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

Tag: dead & company (Page 3 of 38)

Three-Piece Band On The Sofa

Dammit, Jeff Chimenti, move your hands and give us the triple potato salad action we’ve come to demand from our favorite content providers. Seriously: look how close we are.

OR

This looks like one of the promo pictures for a sitcom set in a family-owned pot shop. Bobby is “Pops” and he runs the place (in between naps) with his son “Jeff Chimenti,” who is played by Jeff Chimenti. His other son, a hard-charging finance executive from New York, comes home for some bullshit and ends up running the shop with his spacey dad and out-there brother. This is John Mayer, playing “Thumb;” for great stretches of the program’s runtime, the main and secondary characters beat him with sticks, and point, and laugh, and beat him about the face and head.

“Ha, ha,” they say. “Your name is Thumb.”

And Pops and Jeff Chimenti and the rest of the cast–the sexy, sassy, ethnic clerk, and the store manager who I’m thinking we need a Holland Taylor-type for– they take the sticks and poke Thumb in the soft places of his body. Perhaps a wrestling move is attempted.

“Why are you–”

Jeff Chimenti brings a brick down on Thumb’s chest. Swings it from way over his head and the Holland Taylor-type, when she hears the crunch of the sternum, cums. The second blow is shorter, but more direct: to the head, and with the brick’s point. Another crunch.

He stands over the body and extends the bloody cudgel towards the camera.

“THIS IS CAPITALISM!”

And then he kills himself by eating the brick.

Netflix has committed for eight episodes.

OR

Sadly, those are not Miller High Lifes. (TotD not being a beer person, but being highly suggestible, the official beers of the site are Heineken because Phil and Miller High Life because a blonde who lived in a terrible Hollywood apartments where the door and living room window open onto the catwalk; she used to say she was like a guy because she could only cum once and then she was done; she parked her bicycle in her kitchen, or in mine; she sat on the edge of the tub to watch me shave. I can’t remember her name, but I’ll always remember she demanded Miller High Life or nothing at all, and so it’s the shitty beer I’ll choose over the other shitty beers.)

OR

Jeff Chimenti’s shirt is immeasurably cooler than John Mayer’s.

OR

Hey, Bobby. You having a stroke?

“I don’t know. How’s my tongue look?”

GUITARIST STICKING OUT HIS TONGUE NOISE

Straight and true.

“Then, uh, it’s not a stroke.”

Good. So, uh, what’s going on with your face?

“That I don’t look vengeful?”

Yeah.

“Good tour.”

Yay.

OR

Off-White?

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Virgil Abloh–”

Yeah, yeah, Louis Vuitton. His old stuff was fine, but since he got so big, I don’t know. He used to print the name of his company on bullshit so much more authentically.

“You’re very closed-minded about fashion.”

I’m not. I can appreciate high fashion. Crazy people make art for slender people to wear in front of rich people. Sometimes, folks still get mad about it, and that makes it fine by me, too. Or fashion throughout history. Silk road and whatnot. But this streetwear thing is depraved.

“Depraved? Depraved?”

You’re paying someone to advertise for them. The brand requires recognition and cash to survive; you’ve given it both. Plus there’s the issue of lies, John.

“What lies?”

You are not off-white. You are very white.

“I’m not that white.”

Your father was winter camouflage and your mother was hospital sheets.

“That’s rude.”

No, you know what’s rude?

“What?”

“Ow.”

Somebody’s publicist fucking hates you, dude.

“This is just mean. Why is this in the newspaper? There are only two fresh quotes in here, and the rest is just rewritten copy! And the second one is hearsay! Jesus, I’m getting fucked like a backwoods chimneysweep.”

I’m not familiar with the term.

“In the backwoods, you’re allowed to fuck the chimneysweeps.”

That didn’t help.

“Hey, you went to college.”

Barely.

“Help me with this, Is ‘He had to join the Grateful Dead because he talked too much about all his famous girlfriends’ a logical statement?”

No. And it’s not really the accusation that the bigwig thinks it is.

“He’s saying it like joining the Dead was a punishment.”

