Deadheads young and old rocked to the sounds of Bob Weir and Ratdog at the Convocation Center on Friday night.

The concert began shortly after 8 p.m., with the Grateful Dead’s classic song “Playin’ in the Band.” The group played until 11:30 p.m., stopping only once for a 40-minute intermission.

The crowd, which was decked out in tie-dye shirts, skirts and headbands, sang along and danced while the band played numerous songs from the Dead.

While the show started at 8 p.m., the party for some of the concertgoers started as early as 5 p.m. at the Convo Center’s parking lot.

Fans grilled food, drank beer and talked about all the Dead shows they had been to in the past.

Oak Forest resident Jim Bronner, 39, who described himself as “just an old Deadhead,” attended his first Grateful Dead show in 1977, and said the experience was something he would never forget.

“I can honestly say that night at the Vic Theatre in Chicago changed my life in a positive way,” Bronner said.

Bronner said he went to more than 120 shows before lead singer Jerry Garcia died in 1995.

“It was all for Jerry and the band,” Bronner said. “Sometimes he was happy, sometimes he was sad, and that’s why we came out as often as we could.”

Bronner went on to say that Dead fans are simply a huge family, and he said Garcia portrayed a father figure for him while growing up.

St. Charles resident Monica Brennan said she likes coming to Ratdog concerts for their good atmosphere.

“Bob Weir is awesome,” Brennan said. “It’s good music, and you get to meet a lot of good people.”

The Convo Center used its theater setting to accommodate the crowd of almost 1,300.

Kevin Selover, marketing manager for the Convo Center, said the arena had its regular staff on duty.

“We weren’t expecting a huge crowd for this one,” Selover said, “but we are happy with the turnout we got.”