The Dead Live On...Something Different For a Lazy Weekend

Maybe you've seen the marketing around town, maybe not, but if you're looking for something interesting and different to do on a Sunday afternoon, why not take stroll over to The New-York Historical Society. The NYHS is currently hosting an exciting event, the first large scale exhibition of materials from the Grateful Dead Archive (normally housed at the University of California Santa Cruz). Whether you're a Dead fan, a jam band fan, a free spirit or just a bored soul, you'll probably find something of interest in what this exhibition is offering. The exhibition will chronicle the history of the Grateful Dead including their music and career longevity through an array of original art and documents related to the band, their performances, and productions. It will also provide a unique glimpse into the political and social upheaval and artistic awakening of the 1960's and 1970's, a tumultuous and transformative period that has shaped our current cultural and political landscape.

The exhibit will examine how the Grateful Dead's origin in northern California in the mid-1960's was informed by the ideology and spirit of both the Beat Generation and the burgeoning Hippie scene, including experimentation with LSD and the Acid Tests. It will also explore the way in which the band's refusal to follow the established rules of the record industry revealed an unexpected business savvy that led to both innovations in a rapidly changing music industry and also a host of consumer-driven marketing enrichments that kept fans in frequent contact with the band.

The Grateful Dead's time in New York will be viewed in the context of cultural traditions and events unique to New York, but also as yet another stop on a long, strange touring trip that included dates in New York, San Francisco, and everywhere in between. As the band crisscrossed the country, from coast to coast, they played in and around New York City on a regular basis, from early dates at Greenwich Village coffeehouses, impromptu performances in Central Park and at Columbia University during the 1968 Student Strike; to concerts at mid-sized venues, including the Fillmore East, The Academy of Music and the 46th Street Rock Palace in Brooklyn during the 1970s; and, ultimately, to performances at larger halls and stadiums such as Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden and Giants Stadium.

Museum Info
Admission: $12 for adults
Address: 170 Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets
*For the Grateful Dead exhibition, please use the entrance at 2 West 77th Street
Subway: B or C to 81st Street
Bus: M10 to 77th Street; M79 to 81st Street and Central Park West

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations