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The Grateful Dead comes East for the 1st time...
The Grateful Dead comes East for the 1st time...
Item # 716439
June 08, 1967
THE VILLAGE VOICE, New York, June 8, 1967
* Grateful Dead - first Eastern tour begins
* Very 1st performance in the East w/ photos
* Jerry Garcia - Bob Weir - Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
* A truly historic issue at the inception of this band
A terrific issue of this famous counter-culture newspaper as the front page has an article headed: "Frontier on Tompkins Square - p. 14" with subhead: "The Youthquake and The Shook-Up Park" with lead-in: "Tompkins Square" This lengthy article continues on the inside pages with mention of the band performing a free gig at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village of Manhattan. This was the same day they began their very first Eastern tour at a club in Greenwich Village that night.
But what is overwhelmingly historic in music history is a full page pictorial (pg. 14) of that performance in the park which includes the 3 main members of the band. Also a advertisement for their very first scheduled performance in the East at the "Cafe Au Go Go" in Greenwich Village. (see images) A terrific issue on this iconic rock band in it's infancy.
AI notes: On June 1, 1967, the Grateful Dead performed a free, impromptu concert at Tompkins Square Park in New York City during their first East Coast tour. The band, already well known in San Francisco's countercultural scene, brought their psychedelic sound and communal ethos to the East Village, playing to a diverse crowd of hippies, artists, and curious locals. The performance followed a gig at the Café au Go Go and was part of their broader effort to spread the West Coast underground music movement to the East Coast.
The concert was informal and spontaneous, reflecting the experimental spirit of the time and the growing energy leading into the "Summer of Love." Though no official recordings exist, the Tompkins Square Park show is remembered as a culturally significant moment in New York’s underground scene. It marked one of the earliest instances of the Grateful Dead engaging directly with fans in a public space outside California, helping to build the loyal following that would become known as the Deadheads.
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because their was really no reason to save it at the time.
The Village Voice was an American counterculture newspaper known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. It introduced free-form, high-spirited, and passionate journalism into the public discourse - a tradition it maintained throughout its 60+ year history. It is quite common to find great political cartoons, satirical cartoons and articles, thought-provoking editorials, and ads and reviews for both concerts and theater productions - both on and off Broadway. Many iconic writers and musicians credit their appearance in The Village Voice for at least a portion of their success.
Other interesting items from the counter-culture era. Complete in 40 pages, tabloid-size, one crease across the center, nice condition.
Provenance note: This issue comes from The Village Voice's own archives, part of their in-house collection used to create their digital archive.
Alert: Many issues of The Village Voice contain articles and/or photos which some consider offensive, and are certainly inappropriate for children. Please purchase with discretion.
Category: The 20th Century
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