Grateful Dead

rodentiary?

Don't wanna scare off our new friends right away. Make em think we're odd or somethin'! QUACK! ********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens

Odd :) Well, I never!! PEACE

Howdy All! I've been lurking here for too long, and figured it was about time to join the party. My name is Eric, but y'all can call me EW. Grew up (a continuing process) in the midwest and southeast, currently in the heart of Texas, but my heart is really in SF. I was first introduced to the Dead by my older hippie sister when I was about 8 (late sixties), and they have since always held an important place in my life. Favorite period of mine was from '65 to '72, though I loved them all. For me, if Jerry was the heart of the group, Pigpen was the soul. And Robert Hunter, his work is timeless. Just wanted to introduce myself to the group and look forward to getting to know you!

EW glad you found us!!Peace,Gigi

Well...I never thought that I was shy, but what has taken me so long to get here and start visiting?! :) I've been a deadhead for eighteen years (what?!) ! As I calculated that I almost fainted! But indeed, my first show was at eighteen and now I am thirty six, so there's that. Anyway, I live in the north bay of San Francisco and I am very glad that this forum exists. Happy New Year!

Hello All! Gosh it is so good to feel that warmth and friendliness that has been so long missing. Boy the last twenty years have been a blur. Actually some portions remind me of those really bad trips of yesteryear. Myself, I am a 41 year old from Maine. I followed the Dead in the Northeast for about 5 years. Traveled from Portland Maine to Buffalo NY to New Jersey to catch a glimpse and be a part of my new found family. In 1990 I left for the remote wilderness of Alaska and fell out of touch for four years. Came back to Maine, got married became a yuppie (ouch), had a great kid, bought a mortgage, had a heart attack and found myself floating around the "net" looking for my family. Here I am. Man do I miss you people

Good to see you all here, yes this is history, living breathing history. You will find some of the best folks on the planet here. Take your shoes off,put on some tye dye, pick out out a favorite show to listen to and take a look around. Really a wonderful place. peace,pk

Hey everyone! My name is Chad and I am from the artic north of Minnesota (hopefully for not much longer!). I have been a casual dead listener for about 8 years and that all changed about 2 years ago when I started listening to the dead pretty much all the time. I guess I wanted to join the forum because I only have a few friends that like the dead. Today is a very special day because I hope to see my 1st show in San Fran on the 2009 tour. My wife knows how important this is to me and she is behind me all the way. Take care!

I'm very happy to have found this forum. It's nice to be amongst fellow "heads".

Hi out there everyone! My name is Melissa and I am from Knoxville, TN. Only being 25 years old, I have never experienced in person all that is the "Grateful Dead". I am absolutely obsessed with listening to Dead shows I have collected and various videos I have come across seeing as I cannot literally go back in time to get the full experience. I got into the Dead after seeing someone with a Liquid Blue Grateful Dead Shirt on when I was about 12. I asked them what their shirt meant, and the story that was told to me has led me to a wonderful world of beautiful people and beautiful music! I have seen some Rat Dog shows and and a few Phil shows but have never experienced the whole gang together. As soon as I heard the roumors of an 09 tour of the Dead I scurried over here to dead.net and found this great forum. In addition to the Dead I am a huge fan of Widespread Panic and have followed them a little bit (mostly shows in the South). I live for seeing live music as well as being outdoors weather it be camping, festivals, hiking, mountain biking, etc. I also enjoy sewing and crafting and love to sell my creations on lot and on my website. I am looking forward to gaining some more knowledge of all that is Dead! Thanks for having me aboard!

Hi All After seeing a great NYE show and with the news the boys are going to light it up yet again, thought I'd make my electronic presence known. My first show was Feb 1977 at the San Bernardino Swing Auditorium. Hope to see all y'all on the road.

