Grateful Dead 1980 Warfield Theatre, San Francisco Concert Poster

A 1980 concert poster with Grateful Dead on the bill in Warfield Theatre, San.

About The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965 and became famous for long, improvised live shows. Grateful Dead posters and album art, from skeletons and roses to dancing bears, are central to psychedelic design. By the 1970s, concert promotion moved to arenas and stadiums, and posters advertised ever larger shows. It was designed to promote a 1980 concert in San Francisco. 1980s music posters reflected MTV-era style, from new wave graphics to heavy metal illustration. Concert posters are often the only surviving record of a particular line-up on a particular night.

Styling this Grateful Dead concert poster

This 1980 poster for Grateful Dead brings a slice of 1980s music history to the wall. Hang it at eye level, about 57 inches (145 cm) to its centre; 18×24″ is a versatile size for most walls. A black or antique-gold frame suits this Grateful Dead concert poster well and keeps the focus on the image. Build a gallery wall around this Grateful Dead concert poster: add two or three smaller prints that echo its colours and keep the gaps to 2–3 inches.

At a glance

• Type: Grateful Dead concert poster
• Band: The Grateful Dead
• Year: 1980
• Style: Vintage concert posters
• Collections: Grateful Dead Posters, Vintage Concert Posters