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The Grateful Dead
This is the iconic "Hippie Santa Claus" psychedelic concert poster (catalog number FD-40), designed by legendary rock artist Victor Moscoso for the Family Dog production company. It advertised a two-night pre-Christmas dance and concert event held at San Francisco's historic Avalon Ballroom on Friday and Saturday, December 23 and 24, 1966.Concert Lineup & Details Headliner: The Grateful Dead Supporting Acts: The Steve Miller Blues Band and Moby GrapeLight Show: Multi-media presentation by Roger Hillyard and Ben Van Meter Artistic Style & Trivia Moscoso cleverly blended the festive holiday season with underground counterculture by giving Santa Claus small, subtle horns—leading the artist himself to occasionally refer to the piece as "The Satanic Santa". The striking imagery utilizes an optical illusion pattern with green and red triangles set against clashing, vibrant color wheels to mimic a vibrating visual sensation under psychedelic concert lights. This particular piece is highly sought after by collectors because it remains one of the few entries in the early Family Dog series that was never officially reprinted in a later poster run, making the rare vintage first-print variants incredibly valuable.
The Grateful Dead - Before (Poster)
Before