Latest News

I wanted to mention another book that should be of interest to readers of this blog: Grateful Dead and Philosophy, edited by Steven Gimbel. Here are some blurbs from the book cover (and the publisher’s web site):

“The Grateful Dead and what it amounted to was multifaceted. There was music, there was lifestyle, and with that lifestyle came a philosophy that evolved through experience. That philosophy, of course, was different for each individual in the family. But the process by which it came into being defined the difference between philosophy and ideology, in so far as it rested on experience. It continuously evolved and to this day continues to define itself.” —Bob Weir, founding member of The Grateful Dead “Who knew? The Grateful Dead, some of whom were voracious readers in many fields, including philosophy, never really thought too much about the implications of our music and the way we made it—we were too busy making it. Through reading this fascinating and comprehensive book, I’ve discovered deeper meanings in our work than I previously could have imagined. Many thanks to the authors, editor, and publishers!” —Phil Lesh, bassist for The Dead “A Grateful Dead concert had a way of setting you up with a koan or an aphorism and then opening up an improvisational musical space in which to ponder it. Lives were changed at Dead shows; decisions were made; creativity was inspired. Grateful Dead music continues to influence people’s thinking and being, long after the band stopped performing. The Grateful Dead and Philosophy is a natural.” —David Gans, author of Playing in the Band and host of The Grateful Dead Hour “Generations of Deadheads became amateur philosophers when confronted by this multifaceted cultural phenomenon—they just knew that the Grateful Dead Experience meant something deep and magnificent, and part of that feeling was the sense that what they were experiencing resonated with so many poles of Western thought, hearkening back even to archaic humanity. It’s a delight to see how many of these facets Steve Gimbel and his co-authors plumb in this remarkable volume, from fundamental questions of existence to how the band’s work engages with some of the greats. Fans, philosophers, and students of popular culture will appreciate the models and outline that The Grateful Dead and Philosophy provide of the immense riches of the band’s work as well as the complexity, color, and appeal of the subculture surrounding it.” —Nicholas Meriwether, editor of the book All Graceful Instruments and the scholarly journal of Grateful Dead studies, Dead Letters

Wednesday, June 27, 9:00 pm: Zen Tricksters and DG at the Acoustic Cafe, 2926 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport CT. $10. 203-335-3655

Thursday, June 28, 7-11pm: Zen Tricksters and DG on the Rocks Off Boat Cruise around New York City. Leaves from 23rd Street @ FDR Drive. Board at 7, cruise from 8 to 11.

Friday, June 29: Zen Tricksters and DG at the River Street Jazz Cafe, 667 N. River Street, Plains (WIlkes-Barre) PA. 570-822-2992

June 30-July 1: American Roots Music Festival at Potomac Pavilion, Falling Waters WV. Melvin Seals/JGB, Donna Jean and the Tricksters, Juggling Suns, etc.

Tuesday, July 3, 9:00 pm: Zen Tricksters and DG at the Thunderbird Cafe, 4023 Butler Street, Pittsburgh PA. $10. 412-682-0177

July 4-7: Grateful Fest at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville OH. Dark Star Orchestra, Donna Jean and the Tricksters, New Riders, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet, Keller Williams, many more!

Saturday, July 21: A Bear’s Picnic, Friendship Park, Milton PA. New Riders, Donna Jean and the Tricksters, Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan-Tony Rice Quartet, and many more. DG performs 1:30-2:30 pm

August 9-12: Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport CT

More info at dgans.com/gigs.html
DG’s CDs at CDBaby

Friday, June 15, 9:30pm: Honky Tonk Hippies and Bo Carper (of New Monsoon) at the Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut Street, San Francisco CA (download the poster)

Saturday, June 16: DG and Mario DeSio at Spuds, 3290 Adeline Street, Berkeley CA. 510-597-0795

Sunday, June 17, 9 am to 1 pm: Marin County Farmers’ Market, at the Marin Civic Center. Free! Great produce, meat, fish, prepared foods, and crafts.

Thursday, June 21, 8pm: Honky Tonk Hippies and Crowsong at the Larkspur Cafe Theatre, 500 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur CA. $15. 415-924-6107. Doors & dinner at 6:30, show at 8. (download the poster)

Friday, June 22, 7:30-9:30pm: DG, Mario DeSio, and Per Marshall at the Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. (at 65th St.), Oakland CA. No cover! But you have to buy some coffee and/or food.

Saturday, June 23, 9:30am to 1:30pm: Grand Lake Farmers’ Market, at the corner of Grand and Lake Park Avenues, Oakland CA. Free! Great produce, prepared foods, and crafts.

Nick Meriwether, editor of All Graceful Instruments: The Contexts of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon,” is being interviewed by Christian Crumlish in the Inkwell, a public forum of The WELL.

From the introduction of the interview:

The Grateful Dead: just a dance band, or something deeper? Or will pursuing the question kill the buzz?

When still waters ripple without a pebble being tossed, something special is happening. The phenomenon of the Dead is something special in its cultural duration and social breadth. Oral historian Nicholas Meriwether, one of the leading researchers of the meaning of The Grateful Dead Experience, is editor of the new volume, “All Graceful Instruments: The Contexts of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon.”

Does the phenomenon of the Dead hold up to academic study? Maybe we can have our buzz and read it, too. The essays in “All Graceful Instruments” explore the artistic and literary significance of the Dead’s work, the social dimensions of the Deadheads, and the implications of their persistence today, without compromising the zest of the trip.

You can read the online interview here, and you can submit a comment or question by emailing inkwell@well.com.

This just in via email:

A completely reimagined web environment, with all-new content, including:

Many of your favorite features of the Grateful Dead Almanac, now regularly updated to bring you the latest breaking DeadWorld news; rare historical artifacts from the Dead’s vast audio-visual archives; the ‘Taper’s Section,’ with exclusive gems From The Vault; community involvement, message boards; and much, much more, revamped and redesigned for your cyber-spelunking pleasure!

We invite all members of the our beloved Dead Head community to come and gather ’round the virtual campfire at dead.net.