The Grateful Dead, an American band that played an eclectic mix of music for over three decades, achieved minimal commercial success but arguably had - and still has - one of the most passionate and devoted fan bases. The band stopped touring following the death of lead singer Jerry Garcia. Surviving members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart have continued to perform with younger musicians such as John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti, and Otell Burbridge. The band's legacy is due largely to its live shows, which were never the same.

The Dead were hyper-aware of the audience's experience during their live shows, "playing what was in the air" instead of simply going through their music sheets, as author Ken Kesey claimed in a short film about the band. The Dead played a different set at every show and encouraged fans to film their concerts. As a result, recordings exist of almost all 2,500 Grateful Dead performances.

As the band became more popular and started developing a cult-like following, with regulars attending multiple shows in different cities, tickets became scarce. However, fans, known as Deadheads, regularly crammed nearby parking lots, creating pseudo villages filled with vendors selling food and merchandise. Many notable figures, including George R.R. Martin and Nancy Pelosi, consider themselves Deadheads.