Did You Know That The Grateful Dead Performed At A Utah Ski Resort?

Park City, Utah — Around four decades ago, the Grateful Dead took two long strange trips to Park City.

Yesterday, the Grateful Dead shared two photos from their concerts at Park West Ski Resort. Their first visit happened on September 4th, 1983, 41 years and one day ago. They had a second show at Park West on August 20th, 1987.

There was something truly magical about seeing the Grateful Dead play up in the mountains. Twice during their touring career, the band performed at Park West Ski Resort in Park City, UT, with the first show taking place on this day in 1983. That night, the band had the crowd… pic.twitter.com/yrWaxKjutP
— Grateful Dead (@GratefulDead) September 4, 2024

In terms of the experience, Deadhead Dina Whitaker gave a mind-blowing story about the concert:

“I’m so happy to have stumbled on this page! Yes, this was my first Dead show ever. I had lived in Park City a few years before in my ski bum days and came back to visit friends and for the show. I remember it was storming all the day before and the [sic] that morning. As the day wore on it gradually cleared but I remembered clouds threatening. My biggest memory was during the second set when they played Scarlet…..the clouds were covering the sun and it was cold. Then on the first notes of Fire on the Mountain the clouds parted again and there was the sun…..a fire on the mountain…….fuckin blew my mind. The L [LSD] intensified the experience, naturally…..but it was the most amazing first Dead show there ever could have been and here I am 31 years later, still talking about it!”

Now, you may be asking yourself, what the hell is Park West Ski Resort? The answer requires a bit of a history lesson.

Ultimately, the Canyons Village side of Park City Mountain Resort has gone through many name changes. When it opened for business in 1968, it was known as Park City West. In 1975, new owners changed it to ParkWest, which is how many locals remember it. During the ParkWest era, it hosted many big concerts, including the B-52s, Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, and Heart.

Two other name changes came in the 1990s, with it being known as Wolf Mountain for two years and then The Canyons in 1997 after being acquired by the American Skiing Company. Vail Resorts acquired the Canyons in 2013, and after receiving Park City Mountain in 2014 through a series of bizarre circumstances, the two sides became known solely as Park City Mountain Resort in 2015. IMO, changing it from The Canyons to PCMR was the worst ski resort name change of the past decade (at least).

Official Setlist on September 3, 1983
Bertha
Promised Land
Friend of the Devil
Little Red Rooster
Tennessee Jed
My Brother Esau
Althea
Hell in a Bucket
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Scarlet Begonias
Fire on the Mountain
Man Smart/Woman Smarter
drums
Spanish Jam
The Wheel
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Around and Around
One More Saturday Night
U.S. Blues