Conversation so far:
What was special about the grateful dead?
The Dead's early sets centered around blues and R&B covers chosen by McKernan.
By the end of 1966.
what happened in 1966?
the end of 1966, Garcia had improved his musical skills and wanted to assert himself more as a leader and musical director.
leader of what?
and musical director, changing the band's direction and reducing McKernan's contributions.
how did he change the direction?
contributions.
In 1967, drummer Mickey Hart joined the Grateful Dead, followed by classically trained keyboardist Tom Constanten in 1968.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
In October 1968, McKernan and Weir were nearly fired from the band.

Question: why were they nearly fired?
Self-contained rewrite: why were McKernan and Weir nearly fired?