San Jose is set to honor its historical connection to the Grateful Dead by unveiling a plaque on December 4, 2025. This date marks the 60th anniversary of the band’s first official concert, which took place in a private home at 38 S. Fifth Street, approximately 65 miles south of San Francisco. While the Grateful Dead is often associated with San Francisco, this event underscores San Jose’s significant role in the band’s early history.
Dan Orloff, founder of the nonprofit organization San Jose Rocks, has been pivotal in bringing this historical moment to light. He emphasizes that the plaque is more than just a marker for a concert; it represents San Jose’s vital contribution to music history. “This is where the Grateful Dead first played under that name, and this plaque will ensure that story lives on for generations,” Orloff stated.
The plaque will be installed on the south-facing wall of the City Council Chambers building, near the site of the inaugural show. The dedication ceremony will begin at 16:45 and is open to the public, featuring speakers and entertainment. For those interested, further details can be found at sanjoserocks.org.
Decade-Long Effort to Recognize San Jose’s Musical Legacy
The initiative to commemorate the Grateful Dead’s first concert has been a decade in the making. Alongside Orloff, Mark Purdy, a retired sports columnist for the Bay Area News Group, has played a crucial role in raising awareness about the broader musical history of the Bay Area. Purdy points out that many influential bands did not start in San Francisco, despite the city often taking the spotlight.
He noted, “It’s amazing to me how much of San Francisco music didn’t start in San Francisco.” Purdy highlights other notable bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, which originated in El Cerrito, and the Doobie Brothers from San Jose. According to him, over 75% of the bands that shaped the Bay Area’s music scene have roots outside San Francisco.
The Grateful Dead’s journey began as a band called Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions in the Palo Alto/Menlo Park area. The group adopted the name Grateful Dead just prior to their December 4 performance, which coincided with a significant cultural event—an “Acid Test” organized by Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters.
Historic Concert and Cultural Impact
The concert not only marked the debut of the Grateful Dead but also served as the first public Acid Test, where attendees engaged with the psychedelic drug LSD. This event was part of a series of parties promoting the use of psychedelics, which would later be chronicled in Tom Wolfe’s famous book, “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.”
On that fateful night, the Grateful Dead performed just a few blocks away from the San Jose Civic, where the Rolling Stones were also in concert. Kesey’s group distributed flyers with the question, “Can you pass the acid test?” directing attendees to the concert location. The only known surviving copy of this flyer will be displayed at the plaque dedication ceremony, symbolizing a return to the site of that historic night.
Although the original house at 38 S. Fifth Street was believed to have been lost to a fire, it was actually relocated to 390 N. 4th Street to make way for San Jose City Hall. This preservation allows visitors to connect with a significant piece of music history.
Purdy concludes, “San Jose owns a very significant piece of the Grateful Dead’s story. This is the true and exact 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. That’s very cool and worth celebrating.” The upcoming ceremony serves as a reminder of the profound impact that the Grateful Dead and other bands have had on the fabric of music history in the Bay Area and beyond.
