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    marye
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    So twice in the last week I've gotten into conversations with folks who were pretty intense Deadheads back in the day, and their general drift was look, the band no longer exists, they haven't played for 12 years. It is so Over. Get on with your life. Which, of course, is a perfectly reasonable point of view. And yet, here we are. And "we" includes people who never saw the band in the first place but definitely consider themselves on the bus now. So what's up with this? Why are we here? Discuss...

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  • mkz
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    Get Over It?
    Get over it and move onto what? Where are the musical journeys out there that rival how the Grateful Dead, and now the spin-offs (Ratdog, Phil & Friends, etc.) make us feel? This band was unique... the approach to music taken by the musicians was, and still is one of a kind. I can pull out a tape, listen to a killer jam, and still get goose-bumps no matter how many times I may have heard it, and I haven't found any other artists or acts out there who can consistently deliver that kind of high. So until I do, I guess I'll still consider myself "on the bus." As the saying goes (supposedly attributable to the late Bill Graham), "It's not that they're the best at what they do... they're the only ones who do what they do."
  • spotted1
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    They planted the seed...
    all we had to do was let it grow. The first note I heard was the planting the rest have been fertilizer - organic of course.If you go see Bobby or Phil or the Dark Star Orchestra or your local groove band it is quite evident that the garden is growing. I've willed my collection to my nephew, now 5 yrs. old, so he can hear 'em as we did - raw and unencumbered.
  • Hambone69
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    Its still real
    I am going to see my first post- GD since March 1993 ; - show in Atlanta this July 7th . Ratdog. Don't buy the tag its over. Keep the faith .
  • skenisahen
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    Never the same twice
    Grateful Dead. Never the same twice. I listen and I listen. Countless hours. thousands upon thousands of hours. No two versions of any song are the same. Seriously, think about that. Not only that, they are recorded. The crazy thing is that even when the recordings finally disappear (like 700 years from now, maybe) the music won't even stop then. Too many people will be playing these songs for future generations. Real music, I mean real human being generated music doesn't die, ever. People who think that one "should get on with their lives" should understand that those of here are doing just that. The great thing is that we are here together doing it. For crap's sake, I was at shows with some of you and I am only meeting you now! How about that?? Here is one last thought: When I went to shows (all 9 of them) our group of friends would scatter when the band started playing and then we always met up at the appropriate rendezvous locations during intermission and after the show. That is how I see dead.net, one big rendezvous location. Glad we made it here, too! | I'm just a, well...porpoise. |
  • Canoeman
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    Get over it?
    In my personal opinion the Greatful dead were one of the most significant developments of my lifetime. Dead Heads is the ONLY fan club I EVER joined, and I am proud to be a member today. I will "get over it" when I am laying dead and cold in the ground, but not until then. Having been a professional performing musician, artist manager, concert promoter and recording/audio engineer, I was deeply touched by the depth of GD music in an age when 3 chord, 12-bar blues seemed to be the extent of the reportoire of most bands. The band was a technically proficient as they were musically adept, and I always appreciated that. To me, being a Dead head is akin to being a member of the Mafia or Skull and Bones - there just ain't no getting out! I was born to be a Dead Head, I am proudly a Dead head today, and I will die a Dead Head. How could it possibly be any other way?
  • owlfeather
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    Forget what??
    I suppose we are also supposed to get over Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Gershwin, etc. They don't "tour" anymore either! Getting over history is part of how we get ourselves into messes. When it comes to music, the lessons are sweeter. Keep on truckin'.
  • d0ti5
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    Well, well, well.
    OK, you are right, the Grateful Dead are no more. Ratdog and Phil, DSO for that matter, fill a bit of the void. The old tapes, the "Tapers section" (here), they fill a bit. My books - "Living with the Dead", "Searching for the Sound" - they fill a spot, too. Even the "new" bands - SCI, Widespread, moe, Rusted Root, and old guys like Jorma and Hot Tuna, et al, they fill a in a little piece. What I know we lost, what maybe we are looking for here, is that space where everything you do that makes you happy makes me happy, and visa versa - the state of consensual bliss. There were shows where that was missing, but there were more, so many more, where that was NORMAL. Where you could smile like a goofball, and someone would see you, and they would just break up, give you a hug and everyone was HOME. I never was one to have no life but the Dead, but I really do like that space. I NEED that place. This place provides a piece of that place, and that is why I come back. {8^{>
  • Greg SC
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    Dead Ahead?
