50 years ago The Grateful Dead performed at Iowa State Fair Grandstand here is a look back

The Iowa State Fair Grandstand will be packed this weekend as the 2024 fair gets into full swing.

The fair's kickoff coincides with an end for another band — Dead & Company. The rock band made up of former Grateful Dead members known for popularizing the band's music with younger audiences, is wrapping up its Las Vegas residency this week.

And, it just so happens the original Grateful Dead was once a big seller at the Grandstand.

When did the Grateful Dead play in Des Moines?

On June 16, 1974, The Grateful Dead played to a crowd of 18,000 Deadheads at the fairgrounds, tickets were sold for $6.50 at the gate, which in 2024 would be $43.16.

Des Moines Register Reporter, James Healey reported on the show and said, "They played well and usually together, but without apparent effort or strain. Certainly they have been around and together long enough to play their music easily. But the Dead's ease was more than familiarity, it was whole attitude. Toward their music for sure, and perhaps toward life in general."

More: The 2024 Iowa Stata Fair concert lineup is set. Who’s performing at the Grandstand?

What happened at the Grateful Dead's 1974 concert in Des Moines?

At the summer concert, the band brought the iconic "Wall of Sound," an enormous sound system specifically designed for the jam band. At the time, it was the largest concert sound system. The Wall of Sound was designed in 1973, but due to its size and weight, touring with the full system became a lofty expense, and it was only used in its entirety from March to October 1974.

The Register noted the size of the system, saying, "It's about the same size as the old system, which is to say huge. But the speakers are set up above and behind the band instead of off to each side of the stage. Theoretically, this lets band members hear the sound as the crowd hears it and thus lets them mix the sound from a good vantage point."

Des Moines concert featured in Grateful Dead's 'Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3'

The Grateful Dead has released more than 200 live albums, and their extensive catalog includes official releases and archival recordings. In 2009, The Grateful Dead released "Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3," which focuses on the Des Moines concert and two concerts following that, which were held in Louisville, Kentucky, and Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18 and 20, respectively.

"Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3" captures the Grateful Dead during a period of musical exploration, highlighting their improvisational skills and the distinctive experience of a Grateful Dead show.

"The music felt fine, the performance was competent but some of the fire has died. Perhaps deliberately," Healey reported. "The laid-back style they are pursuing would be inappropriate or unworkable unless the musicians took a softer more deft approach to their craft than previously."

Have the Grateful Dead played elsewhere in Iowa?

The Grateful Dead made many appearances in Iowa over the years, including playing at the University of Northern Iowa in 1978. According to archival concert recordings, the Dead played in Iowa nine times, four times in Des Moines.

Will the Grateful Dead Tour again?

The Grateful Dead's last official tour was in 1995. It started in June and ended on July 9, 1995, at Solider Field in Chicago. A month later, lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia died on Aug. 9, 1995.

Following Garcia's death, the surviving members formed several new bands and projects, notably Dead & Company, which formed in 2015 and included former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti.

In 2023, Dead & Company toured across the U.S. on the "Final Tour." However, since May, Dead & Company has had a residency at Sphere Las Vegas, and the final show of the residency is on Saturday, Aug. 10. No future tour announcements have been made by the band.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: The Grateful Dead performed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds 50 years ago