I'm 32 and live in Colorado. I started listening to the Dead in high school and haven't stopped since. Other than from the parking lot at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in May of '95, I never got to hear Jerry play. Since then, I've enjoyed boys' shows and seeing the progression from the '96 Further Fest to the announcement of a new tour this year. Just wanted to introduce myself and say hey! Jason

Hey family - I'm Matthew from San Francisco, born and bred on the Dead since I was a youngster. My first show was at Angel's Camp in 87 with Santana (10 years old), and I've been loving the music ever since. I just heard about the new tour, and I was upset with myself that I didn't make it to the New Year's Eve show at the Bill Graham here in SF. I decided to figure out how I could get news about the tickets maybe being on sale early - and here I am! I'll try and upload some of my original bootlegs from the early 90's at some point, and just join the discussion. The picture is my 1 year old son Marcus - he's already a baby Deadhead, and he listens to Shady Grove almost every day. It's his favorite song.

with the 09 tour happening I see a bunch of new folks here and just wanted to say hey now hey now,, welcome aboard Dead.net !!

Grateful fairy is right on...these are some of the most beautiful people on the planet here. Come on in and take a look around,it's really an amazing array of topics and archives. Through this place, the dream lives on,like walking through the parking lot back in the day. The band is back now, but they never really went away thanks to the wonderful folk's here.And zuma, that show at Angel's camp was awesome,the Mountain Aire show. I was actually working for bgp and got to be there from the set up to tear down, it was a great time. Like stuman said, Welcome Aboard! peace,pk

If you heard anything about some little kid running around with a water gun - that little shit was me. I remember I shot some folks with the water gun, and some dude grabbed my arm and was like"What's wrong with you kid - those people are trippin balls!!" Of course, at 10 years old, I had no clue what he was talking about. I still kinda feel bad about ruining their trip. I had a really amazing time though, and like I said - I've loved the music ever since. Being from San Francisco, and growing up with Dead Head parents gave me a unique experience. It is like family, and it's good to be home. Can't wait for May.

Oh that... and sleeping in the trunk of my dad's friend's car. We camped out, but I hated sleeping with my parents, 'cause my dad snored like a bear. I'll always remember my dad's friend who they called "Joe Fig" opening the back of his car and clearing a space in the trunk and saying "sleep in here, little dude" - so I slept in the trunk with the hatch open for 3 nights. What a memory.

and join us in all that is here,new friends. Pk said it jest about perfect. :-D********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens

HEY NOW everybody--Im an internet rookie--Ive never even been online till we got my stepson a Wii for his B-day last Oct.(I Know--Welcome to this century,right?)My name is Georgie and I LOVE THE DEAD! Ive been on board since 88'-- my first shows were Oxford Me. 7/2 +7/3--and ever since then I went to as many DEAD--JERRY--WEIR--PHIL--RATDOG--ALLMAN shows as I possibly could(not PHISH though--I have to admit they dont really do it for me)but bassically anywhere I could get that "feeling"(you know that feeling)well needless to say--I dont get to just take off whenever I feel like it anymore because I married my childhood sweetheart(Beautiful AMY)and Im the Grateful Dad to two awesome(and ACTIVE) 3 y.o. twins (Robbie+Cassidy)and stepdad to 3 wonderful kids(Amanda-Devin+Talia)so shows are few+far between now. But that's o.k. because you appreciate it more when you do get to go.--anyway My wife is a nurse + Im a house painter--so I stay home w/ the twins in the winter.So-once in a while id like to shoot the shit w/some fellow HEADS and I need to know if this is the right place to do that.Money is wicked tight,but I am NOT missing at LEAST one springfling show(hopefully both Worcester shows--but I'll settle for ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT!!whoever can relate to what im sayin'--let me know--Love you guys-GEORGIE♪♪♪♪♪

Well I just spent the past 2 days in that chat room and I just now discovered there is actual forums, cool! So hi everyone!My name is Kristina I live in the Chicago burbs, and I love the dead! This is cool cause I actually have few friends that share my love for the dead. There is my sister, and my best friend, but other then that my friends aren't into the same stuff as me, so it is nice to talk to some who are! I'll be at the Chicago show this May 5th with my best friend (my concert buddy) and some other friends. I am really excited! I am 25 and I never saw Jerry live but I've been going to Ratdog/Phil shows for a long time. My favorite passtime is to sit and read the lyrics to the dead as I listen to it. That is basically all I do when I am at home, no TV or anything for me, just reading and chilling with my animals. Other than that I am a huge nature lover and I belong in the woods or on the road travelling. I am also involved in animal rescue, I am pretty passionate about it all. I started listening to the dead when my sis "made" me stay home and tape GD hr for her. I basically just grew to love it. well I hope to get to know some cool people here, have a good one! "No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little"

thank marye- i am fresh out of fosters at the moment also! i will check out that section.

