The Grateful Dead‘s charitable arm the Rex Foundation will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 13th at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. Joining the non-profit for the momentous milestone are pre-eminent Dead tribute act Dark Star Orchestra and Jerry Garcia collaborator Melvin Seals & JGB.
In addition to marking 40 years of the Rex Foundation, the concert will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s fabled July 13th, 1984 show at the Greek Theatre, which Dark Star Orchestra will perform in full for its 40th anniversary. The show also marked the first-ever Rex Foundation benefit concert.
The Grateful Dead had a special relationship with the grandiose amphitheater on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, playing there 27 times from 1981 to 1989. But the band’s show on July 13th, 1984 went far beyond their earthly connection and extended into the cosmos itself, as when the Dead brought out their improvisational behemoth “Dark Star” for the first time in three years, fans witnessed a shooting star streak across the sky. The phenomena was just one of several environmental coincidences that happened during the Dead’s career, including playing “Fire on the Mountain” in Portland, OR when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 and performing beneath a lunar eclipse at the feet of the Great Pyramid in Egypt in 1978.
The Rex Foundation has also enjoyed a storied history through the decades. In 2024, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization will pass a milestone of ten million dollars given to over 1,400 grantees over the past 40 years. Throughout its existence, the Rex Foundation has used its resources to support small non-profits that benefit the environment, arts, Native American issues, and education.
An artist pre-sale for tickets to the 40th anniversary Rex Foundation concert at the Greek Theatre is now open on Ticketmaster, accessible using the code “BERTHA”. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 16th at 10 a.m. PT here. VIP packages are on sale via the Rex Foundation website and include premium reserved seating, a limited edition lithograph show poster, and a VIP reception on Friday, July 12th at Comal Restaurant in Berekely.
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