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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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  • robkell
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    living in the past
    boy - reading some of these comments gives me a head ache. the grateful dead made music that is not really replicated today - and although now getting up there in age - i do keep up with today's music world of live performing bands - and enjoy much of what is out there. but the grateful dead remain fun to listen to and there are those days where nothing else will do - really amazing that so much of what they did was recorded and more amazing that so much has been released and hopefully will continue to be released for continued listening enjoyment for those who want to go back and hear this great playing. i cannot make much more out this question of "living in the past". hey their old shows remain fun to listen to; why make more out it than simply that.
  • kim
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    this is great
    I love reading through the posts here. Like others have said, the thoughts posted here are the thoughts of my own. It seems we all here are echoing a similar vibe. To me, being a deadhead is essentially part of your spirit. It is something that you love. To me, I don't chose what I love- it comes to me and it is part of me. The dead, and all that we are trying to define here as the essence of the experience, it is what we love. I don't think that it is something that you can cut out of you, it is part of you. And why would you have to? What I love about the dead and the deadhead community is there are no rules, it is total freedom to me. You could do whatever you wanted to express yourself however you wanted. To me the dead is about creativity. Creativity in the music, creativity in art, creativity in how we chose to live our lifes, how we define our families... Why should we start now trying to limit this? Why would we want this to be over? To me the grateful dead has always been more that what we can put a finger on and define. Oops, real world calling...... must get back to work..... I enjoy reading everyones thoughts here. We have created here yet another community of deadheads and it aint over here..... Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile....
  • Dr. Mark
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    Still rockin!
    Funny--my brother and I saw many shows during the mid 80's to early 90's. I am 42 and still love the Grateful Dead--there is something spiritually satisfying and grounding about the music. while my brother still loves it, he listens to all the contemporary stuff--rap, hip-hop, etc. and says I am stuck in the past. Not quite true, but I know what he means. However, I think the music is as timeless as classical music. people still love Beethoven and Bach. I know the music is timeless when my four year old son surprises me and starts singing the words to Uncle John's Band! That being said, I do listen to current music. Widespread Panic is on fire last night--just caught one of their shows in L.A. Jimmy Herring is really clicking with them. Download the show from 4-27-07 in Orange Beach, AL. Anyhow, as long as shows keep getting released, I'll keep buying them. I hope to still listen when I'm an old old man, and hope my kids enjoy it as much as i do...
  • johnnyg
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    2 words .....flux capacitor...anyone???
    Love to read all the thoughts, takes and angles on this topic. I am still listening for the secret and searching for the sound....in my own way of course. I have taken to relearning what I can about the era of '71-'74. A time of extrodinary music that I often overlooked in my younger days. Reconciliation with reality can be extremely difficult at times. Even to this day. And this is from a guy who has worked in a white collar sweat shop for 20 years. Very close to where I was on 8.9.95 :( The music, in my head, never stops. Actually had my first dead dream the other night in a really long time. Bobby and Philip playing Mexicali Blues together, at a soundcheck or something of similar ilk. Peace be with all of you! “The Omnipotent Grateful Dead!”
  • jergirl61
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    Once you're on the bus....
    The whole Dead experience for me was.....just that....the whole experience.....it helped me become what i am today....don't know how you would stop that...ya just take it FURTHUR...i still see lots of live music and i DON'T try to compare it to Jerry...but ya know, sometimes at any particular show, i get that old feelin....in the strangest of places if ya look at it right...Peace.....just thinkin when i first took my first two children to see Jerry, they were like 8 & 10 at the time....RFK cause it was outdoors and stuff...and we're walkin the lot, seein the sights and my daughter says "Mommy, everyone is so Happy here!!" They GOT IT!!!later on they boogied standing on the seats singin every word to Box of Rain...chill bumps rememberin that.....
  • Gottaboogie
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    /me puts on a fine tape, and
    /me puts on a fine tape, and enjoys a pleasant afternoon.... whats over? :)
  • SirX1970
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    those virgin ears
    i'll be 37 next friday. i got to see the dead a handfull of times in the late 80's - early '90's. some of those shows were stellar. i have some younger employees that never got to see them, but they love the music. i would give up everything for them to travel back in time to attend a killer show. it's like trying to explain a dream to people - they listen to my stories, but can they really feel the way i did? hell no! they might be jealous, they might dig the fact that i saw a certain song - there will never be anything for them to replicate the experience. i respect the fact that they love the music - that's all they have. they don't have the parking lot or the feeling of the band tuning up between numbers trying to guess what they were going to do. maxell isn't in their priority. searching through relics magazines looking for trades seems ancient. people born in the late '80's will not remember trying to get tapes through the mail. how many of us had cornell '77 on aud. before the betty's came out? i still have all of my old tapes. sometimes they still feel more comfortable to play than an upgraded sbd. how many crappy auds sounded good in your factory car stereo system or cheap stereo systems? the newer heads, well, i welcome them, but they just don't know the overall experience. i admire them though because it takes a unique individual to listen carefully these days. when you think about all of the deadheads in the world turning on new people - it's wonderful!!! take care all - chris
  • Fatjack
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    It's ALL Good!
    Being a follower of The Grateful Dead and ALL of it's branches since the mid-80's, I can say from seeing them all that the new branches are just as much of a joy to me as The Grateful Dead was. I love to see Bob Weir and Ratdog in more intimate settings and Phil Lesh and Friends and The Dead during 03' and 04' and The Other Ones. I have tickets to see Bob Weir and Ratdog with The Allman Brothers Band in August and it still gives just as much excitement each and every time. The music will live forever in my eyes whatever branch of The Dead Family it is. The Deadheads are my brothers and sisters and hold a very special place in my heart.
  • BlueCat
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    Timeless
    The songs are timeless and the Dead are woven into the fabric of our culture. The soundtrack of our lives. There is no end, just new beginnings. I hear the songs differently today than I did 10, 20, 30+ years ago, so they are always new in some ways. I just hope the vault never goes empty because I love it when each new release comes out.
  • nuggular
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    wow
    You might as well say that there are no true Buddhists because they were not graced by a Buddha, or that you are not a Christian unless you met Christ... ignorant. Just because your friends are burnt out, doesn't mean that we all gotta throw in the towel.
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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.