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On the verge of the fifth anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death, a documentary about Deadheads on the Grateful Dead's final tour, The End of the Road, will make its first appearance. 29-year-old Brent Meeske, a UC Santa Barbara film school graduate, shot the video footage while on the Dead's Summer of '95 tour. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the band's final run.
The world premiere will be held on Garcia's birthday, Aug. 1, with two screenings at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. The early show will be followed by a performance by keyboardist Merl Saunders, playing the Castro's Wurlitzer organ. With the price of admission, you get a ticket to Jerry's Birthday party after the film at the Maritime Hall that includes a special midnight performance by Sector Nine. Saunders' 1991 album, Blues for the Rainforest, featuring Garcia on guitar, was used as the soundtrack for the documentary. The movie also runs Aug. 4-7 at the Red Vic on Haight Street in the city and will be screened twice at the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael on the evening of Aug. 9.
Please note, Grateful Dead Productions was not involved in the movie and there is no concert footage or Grateful Dead music in it. It does provide a critical yet passionate examination of this uniquely American phenomenon, successfully capturing the experience of following the band from a Deadhead's perspective.
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