During the first weekend of August, San Francisco will be full of Deadheads enjoying the music and the fan community for which the band is famous, while this year celebrating a number of converging anniversaries. Honoring the founding member and kicking off the festivities on Jerry Garcia’s birthday, Fri/1 (he would have been 83), is a commemorative street sign ceremony at the intersection of Harrington and Mission Streets, where Jerry grew up.
The next day, Sat/2, sees the free 23rd Annual Jerry Day at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater—thusly named 20 years ago—in McLaren Park. And across town, Dead & Company will perform three sold-out (and quite pricey) shows at Golden Gate Park, Fri/1-Sat/3, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of The Grateful Dead.
Just off a Las Vegas residency at The Sphere, Dead & Company is as huge a draw this year as they were five years ago when they played the Chase Center, but Jerry Day is the homegrown event where many say the real fans go.
“Jerry Day brings in people from across San Francisco and around the world,’ says Giang (Jay) Pham, co-owner of Recovery Room bar on Mission Street. “It’s our busiest day of the year,” he adds, with people typically spilling outside onto the sidewalk during the Jerry Day after-parties at his bar and other venues along Mission Street.
Founder Tom Murphy says the point of Jerry Day has always been to celebrate the man and the music, but also to shine a spotlight on the Excelsior neighborhood and boost businesses there. He says, “By uniting the diverse communities of San Francisco through Garcia’s music, we are creating something extraordinary for Jerry’s childhood neighborhood, the Excelsior District, McLaren Park, and the City and County of San Francisco.”
Doors open at 11am with featured performers Melvin Seals and JGB, with fiddle player Mads Tolling, and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel taking the stage beginning at 11:30am and playing until 6pm. The Jerry Day After Party, curated by Friends of Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, Excelsior Merchants and other community partners, keeps the good times rolling until 10pm at Excelsior Corridor venues like Recovery Room,The Halfway Club, Check In Lounge, Tala Wines, and Bottoms Up.
“Many say it’s their favorite day of the year, and folks who were around in the ’60s say Jerry Day is the closest to the real thing,“ says Murphy. “We aim to make it as authentic as possible. We want to give real fans what they want to see.”
Murphy recalls it all began when he contacted the Garcia family in 2001 asking to use Jerry’s artwork for a bandshell idea at the Crocker Amazon Playground. They agreed and thus began the relationship that helped develop the first Jerry Garcia gathering at the Italian American Social Club, which later moved to the McLaren Park Amphitheater in 2003 where the event was dubbed Jerry Day. In 2005, thanks to the efforts of Murphy and other community members, the amphitheater was renamed the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
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“At first, I was told people wouldn’t come to this part of town and it would be difficult to fill up the amphitheater,” Murphy recalls. Also an Excelsior native, Murphy felt strongly about creating an event in the working-class community both he and Jerry called home. “It was a challenge and I was down for it.” He says that early crowds were almost exclusively diehard local Deadheads, but the audience has since grown to include fans from all around the world, including the United Kingdom and Japan, as well as Atherton and the Mission. Murphy delights in seeing folks return to the family-friendly year after year, with a growing fan base of young people.
Like Murphy, many fans talk about the authenticity and soulfulness of Jerry’s playing and describe a sense of connection to the artist that extended beyond his performances and recordings. Jerry was known for frequently agreeing to do free performances and encouraging audiences to make bootleg recordings of his shows. “He resonated so deeply with the fans,” says Murphy. “His appeal was also in the way he carried himself and treated other members of the band. Every member of Jerry Garcia Band got paid the same as him. His estate still practices that with all their releases.”
Murphy remembers being blown away by the energy and engagement from the massive crowd in 1990 when The Grateful Dead played at the Bill Graham memorial in Golden Gate Park. He also recalls witnessing Jerry, Bob Weir, and Vince Welnick singing the National Anthem before the start of a 1993 SF Giants vs. Marlins game at Pac Bell Park. “It is one of my favorite renditions that I’ve ever seen,” says Murphy. Although Murphy never met Garcia, he has been a huge fan for decades, and like many Jerry fans feels a deep connection to his music, his generous spirit, sense of community, and their shared San Francisco roots.
In the early years, the Jerry Day line up included smaller neighborhood acts like The Mystery Cats and Michael John Ahern. Year two saw big crowds for Grapefruit Ed and in 2007 Melvin Seals and JGB began their stretch of playing every year since, minus 2020 due to Covid. Excelsior Corridor After Party events were added to usher fans into local business and extend the festivities.
Throughout this history, Murphy has been entrenched in learning and listening to Jerry’s music as well as hearing testimonials from many legends, employees, and family members about Jerry’s character and his ability and willingness to share his art with millions of people around the world. When pressed Murphy reluctantly selects “Bertha” and “Ripple” as his two favorite songs, but confesses he’s a fan of Jerry’s entire catalogue. “I can’t get enough of his solo stuff,” he says.“It’s reflected in the genres I grew up with and the bluegrass elements often remind me of my Irish family gatherings.”
Asked to describe his favorite Jerry Day memory, Murphy says, “Looking back, two years that stand out for me are 2005 when Jerry’s brother Tiff Garcia welcomed the crowd to the first show at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater and 2010 when we collaborated with the San Francisco Giants for a Jerry Garcia Night at PacBell Park. Jerry Day was publicized at Giants games leading up to to the day, not to mention that the Giants eventually won their first World Series in San Francisco. Coincidence? I don’t know!”
Yet, while looking back brings fond memories, Murphy prefers to look ahead. “I’m always most excited about the Jerry Day coming up. This year we’ve built some terrific collaborations within the Excelsior District community and San Francisco as a whole. We have some special guests joining us on the day, and I always get a kick out of watching new people get involved with the event for the first time. We’re constantly expanding and growing. I’m blessed to be a part of this.”
Some know-before-you-go tips if you’re new to Jerry Day:
- Jerry Day is rain or shine. (There’s been sunny weather since 2007.)
- Expect a full day of music with a couple of intermissions.
- Jerry Day is a family friendly event with face painting, games, and other special stuff for kids.
- There will be food, non alcoholic beverages, crafts and other merchandise for sale.
- Parking is limited. Arrive early and consider biking, taking public transportation or a ride hailing service.
- While Jerry Day is generally OK for leashed dogs, it’s recommended that you leave pets at home.
Jerry Day is Saturday, August 2 at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in San Francisco. Doors open at 11am, more info here. Find details and a schedule of Excelsior Corridor’s Jerry Day After Party here.
