I’ve run into a few Deadheads here on the SDMB. Are there more of us? Are you out there? Got any tapes to trade? Tell us your touring stories. What was your first show like?
For you non-Deadheads – do you actively dislike the band or are you not familiar with their music. They were a band beyond description, and many people who haven’t heard 'em got no idea what type music they played. What’s your perception?
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars.
Well, I can’t really call myself a deadhead, but I do enjoy their music in moderate doses. I think the only thing I have in my collection by The Dead is one vinyl double greatest hits compilation.
I did see them in concert once at the Akron Rubber Bowl. They played with Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Great show and a very entertaining crowd.
One complete set of morals for sale to highest bidder, new in box.
Funny you should mention that lots of people don’t know what they sound like. For a long time in junior high school, we used to be convinced they were one of those heavy metal bands all the tough high schoolers would listen to. Grateful Dead, Judas Priest, Motorhead. I think the prescence of the word “Dead” in their name gives them an undeserved association with morbidity, as does that skull with the flowers thing.
On the whole, I don’t care about them much either way. I’m more into samplers and distortion and stuff. But I was shocked when I found out they played mellow stuff like “China Cat Sunflower” and “Casey Jones”, and not heavy metal. That’s probably 15 years ago.
Back (too many) years ago, at Tennessee Technological University, I was watching Saturday Night Live in the dorm lobby when it was announced that the musical guest was the Grateful Dead. Two guys behind me started talking.
Guy 1: Who’s that?
Guy 2: I dunno. Must be some sorta New York punk band.
I am very glad someone started this post. I dislike the Grateful Dead very, very much. All of my friends in high school were obsessed with this band so I definetly heard the music and I’ve attended about 5 shows.
Boy, were those concerts annoying! I would much rather have listened to a jazz group playing interesting solos than a bunch of cardboard-like old fellas strumming out three cord country tunes. And the crowd! Patouli smells like a dirty basement to me - I was sick. I was really embarassed for all of those people “dancing” - they looked like complete morons.
Maybe I’m too cynical, maybe I just don’t “get” it, but I always thought the Dead wrote boring songs and had no soul. Oh, and that “Red Rooster” song isn’t theirs - I believe Howlin’ Wolf wrote it.
This is my opinion - hope you’re not sorry you asked.
Also, did you ever notice all of the BMW’s, Mercedes, etc. with GD stickers on it - total rich kid/yuppie band! Sort of how Phish is now. Explain that one!
Hee Hee. Melanie forgot to bring her dots to the show.
You should’ve asked. We’d have given you some. 
Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine
I’ve heard 'em lots ‘n’ lots, and I never liked them. I had college friends who were total Deadheads/Floyd-heads/Marley-heads. That’s all I ever heard from their room. I’m not a big fan of “jam bands” in general, but I just always found the Dead to be particularly boring. The fall into a category that, for me, comprises really, really talented musicians who make unconscionably dull music. This category includes the Dead, Phish, Yes, Dave Matthews Band, and a few others.
I’m in that group of late-onset Deadheads that never got to see them. I wasn’t exposed in high school (it was more of an AC/DC school, really), and hadn’t been in college long when Jerry died. Since then, though, I’ve become a pretty big fan.
As for tapes, I don’t have many, and the ones I have aren’t very good. (I have a lot more Phish.) I’m looking to add a CD-R to my computer so I can trade digitally.
Melanie, let me get this straight–you rip the stereotypical Dead/Phish fans, and then rip people for not fitting the stereotype? I don’t notice a lot of stickers on BMWs and Benzes, but I’ll take your word for it. I’m from an upper middle class family, I’m two years from an MD, I don’t use any drug stronger than bourbon, and I drive a Beretta with no stickers on it. Does that make me a poser because I like to listen to Dead tapes and go to Phish concerts? Can’t I just like the music?
I guess you just don’t “get it”, but I noticed that you have an e-mail address from public-enemy.com, so the feeling is probably mutual for a lot of Deadheads. (I happen to be a big fan of both. 
)
Dr. J
(who is going right now to put “Workingman’s Dead” and “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” in the CD changer)
DoctorJ:
You mean there are drugs stronger than bourbon?! Phosgene?
I guess after 300+ shows I would probably be considered a Deadhead. The first show I saw was at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley in 1986. I’ve seen 'em all over the West, but never got out to the East Coast. I’ve heard the shows out here were better anyway. I’m also a really big Phish fan. Absolutely awsome band! They blow Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews out of the water as far as jam bands go.
A few weeks ago, I had most of my tapes (several hundred!) stolen out of the back of my truck. They were in two large professional tape carriers, and were in my truck because some friends of mine got together for some trading sessions. I’d been collecting them for about 13 years. Now they’re gone. I cried hard. Almost worse than losing the tapes, which, with a lot of work, can be replaced, was losing all the cool J-cards that I had collected at shows and from friends. I’ll send anyone that’s interested in trading a list of what I have left, but it ain’t what it used to be.