    I think that whatever it is that makes certain music timeless, was captured by the Grateful Dead. Of all the bands I listened to back in the 70's and 80's, well, not many would now make it onto my stereo system for another play. But there is something timeless in the GD's music that breaks through all things. Yeah, you might take a break and listen to other things for a while, but when you put a good Mississippi Half Step back on, from a good 70's show (on the stereo), it just continues to send chills up your spine. How crappy it is to listen to these "Classic Rock" stations, which continue to play the same old garbage over and over and over (and over); is makes me want to puke. How may times can a person listen to "Sweet home Alabama"? Or Boston's, "It's Been Such a Long Time"? Just back up the garbage truck, and load it up. Keep the Dead, and listen to some College radio when you get sick of it. I only wish the Dead 2003-2004 tour had continued on. They really did some good shows. I purchased about 12 of the shows before they stopped selling them. I think Bobby is wasting his time with RatDog. Phil on the other hand, puts an occasional Friends together that is just excellent. I think he ought to get Chris Robinson back on vocals; it fits so well with the sound. I will admit, however, that if Rhino continues at their current pace, people will lose interest, and the Grateful Dead will indeed die, at least in terms of getting enough sales to elicit more concert vault releases. By the way, a good CD to spin right now is Springsteen's Live in Dublin. That is some excellent stuff from Bruce! Greg SC
  • Hal R
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    evolution vs. creationism
    It's like every morning, roll over and get up again and roll over and get up again. For me it has been like the tide or phases of the moon, sometimes stronger and brighter than at other times. But how can something that is ingrained in my DNA like the sound of the Dead die? This spirit it moves me. And makes me smile, smile, smile. I can't explain it. It is the soundtrack of my life The scene evolve's into the next formation - Phil, Ratdog, all of the jam bands. If you take them for what they are and not expect a Dead rehash you should be able to twirl in ecstacy. Evolution is revolution. and all those memories, and all of the friends I made and still have and all of the sounds from 35 years of a collection of records, tapes and CDs....and the trips and the wonder.. to infinity and beyond bliss is bliss - I touch it when I can-did then, do now, I plan on keep on keepin on The bus came by and I got on - sometimes in the front seat, sometimes in the backseat, sometimes on the roof, sometimes breathing the exhaust and sometimes working on the engine. Yours truly, today's cliche king or master folklorist? Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman-Song of Myself
  • cosmicbadger
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    don't let go
    Things that touch your life stay with you forever...you cannot discard them like an old T shirt. First love, first trip, watching the whales whatever. For me first hearing of Live Dead is part of that. My attachment waxes and wanes but the chain is unbroken and never will be. No blame for those who loved it and have left it all behind, but please don't deny it..just say "thank you........for a real good time"
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So twice in the last week I've gotten into conversations with folks who were pretty intense Deadheads back in the day, and their general drift was look, the band no longer exists, they haven't played for 12 years. It is so Over. Get on with your life. Which, of course, is a perfectly reasonable point of view. And yet, here we are. And "we" includes people who never saw the band in the first place but definitely consider themselves on the bus now. So what's up with this? Why are we here? Discuss...
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There's nothing wrong with being proud of, or preferring the music of your younger days. In fact, most of the music of the '60s-'70s-early '80's was better than most of the music of the last 20 years. But when I do hear something I like, like Arcade Fire's Neon Bible, or some other good stuff on Austin City Limits, it makes me especially enthusiastic and hopeful for the future. I wouldn't call being hooked-in to a lot of the popular music of the moment a critical asset!
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It's All Over Now? I beg to differ. If you have been to see Furthur then you know the boys in the band are still out there. In fact, they are again starting up a whole new interest from younger folks in their 20s and 30s who missed out on all the fun back "in the day." Mickey & Billy are out there somewhere on the road, with their various pick-up bands and projects also. But they seem a bit more transient as they forever shift between various line-ups. Of course, it is all over now as far as Letting The Good Times Roll and mass experiments in consciousness-raising. That is over now. Jerry passed and maybe it was time for the experiment to end. Which isn't to say that you can't do some exploring of inner space on your own. i find it fantastic to see the wide and diverse array that the deadheads have become. It is so over now and yet it is not. Clear, some have not gone Furthur enough and are still pushing their trips to the edge. Bravo Brothers & Sisters! We will survive. In fact we have survived and are thriving. So get over it, you who are "it's so over!"!
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as the lyricists said back in the day, new ones coming as the old ones go. Or, the future's here, we are it, we are on our own. I mean, just the other day my godson the college student was pointing his parents' Deadhead pals to his latest digitally remixed rendition of Speedway. The music has worked its way into all kinds of corners of life, and the four surviving guys seem to keep finding interesting stuff to do, and people keep finding it interesting enough to follow. Meanwhile, new people keep discovering the old stuff, too. It's good to be along for the ride, or portions thereof.
