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  • mkav
    Joined:
    @DAVEROCK

    Sounds like you caught some good shows with some kind fans. Always talking, singing , dancing at Dead shows.
    I started going to Dead shows in 1975 (Legion of Mary)...I was probably median-aged at the show. Still attending, and I'm STILL median aged. It's amazing and wonderful how the various iterations continue to attract "youngsters" just hearing them, and to "oldsters" who still are hooked.
    I hope they won't fade away. In say, 10 years or less, there will be no original members left, but I'll bet the music will never stop.

    By the way: they were most definitely listening to AND feeling it.

  • mkav
    Joined:
    Sphere

    I'm counting on your being right about this. Going for one show: 8/9/24. Can't wait!

  • RoadTripper
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    Joined:
    Sphere

    go to the Sphere and you wont regret it. easy to say because we live in Nevada. it is worth whatever price you pay.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    What's in a word?

    Thinking about this subject took me back to 1990, and those three shows I saw at Wembley. Listening to The Dead had really taken off for me in 1987, when I discovered a fanzine in England called "Spiral Light" which was devoted to the band. Through them a tapers library, and through them other tapers. Incredible shows coming through my letterbox every week. It was virtually all I listened to - on a very basic mobile cassette recorder. I didn't know anyone else who knew, heard or cared about The Dead. My girlfriend did, of course, but she wasn't really into music of any sort.

    Fast forward to Wembley and I am in the balcony surrounded by crowds of shouting, singing, talking, dancing people. On average, they looked younger than me - I was 33. A lot of noise before the band came on, and it increased when they did. They responded as loudly to Stella Blue as to U.S.Blues. I wondered if they were actually listening to the music at all, or if they had seen so many shows that it was just background music to them for their own partying. In a way it was more like being at a giant football game than a music concert.

    When I got back home, my mates asked me what it was like. I told them it was incredible - and that there were all these people from America there, who had followed the band around Europe. I told my mates these people did this all the time, across America and that they were called " Deadheads". They seemed very different form the kind of people who write on the board - but maybe they are the same people.

  • mkav
    Joined:
    continued Deadhead commentary

    I am sure I am a Deadhead by most definitions, but I still don't necessarily like being called a Deadhead (or being labeled as anything, for that matter). The narrow connotation of the unemployed unwashed drifter may not even be current anymore. I've enjoyed the music, overall scene, concerts, etc. since the mid 70s so I guess I'm still hanging onto a passé trope.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    I guess the definition of a lunatic is a man surrounded by them

    Hey rockers!!!

    Previous/other definitions of deadhead:

    one who has not paid for a ticket
    a dull or stupid person
    a partially submerged log
    a faded blossom on a flowering plant
    to make especially a return trip without a load
    excess metal in the riser of a mold

    I guess that explains it...............

    Rock on,

    Doc
    Deadhead

  • Graceful_Dead
    Joined:
    The Age-old Question

    Doing my homework, I came across salient entries in the Skeleton Key: Dictionary for Deadheads (Shenk and Silbermnan, 1994).
    Much like the sentiment expressed by MKAV and DAVEROCK, under the entry "No but I've been to shows" is:
    "a reluctance to be tagged with the word "Deadhead", not wanting to be lumped in the category with Tour Rats or with the negative portrayal of Heads in the media".

    And again, under the entry for Deadheads, Blair Jackson is quoted as saying, "I wish I had a dollar for every person I've met who said "I like the Grateful Dead but I'm not a Deadhead".

    I'd say this is a different response than saying "I don't wish to be labeled that way"; many people have heard a few tunes and liked them, and otherwise do not show outward signs of having caught the bug (e.g. downloading shows).
    Later Jackson adds "..what it IS about is a certain openness in spirit and attitude" and "...if you say you're a Deadhead, you are". Yep, no barriers, no qualifications to meet.

    But I am left wondering how to regard those who appear to be Deadheads, but who have broader tastes that covers all the acts at a jam band festival: Jam Hearts?

