The Grateful Dead movie will screen at IMAX in August to mark the 60th anniversary of the band’s final performance.
In October 1974, The Grateful Dead did their run of five shows at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom.
The Grateful Dead co-founder Jerry Garcia decided to document the moment which became the 1977 movie ‘The Grateful Dead Movie’. Filmmaker Leon Gast was recruited to direct by Garcia personally oversaw every part of the movie so Gast stepped aside. What made this movie unique at the time was the use of multiple cameras. George Harrison’s ‘Concert for Bangla Desh’ earlier in the 70s only used a single camera. It took Garcia almost three years to synch the different angles for the final movie.
If you see this movie, check the animal at the start. That animation cost as much as the entire rest of the movie to make. That nearly bankrupt The Grateful Dead at the time.
The Grateful Dead Movie premiered in New York on 1 June 1977. Instead of having multiple copies of the film so that it could be screened all over America at the same time, Garcia came upon the cost cutting idea of minimizing the copies and instead “touring” the film.
Members of the band were not happy with the movie. It had taken so long to produce that by the time it was released The Grateful Dead were playing a completely different show, so it had no impact on the promotion of their current tour. The production took up so much of Garcia’s time that in 1975 the band only played four shows.
Songs from the movie were sourced from across the five show on 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 October 1974 at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco.
The new IMAX production will include the exclusive theatrical premier of “China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider,” a bonus live performance from the October ‘74 Winterland shows not included in the official film release.
To further celebrate the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary, Dead & Company is holding three hometown concerts on August 1, 2, and 3 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Dead & Company features original members Bob Weir (guitar and vocals), Mickey Hart (drums), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums), along with John Mayer (guitar and vocals).
The Grateful Dead Movie contains full or partial performances of the following songs:
• “U.S. Blues” October 18 & 19, 1974[a]
• “One More Saturday Night” October 19, 1974
• “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” October 18, 1974
• “Truckin'” October 19, 1974
• “Eyes of the World” October 19, 1974
• “Sugar Magnolia” October 17 & 19, 1974[b]
• “Playing in the Band” October 16, 1974
• “Stella Blue” October 17, 1974
• “Casey Jones” October 17, 1974
• “He’s Gone jam” October 17, 1974
• “Morning Dew” October 18, 1974
• “Johnny B. Goode” October 20, 1974
The DVD bonus disc includes the following full performances:
• “Uncle John’s Band” October 19, 1974
• “Sugaree” October 18, 1974
• “The Other One”> October 17, 1974
• “Spanish Jam”> October 17, 1974
• “Mind Left Body Jam”> October 17, 1974
• “The Other One” October 17, 1974
• “Scarlet Begonias” October 19, 1974
• “China Cat Sunflower”> October 17, 1974
• “I Know You Rider” October 17, 1974
• “Dark Star” October 18, 1974
• “Weather Report Suite” October 18, 1974
The Grateful Dead Movie is on cinemas worldwide on 14 August 2025.
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