Deadheads head to Ventura for Skull & Roses

VENTURA, Calif.-Deadheads are heading to the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Skull & Roses kicked off 5 days of music on Wednesday night.

Dozens of bands will be sharing their interpretations of Grateful Dead songs on a giant revolving stage that keeps the music going.

"It started out with just a few hundred people and we now have thousands, and in general, the stage is like a rocket ship," said longtime Grateful Dead publicist Dennis McNally, "It is amazing because it spins, so one band is setting up, while another band is playing, which means no breaks, it is all music from roughly noon to close to midnight."

The stage faces the grandstand this year.

The Grateful Dead played plenty of shows at the fairgrounds in the 1980s and many people who saw those shows will be attending Skull & Roses this week.

McNally, who toured the grounds on Wednesday as crews set up.

"We have matured shall we say, the festival is a lot more elaborate."

Fans can see Phil Lesh perform twice.

"Phil Lesh is coming back, he played last year, the bass player of the Grateful Dead, but he is going to play 2 nights, Saturday and Sunday, "said McNally, " So we must be doing something right."

McNally who edited "Jerry on Jerry: The Unpublished Jerry Garcia Interviews" said, "The Grateful Dead created something musically and sociologically, a community that people truly, truly love, which is why 28 years after Jerry Garcia died- it is bigger than ever."

This is the fifth Skull & Roses.

"It is not going away, it is growing, which is kind of ridiculous, but true, and it is growing because it is a community and people love it."

There are single and multi-day passes available and children under 13 are free.

You can find a link to ticket information at skullandroses.com or on our website.