    PS Enjoying the holiday

  • daverock
    Joined:
    The first Deadhead

    I can remember reading an interview with Jerry Garcia once, in which he was asked about Deadheads and how many shows some of them had attended. The interviewer said words to the effect that no matter how many shows that was , no one Deadhead had attended all of them. Jerry responded by saying he was wrong, because he had. Pretty cool.

  • Forensicdoceleven
    Joined:
    If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm..

    Hey, Sunshine Daydreamers!!

    We weren't Deadheads at first, but once we morphed into that we were all in. Never viewed that label as derogatory. To us it always meant folks who are very into the music of the Grateful Dead. Not everybody made it to shows, but that didn't matter........

    LOL everybody in my office knows I'm a Deadhead, one look at my car and you can just tell........

    So Jeff, how do I join? Can I afford the dues? Are there meetings??? LOL maybe all these years I was an "honorary member" and never really knew it..............

    Rock on!!

    Doc
    Everyone has a dark cloud hovering over them at some point, but then there is sunshine.....

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Just exactly perfect HG

    And
    Howdy Jeff!

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17 years 5 months
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The bus came by. We got on. That's how it all began. Almost as soon as the Fare Thee Well shows were announced, folks started planning to meet in Chicago. They met. They connected. Things were never the same. And now, further! Or maybe Furthur.
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As the Playing in the Band never got a proper re-visit on the last night of the summer tour in Wrigley, it would seem appropriate to open the Fall tour with a little taste of that. Whoaohwohoyeayeayeah! Though this Head would be thrilled with Shakedown as the traditional NY opener. Can you tell I am looking forward to this?
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13 years 7 months
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Well there you go.Playing in the Band opened the fall, but out at the Band Together Bay Area show. That opens many possibilities for tomorrow night's opener.
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9 years 9 months
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Missed the party on chat last night, and the show, here's the set list from MSG 11/12/17 Shakedown Street Greatest Story Ever Told Bertha Cassidy Beat It On Down the Line They Love Each Other Cumberland Blues Set 2 China Cat Sunflower I Know You Rider Ship of Fools Terrapin Station Drums Space Standing on the Moon The Other One Casey Jones
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10 years 4 months
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[Hope 80sFan won't mind my reposting of his comments from last night]: Saw Dead and Company at the Garden last night. Really fun, high-energy show. Awesome Shakedown to kick things off. John Mayer ripped through a fantastic Bertha a few songs later. Yes, i might have just been in the moment, but this version truly blew the roof off the place. I believe Greatest Story Ever Told and BIODTL made their Dead and Co debut in the first set. Both great and the crowd responded in kind. Took a few minutes to get on the same page, but the Cumberland to close the set was very nice as well. Cool China>Rider to open the second set. Bobby didn't seem super confident vocally until the transition (to be expected i guess) but still really fun and the Rider pay-off was worth it. Ship of Fools was played for only the 3rd time and it was a nice surprise to hear Oteil sing a verse or two. What a fantastic voice! Terrapin got the crowd worked up - my only wish was that Bobby would let Mayer sing the whole song. I think he's a better fit for this one. Post drums was just ok. TOO was fun but the band saved a couple surprises for the encore, playing Samson and Werewolves of London. Great way to end the show and send thousands of new yorkers (and folks like me from the great state of NJ) home happy. I loved being back in the Garden - it was fun seeing some old friends from back in the day and meeting their spouses, kids, etc. Just an amazing night all around. This is definitely not an oldies act. There is REAL energy and magic both on stage and in the crowd. Please see this band. I last saw them 2 years ago and they have drastically improved even since then.
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Hey Oat Man,Glad to hear from you. At first I thought your message meant that you had come up to the big city, but now I see you are re-posting from another. But there was a Daydreamers moment at the Garden Sunday night: I spotted Tom Hanlon a few rows in front of me. That little red cowboy hat is hard to miss. AND he had his pic-a-nic T-shirt on. A highlight for me was the debut of authentic O-bombs: at the appropriate spots in Bertha, and then in the bass run-up to The Other One. Ba-ba-ba BWAAMMM!! Shook the dump to its foundations. Good times, good times.
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9 years 9 months
