Grateful Dead

In June 1967, during the pivotal summer of love, the Grateful Dead were at an exhilarating point in their career, having just released their self-titled debut album in March of that year. The album featured a blend of psychedelic rock and folk influences, showcasing their unique improvisational style. The live performance of "Viola Lee Blues" at the Monterey Pop Festival marked one of their early appearances on a significant national stage, helping to cement their reputation as pioneers of the jam band scene. Notably, the Monterey Pop Festival was not only a landmark event in counterculture history but also one of the first major music festivals, where the Grateful Dead shared the stage with iconic performers such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Their lengthy, improvisational approach to "Viola Lee Blues" exemplifies the band's ethos and foreshadowed their future live performances that would become legendary in the years to come.

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