Like how in the old days, judges could send you into the military. The Famous Person Court sentenced you to three-to-five years of Grateful Deading for the crime of talkin’ poon.

“Don’t say poon.”

I probably shouldn’t.

Mayer Ex Machina

Oh, Andy Cohen from teevee’s Bravo.

“Went shopping.”

I see. You bought a life-size garden gnome.

“Him? No, this is–”

In a Chinese restaurant in Boulder, there’s a naked waiter.

“Oh, yeah, his outfit. His name is–”

Does he or does he not speak exclusively in riddles?

“You don’t care.”

I don’t. I know he’s John’s friend, and that’s all I need to know. You really kitted yourself out, buddy.

“Flying the colors, brother! Dead show! Colorado! What could be wrong?”

Everything’s on fire, Andy.

“I meant here. Right where I am. Where the incredibly rich man is standing in the sunshine. It’s pretty sweet here.”

Andrew Joseph Cohen, as a gay Jew you have a moral responsibility to be panicked.

“Incredibly rich gay Jew.”

Nah. Gay and Jew beat rich. When they start coming for us? The millionaires will be mass graved with the paupers.

“Not if I’m not here.”

What now?

“Can you keep a secret?”

Oh, absolutely.

“New Zealand.”

No!

“Yup. Been putting the exit strategy in place since the morning after Election Day. Went down there, spent a ton of fucking money on lawyers, bought some land, opened a business. They make you pump a shitload of cash into their economy before they’ll even sit down with you. And then when the government officials do sit down with you, they do that haka thing at you first.”

Dude, I love the haka.

“So did I, but the novelty wears off real quick. I got haka’d three or four times a day. At that point, it’s just foreigners yelling at you.”

Sure. What kind of business did you open?

“Taco place.”

What do you know about tacos?

“I like eating them and not one single one of those hobbits knows how to make one. So I opened up my own place. Flew in some guys from Los Angeles and had ’em train up the cooks.”

You’re sparing no expense.

“I plan on spending the end of the world in comfort, and with tacos. That’s not cheap.”

I guess not.

“You two freakie-deakies clear out of the way! Jackie Gleason’s coming through! And the President’s with me.”

“There, uh, is the irreverent humor you have become so famous for, Jackie. One would expect the President to be mentioned first, but you turned it around. Thus, uh, creating humor. As I said, humor.”

“Sir, I’m gonna run ’em over.”

“I’ll pardon you if you do, Gleason.”

LEGENDARY ASSHOLES IN A GOLF CART ATTEMPTING TO RUN OVER HIPPIES NOISE 

“Ahhhh!”

“To the moon, druggies!”

“Yes, good, Gleason. The cart will take more damage. Keep going.”

THRUMP

PLONFH

BOOMITYBUMPBUMPBUMP

GOLF CART BEING PUT INTO REVERSE NOISE

BOOMITYBUMPBUMPBUMP

“Ha! You got the little fucker coming and going, Gleason! Have you ever considered an ambassadorship?”

“I’ll go anywhere in the world as long as I can stay in Miami Beach.”

“Ha! My God, Gleason. I feel alive.”

“HEY! HEY, ASSHOLE! THE GUY IN CHARGE!”

Yes, Andy Cohen?

“What the fuck, man?”

Is it about your can of Bud Light?

“It’s not about–”

Because you’re on Shakedown Street in Colorado, Andy Cohen. I have to believe there were better beers available. And I am totally not one of those beer guys.

“It’s not about the beer, it’s about–”

KAFLAMP

Like, it would be hard not to accidentally buy a better beer than a Bud Light while on Shakedown Street in Colorado. How about a Coors Banquet!? Go old school!

“Can you just–”

It’s almost like the Bud Light is a statement. Are you making a statement, Andy Cohen?

“HEY!”

Yes?

“Why are Nixon and Jackie Gleason mowing down Deadheads in a golf cart!?”

Are they still doing that?

BUHBANGADANG

“Yes.”

FLUMPFLUMPSMERSCH

“Yes, they are.”

That’s awful.

“Why is it happening and can you stop it?”

The first question would take hours to answer, so do you want me to answer the second question first?

