Where every song played is a live version — every jam, every encore, every heartbeat of the music lives on.
At The Grateful Dead Live, we don’t play studio cuts. Every track you hear is the live version — the real thing, in all its raw, unpredictable, transcendent glory. It’s how the Grateful Dead lived, how they played, and how their music continues to evolve. And this week, the Dead’s influence stretches from coast to coast — from Eugene, Oregon, where the spirit of the Dead meets college football, to New York City, where we revisit one of the most magical live performances in Dead history.
🌹 Fare Thee Well: Honoring Jerry’s Legacy and the Music That Carried On
Tonight, we air another edition of Fare Thee Well Radio, a show born from love, remembrance, and musical devotion. Fare Thee Well is more than a tribute — it’s a journey through the sounds created by the surviving members of the Grateful Dead after Jerry Garcia’s passing. Each broadcast captures the emotion, experimentation, and unity that defined the band, showcasing how the music lived on in projects like RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends, Furthur, and Dead & Company.
Jerry may have left the physical stage, but his presence echoes in every live note we play. The Grateful Dead were never just a band — they were a community built around connection, freedom, and the unspoken bond between performer and audience. Fare Thee Well Radio keeps that connection alive, celebrating how the Dead’s energy continues to evolve and inspire new generations.
🦆 The Grateful Ducks: Oregon Honors the Dead
This week, the Oregon Ducks football team is set to pay an extraordinary tribute to the Grateful Dead’s legacy. On October 25, 2025, during their home game against the Wisconsin Badgers, the Ducks will take the field wearing special “Grateful Ducks” uniforms — a stunning visual celebration of Eugene’s decades-long bond with the Dead.
The Details:
- Colors & Design: The all-black uniforms are accented with swirling psychedelic green and yellow tie-dye patterns, bringing the unmistakable Dead aesthetic to the gridiron.
- Numbers: Each player’s number is rendered in a vivid tie-dye style, blending art, sport, and counterculture.
- Shoulder Patches: A custom patch reimagines the legendary “Steal Your Face” skull, replacing the lightning bolt with the Nike swoosh, symbolizing unity between sport and spirit.
- Helmets: The finishing touch — rainbow-colored dancing ducks, a nod to the Dead’s beloved dancing bears.
The History Behind the Harmony:
Eugene and the Grateful Dead share a deep connection. Between 1974 and 1994, the band played 10 unforgettable shows at Autzen Stadium, turning the University of Oregon’s home turf into a sea of tie-dye and joy. The Dead even performed benefit concerts for Springfield Creamery, owned by Chuck Kesey — brother of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey, one of the band’s closest friends.
The Culture Connection:
The collaboration between Nike, the University of Oregon, and the Grateful Dead goes beyond design. It’s a celebration of shared values — creativity, individuality, and the power of community. This fusion of music, culture, and sport captures what the Dead have always stood for: freedom, color, and joy in motion.
The Tie-Dye Takeover:
Fans attending the game are encouraged to “tie-dye out” — flooding Autzen Stadium with color in a living tribute to the band’s psychedelic roots. Meanwhile, Nike’s “Grateful Ducks” merchandise collection drops in tandem, featuring jackets, hoodies, tees, sweatpants, and even a limited-edition Nike Air Max 90, decked out in Dead-inspired art and co-branded logos.
This marks Oregon’s second themed uniform this season — following the earlier “Shoe Duck” tribute to Nike founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman — but none have captured the cultural crossover spirit quite like this one.
👻 Don’s Pick of the Week: The 1980 Halloween Show at Radio City Music Hall
Every Saturday night, Don’s Pick dives deep into the most iconic live performances in music history. This week, we’re heading back to Halloween 1980, when the Grateful Dead transformed Radio City Music Hall into a cathedral of cosmic sound and spectacle.
Set One: Trick or Treat in 4/4 Time
The show kicked off with a lively “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” (live) — Garcia’s guitar sparkling with playful energy as the band set the tone for a night unlike any other. From there, they rolled straight into “Me and My Uncle” (live), blending storytelling, tight rhythms, and Brent Mydland’s soulful keyboard textures that added a new warmth to the band’s sound.
By mid-set, the Dead dropped into the timeless pairing of “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” (live) — a psychedelic journey of interwoven melodies that lifted the crowd into a state of collective euphoria. Every note was alive, and every transition was pure telepathy.
Set Two: Theatrical, Transcendent, Timeless
The second set brought a burst of Halloween magic. Costumes, lighting, and improvisation blurred together into pure theater. “Samson and Delilah” (live) exploded with gospel fire, followed by a triumphant “The Music Never Stopped” (live) that kept the audience dancing in their seats.
When “Estimated Prophet” (live) began, the energy shifted into a hypnotic groove — Garcia’s leads floating like smoke through the air while the rhythm section pulsed like a heartbeat. The night closed with a classic Dead crescendo:
“Not Fade Away” > “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” > “Johnny B. Goode” (live) — a fiery, joyful finale that left fans breathless and blissfully connected.
The Legacy Lives On
The 1980 Halloween run remains a touchstone for Deadheads everywhere — not just for the music, but for what it represented: creativity without limits, community without boundaries, and the magic that only happens live.
And tonight, you can relive that energy on Don’s Pick Radio Show, where every track is handpicked to honor the spirit of live music — from the Dead’s historic performances to rare, one-of-a-kind gems from across the musical landscape.
🌈 Where Every Song Is Alive
At The Grateful Dead Live, we celebrate the unfiltered energy of live performance — from the jam that builds like a sunrise to the encore that feels like forever. Every song we play is the live version, capturing that spark between band and audience that can never be reproduced.
Whether it’s the Dead at Radio City in 1980, the post-Garcia projects that carried the torch, or the Oregon Ducks turning a football field into a tie-dye dreamscape, the message is the same: the music never stopped.
Tune in. Turn up. Let it flow. The Grateful Dead Live — where every song is a live performance, and every moment is forever.
