The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead's own soundman, Bear Stanley was a prolific manufacturer of LSD. Although he handled the sound for the band it is equally accurate to describe him as the in house LSD source for the Dead and countless other bands at the time. Stanley manufactured a huger percentage of the acid consumed by the band, its fans, and other acid rock groups.
The Grateful Dead were a major link between the different aspects of the psychedelic movement. This is due to their lasting popularity and success when compared with other psychedelic groups. The members of the band were all 'students' of people like Leary and Kesey. The Grateful Dead even played at many acid tests. The Dead were committed to the culture that had developed around the substance. Separating their music from the use of drugs, specifically LSD, is impossible its in their lyrics, its at their shows, they even played shows while tripping.
In 1967 the Grateful Dead played at the Human Be-In. This event was was a countercultural gathering of about 30,000 hippies of various faction. It brought psychedelic musicians like the Dead together with acid gurus like Leary. All the different components that facilitated the acid boom of the mid 60s were present in one location. Acid was illegal in California since 1966 but that did not stop anyone and the culture was still strong for a time after its criminalization.
