San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and San Jose Rocks today announced a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's first performance under that iconic name.
On Dec. 4, at 4pm, the city will unveil a commemorative bronze plaque at San Jose City Hall above the footprint of a house which once stood on South Fifth Street. In that building, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bill Kreutzmann played their very first notes as the Grateful Dead.
A free public celebration will take place at City Hall's South Plaza featuring psychedelic light projections on City Hall's iconic rotunda and an exhibit of rare Grateful Dead memorabilia as well as artifacts from the “Acid Test” of that 1965 evening, which was staged by author and countercultural figure Ken Kesey at the Fifth Street house.
Kesey had asked the musicians, then based in Menlo Park and Palo Alto and previously known as "The Warlocks," to provide live music at the gathering. Days before, they had decided to call themselves The Grateful Dead. They went on to become a global phenomenon.
“San Jose has an incredible musical heritage that deserves to be celebrated," said Mahan. "The Grateful Dead didn't just start here—they launched a cultural revolution that spread throughout the Bay Area and the world. This plaque will serve as a permanent reminder to current and future generations that San Jose is where this legendary band first performed under the Grateful Dead name. I'm thrilled to invite our entire community to this free celebration on Dec. 4."
Historic House Found After Years of Search
The Dec. 4 celebration is being organized and funded by San Jose Rocks, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the city’s musical heritage and promoting music education for young people.
It was long known that the Grateful Dead’s debut event and Kesey’s Acid Test had occurred somewhere on Fifth Street near the San Jose State campus, although the exact site was in dispute.
After years of research and investigation, the San Jose Rocks team, led by founder Dan Orloff and retired journalist Mark Purdy, successfully pinned down the location as 38 South Fifth. The house that once stood there was thought to have been destroyed in a fire. New information instead revealed that when construction of the new San Jose City Hall began in 2002, the home was relocated to 390 North Fourth Street, where it was renovated and still stands.
Kesey chose the San Jose location because it was just five blocks from the San Jose Civic Auditorium, where the Rolling Stones were performing that same evening on one of their early North American tours. Kesey’s followers, the “Merry Pranksters,” handed out flyers and put up hand-drawn posters encouraging fans leaving the Rolling Stones concert to attend his Acid Test.
As part of the 60th anniversary plaque dedication, the only known poster promoting the Dec. 4, 1965 Acid Test at 38 S. 5th Street is being shipped to San Jose and will be on display in City Hall's Janet Gray Hayes Rotunda.
"This is about more than commemorating a concert—it's about recognizing San Jose's pivotal role in music history," said Orloff, who serves as Chief Rock Officer of San Jose Rocks. "This is where the Grateful Dead first played under that name, and this plaque will ensure that story lives on for generations. But this is just the beginning. San Jose Rocks intends to celebrate the hundred untold stories that connect all of Santa Clara County to the music world in an effort to inspire tomorrow's rockstars on and off the stage. We can't do this alone. We're asking the community to help us make this Dec. 4th plaque dedication special by visiting sanjoserocks.org to tell us their own rock and roll stories and contribute to history."
Legendary Artist Creates Commemorative Print
As part of the 60th anniversary commemoration, San Jose Rocks also commissioned Stanley Mouse, the legendary poster artist known for his iconic Grateful Dead imagery including the skull-and-roses design, to create an exclusive print celebrating the band's debut performance. Premium donors to the project will receive limited-edition prints of Mouse's artwork, making them permanent stewards of this historic moment.
All events are free and open to the public at San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street:
4pm – Event area opens at City Hall's South Plaza
4:30pm – San Jose State Musical Jam Band Students Perform Greeting Songs
4:45pm –• Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Land Acknowledgment
- Welcome from city leaders and San Jose Rocks Founder Dan Orloff
- The Story Behind the Story with Mark Purdy, San Jose Rocks historian and journalist
- Ira Meltzer shares his firsthand account of organizing the December 4, 1965 Acid Test
- Special remarks from Trixie Garcia, daughter of Jerry Garcia
- Unveiling of the commemorative bronze plaque featuring the iconic Steal Your Face logo
5:15pm – Drum procession leads to Sonic Runway
5:25pm – Sonic Runway illuminates with light and sound
5:26pm – Psychedelic light show projected onto City Hall rotunda and West Wing featuring historic Grateful Dead and Acid Test imagery
5:30–7:30pm – Reception featuring rare Grateful Dead & Acid Test exhibit at Janet Gray Hayes Rotunda
For more information about San Jose Rocks, visit https://sanjoserocks.org/article/the-grateful-dead-tribute/
