Grateful Dead

i love you guys so much <4

I must have heard it wrong, but I thought Dave L referred to a 20-year schedule for DaPs and boxes. Even 20 years, at my age, is a losing proposition. Allah willing, I'll be 63 this summer. I'm constantly amazed at how much of my favorite archival music is being released -- the GD, Jer, ABB, Jimi, Cream, The Band... My coffee table is loaded with ~30 recent releases. And I'm still rocking out. Granted, my big show days are dwindling. It's gotten harder to handle large crowds and the ticket prices (and effin' fees) have gotten unaffordable. I'd rather play my guitar at home or in the local brewery or go to casual bar shows than jostle with thousands in a big venue. Still, I go to Red Rocks at least once per year, though perhaps this year's schedule may get canceled. Or I won't go, if it looks hairy. But my experience of aging is a bit surprising to me, as I turn corners and feel differently about things.

Which is a WAY wordy approach to my question, DeadVikes and everyone. Whether Dave L said 20 or 40, do I assume correctly that your comment suggests that Dave L speed it up? If so, I'd agree, up to a point. But let's look at what that might mean.

So right now I spend $100 for four-plus shows each year. $150 for the '76 box. (The porch crusher, 30 Trips, was too expensive and I didn't want more than 1967-1979, so I kicked in on a friend's box and he shared the 67-79 shows with me.) $250 this year is a freakin' bargain, considering the quality of the music. But there will be an expanded Workingman's and American Beauty at, say, $25 a pop (including shipping). So that's $300 for the year. And it's quite possible that, given this '76 box's popularity, Dave could drop another five '76 shows on us in the fall. Theoretically, only, that brings me to $450 for the year. (I'm single now, so no oversight from a loved one.)

Particularly as the CV crisis makes the macroeconomic scene unpredictable and certainly my own financial picture nearly opaque, how much more could I spend on GD and still sleep at night? (Okay, y'all don't have to leap out of your seats with hands raised, yelling "MORE!")

No doubt the current model makes Dave L and Rhino look like money-making geniuses. But let's say they accelerated the schedule. They did a lot of those Download Series (I think) for shows that wouldn't hold up as physical releases, due to tape quality. But they stopped for a reason, I'm sure.

So, friends, what is the option? Downloads only of select shows that aren't in the physical release schedule? No more physical releases? Etc.

My thought takes two tacks: if they spend time and money to prep shows for download, will the price enable a profit? With 2,000+ shows still in the vault, at what speed could they prep and release them? We'll all differ on this, but I'd guess one-third of those shows are especially worthy. So, just ~700 shows to go(!) cIn a 20-year schedule, we'd get 100 shows in the DaP series and, say, another 10-15 shows in boxes (that's 200-300 in 20 years). So over 20 years we'd get, say, 400 shows, about 20% of the vault's holdings. Jesus, that's a lot of fine beer and reefer....

Personally, I caught ~80 shows between 1972 and 1992, with the bulk in the first ten years. I'd love to hear 'em all, although about 6-7 have thankfully been released. And there are many shows I missed that I know are worth hearing. (Hello, 6-10-73!)

All kinds of questions/issues arise. If they did a "dump" of dozens, even hundreds of shows, would that flatten demand? We know there are a few thousand GD tape fanatics out there (and in here), who would go apeshit (a technical term). But would that sustain the financial model or would it deflate the demand?

Anyone? (With apologies for length, starting Saturday mighty slowly...)