Whoa... ok. It's been a while. I'm Bearlywood. Some of you may remember me from the AOL GDF 10+ years ago. I'm glad to see a bright shiny new dead.net. It's lovely. Michael and I will be at the Forum in May. I'd say I'm about due for a show, though I'll need to start hiking right now if I expect to have my show legs in four months. Interested to see what it will be like. Don't suppose there will be much of a Shakedown. And what the kids will look like these days. Are patchwork, dreds, tats, piercings and an aversion to bathing still de rigueur? I hope you're all well and happy. Peace, Bearly

I'm Mich and I have some exciting news. I just got an advanced copy of my new book, "Grateful Dead: What a Long Strange Trip it's Been," Enslow Publishers. It hits stores in Feb., and it looks great. I'm thrilled. What makes this book unusual is that it is geared to 12-16 year olds. My publisher wanted to target our kids. And, I got to interview Bob Weir for the book, as well as Dennis McNally, David Gans and several Deadheads. It was a thrill to research and write. I convinced my publisher to produce a paperback. Both hardcover and paperback debut Feb. The book deals with the GD's love of music, their lives growing up, and the times around them. I didn't get into gossip--that's just not me. It's more about their love of the music. Glad to be here.

I've been bouncing in and out of here every so often the past few years. I've been listening to the Dead since the late 70's. Saw my first show at the Uptown in Chicago in '80. What really got me was the drums. I played drums through high school and then in my Dad's jazz and blues band. At the time I loved listening to Rush. Neal Peart's ability playing drums blew me away. I saw them in Chicago and was still blown away. Then I saw them again at Alpine and he played his solo almost exactly the same.It's no easy feat but it was geetin kinda old. Then I saw the Dead and I was hooked. A band that purposely never played the same thing twice. What a great concept. And thanks to my Dad I've always loved a good jam which naturally transferred to loving the Dead. Anyway after 60 some shows still jamming... Turned my wife into a Deadhead. It was easy as she appreciates good music. Great times and great memories and more on the way!

I am new to this site, well signing up anyway. My first show was JGB in Worcester 1989 I was 15. Probably ate something I shouldn't or I guess I should have now that I write this. My first dead show was Foxboro 1990, I felt like I was at home and there were people that understood me. I was only able to see 24 shows total. Since 1998 I have seen Phil around 50 times, Ratdog a few, the other ones 8 or 9 times and the dead a few times. Now I am 35 married with twin 18 month old boys their names Solomon Garcia and Winston Bennett. I love being dad! My wife knows I am obsessed with collecting music, mostly one band :-) It could be worse. The Warfield, Red Rocks, The old Boston Garden and Orpheum are my favorite places so far. One of my best experiences was at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis 8/1/02 when Phil sang Happy Birthday to Jerry (what would have been his 60th) writing this give me chills. (I love that feeling) On New Years morning when I told my wife the news, she said go to as many shows as you can. Not wanting to take advantage of that offer, I am going to 4 shows, Albany, Worcester x 2 and my first dead related experience at MSG. We are going together to one of the Worcester shows. I am psyched, I did mail order and I am hoping GDTSTOO will come through. I want to thank this site and all who are involved for being here. 92 days until Albany but whose counting...

