Historic Plaque Celebrating 60th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead To Be Unveiled at SJ City Hall

"San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and San Jose Rocks today announced a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's first performance under that iconic name. On Dec. 4, at 4pm, the city will unveil a commemorative bronze plaque at San Jose City Hall above the footprint of a house which once stood on South Fifth Street."

"The Grateful Dead didn't just start here-they launched a cultural revolution that spread throughout the Bay Area and the world. This plaque will serve as a permanent reminder to current and future generations that San Jose is where this legendary band first performed under the Grateful Dead name. I'm thrilled to invite our entire community to this free celebration on Dec. 4."

"A free public celebration will take place at City Hall's South Plaza featuring psychedelic light projections on City Hall's iconic rotunda and an exhibit of rare Grateful Dead memorabilia as well as artifacts from the "Acid Test" of that 1965 evening, which was staged by author and countercultural figure Ken Kesey at the Fifth Street house. Kesey had asked the musicians, then based in Menlo Park and Palo Alto and previously known as "The Warlocks," to provide live music at the gathering."

A commemorative bronze plaque will be unveiled at San Jose City Hall on Dec. 4 at 4pm above the footprint of a house that once stood on South Fifth Street. That house hosted the Grateful Dead's first performance under that name, with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bill Kreutzmann playing their first notes as the Grateful Dead. A free public celebration at City Hall's South Plaza will feature psychedelic light projections on the rotunda and an exhibit of rare Grateful Dead memorabilia alongside artifacts from the 1965 "Acid Test" staged by Ken Kesey. The musicians had been based in Menlo Park and Palo Alto and had recently adopted the name The Grateful Dead. San Jose Rocks is organizing and funding the event to honor the city's musical heritage and promote music education.

Read at San Jose Inside