The Californer - "The Grateful Dead — 60 Years in San Francisco" - Pantheon Media Launches New Podcast Series and Interactive "Hit Replay" App

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Pantheon Media and SF Travel debut a multi-platform celebration, immersing fans in the band's hometown history with a weekly podcast and a first-of-its-kind puzzle-trivia app.

SAN FRANCISCO - Californer -- Pantheon Media and the San Francisco Travel Association (SFTravel) today launched the Grateful Dead @ 60 – San Francisco Legacy Project, a summer-long celebration of the band's six-decade relationship with the City by the Bay. The project kicks off with the premiere of a new limited-series podcast, "The Grateful Dead — 60 Years in San Francisco," and the release of its interactive companion app, Hit Replay.

"The First Decade – 1965-1975," is now streaming on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and all major platforms. Hosted by veteran Bay Area broadcaster Marla Davies, a new installment will drop every Thursday through August 7. Listeners will hear first-hand accounts from celebrated journalists, archivists, and crew—including Joel Selvin, Ben Fong-Torres, Dennis McNally, Rosie McGee, and David Gans—alongside rare live clips that chart the Dead's journey from Haight-Ashbury acid tests to the forthcoming 2025 Dead and Co. tribute concerts in Golden Gate Park.

"San Francisco has always been the Grateful Dead's laboratory. This series lets us walk those streets again—venue by venue, jam by jam—through the voices that were there, " said Marla Davies, host and executive producer of the podcast.

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Launching alongside the podcast is Hit Replay, a first-of-its-kind music-trivia app, built on the Spooler platform and designed to guide fans through the Grateful Dead's history. A companion to the podcast, the free app drops a fresh quiz each Thursday matching the decade featured in that week's episode. Players hear authentic concert snippets and race the clock to guess the song, venue, and year, unlocking bite-sized lore, archival photos, and travel tie-ins to explore the city.

"Hit Replay isn't just another trivia app - it's a time machine, " said Christian Swain, CEO of Pantheon Media."We wanted fans to hear San Francisco change as the Dead did, and Spooler's audio engine let us weave music, memories, and game play into one seamless ride."

The podcast and app anchor the broader Grateful Dead @ 60 – San Francisco Legacy Project, which also features:

Weekly two-hour live "Deadhead Forum" events on Gigaverse
Interactive "Hit Replay" podcast-puzzle companion quizzes with real-time scoring
Short-form video reels, city guides, and travel tie-ins with in-app discounts

"Deadheads drive pilgrimage tourism every summer—this anniversary shines an even brighter spotlight on San Francisco's music history," noted Lynn Bruni-Perkins, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, SF Travel. "By putting venue facts, neighborhood tips, and local offers right inside the game, we're turning every correct answer into an invitation to explore the city today. Our partnership with Pantheon makes it easy for visitors to plug into the soundtrack while planning their trip."

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LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE to the podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-dead-60-years-in-san-francisco/id1824598689
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/667N8DqM3LVmLs95bq3OKU

DOWNLOAD & PLAY Hit Replay:
The free app is available now on iOS and as a Web-based app at hitreplay.app.

ABOUT PANTHEON MEDIA
Pantheon Media is the world's largest music-podcast network, delivering 8 million annual listeners across 150 shows. From classics like Rock N Roll Archaeology to official artist-hosted series with Metallica and The Struts, Pantheon turns listening into active fandom.
https://pantheonpodcasts.com

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official destination marketing organization for theCity and County of San Francisco, promoting the city's culture, history, and attractions to a global audience. https://www.sftravel.com