So happy to be here and feel so welcomed by all.. I got back on this site recently after being away for a long time and decided that this time, i'd dive in and actually join the party. It was a trip setting up a profile and pulling out all my old tickets etc... Great times remembered. And now i'm addicted, coming in most every night so again, thanks for making me feel so welcomed. I fell in love with the dead (and to the Dead) back in 81. First show was in Hartford 82 and it's been a sweet ride ever since. Most of my deadhead friends from back in the day are sadly not a part of my life anymore so i'm very happy to find so many like minded people here. Although i go to A LOT of different rock shows every year and love them, there's NOTHING like a deadshow!! (or hippy show as my husband so kindly refers to them as) About me: Everyday name: Janet. I live in CT, happily married (though sadly not to a deadhead) have three wonderful girls ages 16, 19 & 21, spend much of my time working FT as a webmaster, enjoying my home & garden and mountain biking as much as possible. oh yea... and i'll admit it here just because i know no one will laugh... i'm seriously in love with Bob weir (or at the very least, seriously in love with his voice)... so nice not to have to explain that comment... Anyway.... I'll be at the NYC and Hartford shows myself so if anyone of you is going, please send me a note and maybe we can grab a beer Looking forward to getting to know all you cool girls and boys out there in deadville and hope to see you soon! I'll have rings on my fingers and bells on my shoes....

My name is Steve and I have been "On the Bus" since the mid 90's. I made it in to 6 shows in 94 and 95 and was in the lot for about a dozen more. We just got tickets to the DC Dead show in April and put in for Phish tickets for Burgettstown in June. Got my fingers crossed. My wonderful wife and I live in the D.C. Baltimore area now but are both from South Bend Indiana (Go Irish!). We have a great big group of Dead Head friends in Indiana but not so much out here. I play guitar and sing for fun but have performed at various open mic's and as a guest with friends bands. Other musical favorites for me include Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Buffett, Phish, Reggae, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass and anything you can tap your toe to. We're also big sports fans and love to watch Notre Dame, the Cubs, Da' Bears and the Colts. Well I guess that's us in a nutshell. We'd love to hear from you so please feel free to drop a line. Have a Grateful day and Happy New Year!

IM 37 and also the proud papa to twins--(yours have awsome names,btw) mine are a b/g combo Robbie+Cassidy.(ages3)I looked at your page-we've been to alot of the same shows.We probably wont see anything this spring--too much $$!! anyway-write back if ya want--garcialater-G

Hi all! :) My name is Michele, I'm 31 and a mother to a wonderful 7yr old son Jaden :) I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia. My older brother was the first person to introduce me to the Dead when I was about 13. Too young and naive to appreciate the gem bestowed upon me, it would be another 5 years before I would truly come to appreciate The Grateful Dead. That summer I passed on the opportunity to see my first show at the Spectrum because I didn't want to lose my job (won't even mention where I worked) only to lose Jerry a few months later. My one and only regret in life :( I've seen numerous Other Ones, RatDog, Phil & Friends & Phish shows. I'm extremely grateful for Splintered Sunlight, an amazing GD cover band. Whom I've seen hundreds of times and I'm blessed to call family! One of my true loves in life is going to festivals. Everything from the music, to the people, to the carnival feel just tingles my senses!!! My love for the Grateful Dead and the scene they create has continuously grown over the years - Love is Real Not Fade Away! ~at least I'm enjoyin' the ride~

Guess I forgot to introduce myself…let’s see, my name is Tamara (33) aka Southerntam…I’m wife to John and mom to Mason (6) and Schyler (2). I’m a born and raised San Diegan, with the exception of 1 year in Portland…loved the scene but it was too cold and gloomy for me. My profile kind of says it all…first show was Vegas 1992, I was 17 and a Junior in High School. Some friends of mine were big fans of the Boys so I knew some of the music, but that first show captured my heart and soul like nothing I had ever experienced. I fell in love with the Boys that hot May Friday afternoon. I conned my mom into letting me drive her car to Vegas with some friends…I still don’t know how I managed to pull it off, but I did. We only had tix for Sat night and I was lucky enough to be miracle’d in on Friday and Sunday as well. I was fortunate enough to see all of the Boys 9 times before Jerry passed, as well as JGB 3 or 4 times. I’ve seen Ratdog a handful of times and always try to catch them when they cruise through San Diego, Irvine or Los Angeles. The music warms my soul and instantly puts a smile on my face! I love them all and am so thankful they are a part of my life.