“Yes.”

No.

“Why not?”

I can’t overrule the President. And I wouldn’t want to: look how giddy he is.

“Hot damn, Gleason! This is better than executing that Jew couple. My blood is hot!”

“After this, sir, you and me are gonna get some broads.”

“No, no. Just souls. I am a mouth, Gleason. Feed me souls.”

DONCHRANMUMUMUM

“Ah, yes. I grow stronger.”

“HEY!”

Yes, Andy Cohen?

“I hate you and I never want to be part of your little skitches again.”

I get that a lot.

“Fix this.”

No.

“Then I’ll call a real man who will.”

CELL PHONE NOISE

“Look out, look out, the Andyman. Hey, buddy.”

“You really don’t have to say that every time I call.”

“It’s our thing.”

“We’ll discuss it later. Can you come out to the parking lot, please?”

“I’d be mobbed. Ooh, wait: I could put on a disguise. I went into the lot in a bear costume once for my teevee show, which a lot of people are saying deserves a critical reassessment. Could I cross-dress? Wait. If I cross-dress, will I get yelled at like Scarlett Johansson?”

“John.”

“I suppose the entire range of ethnic costumes is out, too.”

“John.”

“I could do Chewbacca. I actually have a Chewbacca costume with me. Visvim did them as part of their Fall 2016 line. It’s such an important piece. And, you know, it’s a Chewbacca costume. But it’s also a ‘Chewbacca costume.’ Y’know? Like, it’s a comment on itself. It’s a piece that asks questions, y’know? ‘What is fashion? How is fashion? When is fashion?’ That sort of thing.”

“John.”

“Anyway: I have a Chewbacca costume.”

“JOHN, NIXON AND JACKIE GLEASON ARE RUNNING OVER DEADHEADS IN THE PARKING LOT!”

“Are you in danger!?”

“So much!”

“ANDY COOOOOOOHEN!”

“The motor’s getting gummed up, Mr, President. It’s all the guts.”

“We’ll commandeer an automobile. The killing isn’t over yet.”

GUITARIST SUPERHERO LANDING NOISE

“Gleason, it’s Bobby Darin. Murder him.”

“C’mere, punk.”

GUITARIST PERFORMING SUPER-KARATE ON A DISGRACED PRESIDENT AND A LEGENDARY FUNNYMAN NOISE

“Sorry, boys, but we just cant have this in the Dead & Company parking lot. You’ll have to go.”

GUITARIST BLASTING A DISGRACED PRESIDENT AND A LEGENDARY FUNNYMAN INTO AN ADJACENT REALITY WITH, LET’S SAY, EYE-BEAMS NOISE

“You’re all welcome. I’m available for interviews. Oh, hey, Andy. You wanna do our special handshake?”

“NO! What the fuck was that?”

“It was a disgraced pres–”

“I know that! Why did it happen?”

“Why does anything happen? I’ve given up on that question in here, man.”

“So, uh, do you have superpowers now?”

“Apparently.”

“You can fly?”

“I did.”

“Can you do it again?”

GUITARIST TRYING AND FAILING TO FLY NOISE

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to be able to. Arbitrarily granting and removing superpowers is what passes for comedy around here.”

“It’s not funny. It’s just lazy.”

“Could be that, too. Lot of ways to look at reality.”

“You’ve gone native in here, haven’t you?”

“I’ve been in the storylines a lot, and I’ve just grown to accept that I’m going to have adventures and death is temporary.”

“What about all the Deadheads Gleason and Nixon ran over?”

“Oh, no, they’re dead. Their families will mourn.”

“I don’t like being part of this world.”

“Your shirt looks nice.”

“Thank you.”

But, Wait: There’s More

Of course.

Of course it’s worse than originally imagined.

Of course the league we’re playing in is exponentially bushier than first impressions led one to believe.

We discussed this gentleman yesterday, Enthusiasts, but our bullshit cup doth floweth all over the fucking place, and so now we’re beating back against the current, borne endlessly into stupidity and high school-level literary allusions. Dave Chapell’s Mexican non-union counterpart up there calls himself Nerdsworth because the word “nerd” has lost as much meaning as the term “rock star.” Here’s a hint, though: if someone pays you to go to a concert and take pictures of yourself, you’re not a nerd. What Nerdy means is that he is familiar, overly so perhaps, with today’s pop culture.

