“Sometimes we live no particular way but our own.” – Grateful Dead
Last year in 2024, I began my Dead and Co. Sphere run. Here I am again, doing it all over, dancing through the weekends, camera in hand, eyes wide open waiting to capture moments of pure unadulterated bliss. This isn’t just a concert series. It’s a living, breathing rhythm that pulses through every fiber of the scene. Last night, amid the sea of kaleidoscopic color and swirling sound, something truly beautiful happened.
Grateful Drag didn’t take the stage—but they didn’t need to.
Born of rebellion and reverence, BERTHA: Grateful Drag made their debut on April 29, 2023, in the heart of Tennessee—just weeks after legislation threatened to silence the art of drag. But instead of backing down, they rose in glitter and grace, turning their first performance into an act of joy-fueled defiance.
It wasn’t just a show—it was a celebration of identity, community, and the enduring power of music to unite and uplift. That night, under the soft lights of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, they didn’t just play Grateful Dead songs—they breathed life into them, raising over $4,000 for local LGBTQ+ organizations and igniting a movement that dances forward still.
Last night at the Sphere, members of BERTHA: Grateful Drag shimmered through the crowd like celestial bodies in motion—graceful, glowing, grounded in something so powerful it could only be described as love. I spotted them weaving between heads and hugs, platforms planted firmly in the sacred dust of the GA floor. They were there with us, not above us. And that’s the magic.
They weren’t performing—they were simply being. Being bold. Being beautiful. Being unapologetically themselves. And in doing so, they gave every single one of us permission to do the same.
This is the part of my journey that’s always been about the people. I first started taking photos during the Sphere run last year, after a moment that changed everything. I looked up at Jay Blakesberg, one of the most iconic documentarians of Dead culture, and asked, “How does someone get to where you are?” That conversation planted a seed. Since then, my lens has become a way to remember the truth of who we are: wild, free, and deeply connected.
But my focus was never the band. It was the bliss. The surrender. The swirling expressions of passion and presence on the faces around me. That’s the magic I chase. The magic I capture.
Last night, that magic had a name: BERTHA: Grateful Drag.
What makes Grateful Drag so powerful isn’t just their aesthetic—it’s their embodiment of creative freedom in a time when that freedom is under threat. With each glittering gesture and every layered harmony, they carve out space where being fully seen is not only allowed, but honored.
Their presence is a protest expressed through celebration, a living invitation to imagine a more inclusive world. As conversations around trans and queer rights grow increasingly charged, Grateful Drag offers a reminder that self-expression is sacred. A reminder that art, when rooted in truth, can become a sanctuary for everyone who longs to belong.
They tour the country not just playing music, but partnering with LGBTQ+ organizations, hiring local drag queens to emcee, and bringing communities together in beautiful, glitter-laced solidarity. Whether you’re a lifelong Deadhead or someone discovering these songs for the first time through a veil of lashes and lace, Grateful Drag welcomes you into the family.
“You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.”
That line keeps playing in my head. Because you have to want to feel this. You have to let it in. And once you do, the euphoria is unmistakable.
In a world that often feels too heavy, too fast, and too uncertain—this kind of radical authenticity is not just entertainment. It’s medicine. Medicine for the soul.
This weekend, BERTHA: Grateful Drag is performing at Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas. Not just a show. A celebration. Doors open late, and if you’re lucky, the glitter will still be glowing by sunrise. Come feel it for yourself. Come let yourself be seen.
“Without love in the dream, it’ll never come true.”
From my heart to yours. Joy
Grateful Drag – Live at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
Join Grateful Drag for two unforgettable late-night performances at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas on Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19, 2025. Doors open at 11:30 PM for both 18+ events. The venue is located at 3545 Las Vegas Blvd S, Suite 22, Las Vegas, NV 89109, within The LINQ Promenade. Tickets are available through Brooklyn Bowl’s official website, Ticketmaster, and AXS. Clark County residents who purchase tickets can enjoy free parking at any Caesars Self-Parking location by validating at the Brooklyn Bowl retail store. Please note that all tickets are standing room only, and a valid government-issued ID is required for entry.
Stay connected with BERTHA: Grateful Drag—the world’s first all-drag Grateful Dead tribute band—by following them on their official social media channels. Explore their latest performances, tour dates, and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram at @gratefuldrag. Join their community on Facebook at facebook.com/gratefuldrag. For a list of their social media profiles and additional content, visit their Linktree: linktr.ee/gratefuldrag.
Unscripted Joy 