I believe I was a Deadhead even before I had ever heard of them. Although I had a pretty good collection of albums and tapes, I didn't actually get to see the Grateful Dead perform until they played That changed my life, as did every show I attended after that. I will always remember that first show better than most of the others, though. After Jerry left us, I went searching for other bands that could give me a show the way the Grateful Dead did. It was a few years until I found String Cheese Incident, who seemed to me as though they really got it. Now they are gone as well. I do listen to an excellent Dead cover band, "Shakedown Street" out of Denver, whenever I can, and I have also enjoyed several shows by P&F and Ratdog. I have a social site dedicated to Jam Bands, Jam-based music, and their fans. It's called Eclectic Jammys, named so before I discovered that there was, at the time, a similar site called "Jammys" Please stop by and visit, check it out, and join if you wish. The url is http://ejammys.ning.com

Wow man, I totally missed this post, hows everyone doin today? My names Moye (AKA Phatmoye) Been on this website from my ps3 for over a week now and have experienced nothing but good VIBES!! Im 31 and was lucky enough to see the Grateful Dead 3 times before Garcias passing. R.I.P. I'm really excited about this awsome tour and can't wait to hear the shows.Peace- Phatmoye :)

hey! i'm a new dead head. i just finished reading jerry's bio (amazing book) and it really changed my life. for a long time i never really understood the dead but after i finished the book it all sorta made sense. jerry was such a poet in his own way. but anyway i bought dick's picks volume 14 after i finished reading and now i'm a dead addict. so hello friends!

My name is christi and I have been a Deadhead since the July of 1989, when I saw my first show. I was living in Hilton Head, South Carolina for the summer with a few friends and some people we worked with invited us to go to Washington, DC with them to see the Grateful Dead. I had never really listened to their music(I was into Gun's and Roses and Bon Jovi. Yes, I know, don't shoot me:)) But we decided to go. After hanging out in the parking lot, making a few friends, etc., etc., a great day was had by all!! We were about five rows back on the floor and I was in awe of how a band could take the crowd from dancing their arses off to sitting with their arms around each other!! I had never experienced anything like that before and I had been to many a concert!! After that I was hooked!!! And have been ever since.I am a third grade teacher who has been married for 16 years(my husband loves Jerry and the boys just as much as I do!) and I have two kiddos-a son, 12 and a daughter 7. And I can't wait until the Denver show!! Let there by songs to fill the air:)

Hey now! my first show was Kingswood '84 and the last Vermont '95. There was nothing like it was there......my story is much like yours I bet! I now have kids from age 5 up to 25 so that's me. In my spare time I have always written and played music. After way too long working on it my music website is up with two albums for your listening and more to come relatively soon. Drop in and listen if you are so inclined. There is a forum if you would like to pipe up a suggestion or whatnot-I haven't listened to all the songs since being uploaded so let me know if you notice any problems. http://hydrophonica.com/ My Myspace site has also been updated with a new song and all the other songs that were on it have been remixed and should sound a little tighter. http://www.myspace.com/dcmuir

I'm a newbie, and technology scares me. Well, sometimes on days ending in Y. Anyhow, I wanted to pop in, say hello, introduce myself and scurry off. Whitney, you? how de' do? =)

I am the child of two amazing Dead Head parents, Really I couldn't have asked for better people to be raised by... but it wasn't until recently that I began to embrace the dead head mentality and through they stories my parents share and the amazing music and atmosphere of a Dead show, I can't help but feel a bit of jealousy that I missed the circus. Anyway I'm in love with the entire culture... Great to meet you all.

Boy do I miss Dead Shows. Not sure what to wright-. . I'm a hippy in disquise. I've been to Dead shows all over NE/Northeast. But I never went on tour and "followed". I always wanted to see a show out West. I like all kinds of music- whatever makes me feel good. Any music like the Dead, real, and full of hope. Burning Spear and Spreahead. I live in Utah now. It can be such a beautiful place. Utah gets a bad rap though. But Utah and the Greatful Dead have something in common. Both are misunderstood at first.

