The Grateful Dead has never been a band to think small, and their 60th anniversary is no exception. Following their extravagant Fare Thee Well shows and a 50-disc box set in 2015, the legendary group is back with Enjoying the Ride—a massive 60-disc collection that serves as a tribute to their unparalleled legacy of live performance.
A Journey Through the Dead’s Most Iconic Venues
Set for release on May 30, Enjoying the Ride is a love letter to the band’s devoted following and the venues that became synonymous with the Deadhead experience. The collection features nearly complete concerts from 20 legendary venues, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Colorado’s Red Rocks, San Francisco’s Fillmore West, and the Boston Garden. The result is a staggering 60-disc set that, according to the Dead’s archivist David Lemieux, is “almost the size of my little suitcase.”
Lemieux, who curated the set, drew inspiration from his own experience as a Deadhead. “In 1987, I was seeing my second-ever Dead show in Toronto,” he told Rolling Stone. “A friend of mine came up to me and said, ‘Dude, if they do Alpine [Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin] again, you gotta go.’ He wasn’t just talking about the show—he was talking about the whole experience, the venue, the setting. That’s what we wanted to capture with this set.”
Unearthed Treasures from the Vault
One of the most exciting aspects of Enjoying the Ride is its wealth of previously unreleased material. While the Grateful Dead recorded around 1,700 to 1,800 of their estimated 2,300 live shows, only about 400 have been officially released. This means there is still a goldmine of unheard performances waiting in the vault.
Despite the impressive scope of the project, a few obstacles emerged during production. A 1972 Boston Garden show was missing its final reel—about 25 minutes of music—so Lemieux substituted a Dark Star from the following night at the same venue. Similarly, a four-night run at the Fillmore West in 1969 required some careful curation due to problematic tapes.
Additionally, a last-minute realization led to a unique bonus item. The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, another key venue in the Dead’s early years, was initially left out. Rather than adding another CD, Lemieux and his team opted for a throwback approach: an 80-minute cassette featuring a 1969 Avalon show will be included in the set’s packaging.
Options for Every Deadhead
For those who can’t commit to the $599 price tag of Enjoying the Ride, more affordable options will be available. A condensed version, The Music Never Stopped, will distill the highlights into a 3-CD set for $34 or a 6-LP vinyl edition for $149.
Meanwhile, Dead & Company—featuring former members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart—will celebrate their own milestone with a 10th-anniversary residency at the Las Vegas Sphere.
A Legacy That Keeps on Rolling
While Enjoying the Ride marks a significant milestone, it’s far from the last major archival release from the Grateful Dead. With at least 1,200 more recorded shows still locked away, fans can expect many more deep dives into the band’s legendary history in the years to come.
Even though founding bassist Phil Lesh’s passing in 2023 closed the door on any future Grateful Dead reunion shows, the music—and the journey—continues. As the band famously sang in Hell in a Bucket, the source of the box set’s title: “At least I’m enjoying the ride.”