SF Concerts set to get underway for 60th anniversary of The Grateful Dead
Dead heads descend on San Francisco
Several kickoff parties were held Thursday night in San Francisco, ahead of Dead and Company's three-day run at Golden Gate Park
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - San Francisco is preparing for a three-day celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic band The Grateful Dead.
August is going to be a busy music month in Golden Gate Park, and it's only getting started with Dead and Company.
Dead and Company gears up for three-day run at Golden Gate Park
Dead and Company is set to take the stage in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for a three-day series of concerts to mark The Grateful Dead anniversary.
"The grateful Dead music that's being celebrated here for 60 years is going to bring out all the old deadheads and these are some seasoned concert-goers," said Allen Scott from Another Planet Entertainment.
Fans are already saying they're expecting a great show.
"It's a whole other experience when you're seeing it live," said Zach Beaulieu. "I always tell people you really can't listen to it digitally. You have to be there feeling the vibrations from the drums and the emotions of the crowd."
Fans pack kickoff parties Thursday night
Many of those fans packed into O'Reilly's Pub on Haight Street for a pre-party Thursday night. For some, it's a reunion of sorts.
What they're saying:
"We call it church, going to church," said Kat Condon, who traveled from Key West, FLorida.
The festivities began with a "Grateful Gathering" in SoMa Thursday afternoon. Fans enjoyed a Grateful Dead Cover Band to get them in the mood.
"We wanted to welcome them here to Yerba Buena Lane to enjoy music and a free taste of that culture," said Adam Swig, founder of Value Culture, the nonprofit that organized the event.
KTVU caught up with hardcore dead head William Friedman.
"The Grateful Dead and I are the same age as that. So, it's been almost my whole life," said Friedman.
He has been to more than 500 show--many of them with this wife, who's not a dead head herself.
"I tolerate the obsession. In a good way," said Lisa Friedman.
A jam-packed August for concerts in SF
This weekend's show kicks off three consecutive weekends of music.
The three-day Outside Lands music festival starts Friday, August 8th and country star Zach Bryan is set to perform Friday, August 15th.
City leaders say the shows demonstrate San Francisco is still a leader on the music scene.
"We're bringing people together, boosting our economy showing the world that San Francisco is alive and thriving," said San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department's Phil Ginsburg.
City leaders say the shows are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans to the city over the next month, and bring an estimated $150 million dollars to the city.
"All San Franciscans are going to feel the benefit from these hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people coming to our city; spending money and enjoying all that we have to offer," said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Beefed-up security
The city said security will be top of mind, with metal detectors and security inside the music venue, and San Francisco police on hand to watch over the shows and the surrounding neighborhoods.
"The San Francisco Police Department and our city partners have been planning for these events for months and we've been training for any scenario that may occur," said Interim San Francisco Police Chief, Paul Yep. "The San Francisco Police Dept. is ready. The city is ready."
What's next:
The mayor also announced that Shaboozey will be playing a gig At Civic Center Plaza on September 13 and Golden Gate Park is expected to stay busy into the fall; in October, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is scheduled to get underway, so there is something for just about any music fan.