An Open Editor's Letter In January 2026, after the passing of Bob Weir, we wrote a letter to our community about grief, continuity, and what it means to stay inside the music as it changes. We’re sharing it openly here, for anyone who finds their way to China Cat Chat. Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you. Hey-hey-hey, your rolling river. Editor's Note Staying in the Song Published in the January 16, 2026 China Cat Chat issue We arrived back home from a week in Paris early on Ne

Not a record of everything — just what stayed. arrival Some landmarks insist on being photographed. Others invite you to stand still long enough to feel where you are. Moulin Rouge By nightfall, the city changed its voice. Lights brightened. Velvet and brass replaced stone and sky. The day widened instead of ending. early quiet Père Lachaise A nip in the morning air. Cobblestone paths, bare branches, stained glass holding the early light. The city felt hushed — as if it hadn’

Before the lightning bolt, before the bears, before the Wall of Sound, there was a skeleton covered in roses — dancing between life and death, smiling at the absurdity of it all. This is the story of the  Skeleton & Roses  poster — one of the most enduring images in rock history, and the visual heartbeat of the Grateful Dead. 🌈  The Birth of an Icon The year was  1966 , and San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom had become ground zero for the new psychedelic frontier. The Family Do

It was more cathedral than concert rig — a towering monument to what happens when musicians chase perfection without a blueprint, budget, or backup plan. In 1974, the Grateful Dead rolled out the  Wall of Sound , a system so massive, so complex, and so absurdly beautiful that no band before or since has dared to try anything like it. To some, it was just a mountain of speakers. To others, it was proof that the Dead weren’t merely playing music — they were building a new way t

If you’ve ever felt your chest vibrate during  “Drums > Space,”  you’ve met  the Beam  — even if you didn’t know it. That deep, metallic  whomp  that sounds like thunder rolling through the stars? That’s Mickey Hart’s otherworldly creation — part instrument, part science experiment, part doorway to somewhere we don’t quite have words for. The Beam is one of the strangest, most fascinating artifacts in the Dead’s universe — a physical manifestation of Mickey’s lifelong obsessi

She once said that singing with the Grateful Dead was like  “learning to dance on the edge of chaos.” It’s hard to imagine a better description of Donna Jean Godchaux — a woman whose voice brought warmth and wonder to one of the most unpredictable musical universes ever assembled. Donna Jean Godchaux with Bob Weir & Jerry Garcia 1978. ED PERLSTEIN/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES When Donna joined the Grateful Dead in late 1971, the band was in flux. Pigpen’s health was fading, the jam

The Grateful Dead’s 60th Anniversary shows at Golden Gate Park were a historic celebration of music, community, and the enduring spirit...

“Let there be songs to fill the air.”  — Ripple , first played February 18, 1970, Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter Jerry Garcia was the first...

John Mayer’s path to Dead & Company began with a moment of serendipity—stumbling upon the Grateful Dead’s  “Althea”  on Pandora in 2011....

John Mayer’s connection to the Grateful Dead isn’t confined to his work with Dead & Company. Even on his solo tours , Mayer has found...

When Jerry Garcia passed in August 1995, many Deadheads wondered: was this the end of the road?  After thirty years of touring, would the...

Some instruments are more than wood, strings, and electronics — they become part of the music’s very soul. For the Grateful Dead, one...

Some weekends feel like they were tailor-made to feed the soul. This one started with the golden light of a  Saturday morning in...

We woke up early in Sausalito, buzzing with anticipation. Today was the day — the first of three Dead & Company shows for the GD60...

After a smooth flight into SFO, we were welcomed by the unexpected—and unmistakable—presence of the Grateful Dead in the airport itself -...

Set your soul to “vibrate” and lace up your walking shoes—here’s our handpicked route through Grateful Dead history, psychedelic...

A Decade-by-Decade Journey Through the Music, the Scene, and the Legacy Ken Kesey with The Merry Pranksters on the "Further" bus “Once in...

Back in December 2021, Michelle and I were counting down the days to  Playing in the Sand , the beachside Deadhead escape in Cancun. We...

~The untold harmony of mud, music, and 600,000 dancing souls There are moments in music history when the stars align, the amps hum just...

Back in the summer of 1987, the Grateful Dead played a pair of legendary shows in the mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. Picture it:...