Grateful Dead Hits Theaters With 1972’s Beat Club Performance

Centennial, Colo. – June 9, 2014 – Fathom Events and Rhino Entertainment are excited to present the annual“Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies: Beat Club 4/21/72” in cinemas nationwide on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. local time.  The event will feature a complete rare live studio performance of the Grateful Dead captured during their legendary European tour in 1972 with audio remastered from the original analog tapes. Never officially released and never before seen in its entirety, the Bremen, West Germany’s Beat Club TV program studio performance features the classic 1972 lineup, and captures the Dead in their prime, playing at the height of the powers and tearing through a condensed version of a typical Europe ’72 concert. The event offers a unique view of the band, allowing fans in cinemas to hear fly-on-the-wall chatter and get up-close and personal with band members in one of their most intimate studio performances.

Tickets for “Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies: Beat Club 4/21/72” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be presented in more than 360 select movie theaters around the country through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

The event features stand-out versions of set staples like “Bertha,” “Sugaree,” “Playing In The Band” (two versions!) and a classic “Truckin’>Drums>The Other One.” This performance is one of the last known video captures of Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Pigpen was legendary for his blues influence on the band’s sound.

“To see such outstanding footage of some of the Grateful Dead’s most important songs from 1972, including a 20 minute version of ‘The Other One’ and two way-out-there renditions of ‘Playing In The Band’ is a truly remarkable experience,” said Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux. “There’s never been a show from this era filmed so clearly in its entirety, and this audiovisual document captures the band at arguably their creative zenith. As a Dead Head and an archivist, this is some of the most exciting footage of the Dead I’ve ever come across. It’s thrilling to know thousands will now be able to enjoy it on July 17.”

“Our annual meet-up events give Grateful Dead fans a chance to get together and celebrate their favorite band through iconic and rare Dead content,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom Events. “Fans will take a trip down memory lane and experience this historic studio session from 1972, all from the comfort of their local theater.”