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Cool you scored a Red Hat Sighting. That 2nd set had a bunch of A list songs. Here's the set list from setlist.fm. Set 1: 1. Hell in a Bucket 2. Cold Rain and Snow 3. Me and My Uncle 4. Brown-Eyed Women 5. Tennessee Jed 6. Bird Song 7. Man Smart, Woman Smarter Set 2: 8. Help on the Way 9. Slipknot! 10. Franklin's Tower 11. China Doll 12. Estimated Prophet 13. Drums 14. Space 15. A Love Supreme 16. Stella Blue 17. St. Stephen 18. Not Fade Away Encore: 19. U.S. Blues
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9 years 9 months
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9 years 9 months
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Here's wishing you all a very wonderful Christmas. Hope Santa leaves you some Dead music under the tree! Peace, GOB
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13 years 7 months
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all the lights are shinin on a bright red cowboy hat at 4:45 of that clip, but that hat looks bigger than the one I saw at MSG. Maybe for home games he brings the big hat? But here's to Summer '18 tour!! Pre-sales registration by Friday.
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13 years 7 months
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the rrrgrrr I knew would not have appeared in public without an avatar
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15 years 9 months
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Godspeed to all our Compadres heading to Mexico this week!! Have fun, stay safe, take pictures! XO, Anita
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9 years 9 months
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That's right the krazy klown is back... Can't find the bus though. RGIGGLES where are you?!
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9 years 9 months
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I always knew that from the first time I met y'all in Santa Clara and Chi-town. Took me a while to find our location in the forum.
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9 years 9 months
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...but at least we know how the song goes. Bought a new Miata a couple years ago and there have been some new model growing pains. Been spending all my allocated forum time on Miata.net hence my absence. Not running for mayor again (permanently retired), but missed y'all so had to check back here. Going to D&C at Shoreline again this year, on July 3...(really looking forward to that!)
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9 years 9 months
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Where's that confounded bridge?!
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9 years 9 months
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So bad you had to change you name, eh? I forgive you whatever it is that you did. That is, after all, what family does.
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9 years 9 months
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..BACK AT YA ASL!
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13 years 7 months
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Lovely to see you again my friend. I can give you a DM on the rgr saga. Only if you really want to know.
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9 years 9 months
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Good to show my klown face again. (Sure, send me a PM I am definitely curious.)
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17 years 3 months
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i have not heard...how was the time on the beach? I just heard third hand from son's friend...was awesome, but no details.
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13 years 7 months
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Two guideposts of my musical world will be at Lockn Festival in August: George Clinton brings the Mothership Connection to the hippies on Friday night,and Dead and Co do two sets on Saturday and Sunday. Is it crazy to think that Dr. Funkenstein could join the boys for a number? Be still my heart.
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9 years 8 months
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Happy Dyngus Day to all the Daydreamers.
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17 years 3 months
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love the lyrics to this song. no clue what it "means" but it is fun to listen to. has been one of my favorites since the beginning for me.
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13 years 7 months
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The calendar has turned over again, so we are in countdown to SUMMER TOUR!! Hee yah We got two nights in Camden and two nights at Lockn. Bring it ON !!
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6 years 8 months
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I lit up from RenoI was trailed by twenty hounds Didn't get to sleep that night Till the morning came around
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9 years 9 months
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Are we ready? See you down the road or at a couch stop here or there.
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10 years 4 months
