Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse | Englishtown ‘77

Property of Grateful Dead Productions

Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse

Cyclops stage backdrop, 1977

Blue stage backdrop (approx. 282.5 x 290’’), with large image of a cyclops’ skull with roses and a feather at center; stage-used with some wear, but bright and intact.

The back cover of Terrapin Station, hung behind the Dead at Englishtown, 1977 

Mouse and Kelley’s iconic Art Nouveau-influenced posters for the Grateful Dead and numerous other bands helped define the psychedelic concert art of the era. In the Haight-Ashbury heyday, the two artists lived at 715 Ashbury Street—just across the street from the Dead. They worked extensively with the band, and are often credited for creating the Dead’s famous skeleton and rose imagery, as seen in this fantastic example.

The present banner, featuring Mouse’s and Kelley’s striking artwork, hung behind the band at their legendary performance in Englishtown, NJ on 3 September, 1977. The one-off show drew a massive crowd: over 125,000 fans came to Raceway Park, completely filling the venue with a sea of Deadheads. A favorite show among fans, both for the band’s phenomenal performance, and for the incredible size of the crowd—and, of course, for swapping the numerous stories of what happened there that day.

Setlist:

Promised Land

They Love Each Other

Me and My Uncle

Mississippi Half-Step

Looks Like Rain

Peggy-O

New Minglewood Blues

Friend of the Devil

Music Never Stopped

Bertha

Good Lovin'

Loser

Estimated Prophet

Eyes of the World

Samson and Delilah

He's Gone

Not Fade Away

Truckin'

Terrapin Station

The image on this backdrop originally appeared on the back cover of the 1977 album Terrapin Station, a significant album for the band. Their ninth studio album, the first on Arista Records, was recorded after a two-year hiatus. At the time, it was somewhat controversial due to its introduction of more symphonic arrangements and soundscapes, as well as its production style. But it has gone on to become an essential album, testifying to the Dead’s endless willingness to explore new musical horizons.

A singular piece of a legendary performance