Bertha: Grateful Drag
06 | 15 @ 8:00 pm
Tickets on Sale | February 21, 2025
Doors 7:00pm | Show 8:00pm
BERTHA: Grateful Drag is the world’s first Grateful Dead tribute band in drag—an all-star collective of queer and allied East Nashville talent, rocking full wigs and full face for a good cause. Fronted by a powerhouse harmony trio of Berthas and backed by an all-Bertha band, BERTHA has captured the hearts of Deadheads everywhere. Their electrifying live show has been in demand from coast to coast, whether they’re collaborating with drag queens in Mexico or lighting up major festival stages across the U.S. BERTHA: Grateful Drag is only just beginning its long, strange trip.
Origin Story:
In the mid-1990s, just after Jerry Garcia’s tragic passing, a Deadhead janitor working at Area 51 stumbled upon top-secret time travel technology. Determined to bring Jerry back, he traveled to 1946 and retrieved Jerry’s severed middle finger, hoping that one day, cloning advancements could resurrect the legendary guitarist.
By the early 2000s, scientists discovered that a compound in LSD could activate dormant genes, making full human cloning possible. The plan? Mix Jerry’s DNA with the original Owsley acid and bring back the ultimate Jerry clone to reunite the Grateful Dead.
But something went wrong.
The vials got mixed up. Instead of one perfect Jerry, seven experimental clones emerged—half Jerry, half Brown Acid. These musical mutants inherited their father’s chops but took on a form never before seen in the jam band world: they were women. Cast out from the lab and deemed a failed experiment, these orphan queens embraced their fate. They took the name BERTHA in solidarity and formed a band.
