
The Grateful Dead and the Quest for Transcendence
Dec 1, 2026, 6:30 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/grateful-dead?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/grateful-dead?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
The Grateful Dead has more than music to share: The band offers lessons on impermanence, interconnection, and the search for meaning, which author Casey Rae explores. Tracing the Grateful Dead's connections to the Beat generation, psychedelia, and Eastern philosophy, Rae examines how the band's music, community, and improvisational ethos reflect deeper questions about transcendence, identity, and human connection. He also offers insights into the Grateful Dead's influence and timeless appeal.