Hop on the bus with host Marla Davies for The Grateful Dead: 60 Years in San Francisco as we unpack Dead & Company’s roller-coaster decade—starting with the post-“Fare Thee Well” leap that thrust bassist Oteil Burbridge into the lineup and tracking John Mayer’s studio-burning metamorphosis that won over wary Deadheads.
Joined by Grahame Lesh, Ben Fong-Torres, Joel Selvin and more, we explore how the band’s neon-drenched Las Vegas Sphere residencies push psychedelic spectacle into tomorrow while an epic 60th-anniversary takeover promises to shake San Francisco’s Polo Fields to the core.
Community, “miracles” and timeless jams intertwine in ways words barely hint—press play now to catch every riff, revelation and whispered secret of this enduring musical saga.
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Twenty Years After Jerry: 1995-2015
What happens when the soul of a band departs—but the music keeps playing?
In this poignant episode of The Grateful Dead: 60 Years in San Francisco, host Marla Davies guides us through the emotional and experimental decades that followed Jerry Garcia’s passing. With stories from Ben Fong-Torres, Joel Selvin, David Gans, Sunshine Becker, Charlie Miller, and more, we trace the evolution of a band that refused to fade, and a community that willed itself into being. From the raw grief of 1995 to the catharsis of Fare Thee Well in 2015, you’ll hear how The Other Ones, Phil & Friends, Furthur, and hundreds of tribute bands kept the spirit alive across Bay Area venues like The Warfield, Sweetwater, and Shoreline.
Created in partnership with SF travel.
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The Third Decade: 1985-1995
Strap in and roll the reel, Deadheads—this week’s episode of Grateful Dead: 60 Years in San Francisco throws us straight into the stormy brilliance of 1985–1995.
I’m Marla Davies, your guide through a decade that was equal parts heartbreak and high notes. From the Warfield’s intimate warmth to Jerry's triumphant returns and the bittersweet weight of Fare Thee Well moments to come, this era was the eye of the hurricane—steady, swirling, unforgettable.
With stories from Len Dell’Amico, Hollie Rose, and Bob Bralove, we trace the arc of a band grappling with its own myth while still managing to light the sky on fire. Want to know how the Dead kept the flame burning in their final San Francisco chapter?
Hit play and step into the echo.
The music never stopped—and neither should you.
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The Second Decade: 1975-1985
Welcome back to the ride, friends!
What happens when a band at the peak of its powers just… stops? We left the Grateful Dead on a cliffhanger in 1975—broke, burned out, and sick of each other. But as we all know, the music never truly stops. This episode, we’re hopping back on the bus to explore one of the most transformative decades in the Dead’s history: the rebirth.
This is the story of how the band faced its own ego and came to a powerful revelation: the Grateful Dead is bigger than all of us.
Join us for a trip through a San Francisco that was changing right along with them. We’ll make a few stops:
A secret, invitation-only show at the Great American Music Hall
The hallowed halls of Winterland and the final
The chandelier glow of The Warfield
The eucalyptus breezes of Frost Amphitheater
You’ll hear from the voices on the bus who were there—photographer Susana Millman on capturing the impossible photograph that merged fireworks with Phil Lesh in an act of pure Grateful Dead magic; historian David Gans on the moment the band learned to be a business to survive; and Deadhead archivist Rob Bleetstein on why he had to get off the bus when the scene got too dark.
This isn’t just a story of survival; it’s the story of how the Grateful Dead learned to recreate magic on demand, without killing the magic itself.
I’m Marla Davies, and this is the decade the long strange trip truly went national. You don’t want to miss this one.
Keep on Truckin’!
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The First Decade: 1965-1975
Welcome on the bus, as we journey back to the very beginning of the Grateful Dead's long, strange trip in 1960s San Francisco.
With incredible stories from band historian Dennis McNally and friends like Rosie McGee, we'll uncover how the legendary Acid Tests and the intimate stages of the Fillmore forged an unbreakable bond between the band and their audience.
This isn't just a story about music; it's the inside scoop on how a cultural revolution, a city, and a sound came together to change the world forever.
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Hey now—Marla Davies here, welcoming you aboard The Grateful Dead 60 Years in San Francisco” Over six decade-by-decade episodes we’ll trace the whole cosmic arc—from the Warlocks’ 1965 Acid Tests and the Fillmore’s light-show communion, through the Wall-of-Sound ’70s, psychedelic stadium thunder in the ’80s, Jerry’s poignant farewell, the post-millennial Furthur jams, and right up to Dead & Company’s 2025 Golden Gate Park blow-out.
Guiding us are the city’s finest eyewitnesses — Joel Selvin, Ben Fong-Torres, Dennis McNally, Susanna Milman, Charlie Miller, Rob Bleetstein, David Gans, Rosie McGee, Tim Lynch, Len Del'Amico, Andy Logan and many more...each dropping first-hand stories that stitch together 60 years of music, community, and long-strange magic .
Episodes land every Thursday —and when you’re ready to limber up, catch the Hit Replay podcast-puzzle each week for riffs, clues, history and fun before the next show rolls around. Play Now here: http://www.podcastpuzzle.com
Keep on Truckin'
This podcast is in partnership with San Francisco Travel https://www.sftravel.com
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