Although there is some ambiguity as to the exact number of concerts the Grateful Dead played over the course of their 30-year history, it is well accepted that the figure is north of 2300. Of those, less than one-percent took place at the stroke of midnight on December 31 (22 to be precise). Statistics aside, the band’s New Year’s shows were nothing less than the stuff of legend. Indeed, among the Deadhead community the Grateful Dead and New Year’s became as intimately paired as salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, gin and tonic, bread and butter, pen and paper, macaroni and cheese, soap and water, cookies and milk, yin and yang, bat and ball, and, of course, Batman and Robin.

This wasn’t because the New Year’s shows themselves were categorically dissimilar to any other Grateful Dead concerts (with all due respect to Bill Graham’s various pre-midnight entrances and the colorful balloon showers that punctuated the conclusion of the countdown). To understand this phenomenon one must look not only at the New Year’s Eve concerts but at the run of shows leading up to them as the reason behind this cultural phenomenon. Much like the four-night run at London’s Strand Lyceum that concluded the Europe 72 tour, or the five-night series of shows at Winterland in October of ’75, New Year’s with the Grateful Dead wasn’t just one concert so much as a multi-night celebration of the turning of the calendar, replete with the exercise of annual reviews, and the promise of new beginnings.

Therefore, this year the Deadhead Cyclist has reviewed the various shows comprising the runup to the New Year’s Eve shows and is pleased to present “This Week In Grateful Dead New Year’s History.”

Starting with the 22 contenders, it was easy to pare it down to 16, given that in six cases the New Year’s show itself was a non-sequitur (not part of a series of shows). The finalists include the following (purely in chronological order):

1969

December 29-30 at the Boston Tea Party (a concert venue that inhabited the site of a former synagogue that was built in 1872 from ’67-’70 before moving to the site of the Ark, later becoming the Avalon and currently House of Blues)

1977

December 27, 29-30 at Winterland Arena (no introduction necessary)

1978

December 27-28  at Golden Hall Community Concourse, San Diego; December 30 at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles

1979

December 26-28, 30 at Oakland Auditorium Arena

1980

December 26-28, 30 at Oakland Auditorium Arena

1981

December 26-28, 30 at Oakland Auditorium Arena

1982

December 26-28, 30 at Oakland Auditorium Arena

1983

December 27-28, 30 at San Francisco Civic Auditorium

1984

December 28-29 at San Francisco Civic Auditorium

1985

December 30 at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (formerly Oakland Auditorium Arena. Note: just one show prior to New Year’s Eve)

1986

December 27-28, 30 at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center

1987

December 27-28, 30 at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center

1988

December 28-29 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

1989

December 27-28, 30 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

1990

December 27-28, 30 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

1991

December 27-28, 30 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

After a careful review of the 49 shows in the list, here are the official results:

3rd place:

December 26-28, 30, 1982 at Oakland Auditorium Arena

2nd place:

December 27-28, 30, 1983 at San Francisco Civic Auditorium

1st place:

December 27-28, 30, 1987 Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center

Late in the second set of the 12/27/87 show is one of the most poignant songs in the entire Grateful Dead repertoire: Stella Blue. With references to the way “all the years combine” and “broken dreams,” you couldn’t ask for a more fitting way to frame the very private journey we undertake as we review the past twelve months and create a personal vision for a new year. 

Many spiritual traditions offer a deeper context for new year’s celebrations that go beyond the mere revelry we typically engage in at this time of transition. Predictably, many of these have a cleansing, out-with-the-old/in-with-the-new quality to them. For example, in Scotland, Hogmanay (the Scottish word for the last day of the year, or New Year’s Eve) is a three-day, end-of-year ritual that includes the “redding” of the house, a deep cleaning with particular focus on the fireplace, where old ashes are cleaned out to symbolize a clean start to the year.

Another New Year’s custom that focuses on peace and cleansing is the Festa de Lemanjá (“feast of the goddess of the sea”) in Brazil. Dressed in white (see photo below of Donna from the New Year’s ’78 show; coincidence?), participants run into the ocean at midnight to jump over seven waves, with each leap signifying an intention for the new year.

In the Philippines, the Filipino community ensures a happy new year by wearing polka dots and eating round fruits – oranges, watermelon, and pomelos (a grapefruit-like citrus fruit) – representing the circular nature of the year, and believed to promote prosperity and good fortune.

Similarly, in Judaism it is traditional during Rosh Hashanah (literally meaning “head of the year”) to bake and partake of a round loaf of challah (pronounced, khah’-lah) – to symbolize the cyclical nature of the seasons – embedded with raisins to represent wishes for a sweet year to come. On a more interpersonal level, it is customary at the time of the new year to reflect on anyone you may have wronged during the past year, and to approach that person directly to request forgiveness.

For Deadheads, the tradition of gathering together for the New Year’s shows – including those leading up to the actual New Year’s Eve concert – was no less of a spiritual event than those listed above, as well as the many others that are held throughout the world. The sacred texts – otherwise known as lyrics – that are recited during these shows, coupled with the congregational setting, have made Grateful Dead New Year’s shows as devotional an experience as any other. Singing “brown eyed women and red grenadine,” “sometimes the light’s all shining on me,” or “you know my love will not fade away” in a crowd of thousands of brothers and sisters at the time of an imminent new year is certainly as powerful a tradition as any. This is more than evidenced by virtue of the ongoing Grateful Dead-like concerts still taking place around the stroke of midnight, now almost three decades after the actual Grateful Dead ceased to exist. Just this year we had Galactic, the California Honeydrops, Dark Star Orchestra, Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits, Goose, Billy Strings and, of course, Bobby Weir and Wolf Brothers carrying on the Grateful Dead New Year’s tradition (just to name a few).

Which brings us back to This Week In Grateful Dead New Year’s History and the 12/27/87 Stella Blue. This particular tune has plenty of remorseful references to cover any regrets we might have to review from the past year –  “a broken angel,” “broken dreams and vanished years,” “just the pavement left,” “every lonely street that’s ever been.” 

But just when Stella Blue has you “crying like the wind,” a corner is turned that offers a reason to go on, to meet the new year with a renewed sense of optimism – “in the end there’s still that song,” and “dust off those rusty strings just one more time; gonna make ’em shine!”

As we head courageously into 2025, it’s understandable that we carry with us a balance of regret and optimism. As Americans and citizens of the Earth, we have plenty to feel apprehensive about. But there’s just as much reason to feel hopeful and confident that the year ahead will be the best one yet. Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to create a positive vision for the future and get moving in that direction. 

The fact that “there’s nothing you can hold for very long” just happens to create the perfect dose of reality to encourage you to grab ahold of your life while you can. Keep in mind, though, that “nothing comes for free,” and that you will have to invest yourself in your dreams, whatever they are, to “make ’em shine.”

Happy New Year!