Grateful Dead Steal Your Face Dancing Bears

The "Steal Your Face" symbol, also known as the "Stealie," is another iconic image associated with the Grateful Dead. It features a red, white, and blue skull with a lightning bolt in the forehead area. The origin of the "Steal Your Face" symbol can be traced back to the artist Owsley Stanley and his design work for the band. Owsley Stanley, also known as Bear, was the Grateful Dead's sound engineer and an influential figure in the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He is credited with creating the "Steal Your Face" logo, which made its first appearance on the cover of the 1973 live album "History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)." The skull and lightning bolt design became a central emblem for the band, often associated with their live performances. The meaning behind the symbol is open to interpretation, but it has become a powerful and enduring representation of the Grateful Dead's music and culture. The lightning bolt in the skull's forehead has been interpreted as a symbol of energy, transformation, and the psychedelic experience that often characterized the band's music and concerts. The origin of the Dancing Bears can be traced back to the artwork of Bob Thomas. Thomas was a friend of the band and an artist who designed the cover art for the album "History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)" released in 1973. The Dancing Bears first appeared on the back cover of this album. Thomas designed a series of stylized, colorful bears dancing in a row. The bears quickly became associated with the Grateful Dead and were embraced by fans as a symbol of the band's lighthearted and whimsical spirit. Over the years, the Dancing Bears have become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Grateful Dead, often used on various merchandise and fan memorabilia. Each bear in the original design has a different color and represents a different member of the band. The bears are often depicted in a cheerful and playful manner, reflecting the band's ethos and the joyful atmosphere of their concerts.