(Quick definitions. A nerd’s obsession(s) make them money. A geek’s obsession(s) costs them money. Gary Gygax was a nerd; everyone who plays D&D is a geek. A spaz is still a spaz.)

Anyway, Nerdy’s real name–this will shock you–is not actually Nerdsworth. His birth certificate says Amra Ricketts (which sounds like a Little Aleppo name) and before he was an Influencer, he was a YouTube Personality. If he were a Alt-Right Fuckface, he would hit the “Worst Jobs of 2018” trifecta, but alas. Amra was on something called the Smosh channel, and he talked about video games. He stopped appearing in early January of this year and…

YOU

WILL

NEVER

GUESS

WHY

Okay, you probably guessed why.

Okay, probably guessed why, although “accused of sexual shenanigans” is the odds play recently if you’re forced to answer the question, “Hey, did you hear about ___?”

It should be noted that there have been no criminal charges filed, and there are no updates on the allegations; it’s possible that the accuser is making up lies to get famous, as the kind of fame that comes when a woman accuses a popular gamer of sexual shenanigans is certainly the kind of fame every woman wants. It should also be noted that it took a random Twitter user, like, ten seconds to do due diligence on this guy. Thirdly, it should be noted that the cartoon woman’s physique is improbable.

So, congratulations, whichever Dead & Company associate did this! This one is the 7-10 split of fuck-ups. Is this it? Will there be any more surprises from the publicity department this summer? I hope it doesn’t turn out that the white guy in the jorts ate somebody. Because, honestly? That’s where it looks like Instagate is heading. Good work all around, folks.

Instagate?

I have christened the scandal.

It’s not terrible.

I rule. Anyway, I hope Amra’s doing okay and hasn’t let this embitter him.

Uh-oh. Maybe Nerdsworth’s gonna be an Alt-Right Fuckface after all.

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Percussionist

“Billy?”

“Yeah, New Brent?”

“I think Mickey fell asleep on me.”

“He’s been doing that lately. Bad case of CIN.”

“CIN?”

“Courvousier-Induced Narcolepsy. I keep telling him to switch to a lighter liqueur.”

“How long is he gonna be out for?”

“Anyone’s guess. Sometimes, it’s seconds. Other times, he’s done for the evening. Never know with Mickey. Or with Courvousier. Lotta variables at play here.”

“Can you get a roadie or something? He’s heavy.”

“Wait til he starts pissing himself.”

“What?”

DRUMMER WALKING AWAY NOISE

“Billy?”

“Bobby?”

“Oteil? Anyone?”

The Cool Kids

I need you to remember that the present is embarrassing. Today, right now, the moment in which you’re currently existing: shameful and shitty and entirely without grace notes. It is a faithless, silly age, and we’ve given all the megaphones to the dumb. The dumber you are, in fact, the louder your voice. It’s tawdry, is all. 2018 feels like washing your dick in the sink after a five dollar handjob: you were meant for something better, and you hope no one sees you.

Look at this bullshit. I mean, really look at it. Take out your eyeballs and rub them on your monitor. Then stuff ’em up your asshole; I guarantee you’d rather look at what’s up there than this bullshit. Did you look? Did you look at the bullshit?*

This little twerp, you see, is what’s called an Influencer. They exist on Instagram, but sometimes they spread their wings over on YouTube. This one likes to give fashion tips.

What a punchable name.

(Also: here’s everything you need to know about men’s shorts. ONE: There’s an apostrophe in “men’s.” TWO: Men shouldn’t fucking wear shorts.)

Anyway, Parker wasn’t at the Dead & Company show of his own volition. No Deadhead would wear a bandana like that. Parker was hired by some sort of publicity firm to go to the show and…well, that’s where the plan breaks down. Ticket sales were weak for the Dodger Stadium, but by the time these posts went up, the concert was taking place. Were Angelenos supposed to hop in their cars and race down to Chavez Ravine? Because that wouldn’t work; there was traffic. There’s always traffic around Dodger Stadium. When they built the place, they also built the traffic.