I’m not a regular blogger, but since #4941 just made it across the threshold this week, much gratitude to all who got this to me in these trying times, with so many more important things on the front burner. I’m only just wading into it for a bit, but thanks to all on this blog who have posted their thoughts on the box set, including the extraordinary sound. I don’t know what it is about the Dead, how you can hear these songs a million times plus one, but that new version you have never heard before just adds that little nuance to the overall enjoyment!
A shout out to Jeff Smith too who kindly posted great reproductions of the covers, for all of us that load these to computers and devices.
This is perfect to help sooth “The Shining”-like moments we all must feel as we self-isolate. I’m grateful too that the weather has turned to biking, and I was smart enough to get mine tuned up before the cold rain and snow left. I’m grateful, too, my sons - one 2,800 miles to the west - are still working, as is my wife, albeit in an empty Toronto office, which she says is surreal.
I was in a large hospital for a semi-annual MRI for my cancer very recently, and I have been in this place at all hours of the day and night, and it is usually like Times Square at it’s quietest, but this time it had an eerie atmosphere. Waiting rooms, usually bustling, had seating alternately taped off to allow social distancing, were virtually empty. Most folks ambling through the hallways had masks and gloves, and it had a distinct pallor through the place. To call it Twilight Zone-like doesn’t do it justice. More like the world portrayed in On The Beach.
Regardless if we bow our heads to the Almighty, Buddha, Jerry Garcia, or no one at all, special thanks to all the front line health workers and essential staff (and this includes all the folks in trucking and cargo getting the vitals from A to B) who have given a new meaning to The Greatest Generation, 2020 Edition.
Stay well, everyone, and again, how great to have this amazing music still ringing in our ears. Long live the Dead!

There are so many epic moments in every show that its easy to overlook the great way the band feed off each other during the blues and country inflected first sets. Keith's piano solos in Chinatown Shuffle-4/14/72 - on the go now -were great. The music starts opening up during the first sets too - these Playing in the Bands are among the best ever played.

"Black Mirror" is another TV series worth looking out for. Science fiction set about 5 days in the future.

....i have one. The Thing. 1982. There are very few scenes that still make me cringe. But when Doc gets his arms bitten off still gets me. Great movie. Almost perfect. Currently watching. Fuchs is about to get assimulated. Nice.

Crazy times and very tough times. Hope you all are well. Had to put on The Grateful Dead Movie tonight. Needed to see Jerry and large crowds! How cool was
Jerry, the Dead and Billl Graham. I just loved hearing Jerry talk. He was the best, so cool. "Hey, I know man, that would be the hippest." I remember in the late 80s, early 90s, the band and McNally wanted Jerry to issue statements to us, telling us to stop camping and partying. He would not do it. Stayed that way until the end.
I hope when we come through the end of this crap that Dave and Rhino rethinks their 40 year release schedule.

We are so fortunate to have all this unbelievable music.

"Bottom line of the whole scene, there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert".

Stay well folks and I hope the Dead can get us all through this tough time.

After this box set... Disc 8 and 9 for me will be like 11/11/73 disc 3... The Wheel... High Time... Crazy Fingers.. Cosmic Charlie... Help>Slipknot Franklins... and the end of the first set Playing in the Band thrown in for good measures.. I like the other shows but I can tell which show I will play many times through out the years... bob t

3-25-72% part of DP30
Bo Diddley backed up by Grateful Dead......

....has been on repeat for the past four hours.

Bill Withers one of my earliest music influences. I can still remember singing Lean On Me in grade school music classes. I don’t play piano but that is one tune that I can still finger pluck on a keyboard. Spinning Just As I Am Now....what a beautiful record all the way thru! RIP Mr Withers, just do what you do, and do it good!

Ironically, I thought I heard some of Bill Wither’s soul in Phish’s new album Sigma Oasis. Had my first listen this mornin and couldn’t help but to listen two more times. Love it!....check it out if you haven’t had the chance!!!

Hope all you Dead people are doing well and staying safe! Doing our best here!!! Toilet paper is low but everything else seems to be holding out ok with the occasional visit to grocery or liquor store. I did manage to get 4 rolls of the sandpaper variety yesterday which made me feel very lucky. Mrs KC has officially named this pandemic “The Toilet Paper Apocalypse”.

Keep Clean and Carry On

KCJ