February 18, 1971. Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York.

The Dead debuted five songs that night. Bertha opened the show. The crowd had never heard it before. By the time it ended, they already knew every word was going to matter.

Garcia and Hunter wrote it about a malfunctioning electric fan at 710 Ashbury — the one that bounced across the floor of the band's office like it had somewhere to be. They named the fan after the song. Or the song after the fan. Nobody's totally sure, and that feels right.

Bertha was never recorded in a studio. Only ever heard live. 401 times over 24 years, right up until the final summer of 1995. Every version different. Every crowd losing their mind when Jerry hit the line — test me, test me, why don't you arrest me.

The shirt puts that skull on a fiery red crinkle tie-dye. Bold without being loud. The kind of shirt that means something to the people who know what it means.

🔥 Officially Licensed Grateful Dead — Bertha skull design
👕 100% cotton tee — red crinkle tie-dye, printed & dyed in the USA
📏 Sizes Small to 6X — size up for a relaxed fit, cotton may shrink slightly
🚚 Orders $99+ ship free — ships every weekday morning

Only ever heard live. Now worn everywhere. 🔥⚡