Were they selling merch?

See right there after Maybe they’ll clear the sample for me? Where it says #ad? Someone paid this asshole to drive down to Dodger Stadium, take some pictures in a tee-shirt, gave him some copy to throw up in the caption, and then patted himself on the back. “Yes! That’s some solid online marketing,” the sad little bastard said to himself after closing the deal. The rest of the office was impressed.

“You landed Nerdsworth?”

“Yup!”

“Wow. That’s huge.”

“I’m shaking! Look at my hand.”

And so on.

But I don’t even think they’re selling mech. Look at this bullshit:

If they were selling the merch, then you’d be able to see the shirt. When you sign up for one of these deals, the clients are rather particular about little things like “showing the product.” Dead & Company actually hired these assholes to advertise their Dodger Stadium show–again–as it was happening. It’s nice that the league remains so bush even after so many of the players have changed.

(I’m sure this guy’s a Deadhead, though. All real ‘heads call the band “acid rock legends” whenever they get a chance.)

There’s more bullshit to look at!

LAST NIGHT. DEAD & COMPANY PAID TO ADVERTISE AN EVENT THAT HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. It’s just fucking humiliating being associated with these people at this point.

Oh, and:

“Bob, you got Nerdsworth, right?”

“He is locked down. Sent him the names of a couple Dead songs to work into the caption. We’re a ‘go’ on Nerdsworth.”

“And Parker York Smith is in.”

“Hardest working man in Influencing. You think we need one more?”

“We need one more.”

“Let’s see…we got a white guy and a black guy, so–”

“Asian hottie!”

“–we should call…you took the words right out of my mouth.”

And so on.

#sponsored

  • I’m not even going to begin to get into “I wish I lived in the 60’s.” I wish you lived in the 60’s, too, Parker. And that you had a low draft number.

A Sisterly Chat

“Annabelle?”

“Yes, Trixie?”

“Is he asleep?”

“I think so.”

“Because he’s got, like, all of his weight on my shoulders.”

“I know where you’re coming from. My boat is leaking in the same way. Lemme check.”

PERCUSSIONIST-NUDGING NOISE

“Nah, he’s out.”

“Breathing, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, good. We could–and this is just a suggestion–flip him backwards over the railing and let him be someone else’s problem.”

“Trixie, most of the world’s ills have been caused by letting Mickey Hart be someone else’s problem.”

“Well, he’s heavier than he looks.”

“Let’s walk him around town and buy stuff with his credit card.”

“You’re suggesting we pull a Weekend at Bernie’s?”

“I am, yeah.”

“I can’t carry him. If we find a wheelchair, then I’m in.”

“Did you see Babbs?”

“Holy shit, yeah. Does Mom look that old? Because Mom’s that old, but I don’t think she looks that old.”

“Mom doesn’t look that old.”

“Are you the one farting like that?”

“What? No.”

GUITARIST’S DAUGHTER SNIFFING NOISE

“That’s clearly Mickey. You can still smell the Courvoisier.”

“He loves that shit. It’s so terrible.”

“Tastes like someone bottled a dead monkey. What is John Mayer wearing?”

“It’s called streetwear.”

“I have no idea what that means. Like, not pajamas? You can wear all clothes out into the street. It’s kinda the point of clothes.”

“He’s a hypebeast.”

“Trixie.”

“He kicks it normcore.”

“Trixie. Shit! Trixie!”

PERCUSSIONIST RELIEVING HIMSELF NOISE

“Oh, c’mon, Mickey!”

“Down.”

“Just lay him on the ground.”

Oteil Burbridge’s Long-Lost Origin Story: Unlost At Last!

Literally everything is wrong with this photo. From the rando’s sneakers to Josh’s eyebrow game. Every single thing.

“Oh, it’s not that bad.”

Who’s talking? Wait, lemme guess. It was vaguely optimistic and not slurred. Oteil?

“Hey, friend.”

You’re such a cheerful guy.