“What I wonder is why people are so afraid of everybody coming up with their own reality on their own terms.” - Jerry Garcia
5 CD LIVE BOX SET 1965-1995 COMING OUT NOV 6!
I know what I want for my b-day.
Ironically enough, I decided to do SUmmer tour 95 after a friend had talked about it, saying something along the lines of, 'You never know." I made about 60 dyes in 3 days and headed to DC. Never found any of the people I was looking for there, but, hey. . .
I found a bus full of kids from Ohio and wound up riding with them.
I remember winding up in Pittsburgh, and that was a rough scene. Lots of scary people in Metallica t-shirts on the lot to fry themselves on ten dollar (!@#&!@#!) balloons, having no interest whatsoever in the band. Lots of fights and narcs and, unfortunately for me, LOTS of people selling tie-dyes, and me pretty much broke.
So the show started up and most of the Ohio kids took their ticketbastards and went in. The one guy and I remained outside, listening to the distant music start up, hoping for a miracle but not having too much hope that it would happen as the first set went on. Nonetheless, I kept my grubby little finger up.
Suddenly, some woman approached my pal and I, handing us a nice flat ticket stub and the ticketbastard receipt, which was nearly identical to a ticket. “Here,” she said, “hold them like this, toghether, and you can get in to the floor. . .”
So we headed off to the floor seating entrance and approached the older, shaky-looking ticket taker. No way it’s gonna work. But he didn’t give us a second look, just grabbed the ‘tickets’ and started trying to tear them. Awwwww, man, WE’RE GETTING IN! But the old dude was having problems tearing the tickets, and suddenly some young busybody in a staff jacket bustled over, “Waaaa-aait a minute.”
Shit, we were so sure it was gonna happen. In the blink of an eye we were back outside. And my finger was back up in the air. “You know, Lizz, I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. I’m just gonna go back to the b-”
Like a whirlwind, a man suddenly burst out through the gates to the stadium. “You need tickets?” He asked. I was too stunned to say anything, but my friend concurred and grabbed the two tickets from the man’s hand before he dissappeared to make several other people’s days.
We screamed and bounced our way back toward the gate! The old shaky ticket taker had been replaced by the evil young suspicious guy, but he had nothing on us now. These tickets were real, they were floor seats and they were comps!
Life is short. Make fun of it.
[[ I would much rather have listened to a jazz group playing interesting solos than a bunch of cardboard-like old fellas strumming out three cord country tunes. ]] Melanie
Dislike them if you will, but that is simply an erroneous statement concerning most of the songs.
I was really embarassed for all of those people “dancing” - they looked like complete morons. ]]
Doesn’t everyone look like a moron when they’re dancing to music that you don’t think is any good?
[[Maybe I’m too cynical, maybe I just don’t “get” it, but I always thought the Dead wrote boring songs and had no soul.]]
Prolly just didn’t take enough drugs n’ stuff.
[[ Oh, and that “Red Rooster” song isn’t theirs - I believe Howlin’ Wolf wrote it. ]]
Willie Dixon.
Not that any other bands ever cover blues standards, of course.
Yeah, now that I think of it, bad choice of words. How about, no drug more illegal than bourbon?
Dr. J
Dr. J, it was wrong of me to start in on the fans - totally unrelated topic - I apologize.
Big Iron, Manhattan - Don’t you find it kind of weird that you’re telling me to take drugs in order to like the music? Sometimes when I go to hear a band I can be sober and feel like I’m on drugs 'cause the music is so good. I did tons of drugs at the Dead shows I went to - I think they made me even more annoyed.
Also, on the band: I found it very bizarre that they would charge like $30 (back in the 80’s) for a ticket, yet projected a peace/love/one-with-nature attitude. They were a total bunch of capitalists living in million dollar mansions!
I really don’t want to start any fights, but I used to argue about this with my friends all the time. Ahh, memories.
I keep checking back to this thread hoping someone will have something positive to say.
Melanie, I could be wrong, but I think there’s a limit to how much control one has over prices when booking stadiums and such. . .
Life is short. Make fun of it.
Melanie:
The people who looked stupid while they danced – did they also look like they were enjoying themselves?
Personally, I don’t give a shit how I look when I dance. I dance to have fun, not look cool.
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars.
Melatonin - I don’t think that’s true - I think if a band is big enough, they call the shots. Take Fugazi for example: They won’t play at a place that won’t allow them to sell tickets for more than $5 and a CD never costs more than $8. They ROCK and totally love their fans. Check out this website for more info on the love:
http://imperfectly.com/fugazi/fugazimain.htm
Positive thought: I bought Phil Lesh’s solo upright bass album and I think some of the songs are really cool.
Yo, Frank - please see the post above to Dr J and my apology for making fun of the fans. It was wrong since we were just supposed to talk about the music.
When it comes to the Dead, I respected their integrity, and I respect their legacy.
Just don’t make me listen to anything they ever did, okay?
Yer pal,
Satan