Been having a debate with my buddy about the youth being more and more interested in the dead. Back when we were going to shows a few months ago, I'd see a good handful of teens wearing dead shirts. It's good to see a new generation into the band.
I see lots more young people who were far too young to have seen Jerry Garcia at GD related shows than at Phish, which these days is a largely middle aged crowd.
my buddy has a teenager, kinda an adopted son living with him and is way jazzed on all things dead. he doesn't even puff, he's a nice kid that just made lifeguard. we took him to a green leaf rustler show last year. it's cool to see young people get turned on to the music.
"And then there’s the most troublesome baggage affixed to the Grateful Dead — the obnoxious Deadhead stereotypes that defined the band’s media coverage in the late ’80s and early ’90s... outsiders. In an evocative 2012 New Yorker story, journalist and Deadhead Nick Paumgarten recalled how the band “was something of a cult” at the boarding school he attended in the early ’80s, a period when the Grateful Dead were as far removed from the trendy rock vanguard — Paumgarten sums up these stereotypes in his New Yorker piece: “Airheads and druggies, smelling of patchouli and pot, hairy, hypocritical, pious, ingenuous, and uncritical in the extreme.”
there has always been young people who discovered and got into the dead - im sure in the 90s folks were saying this, folks were saying this when i got into the dead decades later, folks are saying this now and im sure it will continue.
some people go to a few shows as a curiosity, some get on the bus for real...but i get the impression that the apparent increase in GD popularity after the gd50 event is not a genuine love for the music or desire to really get into the dead, but rather as a kind of stylistic aesthetic - current style is becoming more brightly colored, psychedelics are more popular, and as we continue to nerf the world and eliminate any vestiges of danger or real freedom, i think with the dead comes this nebulous idea of wild west freedom associated with tour that many young kids are subconsciously gravitating to, even if they dont fully understand it...thus the apparent increase in GD popularity that mostly just amounts to celebs/social media influencers wearing GD shirts despite not listening to the actual music very much, or corporate product releases that at first glance seem like they would only appeal to a small number of deadheads - like the new nike shoes...id venture to guess a large percentage of folks buying those shoes rarely listen to the dead and instead see it as a kind of psuedo-ironic psuedo-rebellious stylistic aesthetic
Puddle them and throw 'em in the pit for a couple hours and THEN ask them if they still like the Grateful Dead. If the answer is yes, they're on the bus. If the answer is no, they may have just not really gotten it. Maybe.
Thanks for sharing the article, I'll give it a read when I get a chance.
The puddles quickly sort out who's really looking for Wild West freedom and who's just looking to rebel against the suburban family lifestyle for a weekend.
i've listened to the writer's podcast (36 from the vault) and, based on what i've heard, he and his co-host are pretty much idiots who have little knowledge of the band or scene.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
Nice article, thanks!
Nice article, thanks!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: JP (J Bomb)
I preferred it much more when
I preferred it much more when the GD were exiled from the mainstream music industry and deadheads were viewed as dopey, unfashionable curiosities.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Scott Schaffer
you Got it China-Rider! Funny
you Got it China-Rider! Funny I just saw a phone memory this AM from the Phil show we met at 2 years ago at Canandaigua
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Zzzzzz
Been having a debate with my
Been having a debate with my buddy about the youth being more and more interested in the dead. Back when we were going to shows a few months ago, I'd see a good handful of teens wearing dead shirts. It's good to see a new generation into the band.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
I see lots more young people
I see lots more young people who were far too young to have seen Jerry Garcia at GD related shows than at Phish, which these days is a largely middle aged crowd.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
my buddy has a teenager,
my buddy has a teenager, kinda an adopted son living with him and is way jazzed on all things dead. he doesn't even puff, he's a nice kid that just made lifeguard. we took him to a green leaf rustler show last year. it's cool to see young people get turned on to the music.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
Hi Scott! If there's one
Hi Scott! If there's one good thing about Dead$Co it's that they bring Grateful Dead awareness to a new generation of younger people.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Dave
Definitely a fun read. My
Definitely a fun read. My favorite part:
"And then there’s the most troublesome baggage affixed to the Grateful Dead — the obnoxious Deadhead stereotypes that defined the band’s media coverage in the late ’80s and early ’90s... outsiders. In an evocative 2012 New Yorker story, journalist and Deadhead Nick Paumgarten recalled how the band “was something of a cult” at the boarding school he attended in the early ’80s, a period when the Grateful Dead were as far removed from the trendy rock vanguard — Paumgarten sums up these stereotypes in his New Yorker piece: “Airheads and druggies, smelling of patchouli and pot, hairy, hypocritical, pious, ingenuous, and uncritical in the extreme.”
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
Our son wants more tie dyes
Our son wants more tie dyes and long hair.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
I loved this article and have
I loved this article and have meant to post it here the music stands, as do the fans (well most of them)
love runs deep and strong
there was a linked article about demographics mentioning more republican heads
i love it
bur hate how much commercial complete crap is being peddled. And at stupid prices
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
https://www.prnewswire.com
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-bipartisan-poll-finds-grate...
Demographics link here
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Dr. Benway
there has always been young
there has always been young people who discovered and got into the dead - im sure in the 90s folks were saying this, folks were saying this when i got into the dead decades later, folks are saying this now and im sure it will continue.
some people go to a few shows as a curiosity, some get on the bus for real...but i get the impression that the apparent increase in GD popularity after the gd50 event is not a genuine love for the music or desire to really get into the dead, but rather as a kind of stylistic aesthetic - current style is becoming more brightly colored, psychedelics are more popular, and as we continue to nerf the world and eliminate any vestiges of danger or real freedom, i think with the dead comes this nebulous idea of wild west freedom associated with tour that many young kids are subconsciously gravitating to, even if they dont fully understand it...thus the apparent increase in GD popularity that mostly just amounts to celebs/social media influencers wearing GD shirts despite not listening to the actual music very much, or corporate product releases that at first glance seem like they would only appeal to a small number of deadheads - like the new nike shoes...id venture to guess a large percentage of folks buying those shoes rarely listen to the dead and instead see it as a kind of psuedo-ironic psuedo-rebellious stylistic aesthetic
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andean Flight
Puddle them and throw 'em in
Puddle them and throw 'em in the pit for a couple hours and THEN ask them if they still like the Grateful Dead. If the answer is yes, they're on the bus. If the answer is no, they may have just not really gotten it. Maybe.
Thanks for sharing the article, I'll give it a read when I get a chance.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andean Flight
Lol, I just read Daylight's
Lol, I just read Daylight's post and saw that it said sort of the same thing I did. Hey, Daylight! :)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andean Flight
The puddles quickly sort out
The puddles quickly sort out who's really looking for Wild West freedom and who's just looking to rebel against the suburban family lifestyle for a weekend.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Scott Schaffer
Good responses, gents..how
Good responses, gents..how about this...puddle them into the moshpit and have them listen to a 25 minute '73 Dark Star Jam and then take their temp.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Where Does The Time Go?
i've listened to the writer's
i've listened to the writer's podcast (36 from the vault) and, based on what i've heard, he and his co-host are pretty much idiots who have little knowledge of the band or scene.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mr. Sunshine State
Another reason is the songs
Another reason is the songs are so effen good that they will stand the test of time, and Jerry may becoming more mythical in death.
Grilled cheese and cheap acid... ahh, ya' can't control when you were born. Thanks for the interesting articles.