NEDERLAND — It’s likely if you ask a musician in the Colorado scene about their influences, the majority of them will cite Jerry Garcia in their lists.
While primarily known as a founding member of The Grateful Dead, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist injected his psychedelic rock stylings through his many musical projects, including The Jerry Garcia Band, Old & In The Way, Legion of Mary, and New Riders of the Purple Sage.
These stylings have arguably become the backbone of the jam band scene in Colorado. Building their initial fanbase in the California Bay Area, the Dead first performed in The Centennial State in 1967, performing in the opening months of The Family Dog Denver.
The California art collective Family Dog had hosted concerts in the Dead members’ neighborhood in Haight-Ashbury. Their Denver venue, the result of a partnership with the Colorado concert promoter Barry Fey, opened its doors on September 9. The Dead performed their first Colorado shows in the venue later that month, on September 22 and 23.
While the club ultimately closed the following year, the Dead's performance marked only the start of a ten-month span of psychedelic rock acts jumpstarting the Denver scene. In that brief period, Family Dog hosted such legendary acts as Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, The Doors, and Cream.
The “Deadhead” fanbase consistently showed their loyalty for the band throughout their tours, following the group across the country. They especially demonstrated their passion at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where the Dead performed 20 shows between 1972 and 1987.
Red Rocks, a venue they considered “a sacred place” and likened to Egypt’s pyramids and Stonehenge, served as one of the few venues where the Dead could play over multiple nights. This allowed them to fine-tune their performances as they adjusted to the acoustic environment.
As expected, fans showed their fervent support. For a three-night stand in 1979, Deadheads began camping outside the venue as soon as possible—almost instantly after a Saturday night concert from Kris Kristofferson on August 11.
Personnel attempted to chase as many as 2,000 illegal campers from the site that night. The next night, August 12, at least 200 ticketless fans attempted to sneak into the venue, with one fatally falling 35 feet trying to climb behind the stage area.
Through their time as a band, the Dead performed in venues including Folsom Field, the University of Colorado Boulder, City Park, and Reed’s Ranch in Colorado Springs. They even performed and recorded an acoustic set on April 24, 1970, in the Fillmore Auditorium (then Mammoth Gardens).
The Grateful Dead injected Colorado with a new musical energy, and Deadheads remain passionate about not just the group but all of its members to this day. When musicians cite Garcia as an influence, they often emphasize his additional projects as a testament to his musical ability and audience connection.
The backbone of jam music today would arguably not be the same without Jerry Garcia. His musical energy is unmatched and still flows through the Colorado music scene to this day.
Dave ABear’s A Very Jerry Band will be performing at the Caribou Room, located at 55 Indian Peaks Drive in Nederland, on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Doors open and dinner starts at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Get tickets now at thecaribouroom.com.
Information from this article is sourced from Emily Ferguson of Westword and G. Brown of Colorado Music Experience.
