Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob

On Tuesday, February 17, Steve Kimock made his BERTHA Grateful Drag debut in Donna Jean Godchaux’s original dress, a black and red silky number the singer initially donned during the Dead’s 1978 concert series in Egypt.

Kimock joined the ranks of other male-identifying musicians who put on a wig and makeup and sat in with Nashville’s first and only Grateful Dead drag band, including Hot Buttered Rum’s Erik Yates, David Gans, and others. 

Kimock added to “Iko Iko” and “Big River” during his BERTHA debut on Jam Cruise 21. Unbeknownst to him, the date also marked the anniversary of Godchaux’s final performance with the Grateful Dead on February 17, 1979, at the Oakland Coliseum—adding a meaningful layer to the experience.

Afterward, Kimock spoke with Relix about borrowing Godchaux’s iconic dress and the social and political significance of the moment, which resonated with his rock and roll spirit.

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Steve Kimock:  [My manager] told me that there was a Grateful Dead drag band on Jam Cruise, and I was like, “Oh yeah, I want to do that!” [Laughs.] 

I don’t think she believed me, and I said, “No, no, tell them I want to do it.” And then they got back and said, “Well yeah, you can sit in, but you have to dress and do the whole thing.” I was like, “Perfect,” and I thought, if I was going to dress up for a Grateful Dead gig, other than a dude, I thought, well, I gotta be Donna.

So I called Donna and said, “Hey, I’m going to play on the boat with a Grateful Dead band in drag,” which she thought was hilarious, of course–so did I.

I said, “I want to be Donna, so I need a dress.” She says, “I’ll send you a picture.” And I said, “No, I want the dress. Send me a Donna dress.” And we laughed like teenagers for 20 minutes, rolling on the floor laughing. We both thought it was just so funny. And she sent me that dress she wore in Egypt.

I guess there were three gigs or something. I don’t know the deal exactly, but the other two dresses are in like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or something… And she sent me the dress.

So I put it on, and it fit. In spite of the fact that we are different-sized people, it fit fine.

It was just so wonderfully risible on one level and fun and funny, but part of the deal for me in wanting to do it is that there is a culture war aspect to the drag thing and the whole LGBTQ+, the whole nine yards, man.  And it’s like, Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with your people’s priorities? THIS is a fucking issue? And income equality and the environment aren’t an issue? Fucking war and starvation, come on.

On one level, I wouldn’t be doing the rock and roll thing–I wouldn’t have played guitar in the first place if I didn’t think it would piss off the squares.  That was the whole idea of playing the electric guitar, which was to piss off the squares.  And this pisses off the squares too, which makes it totally fucking rock and roll.

Scroll down to view photos taken by Michael Weintrob.