Trippy Mixtape.
