Becoming a Dead Head was and still is a remarkable thing, much richer and more complex than simply deciding to like a band.  It means becoming part of a community, a family of kindred souls.  It’s about celebration but also about learning – new music forms, whether it’s obscure blues or chanting monks or … everything.

The second annual Skull and Roses Festival brought Deadheads from all over California, to the Ventura Fairgrounds, for three days of music inspired by The Grateful Dead. The campground area was nearly full by the time the music started early on Friday afternoon, April 6th. Festival publicist Dennis McNally, who was the publicist for the Grateful Dead from 1984-95 choose the spot because of its significance in the history of the Dead.

Something really remarkable happened at the Fare Thee Well shows in 2015.  Instead of being a goodbye, it was a re-ignition, a passing of the torch in some ways.  Although Jerry was always quick to point out that it was Dead Heads who created themselves, the phenomenon of Dead Head-ism was focused on the band for the first 30 years.  And it was fairly fractured for the next twenty, with some liking some iterations, and others, not.  And the musicians aren’t done, whether it’s Dead & Co. or Phil and Bobby’s recent duo, or the future outings of Billy and Mickey.

As you may have noticed, Grateful Dead music has assumed a life of its own, and the joy it brings, the community it generates, is not only enduring, but also thriving.  And so Dead Heads can return to one of their favorite show sites ever, the Ventura County Fairgrounds, on April 6 through 8 this year to take part in Skull and Roses, a gathering to celebrate Dead-Head-edness and listen to the Golden Gate Wingmen (John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti, Jay Lane, Reed Mathis), St

Skull and Roses is a celebration of community, a community generated by the music of the Grateful Dead.  Our music.

Somebody asked Uncle John what being a Dead Head was all about.  He smiled and said, “When you want to be fully alive, an individual but also tied at the heart within a rich, vibrant family, somebody who wants to have a lot of fun and probably dance, too – then you’re a Dead Head.”

The music of the Grateful Dead returned to the Ventura Fairgrounds en masse as 48 bands played on three stages for three days, all playing Dead related covers. The Skull and Roses Festival was organized partially to celebrate the legendary concerts by the original Grateful Dead, back in the 1980’s.

For a live Dead music lover, the Skull & Roses Festival is like a Dead fest. on steroids! Over forty different interpretations of Deadness, from the finest touring bands to local favorites to a duo with acoustic guitars, expect a history-making three days of what we once loved so much...gathering together and dancing with friends new and old. Add camping and you’ve got an unforgettable ‘sunshine daydream’ concert of a lifetime!