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...cause I consider myself a bigger DH now than what I was from 89-95. It's sad but back then I thought being a deadhead mean't wearing tie-dyes and patchoulie and being stoned out of my fucking skull all the time. Of course I was between 17 and 25 at the time so perhaps I can be forgiven. Now being a deadhead means just listening to good music and to keep trying to be a good/kind person. I don't have the time to go on tour with Furthur or whoever else. I don't wear tie-dyes or get stoned anymore. And life is grand.
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until something more formal comes along:http://www.jambands.com/news/2012/02/13/bob-weir-warren-haynes-chris-robinson-jackie-greene-and-more-will-help-phil-lesh-open-terrapin-crossroads/ Published: 2012/02/13 Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, Chris Robinson, Jackie Greene and More Will Help Phil Lesh Open Terrapin Crossroads Phil Lesh has confirmed the opening run of shows at his new venue and restaurant Terrapin Crossroads. Lesh will perform in a number of different configurations throughout March and April, including gigs with Bob Weir, Jackie Greene, Chris Robinson, Jimmy Herring, Jaz Sawyer, Jeff Chimenti, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams and Warren Haynes......
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I missed the P& F webcast last night, but here's the setlist: Althea Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain Saint Stephen > Layla Cryptical Envelopment -> Magic Bus -> The Other One > I Know You Rider E: Unbroken Chain GDTRFB
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the music is what keeps it from being over. example jim morrison died in 1971, but the bands popularity with younger fans(im 20 so im in that boat as well) never went away. i love the dead, and so do most of my friends. so it aint over and it will not be over. flower children are still everywhere. plus lets not forget we have bands like phish too.
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Interesting. Life after Dead. Never posted here. The Grateful Dead is Still Rocking and Jamming. It just has different letters in Its' name now. Oh and a number too. Nothings changed. Life after Dead well I will let you know when we get there, if I am here then. Tomorrow Never Knows. I love you, all. It's still true.
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its quaint that sometimes i hear whispered in the background you know she used to be a dh just because i dont run around in tie dyes and the hipster hippy attire or pack my bags at a drop of the hat to play vagabond for a couple months. its assumedthat the dead is part of my past only something i used to do,but that is further from the truth, seeing shows and going on tour was only part of the picture the music was and is the mainstay, and although ill not see jerry again it doesnt stop the music nor creativity that is and will be immortal bliss what ended was just the bizarre sideshow tours became near the end when shakedown street became more like a dirty boulevard., after 92 it actually started to be a scary world out there and touring lost its appeal. my only regret was that i didnt go to more shows in the last years but made up for it,since then by seeing alot more of bob phil and mickey and many other great preformers and smile everytime something new comes on the radio that i can put my finger on and say wow you can hear the dead influence in that song. btw my favorite is a jerry tune only heard preformed live once in all my tours that u robert hunter for making it possible.and jerry for belting it out that night, and know what i found the keys to the rain afterall.the dead wasnt a lifestyle for me it was a journey and lordy be it was a long strange trip.with many roads still left to go.
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Hermann Hesse wrote a book titled Journey to the East, the theme of which is that while we are active participants in something we feel it is vibrant and happening but once we drop out of the thing we feel it has stopped for everyone, no matter if it remains as active and progressive for all other participants. Seems to be universal, in my experience.
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The time go? I remember being in the parking lot of a show reading a letter from the band with the usual stuff about people without tickets. The warning at the end was "When this stops ain't nothing going to bring it back." But then Jerry went to the limit and that seemed to effect the boys in the band quite a bit. I can imagine that they fely like they were in their prime as musicians and it would be a shame to break it up. Of course the name Grateful Dead was retired, as it should have been but the rest of the members of the band continued unabated. There was a period of a couple years of mourning but by 97' the Furthur Festival was back on tour as well as Ratdog and Phil & Friends shows and various side projects by the drummers. They drifted somewhat apart and to me,the closest they ever got to being back together was the 2002 Other Ones lineup that had Phil & Bruce returning with Baracco on lead. Mickey really stepped up to organize the playing and it was awesome. In 2002 the parking lot scene was still very reminiscent of a Dead show with very quality tie-dyes and other official and unofficial merch. out there. There wasn't the burnt edge of hard drugs being readily available among heads following the tour that became very evident in 2003-2004 as The Dead reunited. Then a few more years of going their separate ways and then one more tour as The Dead in 2009. Now we have Furthur for over three years thanks to Phil's transplant (Happy belated birthday Phil). The point is the scene had quality musicians and momentum and the musicians remaining seem to be willing to carry this body of music to their own deaths. And we can all remain around for the ride for as long or little as we like. Let the naysayers neg. on this one if they want. Jerry is gone along with the Grateful Dead but the music goes on and on and on and from this vantage point I see one or another of the boys carrying on for at least 5 more years. Dedication to The Heart Of Gold Band. You have to be Grateful
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They are out, both on MOFI, who are hot right, I am listening to MOFI's SACD of The ABB's "Brothers and Sisters", sounds so exquisite. They have now released "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty". Why isn't there a HDCD of "Mars Hotel" anywhere? Well,groovin' to "Jelly,Jelly"
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I've been reading in several news articles about a fan club pre sale on feb 9-11 but there's no information confirming that on the dead50 site or the gdtstoo site. I'm a member of several GD fan clubs but am not receiving any emails or info on a presale from them. Does anyone have more info? Thanks brothers and sisters, see you in chi town. Di
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◾Dead pre sale begins Feb 12th @ 10 a.m. CST via Dead Online Ticketing. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Before checking out, all users must create an account after tickets are added and before completing the transaction.