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Hey now SSDDers! I trust everyone's been soaking up plenty of summertime Dead & Company (in person or vicariously á la couch). Sounds like Geo's got the bus warming up. Less than twelve days til I saddle up the palomino and head out to Albuquerque for the final leg of 2018's Summer Tour. Anybody else going to be at Albuquerque? What about the Boulder shows? . . . In the meantime, looking forward to listening to the west coast run starting tonight. Onward!
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6 years 8 months
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I ran into the Devil, babeHe loaned me twenty bills I spent that night in Utah In a cave up in the hills
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17 years 5 months
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because it was really, really nice to be in my own bed instead of slogging across the parking lot with a long drive to come when the music stopped. You youngsters have fun out there!
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13 years 7 months
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Would it offend anyone if I said that there were other musical acts at Lockn that I enjoyed more than DeadCo ? Part was just novelty (Turkuaz and Pigeons etc were all new to me); part was style (I have been a true funk soldier in Uncle Jam's army about as long as I have been a Head); I had hoped that the time with the Meters and the general atmosphere would have brought out a funkier Dead, particularly on Big O's side; part was that night one of the Dead seemed like a Christmas sermon, more for the occasional visitor than for regulars. Kind of tried and true material. Add the bar was set very high for guitar playing after 2 nights of Derek Trucks (what did that guitar ever do to him?); Joe Russo, Blackbyrd McKnight, and the dude who played Zeppelin covers for Umphrey. But also we bailed before the "third set" with Lettuce that went on to the wee hours; so we missed something that maybe they held back. We also kept in the back of our minds what John M had said in his "Tales" interview beforehand: it you don't "get" Night One of a two-nighter, just stay tuned. Second night was awesome, opening like a second set would: meandering and easing into Playin'. The graphics and imagery were a treat. And US Blues is back in a big way. The event itself was a smash hit. This was our first festival and we were delighted by the logistics and the crowd. 30,000 friends and neighbors for 3 nights and we never so much as heard one person raise their voice at another. You know our Love will NOT FADE AWAY. PS I had been agnostic on JRAD until we heard them midnight Friday. Wow. More oriented to the future than the past.
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17 years 5 months
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some friends introduced me to some JRAD videos a while back; those guys are pretty great. I did love the Sunday Dead & Co show. REALLY loved Branford, as always.
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16 years 1 month
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~SALE SALE~ BOB WEIR BOSTONNov. 15 .Sec BALCLC, Row V, Seat 1 USD $76.40 take $59.50. Nov. 16 Balcony Center Row P | Seat 23 $134.50. take 104.50 Also have Nov. 16 Parking pass for $122.35. Will take 99.00 or just something. Add it free with purchase of Nov 16 tix. It was mixed in5. Will take 99.00 or just something. Add it free with purchase of Nov 16 tix. $420 Alaska Air non stop round trip PDX and Boston.
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9 years 9 months
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Hey, here is a great little project to support. https://deadheadstories.org/ Cool concept, righteous folks, remembering the past, honoring the present and paying it forward. They are like minded ladies and gents who got creative and put together something real nice...2500 stories so far, with maybe ten percent or so going into the first book. All volunteer, all proceeds go to seed Rex, Seva and like minded foundations. If you have an extra buck or three, feel free to donate to their non-profit. If you're brave or curious or want a cool read this fall or a great present for later, spring for a book. If your ship came in, and the cargo is wearing you down, perhaps a small donation to lighten your load would be appropriate. All good and pretty amazing, just like SD'ers everywhere... Cheers,cya down the road g
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17 years 3 months
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anyone going? I got tix. gonna be hot...in every way

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13 years 7 months

In reply to by mkav

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The Mrs. and I will be making our first Western Dead venture to Boulder.
There must be a reason they like to close summer tours there, and we intend to find out what is.

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9 years 9 months

In reply to by mkav

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Hey MKav...we be there, missed you last year, but we have killer floor seats on Johnny's side; be a great time to meet you brother...promised not to throw a party this year or rent a party bus; sure was fun last year!

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17 years 3 months

In reply to by geomeister

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yeah, we missed the party in Dallas in 17. I now live in San Antonio, so it's a ROAD TRIP!