The Vast Recorded Legacy of the Grateful Dead

[Tiki Torches]

This infinitely quotable article may well be the single best piece I've ever read on the Grateful Dead. Don't let the title scare you off if you're not a tapehead. Yes, taping and what's in the vaults is a big part of the article but it also does a good job of covering their history as well as their impact on society and culture in general. A must read for any fan of the Grateful Dead.

The Vast Recorded Legacy of the Grateful Dead


The Grateful Dead in San Francisco, in 1970. “Our audience is like people who like licorice,”
Jerry Garcia said. “Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.”

[PA Parrot]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

[Tiki Torches]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

...and, as the article points out, there's no shortage of post-Grateful Dead bands out there trying to fill void. Personally, I've seen my share but none really ever came close to re-igniting the magic.

[PA Parrot]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

...and, as the article points out, there's no shortage of post-Grateful Dead bands out there trying to fill void. Personally, I've seen my share but none really ever came close to re-igniting the magic.

I'm curious...when was your first Dead show? How many shows did you see? Favorite "era" during years you saw shows?

[Tiki Torches]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

...and, as the article points out, there's no shortage of post-Grateful Dead bands out there trying to fill void. Personally, I've seen my share but none really ever came close to re-igniting the magic.

I'm curious...when was your first Dead show? How many shows did you see? Favorite "era" during years you saw shows?

My first show was on March 31st, 1989 in Greensboro. I saw them three other times after that:

Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, 7.10.90
Dean Dome (Dean E. Smith Student Activity Center) in Chapel Hill, 3.24.93
Charlotte Coliseum, 3.24.95

I don't know that I have a favorite era but my favorite of the shows that I saw would be the first one. Even though I'm a big fan of music in general I've never really been one to follow my favorite artists around on tour. That goes not only for the Grateful Dead but for other favorites as well such as R.E.M. and Drive-By Truckers. I have seen R.E.M. and the Truckers more than once on the same tour but I never packed my bags and hit the road to follow any band around for multiple dates. I have nothing against it, it's just not something I ever felt the need to do. To give you a bit of background, one of the very first albums I ever bought was Workingman's Dead back in the early to mid-70's. For a variety of reasons, I never saw them in concert until that Greensboro show in 1989.

[Saltx3]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

...and, as the article points out, there's no shortage of post-Grateful Dead bands out there trying to fill void. Personally, I've seen my share but none really ever came close to re-igniting the magic.

I'm curious...when was your first Dead show? How many shows did you see? Favorite "era" during years you saw shows?

Oh No...you've got my husband talking about the Dead . He tried to convert me with 7 concerts in the late 70s-early 80s....never worked. His dad lied to me when he said "don't worry, he'll grow out of it after you are married a while (it's been 29.5 years - still waiting).

My first show was on March 31st, 1989 in Greensboro. I saw them three other times after that:

Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, 7.10.90
Dean Dome (Dean E. Smith Student Activity Center) in Chapel Hill, 3.24.93
Charlotte Coliseum, 3.24.95

I don't know that I have a favorite era but my favorite of the shows that I saw would be the first one. Even though I'm a big fan of music in general I've never really been one to follow my favorite artists around on tour. That goes not only for the Grateful Dead but for other favorites as well such as R.E.M. and Drive-By Truckers. I have seen R.E.M. and the Truckers more than once on the same tour but I never packed my bags and hit the road to follow any band around for multiple dates. I have nothing against it, it's just not something I ever felt the need to do. To give you a bit of background, one of the very first albums I ever bought was Workingman's Dead back in the early to mid-70's. For a variety of reasons, I never saw them in concert until that Greensboro show in 1989.

[surfpirate]

I've never been a Deadhead,
but THAT ... was a pretty cool read. Thanks.

Coincidentally ... the one and only Dead show I ever saw
was the 1984 Merriweather Post Pavilion show
mentioned early in the article.

[Tiki Torches]

Oh No...you've got my husband talking about the Dead . He tried to convert me with 7 concerts in the late 70s-early 80s....never worked. His dad lied to me when he said "don't worry, he'll grow out of it after you are married a while (it's been 29.5 years - still waiting).

As the saying goes, “Our audience is like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.” I met a person back in '94 that was a former fan. He had a Steal Your Face tattoo that he had altered to include a "no" symbol over the top of it and "666" beneath it. I've met a few people that simply don't get the Grateful Dead or who just aren't fans but I've only met a handful that actively hate them, that guy was one of 'em. Then there are those that like the band and their music but can't stand their fans. Anyhow, loving the Grateful Dead was never a "phase" for me to start with. My parents weren't exactly hippies but they were very open to allowing us to be who or whatever we wanted to be, which means I grew up with four other brothers and one sister who were all hippie types so a band like the Grateful Dead was a natural part of the framework. Even though I was exposed to that lifestyle very early on, it wasn't really until years later that I fully understood what being a "Deadhead" meant. When I first heard Workingman's Dead in the early to mid-70's I knew nothing about Deadheads or much about the Grateful Dead in general, I just knew that I really, really liked that record (and still do).

[PA Parrot]

Oh No...you've got my husband talking about the Dead . He tried to convert me with 7 concerts in the late 70s-early 80s....never worked. His dad lied to me when he said "don't worry, he'll grow out of it after you are married a while (it's been 29.5 years - still waiting).