“Got a lot to be cheerful about. I’m a blessed man.”

Sure.

“Happy, healthy family. Money’s rolling in. Hell, I’m sorta in the Grateful Dead.”

Sorta.

“I said ‘sorta.’ I know that my membership has some sorta to it. But, hey: I’m more in the Dead than, like, anyone else on the planet. Jeff Bezos. How much he worth?”

Like, a hundred billion dollars.

“And he isn’t in the Grateful Dead in the slightest. You know Cardi B?”

She’s killing this rap game.

“Killing it. But what percent in the Grateful Dead is she?”

Zero. Cardi B is 0% in the Grateful Dead.

“There you go.”

You and Jeff really are the reasonable ones.

“Well, fucking duh. We’re not Rock Stars. They’re all of ’em nuts. It does something to your brain, man. Rewires stuff. Lose touch with the real world. I once had to sneak Gregg Allman out of a grocery store because he thought the produce section was the backstage spread and went hogwild on the carrots. Man ate, like, forty bucks worth of carrots in ten minutes.”

All of that story is terrible.

“And then I tried to, like, explain what had happened to him, because he was blaming Clive Davis, and I say to him, ‘Gregg, that’s not how the supermarket works,’ and he just stared at me for a while. Then he played his harmonica. I don’t think I got through to him.”

Almost certainly not.

“These four aren’t the worst I’ve seen.”

Who was?

“Ozzy. That man had no relationship with reality.”

Why do you know Ozzy Osbourne?

“I played in his band for years, man.”

No, you didn’t.

“I did, but I used a different name.”

What?

“Rudy Sarzo.”

Stop it.

“Look it up.”

I looked it up. You were not Rudy Sarzo.

“Different haircuts.”

Different hair, Oteil. That guy’s white.

“Makeup.”

Uh-huh. Your contention is that during the 1980’s, you performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, and Whitesnake as Rudy Sarzo?

“It is.”

Why?

“The Hair Metal scene of the 80’s was racist as shit, but I had power ballads in my soul. So I pulled a White Girls.”

Going the other way is called “pulling a Soul Man.”

“No, it’s called fucking blackface.”

Oh, right. Forgot. Listen, Oteil: I love you, but you were not a King of the Sunset Strip.

“Believe what you want. I have my memories and my leather pants. I can’t get into the pants any more, but I still have them.”

Nope. Too weird even for this shitshow.

Where The Oceana Breezes Blow

Jeff Chimenti is whispering to Billy, “Sun’s going down, big guy. You’re getting real tired.”

OR

Is that a Real Housewife? If so, from which program/location? Whose flag does this Real Housewife pose under?

OR

When Josh stands in the middle, he looks like he’s the tall candle in a menorah.

OR

Mickey is befuddled; he has been thoroughly fuddled. Mickey has gone through the process of fuddling.

OR

Josh.

“Don’t call me that in front of the band.”

They’re the ones who called you that in the first place.

“What?”

You grabbing ass?

“No.”

Dude.

“No.”

Duuuuuuude.

“No.”

Dude.

“I’m grabbing ass.”

I knew it! I knew it, you grabasstic sumbitch!

“When you’re famous, they just let you do it.”

There’s my guy.

OR

Is there a wind machine? This is a fancy party, indeed, if there’s a wind machine on the blue carpet. (Blue for the oceans. Nowadays, the red carpet can be whatever color you want it to be, which I despise. A blue red carpet is self-contradictory, like vegan beef jerky. We don’t need forced diversity in carpets, Hollywood.)

OR

Bobby?

“Yuh-huh?”

You furious?

“Yuh-huh.”

Any reason?

“I’ll kill you, boy.”

All right, then. But what about here?

“I’m in a better mood here.”

Looks like it. What was all that before about? You frightened me, Bobert Weir.

“God bless ’em, but the randos get to you. 53 years of randos. Y’know, think about it: who in show business has been exposed to more rand than me? Maybe Duke Ellington. He, uh, played until he was 106 years old.”

Not true.

“His trombonist was 98. He could still blow.”

You are exaggerating.

