In this auction, we are excited to offer a rare discovery from the early days of Grateful Dead history. This one-color, screen-printed cardboard poster advertises a 1967 Grateful Dead Concert in South Lake Tahoe on July 28 & 29 1967.

 

The discovery of this poster has presented us with a small mystery. The dates on the poster are do not appear in any of the available data from the band’s treasury of live performances. The consigner of this poster clearly remembers seeing the Dead play at the Legion Hall in ‘67. However, memory being what it is, the exact dates cannot be recalled.

 

7/28 & 29 1967 are not captured in the Grateful Dead’s available known archives. The Dead are documented as having played in San Francisco on July 23rd. The next known show was in Toronto at the O’Keefe center on 8/1/67. Additionally, the Dead DID play the same venue a month later on 8/19/67. The poster is an original authentic advertisement so the only remaining question is, did these shows happen on these dates, or were they rescheduled for August 19th? Over the years most of the details related to the Grateful Dead’s performance history have been accurately recorded and any major discrepancies have been settled. However as with any serious body of work when new information becomes available new questions arise. This is one of those cases. Generally, recordings from the band’s extensive archive help verify dates played on posters. There are no known recordings from this venue on these dates.

 

There are a few sources that remember that the shows did happen on those dates. One is from John Perry Barlow’s Biography where he recalls the Dead playing at the American Legion Hall prior to the O’Keefe center shows. Additionally, the events promoter and opening act Jim Burget recalls staging shows on those dates.

 

The following is an excerpt from "Mother American Night" by John Perry Barlow in reference to this performance;
“The most dominant memory I have of the Deadperforming that summer was when they played theAmerican Legion Hall on the south shore of Lake Tahoe,Weir got so excited that he threw the microphone stand offthe stage. Not on purpose. It was all just part of him findinghimself. At one point after that show, I ended up with Bobbyin a Land Rover full of tools and two girls whom we weretrying to get to do it with us in the cold, gray dawn in a forestclearing. It was a nadir.”
The poster has been in the possession of the original owner since the show in 1967. We have identified one other existing copy of the poster.

 

The poster is incredibly well preserved. There are tape pulls on the front but no significant paper of ink loss. There is age-appropriate toning that is concentrated on the left side.

Poster: The Grateful Dead South Lake Tahoe

Grade: Excellent 71

Bands/Bill: Grateful Dead

Venue: American Legion Hall: South Lake Tahoe

City: South Lake Tahoe, CA

Date: 07/28/67

Dimensions:

14.03125 in. x 22.0625 in.

Printing: Poster

Excellent 71 - Tape pulls in the corners and edges, two tackholes top center, one bottom center, staple holes in the top and bottom left corners, toning, light stains, light creases. No major ink or paper loss. View the detailed high res photo of this lot: Click on the thumbnail photo, to see an enlarged photo. For a personalized eyewitness examination call 410-464-6180, 11:00 am to 6:00pm eastern. This poster is available for inspection at our gallery, by appointment. A 20% Buyers Premium will be added to the final hammer price of this lot.

22.06 x 14.03 in