Grateful Dead 1983 Alton Kelly Santa Cruz T-Shirt
Alton Kelley stands among the most important visual artists of psychedelic rock. His work, alongside Stanley Mouse, created the Skeleton and Roses imagery that became the Dead's iconic logo. By 1983, Kelley was at the height of his powers, still designing Dead merchandise, still engaging with the band's aesthetic evolution. This Santa Cruz show shirt bears his unmistakable design sensibility: complex, layered, integrating organic forms with precise lettering.
Santa Cruz, California, just hours from San Francisco, had become a crucial part of the Dead's touring circuit. These 1983 shows fall within the band's later-period touring, when the Dead had solidified their touring schedule and expanded their fan base beyond the original core constituency.
Kelley's art elevated concert merchandise from a mere commodity to a cultural document. Wearing this shirt meant you were part of a lineage of visual sophistication that connected to the very origins of psychedelic art.
- Size: Large tag, ScreenStars, 50% cotton / 50% polyester
- Measurements: Armpit to armpit 18 1/2" / Shoulder to bottom hem 29 1/2"
- Condition: Original concert tee, excellent
- Format: Black shirt with Kelley artwork
- Era: 1983, designed by legendary concert poster artist