Sixty-one years after the Grateful Dead first came together in California and forever changed American music, a major new exhibition will celebrate not only the band’s songs but also the artwork, technology and fan culture that made it one of rock’s most enduring phenomena.
Opening July 3 at the Haight Street Art Center in San Francisco, Forever Grateful brings together more than 400 pieces of artwork, instruments, photographs, posters, vinyl records and memorabilia chronicling the band’s remarkable journey from 1965 through 1995. The exhibition also marks the art center’s 10th anniversary.
One of the exhibition’s biggest attractions is a fully operational one-quarter-scale recreation of the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound. Designed to play live recordings from throughout the band’s career, the installation recreates one of the most ambitious concert sound systems ever built and gives visitors a chance to experience the audio innovation that became central to the band’s live performances…