Bertha brought all the glitz, glamour, and Grateful Dead grooves to the Mishawaka Amphitheatre last night. Bertha is a Grateful Dead drag tribute band way beyond description; they have improvisational psychedelic musical skills that would make Jerry smile—and probably blush a little, too.

Ashkenaz, Berkeley’s beloved non-profit music and dance community hub, rolls into summer with a joyful calendar that mirrors the venue’s 52-year mission of cultural exchange and rhythmic exploration. From Balkan folk dances to honky-tonk two-step, Ashkenaz’s wooden dance floor will stay in constant motion—yet it is the venue’s deep connection to the spirit of the Grateful Dead that takes center stage over the next five weeks.

Sweetwater Music Hall, the storied, not-for-profit venue at 19 Corte Madera Avenue, turns up the heat this summer with a run of shows that underscores its mission to make world-class music accessible to all. Since 1972 the 501(c)(3) has championed creativity and community, and the weeks ahead carry that torch with everything from sea shanties to space rock—plus open-mic nights that nurture the next generation of Bay Area talent.

Z2 Entertainment is proud to present Andy Falco & Travis Book (of The Infamous Stringdusters) Play Jerry Garcia at 10 Mile Music Hall on Friday, October 17, 2025. Doors open at 8:00 p.m.; the music begins at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.z2ent.com/events/detail/andy-falco-travis-book-2025-10m. This performance is limited to guests 18 and older.

Grammy-winning Infamous Stringdusters bandmates Andy Falco (guitar) and Travis Book (upright bass) step out as a duo this fall to honor the timeless music of Jerry Garcia. “The project actually originated backstage at ’Dusters shows where Travis and I would typically warm up with some fun Jerry songs,” Falco recalls. “At some point we just thought it would be fun to do it in public.”

Dennis McNally’s The Last Great Dream (Da Capo, 2025) won’t help you recreate the 1960s – that ship has sailed. But McNally’s new book provides a clear-eyed, rear-view mirror exploration of the mid-20th century counterculture in the United States. From poetry to politics to psychedelic music, McNally covers a wide waterfront; The Last Great Dream is a wild ride full of factoids and true folk tales from far and wide. It’s a fun and informative read for anyone intrigued by the era. In certain circles, Dennis McNally is best known as the Grateful Dead publicist from the mid-1980s until several years after Jerry Garcia died. He’s also a published historian, with books under his belt about Jack Kerouac, the Grateful Dead, and the evolution of American culture.

Boulder Theater will be awash in vintage Hammond tones and cosmic grooves this Halloween weekend when Melvin Seals & JGB headline back-to-back nights on Friday, October 31, 2025, and Saturday, November 1, 2025. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the show begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 13 at 10 a.m. MT at Z2 Entertainment.

Today, the Grateful Guitars Foundation (GGF) announces that they will present Oteil Burbridge with a Doug-Irwin Certified “Dire Wolf” bass by luthier Bill Asher at the AEG + 97.3 KBCO Present Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 6. In addition to Burbridge, the event will feature appearances from Melvin Seals, Jacklyn LaBranch, Tom Hamilton, Duane Trucks and Lady Chi.

When classically trained pianist Kristina Marinova boards the psychedelic bus, she brings nothing but a grand piano—and proves that’s all she needs. Out June 6, 2025 on Navona Records, THE BUS CAME BY AND I GOT ON transforms eleven cornerstones of the Grateful Dead canon into a cinematic solo-piano experience that mirrors the arc of an early-’70s Dead show, complete with exploratory segues and encore-worthy fireworks.

Portland’s favorite Grateful Dead tribute outfit, Caught Dead Handed, returns to the lush vineyards of Redgate Winery on Friday, June 14, for a free, all-ages (21+) evening of blazing hot jams. From 6:00 to 9:00 PM, the band will transport guests on a psych-folk journey through the Dead’s most beloved anthems, perfectly paired with Redgate’s award-winning wines and the rolling hills of Independence, Oregon.