A weekly audio postcard from the wide musical world of America’s best-loved band!
I am reading a book called Confessions of a Dead Head by a guy who calls himself The Starburst Commander. It’s a quick read, and I am enjoying the hell out of it so far. He got on the bus in 1974 and drove a van called The Orange Barrel. Freaks of a certain vintage … Read more
Event Will Raise Funds for the Exhibition The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society and for the Grateful Dead Archive, UC Santa Cruz In support of the new exhibition The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society (opening March 2010) and the Grateful Dead Archive, the Historical Society will hold … Read more
My friend Kenny Fryman in Ohio sent me this story. Sirius XM is broadcasting the 3/22/87 show this week… By 03/22/1987, I had seen Grateful Dead 3 times. The first was 7/2/85 in Pittsburgh. I basically went to check out the scene. I remember being amazed at how crazed the crowd was at the music. … Read more
Roy Schneider’s Humble Stumble comic strip mentions The Waybacks and Jerry Garcia today. I’ve met Roy a couple of times at the Suwannee SpringFest and MagnoliaFest. He’s a musician himself, and he’s used the Suwannee fests (with a different name) as a setting a couple of times. I don’t get the strip out here in … Read more
David Dodd, editor of The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, interviewed on KPFA 11/2/05. Edited for broadcast on Grateful Dead Hour programs 898-901. Four segments of MP3 here.
I interviewed legendary GD tapers Barry Glassberg, Jerry Moore and Rob Bertrando between sets at Cal Expo on June 9, 1990. I’ve posted MP3s of the 21-minute conversation here. Update 12/16/05: In a comment below, Sean Cribbs points to a photo of Moore (center), Bertrando (right), and yet another legendary taper, Louis Falanga. Sean adds, … Read more
I posted this on rec.music.gdead just now, so I might as well post it here, too. JonP wrote: Why do you think that david gans has been posting her nonstop since this started?… Damage control for gdp..I wouldnt be surprised of they asked him to do it… They didn’t. I don’t know how many times … Read more
Today is the release date of a double-barreled download: a single disc from 1970 (mostly 2/4, with one song from 10/5 and two from 12/31), all mixed from 16-track; and what looks like the complete show (on two CDs) of 12/10/73 in Charlotte NC. I listened to all three discs last night, and it was … Read more
Over on Uncle John’s Blog, I posted a message from AOL’s GD Forum Store proprietor Geoff Gould regarding the state of his business. An excerpt: The Grateful Dead have been very good to me over the years. When my company was making Phil and Bobby’s axes (and a couple for Jerry he didn’t play) they … Read more
Surely You Jest (listen) David Gans You’d best be glad this guitar ain’t a weapon I’d strum your lyin’ ass on up to Heaven But you’d not get in Takin’ lessons from that thug Shakin’ hippies down for drugs And drinkin’ from that jug Of stolen liquor I’ve been runnin’ with a crowd of rowdy … Read more