The Grateful Dead‘s Shakedown Stream archive concert webcast series returns this Friday, July 31st. For this week’s broadcast, the band will revisit the well-known trip to Egypt in late 1978, which will include their performance in the shadows of the Great Pyramid on September 16th, 1978, along with a short film documenting the trip to the ancient city as shot by members of the band, their families, and the crew.
As customary, the webcast will begin with a chat hosted by archivist David Lemieux and journalist Gary Lambert alongside special guest and Grateful Dead/Dead & Company drummer Mickey Hart.
The Dead began arguably the most spiritually and mystically significant run of shows of their career in the shadows of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The plan to stage these remote shows was the brainchild of bassist Phil Lesh, who once mentioned in The Grateful Dead Reader, “It sort of became my project because I was one of the first people in the band who was on the trip of playing at places of power. You know, power that’s been preserved from the ancient world. The pyramids are like the obvious number one choice because no matter what anyone thinks they might be, there is definitely some kind of mojo about the pyramids.”
The date of the shows also held mystical significance, as a full lunar eclipse was due on the run’s final night, September 16th. The two shows were officially released by the band as Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978 in September 2018.
As with each Shakedown Stream webcast, the band encourages fans to donate what money they can to a selected non-profit, which this week is the non-partisan voter registration organization HeadCount.
Scroll down to watch this week’s Shakedown Stream pre-show featuring Mickey Hart followed by the full-concert webcast on Friday beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Shakedown Stream Pre-Show with Dave & Gary feat. Mickey Hart (7/31/20)
[Video: Grateful Dead]
Grateful Dead – Rockin’ The Cradle & The Vacation Tapes – 9/16/1978
[Video: Shakedown Stream]