Gee, I got distracted a few months ago and now everything looks different. Where's Dire Wolf? Where are the political pages with Larry the Duck??Danni <8)

I’ve been here for so long but I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself (although I honestly can’t remember if I have or not lol) Anyway…I’m Tam – a.k.a ~ Southerntam. Some of you may know me, but for those who don’t I’m a San Diego native, born and raised here in paradise. I’m 33, married to my best friend and have two beautiful kids – Mason 6 and Schyler 2.5. My first show was Sam Boyd Silver Bowl, Las Vegas, 1992…I fell in love and never looked back. I was 17 and my parents let me drive some friends out to Vegas…we had tickets for Saturday night and believe it or not I was miracled in both Friday and Sunday night as well. The rest is history! I love the Boys, they along with their music and their culture has been a huge influence in my life and continues to be to this day. I…along with most people who know me, feel like I missed my time, should have been born way earlier than 75. I always tell people I should have been born in 1960, that should have been my time, but I guess someone or something had other plans for me and I was postponed until 1975. I was lucky enough to see Jerry many times before he passed and I will always be so thankful for that. Bummed I never got to see Brent play though… Well I guess I’ll keep it short and sweet…I love it here, love everyone I have met here and am thankful to have a place like this to chat with other Heads like myself ~ this place truly rocks. ~Tam

When I was writing my intro I totally had deja vu but when I scrolled back I didn't see my post. Anyway, now you get to meet me twice lol!

be happy you were born in '75! I was born in 61' and growing up everyday with the Vietnam war was quite frightening. The moon landing was my favorite thing, and watching the birth of the hippies and some real good music. The bus came by and I got on That's when it all began

Well, since I have now been coined a top 10 vine slut in the Vineyard, I should probably say hello in this forum as the introduction forum. I am Geoff. I have a wife, 2 very small children (as of today 20 months (boy) & 16 weeks (girl). I am a chef running a restaurant in New York City. I live in Westfield, New Jersey in a mortgage, I mean a house. I love every aspect of the Grateful Dead. I am proud to be a Deadhead. I am not nor have I ever been a hippie. I was a teenage tour rat in the mid-80's. By my 18th birthday I had crossed the country 5 times. I had made residences in places like San Francisco, CA; Newark, Delaware; Lawrence, KS, Boulder, CO; and Burlington, VT respectively. I saw my last Dead show in 1990. I was absolutely torn by Mydland's header with a speedball. I dropped the Grateful Dead for this band called Phish in 1989 through about 1991. They were a Burlington bar band and I was known to haul equipment around VT, MA, NH, and ME for them for a couple of years. I broke up with Phish and went to college. I graduated in 1993 and moved to Berkeley, CA where I resided and honed my career. Jerry died when I was there. I really died with him musically. I turned briefly to Ska, Grunge, Punk and even Hip Hop. About 6 years ago I moved back to Vermont and hooked up with a lot of old friends who were all grown up with families. One of my friends is an avid collector of live Dead and had tremendous hook ups. I started listening again. It was all new once more. The last time I had collected live Dead it was cassettes and my best quality show was the worn out Freedom Hall 74 show. Now I had access to such sweet SDB's and had met some great tapers. With the internet becoming the way to get music my collection blossomed and my love is back...totally. Since my last show in March of 1990 I had seen exactly one Grateful Dead affiliated show. Rat Dog 2 summers ago in Central Park which was 8 blocks from my home. I ponied up a large chunk of change and am going to see The Dead @ MSG. I can't wait. I already have one rolled up. I .********************************************************** ******************Brought to you by********************* ************Whirling Felina Productions*************** >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Hi friends! Call me Ev. Can we not post pics and gifs here? The IMG tags don't seem to work. Man, I had it all set up! Went though my whole Photobucket, lol! Oh well, still happy to be aboard! Cheers (imagines you can see gif of me downing a pint). Waves.