Grateful Dead’s Historic Egypt Concerts Mark 47th Anniversary

At the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Grateful Dead staged three spellbinding shows from September 14 to 16, 1978. The final performance coincided with a total lunar eclipse, and the band sought to tap into the site's ancient power.

"It sort of became my project because I was one of the first people in the band who was on the trip of playing at places of power," said bassist Phil Lesh, according to Flashbak. "The pyramids are like the obvious number one choice because no matter what anyone thinks they might be, there is definitely some kind of mojo about the pyramids."

The shows faced obstacles. Camels pulled stuck trucks from desert sands. Despite what vocalist and guitarist Bob Weir called a "winkin,' blinkin' affair" of electrical issues, the music went on. "I got to a point where the head of the Sphinx was lined up with the top of the Great Pyramid, all lit up," Weir said. "All of a sudden, I went to this timeless place. The sounds from the stage — they could have been from any time."

These shows birthed a live album, Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978, in 2008. Jerry Garcia said that the band's goal was to embody a form of modern anarchy, contrasting their 1960s ideals with their current spiritual and musical exploration. 

Adrian Boot, who shot the shows, painted a wild scene after the final night. In these desert performances, ancient stones met psychedelic sounds. When Boot mentioned his disappointment that the pyramids stayed put and didn't actually levitate like the band predicted, Garcia quipped, "You weren't paying attention."