TThe Grateful Dead began its career as The Warlocks in early 1964, and was formed from the remaining members of a band called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. The name was changed to Grateful Dead in late 1965 and the first show played under the new name was on December 4, 1965 at the Acid Test in San Jose. The Dead became the de facto "house band" for most of the remaining Acid Tests as well as playing virtually every venue in the land.
In the San Francisco Bay area, the Dead became one of the most popular live acts of the time. Their shows with other local bands helped to make the San Francisco venues like the Fillmore and Avalon Ballroom the legendary places they are today.
The original members of the Dead were Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann. With the exception of Pigpen, who's final appearance with the band was in June, 1972, the core members remained together until the death of Garcia in 1995. Other members would come and go, including Mickey Hart, Tom Constantin, Keith Godchaux, Brent Mydland and others. Following Garcia's death in August 1995, the remaining band members decided to disband. Since then, there have been various concerts and reunions involving various combinations of musicians.
The Dead were perhaps the most prolific touring band of all time and played over 2300 concerts during the period 1965-1995. As posters were made to advertise most of these concerts, the array of different Grateful Dead posters is dizzying. We invite you to peruse the selection we have to offer - check back often as we are always adding new posters.
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