Grateful Dead's 60th: The San Francisco Homecoming & The Dawn of a New Era
We returned to where it all began, under the San Francisco sky in Golden Gate Park, for what we believed was a homecoming—a celebration of 60 years of Grateful Dead music.
But as Dead & Company lit up the stage, something more than nostalgia was in the air. Was this just a concert, or a carefully orchestrated glimpse into the future? We’ll take you inside those three magical nights, sharing exclusive insights from Oteil Burbridge and San Francisco’s Mayor Daniel Lurie, and piecing together the clues whispered among the Deadheads on the ground.
When Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson, and Trey Anastasio opened, was it just a show, or an audition? We explore the theory that this weekend wasn't an ending for Bob Weir and the band, but the beginning of a new chapter, a passing of the torch.
To understand what really happened that weekend, and what it means for the next 60 years, you have to hear this story.
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Dead & Company: 2015-2025
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.
Play the weekly audio trivia game- Hit Replay: The Grateful Dead 60 Years in San Francisco
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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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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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