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It not JUST about the shows,it's a way of life.It's about Peace,Love,Harmony,Music,Family,and telling those youngsters how it was and can be again.I'm 61,seen everybody from Areosmith to Z Z Top.I have played( drums) for fun & professionally.Most of the people I hang out with are 30-40 years younger than I am.I'm the "Old Hippie" that tells stories of huge gatherings of people from all walks of life to come and hear music and dance in the isles.That there was no black,brown,yellow or white there was only US a peaceful group of like minded individuals. I tell them we don't need no stinkin' guns.Spread the love,share the music,get involved,stand up against social injustice,Make A Difference.Pass those stories of awesome gathering and great shows on to the younger generation and have them pass it along.Is Hendrix,Janis, The Dead & Led Zeppelin still relevant? .........HELL YES Peace The Dude
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well, based on the phenomenal interest in Fare Thee Well before,during AND after both runs, I'd say this question is a bit premature. But if you're over it, that works for you. (the generalized "you" of course)
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It's safe to say FTW put a different aspect on things...
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....don't hear her singing yet..... that's just Donna ;-)
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Howdy folks, Been a .com member for a long time, but never had much to say...until Fare The Well. Put out for ppv for the first time for the last concert. Best 50 bucks I ever spent. It was profound for me. The Dead have been the sound track of my life since '65 and my wife and me from '72-'12. She would have liked this concert. Wait until November for the cd/dvd release? I'll never make it! Have some good video and instrument, but yet to find a good vocal video. The second set YouTube share of the complete second set from Zoe Alyse is the only video set I've found and the crowd sounds damp the vocals...like if you were there; the vibe is like live. Got the whole soundboard audio, no vid. YouTube is new to an old codger like me. Only Dead vids drew me in and then, not until I got a Roku Streaming Stick to access YouTube on my TV. High recommendation for a really inexpensive entertainment add-on. Just know you don't stream from your device to the TV, you get to access stuff you have "in the Cloud", which is pretty cool getting my Pandora and YouTube playlists played over good speakers and get that body feel and not just audio in my head. You can get me at rickpucko@yahoo.com also.
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I think not..for some maybe, but not me.September will be my third straight Lockn Music Festival in VA! Great fun Great vibes Great shows! Phil, Billy with their current bands this year...Bobby the last two as well. Also had the opportunity to meet and converse with Sam Cuttler (former band mgr) last year. Who knows what lies ahead unless you go furthur... Check out the 4 day schedule..so many great reasons to stay on the bus! iGrateful
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I never saw Jerry. I have a fear of buses and basically anything that resembles an "us". A friend tells me last December "Listen to an Althea" I was moved. Then I came here and found a beautiful family. I was blessed to be able to attend all 5 FTW shows. I was changed forever. Am I on the bus? Am I a Dead Head? I don't know but I am honored to share this earth with such a beautiful group of human beings.
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I have come to embrace the fact that the 'Grateful Dead' is an entity that lives on in all those incredible songs. They have an enduring quality that continues to have meaning for people. They really were Built To Last! Listening to Stu Allen rip it up at the last Jerry Day it occurred to me that Jerry's unique form of mind expanding guitar work could be thought of as a sort of spiritual or wisdom tradition wherein in a lineage of great guitar players could keep the music alive far into the future. I think any so called Head who has decided 'it's over' probably never really went to shows for the music anyway. Not that there weren't a thousand other good reasons to go, I guess. I can understand people not wanting to look back and there's a hell of a lot of great music out there to sustain them. Hey, each to their own.