The Grateful Dead wrought a psychedelic revolution upon the cultural landscape of the Sixties. They also kept the spirit of the Sixties alive in the decades that followed, building a massive, supportive network of fans known as “Deadheads.” The Dead and their peers on the San Francisco scene helped steer the adventurous rock audience of the mid-Sixties toward a brave new world of sound in which albums supplanted singles and concerts became improvisational marathons.

Highlights of the group’s recorded legacy include Anthem of the Sun (1968), their ultra-psychedelic, quasi-symphonic magnum opus; Live/Dead (1969), a concert compendium that bore out fans’ claims that the Dead were best experienced live; Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty (both from 1970), country- and folk-influenced classics that highlighted their songwriting ability and sage-like overview of the counterculture’s past, present and future; and Grateful Dead (a.k.a. “Skull and Roses"), the second and arguably the best of many multi-album live sets. Deadheads and critics alike contended that the best way to experience the group was in concert, where the mystical band-fan bonding ritual drove the music to improvisational peaks. Led by Garcia’s modal guitar work, and taking cues from sources as varied as Jimmy Reed, John Coltrane and Bill Monroe, the Dead would delve into blues, folk, jazz R&B and avant-garde realms for hours on end. (source: Rock & Rock Hall Of Fame)

The owners of the Sageman Trading Company are Deadhead’s as well and have attended hundreds of shows. They are thrilled and honored to be working with the Grateful Dead and are the only authorized djembe drum manufacturer in the world that carries the famed “Steal Your Face” Grateful Dead Logo. We offer a line of limited edition djembe drums that feature deep carving, line carving, hand painting, bone inlay, and several Grateful Dead frame drum models that feature the Dancing Bears.