Grateful Dead

welcome aboard! hope you will enjoy the ride!

Hi all. First post. Recently decided to join the greater Deadhead community after years of being a closeted Deadhead. Actually came to The Dead via The Jerry Garcia Band, so kind of backwards.

Hey all, just joined the forum. I'm new to the Dead,(i know) Just recently picked up the bass, and really got into Phil's playing. Glad to be here.

Dave and Marye, thanks for welcoming me aboard. I can truly say that in this crazy world, I feel like I have found my "forever home" here. I moved from a big town to a little one for work and can't say there are many like-minded folk in this land of sparse population, so it is really comforting knowing I have my buddies right here :)

As for as the puppy, thanks for the concern and kind words Dave. Lymphoma is kinda scary in dogs I've found out. But my little fur ball is started up on prednisone and has his puppy energy back!! Just one of those things where he's gonna keep rocking until he can't and more than likely he will lay down for a nap and just drift away. Which when you think about it, I know that I would definitely want to go that way if I had a choice.

I will need to check out that thread! Any others I should look into? I am eager to join the party! I do love storytelling and digging into music theory!

Much love to you both and thank you again, from the bottom of my heart!

-AZ

Welcome aboard the Bus! You may want to try posting on the Ala Carte DP42 thread also.

I'm sorry to hear of your beloved dog...

I understand this thread is half-dead, but I need to let you guys know how much you (yes, you) mean to me. How's everyone doing? I'm Alex and this is not my first post (oops!). But I am so happy to be here. I am in the midst of losing my dog who is the light of my world and the DeadHead family has made me feel at peace. I know this is my introduction but I already have so much thanks to give!! I have been a DeadHead for the better part of my life, living adjacent to the middle of nowhere. So I have always been the black sheep of the friend group listening to this hippie drone music. I called in to Tales from the Golden Road right before Tucker's (my dog) diagnosis with Lymphoma, nervous as all get out about my first Dead & Co show for my birthday here in a few weeks, and as soon as I was connected with Dave and Gary, all anxiety melted away, it didn't matter how many listeners I was on the air with, I truly felt like I was just shooting the shit with some old friends. I felt at home. And now more than ever, I need a little home. And each and every one of you make me feel at home in this strange world. As I make my entrance, I already am feeling beyond welcomed.. So thank you. A lot.

hello i am Billy Cyprus how are you?

I'm 44 and was blessed to start seeing The Grateful Dead when I was just 12! Rich Stadium in Buffalo. Hit mostly all the East Coast shows until 96' and then our lives changed for sure. Went to Penn State University and I am a social worker. My son is almost through high school and then I'm looking for adventure! I am not sure where what or with whom? Auroraville, Peace Corp, meet the man who rocks my world??

Hello Bob, Phil, Bill and Mickey…..

I can probably state this is my first and last post as I’m done. I registered to put this one post up. I wouldn’t be surprised if the moderators didn’t look kindly on the following “appraisal” which I will now explain:

I was still in the final years of school when Europe ’72 came out which puts me a generation behind the initial Dead fan base. In recent years I have become totally obsessed by the Dead, and the culture that surrounded the band. (Notice I said “surrounded”, as in past tense?)

On July 4 2021 (I am not from the USA) I ordered the DVD digipak with bonus disc of Long Strange Trip from the Dead.Net Store.

This is what happened next (copied from my communications with the Store with contact details redacted):

My Initial Request:

This 3 DVD digipack of Long Strange Trip has Disc 2 marked "Bonus Content" and does not have the second half of the documentary on it as stated on packaging. The bonus content is the same as that on Disc 3 which is supposed to be the bonus content for this 3 DVD set. Also Disc 1 which does have the first half of the documentary on it does not have a Dolby 2.0 audio option as stated on the packaging. It is questionable whether any of these discs are the one supposed to be packed in this version of the release. After the time and expense of getting the shipped from the Grateful Dead source this is extremely disappointing.

Where we are at now:
The replacement copy just sent has the same problem of discs mislabeled and packaged. It must be from the same print run as the first copy I received. Disc 2 is again bonus content NOT the second half of the documentary.

Please... I'm begging you. I ordered this July 4 and I still haven't gotten the full movie. I'll buy a Region Free Bluray copy. Just send me an invoice for the difference in price. Whatever.... please.

NOW:
I'VE JUST RECEIVED A THIRD COPY OF STRANGE TRIP AND YOU'VE DONE THE SAME THING AGAIN. YOU DIDN'T CHECK THE DISCS AND HAVE SENT A COPY THAT DOES NOT HAVE DISC 2 OF THE MOVIE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME; YOU HAVE RIPPED ME OFF.

There you have it.

So this is Grateful Dead 2021; just another commercial juggernaut that wants to extract money from people by selling clothes, pet accessories, garden accessories (or whatever!). Another cash machine that cares nothing about the only thing about the band that matters and what is truly real about Grateful Dead.

But hey! When it comes to delivering the sound and vision which is the history and legacy of a great band this is what you get.

Oh! Commercialism! It can’t be!

Well take a good look at eBay. The egregious amount of profiteering there is disgusting to the point of being abjectly blinding. The CD warehouses will get copies of Get Shown the Light, but they sell out in a day or two and will be resold at triple the price.

I’ve got some seriously rare Dead CD’s and they are now worth a small fortune. After what I have experienced with the Store I am so disgusted and, more to the point disappointed, that I am seriously thinking of “getting my chips cashed in” (remember that old chestnut I just paraphrased?) and eBaying my whole collection.

You can’t say there ain’t a buck to be made out of the good ‘ol Grateful Dead!

It’s so sad to see the band’s unique contributions, their legacy, being torn up in this way.

There’s a general tenet of art theory that states that art is but a reflection of society. I have been fascinated by the fact that the Dead weren’t a band, but more of a “scene”; a family, a society, if you will.

Garcia used to talk about evolving humanity, the society, through psychedelics, art, music, culture etc. Well society and humanity, the truth is:

Welcome to capitalism.

It’s just as well “faith” is but a word and, therefore, counts for very little. (As I’m sure is the case with my words written in this post).

Peace out.

Goodbye.

__________________________________________________________________

Addendum:

I was going to make the above post my first and last post until, upon registering for these forums, this email arrived:

Hey there Grateful Dead Fan,
We’re so glad you got on the bus! You’re in for a mighty fine time.
As a subscriber to Dead.net, you’ll be the first to know about the Grateful Dead’s exclusive limited-edition releases, breaking news on the band, community events, and so much more. It’s all happenin’!
We’d like to thank you kindly with 10% off* your next order. Simply use this coupon code at checkout:

Oh, wow! Thank you master! This wage-slave is so uplifted by your magnanimous offer! Thank you so much for extending the cosmic joke you have played upon me, and more fool me!

Talk about adding insult to injury.........

I think I’ll pass, as ten percent of nothing, which is what your organisation has given me, is nothing.

How about giving me back ten percent of the purchase cost of the flawed and incorrectly packaged item that I spent money on in July? I would be happy with ten percent of what your organisation has defrauded me.

Now I’m done.