Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

The Grateful Dead: A Temporal Appreciation

Dear The Grateful Dead,

Hi. How are you? Hell of a baseball season, huh? Okay, enough pleasantries.

Thank you, The Grateful Dead, for not existing concurrently with the internet. I know that the internet technically existed when you were around, but there were nine people on it at the time, and two of them were Penn Jillette. (He was much fatter then.) What I mean is…

THE INTERNET

…you know, how we have it nowadays in 2018. The “ruining the world” internet. The “okay, now we hate that guy” internet. The “you should have done it this way” internet. The “hey, remember that shitty thing you said 16 years ago” internet. The instant-feedback web where everyone’s opinion is equally valid and every putz with a camera phone is either Edward Murrow or Ernie Kovacs.

Thank you, The Grateful Dead, for packing it in before #couchtour was a thing. There’s another band just like you, The Grateful Dead, and they’re extant. Extant as fuck, as a matter of fact: playing some of the best shows of their lives, but their fans–basically Deadheads with a higher tolerance for shitty lyrics and fewer options as far as tee-shirt iconography goes–don’t seem to be aware of the fact.

O, the whining (from the gentiles)! Oy, the kvetching (from the Jews)! Hey, I’m Katy Tur (from Katy Tur)! They played this song last week, the fans tweet angrily. They haven’t played this song in years, the other fans post on Facebook. One point oh, two point oh, fuck point off: they won’t stop yelling and, far worse, making the same joke over and over.

So, thank you, The Grateful Dead, for taking place in an era bereft of real-time reviews, next day podcasts, and digital fucking petitions. (Because if you think Deadheads in 1982 wouldn’t have started up a “BRING BACK DARK STAR” petition, then you should go and read someone else’s site; you’re too naive to be here.)

Sincerely,
Rock Star Richard

10 Comments

  1. aikon

    Well, the lack of internet didn’t stop us from trying; I know I’ve still got my Cosmic Charlie Campaign card from ‘83 or ‘84 around here somewhere.

  2. Tor Haxson

    Remember how wonderful the internet was for a few minutes in the 90’s, actually a few years.

    Is Phish really that on top of it?

    Is it peak Phish?

    Should I drive to Maryland next week?

    How do I convince my wife?

    • bemydemon

      It’s not peak Phosh but they are killing it. You should try to see them for the light show alone.

    • Adam

      The Phish are not what they were in the 90s, but then again neither am I. They bring joy to their work and I hear it. They do not mail it in and the music keeps evolving. You should drive to Maryland. Sunday is not yet sold out and, well, you know what they say about Sunday shows.

  3. Paula

    Phish are killing it. New convert here, old, long time Deadhead, thrilled down to the bells on my shoes with the Phish.

  4. DinaMoe

    I go Phishing once a year with the pals. I am a “Deadheads with a higher tolerance for shitty lyrics…” guy.

    I’ve heard the Phish are “killing it” from the pals and on the interwebs, but, I didn’t get excited until reading it here on ToTGD. (~);-)

  5. Kevin Corkery

    My sentiments exactly…been on the bus since 72 and thanks tp sirius satelite and spotify i can concot my own little show whenever…i drank the koolaid and went to the farethe well shows in chicago and payed A lot to do so thinking it was it…the last …but money grabbers that theyve become..you know the rest….i have listened online….yeah the fn internet to one or 2 shows and man aint even close. .but it is quite the scene for the dread heads …anyways glad to see some one with the huevos to speak..and i thought furthur was better than anyhing …

  6. michael c mcmahon

    Welcome to the Dance

  7. Babyterp

    Honestly was just contemplating how you could have ignored a narcissist of that caliber for so long.

    • Thoughts On The Dead

      He will receive precisely as much attention as he deserves. It’s a trap with those types: you want to mock them, but they feed off it.

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