‘Tis almost the season of gift-giving, which means it’s time to start shopping for your friends and loved ones. Finding the perfect gift for the live music-lover on your holiday shopping list may seem like a daunting task, but we’ve got you covered with L4LM‘s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide. Below, find a list of wide-ranging gift ideas curated by your friends at L4LM.
High-fidelity earplugs are an absolute necessity for every concertgoer. What better way to show you care this holiday than helping your friends and loved ones enjoy live music while protecting their hearing? We recommend this type (Etymotic & Eargasm also make good ones), and a key chain case is always helpful.
There are a few really great books that should be on every Deadhead’s reading list, and the newest is The Silver Snarling Trumpet: The Birth of the Grateful Dead―The Lost Manuscript of Robert Hunter. Phil Lesh’s Searching for the Sound and Bill Kreutzmann’s Deal are also required reading, but if the Deadhead on your shopping list likes to read, they might already have those.
Scarlet Fire Hot Sauce – $9.99
This award-winning sauce with label art by Jim Pollock makes the perfect gift for any music fan or spicy food lover! Use discount code “GRATEFUL” for 10% off $29.
WinterWonderGrass Tickets (Steamboat Springs, CO) – $279.11
Enjoy three days of music, brews, and mountains, at the iconic Steamboat Resort where you can ski famous Champagne Powder® Snow by day, and groove to your favorite artists into the night. Plus, enjoy two hours of complimentary beer tasting each day, a robust kids zone complete with Coletrain Music Academy workshops, local food vendors, and more! The perfect gift to give your loved ones an experience you will all remember. Use code: “LIVEMUSIC10” for 10% off.
Give The Gift Of Mountain Jam – $314.01
This holiday season, skip the usual gifts and surprise the music lover in your life with an experience they’ll never forget—tickets to Mountain Jam, June 20-22, 2025, at Belleayre Mountain! Secure your tickets now and make their holiday shine brighter!
Dead Merch From Online Ceramics – $65
Does someone on your shopping list have an affinity for streetwear and the Grateful Dead? Help them flex on the homies on lot with Dead & Company merch from Online Ceramics. It’s not cheap, but you get your money’s worth with this brand—high quality threads guaranteed to make you the coolest cat on Shakedown Street. Camp High is another highly coveted high fashion brand that makes cozy tie-dye pieces and caters to Deadheads, and both Thunder Shout and Sunshine Daydream have slightly more affordable handmade options.
Tickets For Denver Comes Alive – $45.66–$57.76
Denver Comes Alive will return to the Mile High City for a two-day music marathon at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom and Cervantes’ Other Side on Friday, January 17th and Saturday, January 18th.
David R Freeland Jr. Handmade Jewelry – $$$
There are a lot of great options when it comes to handmade Grateful Dead jewelry, but I’m yet to encounter anyone who comes close to David R Freeland Jr. His creations are truly stunning and he has a wide variety of designs, including pieces for Billy Strings, Widespread Panic, Phish, Ween, Jimi Hendrix, and lots of non-music-related collections as well.
Band Merch
Aside from going to shows, there’s no better way to support musicians than buying their merch. A handful of items from a loved one’s favorite bands is a great way to show your love this holiday season. Go to your favorite artist’s website and check out their online merch store.
Market Studios x SUBU Grateful Dead Mule Slippers – $98
Market has been putting out collections of Grateful Dead merch for a few years now, but these new SUBU stealie slippers are my favorite item so far. The price is kind of steep for slippers, but they will keep your feet cozy for years to come—and they look damn cool.
nugs.net Subscription – $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year
Not too long ago, nugs.net shifted to a subscription model that gives users unlimited access to countless shows and livestreams for one low price. Whether the music lover on your shopping list goes to shows in person or not, a nugs subscription is a gift that will keep on giving. (L4LM is a nugs affiliate, so using the above link is also a great way to support our coverage!)
Color Red Vinyl Club Subscription – $30 per month
Vinyl Me Please Record Subscription – $54–$44 per month depending on subscription
For the vinyl lover in your life who is tired of dealing with the headier-than-thou record store clerk.
CREEM print subscription – $79 per year
They might technically be “the competition,” but CREEM magazine is back and it’s fantastic. Not only has the new publishing team resurrected the oversized magazine style from CREEM’s 20th-century heyday, the editorial staff has resuscitated the edgy, “just because we’re writing about you doesn’t mean we like you” Detroit ethos of the original magazine. In a world of press release regurgitation and manicured quotes, CREEM still dares to be different.
