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’! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices