Back when he was a teenager, before he was even a fan of the band, he found himself at a Dead concert in Berkeley in the 1980s, and soon, in 1989, started selling T-shirts. He followed the band on tour until "the demise of Jerry," when the lead singer died in 1995 of a heart attack.

The legendary Shakedown Street has taken over a portion of JFK Promenade with an array of vendors selling everything from apparel and accessories to original artwork.