Audio Technica M50x Bluetooth Headphone – $149
L4LM senior editor/staff writer Michael Broerman has been rocking these over-ear headphones for around a year now and loves them. Super comfortable, great battery life, and of course terrific sound. These are great for the casual listener, but if you want to go John Mayer you can upgrade to the M70 which is what he wears onstage with Dead & Company.
Ween 40th Anniversary Tour T-Shirt – $30
For the macabre Ween fan in your life, the Ween 40th anniversary tour t-shirt the band was only able to sell at three concerts before going on an indefinite hiatus. The Chocolate & Cheese hoodie is also marked down. A Tear for Eddie, a tear for us all.
Are you a Dopapod fan struggling to come to terms with the reality that beginning January 1st, 2025, the band will go on indefinite hiatus? Do you play guitar? Then you can get guitar lessons from Dopapod’s Rob Compa. Learn fancy riffs and licks to songs by Phish, Lotus, John Scofield, and others on Rob’s Patreon page or message him directly on Instagram for a private Skype lesson on a specific song/topic.
The perfect mini, on-the-go speaker. Great sound quality and battery life, plus it’s easily portable for festivals or traveling. It says it’s waterproof but the closest we’ve come to testing that is taking it to Mondegreen.
Dead & Company: Rainbow Full of Sound – 2015-2023 – The Touring Years By Jay Blakesberg – $75
Revered concert photographer Jay Blakesberg and his daughter Ricki have compiled a stunning coffee table book documenting Dead & Company’s journey.
Conscious Alliance is always doing wonderful work, feeding hungry families through activations at concerts. In the spirit of the holiday season, they’re currently matching donations, so it’s a great time to give from yourself or in the name of a loved one.
Little Hippie Baby/Toddler/Kids’ Apparel – $
Start ’em young with onesies, t-shirts, hoodies, and more with adorable graphics perfect for your little Deadhead. (Related: Little Hippie Founder Taylor Swope Reflects On Her Journey From Deadhead To Entrepreneur On ‘Self Starters’ [Watch])
Rowdy Sprout Kids’ Band Apparel – $$
The cutest, high-quality patterned PJs, tees, sweat sets, and more for your little rocker, featuring everyone from the Grateful Dead to Bob Marley to Nirvana and beyond.
BB Ears Kids’ Sound Protection Headphones – $100
Protect baby’s hearing at concerts/festivals in style with these gorgeous rhinestone headphones that come in a huge variety of fun colors and patterns. And with product names like “Gotta Jibboo”, “Divided Sky”, and “Weekapaug Groove”, you can guess the creators’ favorite band. They even fit ages 0-5!
Get Up, Stand Up Children’s Book By Cedella Marley – $7 with coupon
Teach your little one the values of Bob Marley with this adorable children’s book from Marley’s daughter, Cedella.
1 2 3 With The Notorious B.I.G. Children’s Book – $23.34
Practice numbers and counting with iconic rappers such as Biggie, Tupac, Drake, Lil Wayne, and DJ Khaled.
The Story Of Rock Children’s Book – $6.67
A fun history of rock n’ roll through the years for your young one, from Chuck Berry to the Beatles to the Grateful Dead to David Bowie, up through today.
Fisher-Price Baby/Toddler DJ Table – $68.39
Get your little one throwing down on the 1’s and 2’s while learning their shapes and colors.
Education Through Music-Colorado Donation
Education Through Music-Colorado is transforming lives by bringing music education to under-resourced public schools in Denver. Founded in 2018, this impactful nonprofit partners with Title I schools to ensure every child, including those with special needs, has access to music as a core subject. Serving over 2,000 students in low-income neighborhoods, ETM-CO fosters self-confidence, motivation, and academic achievement through the power of music. Every donation helps expand their reach, making a lasting impact on children’s lives by turning schools into vibrant, music-filled communities this holiday season.
Sprint to the rail at doors and claim your territory with this multipurpose tarp. Just kidding! Stop with the tarps already. (Could be a good gag gift though—and useful for festival camping!)
We hope this list helps you find something for all the music lovers on your holiday shopping list. Happy Holidays from your friends at L4LM!