Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 3: Soundtracking the Scene, Caught in the Lovelight, and Unknowingly Dosed

35 minutes

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan wonders if he's the only person not tripping inside a warehouse in the burned-out Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the Grateful Dead are soundtracking yet another acid test. He further wonders if he's the only one who recognizes the gravity of the situation when the LAPD burst in. Later, he falls hard for a likeminded blues lover who turns on her lovelight. But not before he falls into a pit of despair when he is unknowingly dosed and embarks on a trip from which he may never return.

Sources:

A Long Strange Trip: The Inside Story of the Grateful Dead, by Dennis McNally

Living with The Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead, by Rock Scully with David Dalton

Searching for the Sound, by Phil Lesh

This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead, by Blair Jackson and David Gans

Grateful Dead 1966 “Viola Lee Blues” rehearsals

Owsley Stanley: The King of LSD (Rolling Stone)

Watts Rebellion (History.com)

Grateful Dead Guide: Viola Lee Blues (Dead Essays)

Fleeing marijuana possession charges, Ken Kesey successfully hid from the FBI … in Marijuana City, Mexico (Muckrock)

Wavy Gravy interview 1

Wavy Gravy interview 2

Watts Acid Test - 2/12/66 (Truckin’ with the Dead)

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” & “The Fugitive” Summary and Analysis (GradeSaver)

Grateful Dead Guide: Pigpen Solo (Dead Essays)

Grateful Dead live at Youth Opportunities Center 1966

Unearthed Grateful Dead pool party photos debut at North Bay museum exhibition (SF Chronicle)

For behind the scenes info and news on this episode, follow:

Instagram: @DoubleElvis @Disgracelandpod 

Twitter: @DoubleElvisFm @Disgracelandpod

Tik Tok: @Disgracelandpod

Pinterest: @doubleelvisfm 

Facebook: Double Elvis Productions

Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and many more musical icons all died at the age of 27. Scandalous, tortured, dramatic, and incredibly talented, these artists torched a wild path to their early graves and shifted and shaped our culture along the way. 27 Club tells their stories. 27 Club is hosted and created by Jake Brennan, host and creator of the award-winning music and true crime podcast DISGRACELAND. 27 Club is not a journalistic podcast. It is an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. For more shows like 27 Club, check out www.doubleelvis.com. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More episodes from 27 Club

Introducing: Stones Touring Party

In the summer of 1972, the Rolling Stones swept across an America still smoldering from the tumult of the ‘60s, bringing their gritty masterpiece …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 10: Good, Old, Grateful, and Dead

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s lifelong devotion to drinking wasn’t the cause of his medical issues – chalk those up to a genetic disease. But no matter how …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 9: Conquering Europe, Wasting Away, and Making a Last Stand

Against doctor’s orders, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan hit the road one more time with the Grateful Dead. The band’s 1972 tour of Europe is legendary. But at …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 8: Turning off the Love Light, Long-Awaited Redemption, and a Deadly Diagnosis

A dark cloud of death hung over the Grateful Dead as they went into the studio to make what is arguably their masterpiece, American Beauty. Janis …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 7: Busted Down on Bourbon Street, Workingman’s Dead, and Riding that Train

Busted down on Bourbon Street. Fleeced by a member of the family. Plastered on a runaway train barreling through the Canadian countryside. As the …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (Episode 6): Coming Down from One Long Strange Trip, Awakening to a New Nightmare, and Shooting up a Led Zep Photo Shoot

Though Ron “Pigpen” McKernan continued to feel like he was being pushed out of the Grateful Dead’s creative circle, he could still make an …

How you can listen to this podcast

You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.

Recommended apps
Start listening to Introducing: Stones Touring Party
2:08
Start listening to Introducing: Stones Touring Party
2:08