As the saying goes, “Our audience is like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.” I met a person back in '94 that was a former fan. He had a Steal Your Face tattoo that he had altered to include a "no" symbol over the top of it and "666" beneath it. I've met a few people that simply don't get the Grateful Dead or who just aren't fans but I've only met a handful that actively hate them, that guy was one of 'em. Then there are those that like the band and their music but can't stand their fans. Anyhow, loving the Grateful Dead was never a "phase" for me to start with. My parents weren't exactly hippies but they were very open to allowing us to be who or whatever we wanted to be, which means I grew up with four other brothers and one sister who were all hippie types so a band like the Grateful Dead was a natural part of the framework. Even though I was exposed to that lifestyle very early on, it wasn't really until years later that I fully understood what being a "Deadhead" meant. When I first heard Workingman's Dead in the early to mid-70's I knew nothing about Deadheads or much about the Grateful Dead in general, I just knew that I really, really liked that record (and still do).

I think I am one of those people who "really like licorice". Back when I was going to see the Dead (1979-1991, about 50 shows) they occupied most of my listening. I always listened to all kinds of music and would go through phases where one type/or artist seems to get more play than others. Back then it was almost always the Dead. Sometimes, especially now, the Dead will fade into the background while I am enjoying my latest favorite musician, but put on a Dead recording and instantly I am consumed again with how amazing they could be. I can't stop going back. Something just "clicks" for me. It's not like I don't get that same experience occasionally from other musicians though, but for me something is just special about the Dead.

Other people may think they blow. Funny how that is, isn't it?

[Tiki Torches]

Oh No...you've got my husband talking about the Dead . He tried to convert me with 7 concerts in the late 70s-early 80s....never worked. His dad lied to me when he said "don't worry, he'll grow out of it after you are married a while (it's been 29.5 years - still waiting).

As the saying goes, “Our audience is like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.” I met a person back in '94 that was a former fan. He had a Steal Your Face tattoo that he had altered to include a "no" symbol over the top of it and "666" beneath it. I've met a few people that simply don't get the Grateful Dead or who just aren't fans but I've only met a handful that actively hate them, that guy was one of 'em. Then there are those that like the band and their music but can't stand their fans. Anyhow, loving the Grateful Dead was never a "phase" for me to start with. My parents weren't exactly hippies but they were very open to allowing us to be who or whatever we wanted to be, which means I grew up with four other brothers and one sister who were all hippie types so a band like the Grateful Dead was a natural part of the framework. Even though I was exposed to that lifestyle very early on, it wasn't really until years later that I fully understood what being a "Deadhead" meant. When I first heard Workingman's Dead in the early to mid-70's I knew nothing about Deadheads or much about the Grateful Dead in general, I just knew that I really, really liked that record (and still do).

I think I am one of those people who "really like licorice". Back when I was going to see the Dead (1979-1991, about 50 shows) they occupied most of my listening. I always listened to all kinds of music and would go through phases where one type/or artist seems to get more play than others. Back then it was almost always the Dead. Sometimes, especially now, the Dead will fade into the background while I am enjoying my latest favorite musician, but put on a Dead recording and instantly I am consumed again with how amazing they could be. I can't stop going back. Something just "clicks" for me. It's not like I don't get that same experience occasionally from other musicians though, but for me something is just special about the Dead.

Other people may think they blow. Funny how that is, isn't it?

They're definitely very polarizing. I also think it's cool how there's so many paths to the Grateful Dead. That's one of the things that makes that article so well written. Someone might be turned off to how they sounded live but by the same token they may love the studio records and vice versa.

[The Lost Manatee]

This is a great article and a very nice discussion. I saw my first Dead show in 78 and my last 3 at the start of the 95 tour, which happened to be 3 shows at the Delta Center in SLC. It also happened to be the last tour due to Jerry Garcia's death. Over the years, I probably saw upwards of 70 shows. The big appeal to me was that the band was so good at playing a different show every night. There were other bands that I saw that played the same show, note for note, joke for joke, for the entire tour. That wasn't the case with the Dead. Every show was a different set, some nights were pure magic and others, well, let's just say, they were lacking something important.

[popcornjack]

Being a Deadhead long before being a Parrothead I too thought this was quite an interesting article. I really miss seeing them, but thanks to the tapers and "the Vault" there is plenty of good stuff to listen to.

...and, as the article points out, there's no shortage of post-Grateful Dead bands out there trying to fill void. Personally, I've seen my share but none really ever came close to re-igniting the magic.

I'm curious...when was your first Dead show? How many shows did you see? Favorite "era" during years you saw shows?

1990 Hartford. First show back there in a number of years after their previous stop resulted in a trashed park downtown (which the Dead sent a check to cover the clean up cost for.) 19 more shows over the next five years.

And yeah, lots of great bands out there that I've liked, but there is nothing like the Grateful Dead.

[lime rickie]

First saw them in the late 70s during the Shakedown Street tour at MSG. My best friend was taking the train in to NYC with her older brother and his friends...incredibly, my parents said I could go. Saw them many times after that but that show stands out, I guess because I was so young (ninth grade) and it was such an experience for me. Up until then I had only been to concerts at the Garden State Arts Center, which was an outdoor pavilion venue right by our house.

And I had the best souvenir...instead of a T-shirt I bought this windbreaker hoodie jacket thing. It was little more than paper towel weight fabric that had somehow been waterproofed...flimsy as hell. But I wore the sh!t out of that thing for a good year afterwards.