“Okay, fine, yes. Get, uh, get the musicians off the greens, please. And, uh, bring Mr. Gleason another carton of Pall Malls.”

“Kind of you, Mr. President. I were you? I would’ve shot those hippies.”

“Y’know, Gleason, you’re right. Bebe? Where’s Bebe? Someone get Rebozo and tell him to bring his pistols.”

Excuse me. Excuse me, President Nixon. Mr. Gleason. What is going on here?

“You, uh, couldn’t come up with an ending to the post.”

“Terrible. You’ll never make it in show biz, kid.”

Cats Rock Under The Stars

This was the other night, Sunday night, the night after Dodger Stadium; this is not Dodger Stadium, as no Mexican-American neighborhoods were razed to build it. No one at all lived here before the Whites. There used to be monsters in the Hollywood Hills, but since Lohs AN-halays became Loss Anj’liss, there are now mansions. Rich people love living in the Hollywood Hills because rich people listened to the same Eagles records that you did as a teen.

And if you’re rich enough–and talent manager Keith Addis, whose backyard this is, apparently is–you can hire the Grateful Dead (Or What’s Left Of ‘Em) to play your house party.

(TotD, you’re saying, it was a charity event. The band didn’t get paid. And I rip the skin from your body and use it to sew myself a toppermost. The band got paid. If Bobby had shown up with his acoustic and a stool and Matt Busch? Then maybe it’s charity. But when Billy shows up, it means a check has been cut. I’m gonna guess they were issued their normal show fees on paper and donated ’em right back for the tax benefit.

And you say, That doesn’t sound like a plan a Grateful Dead would come up with. I, astounded that you’re still alive without your skin, answer thusly: Of course the band didn’t think it up. Their manager did. That’s why managers are rich enough to live in the Hollywood Hills and hire the Dead to play in their backyards. Trust me: there was tomfoolery.)

A million dollars was raised, though, and that is a good thing. The oceans need our help, and we can accomplish this task: fixing a complex system is surely as easy as breaking one. Most of the million smackers will go to awareness. Many people are not aware of the oceans.

“Oceans? I’m saying that right? Oceans?”

“Perfect.”

“And there’s more than one?”

“Kinda. Sorta. For human purposes, it makes it easier to think there’s four or maybe five. But there’s really just one big one. Don’t worry about that. Not the important point.”

“How big are they?”

“Fucking enormous.”

“Could I throw a rock across one?”

“Absolutely not.”

“What if I was incredibly good at throwing rocks?”

“Still no.”

“Bigger than the lake?”

“Puts the lake to shame.”

“What about the mountains?”

“Dude, there are mountains in the ocean.”

“Good gravy. What’s it like?”

“The ocean?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, you know the land?”

“Like, dirt and trees and stuff?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, I know the land.”

“Opposite of that. Ocean is the opposite of the land.”

“How so?”

“Can’t stand on it.”

“Go on.”

“Try to plant crops in it, and the crops just sink.”

“That is very unlike what happens upon the land.”

“In every way. Also: how salty are you right now?”

“Not salty at all.”

“Ocean? Salty as hell, brother. It’s halfway to brine.”

And so on.

The million dollars raised will also go to Democratic candidates, all of whom promise to maintain a shining record of voting to destroy the environmental just a liiiiitle bit slower than the Republicans. (And civil rights, once they’re absolutely forced to.)

A negligible amount of the cash will go to tipping out the bartenders, waitstaff, and valets.

No proceeds will purchase explosives and a list of the top ten polluting factories in the country. Which is a shame.

I Got The Trash And You Got The Cash, So Baby We Should Get Along Fine

Abraham Lincoln said it, Enthusiasts. You can fool most of the people some of the time, and a couple of the people usually, and all of the people once in a while, and people from Kentucky are generally slow on the uptake, but those looking for the dumbest fucks on the planet should concentrate on fashion. That’s Abe Lincoln saying that, folks, and he was so trustworthy that logs were named for him.

This is the pop-up Dead & Company merch shop that existed for but a brief time today on La Brea in Los Angeles, a retail fruit fly if there ever were one. The credulous and the over-moneyed came from miles. What hypebeast slouches towards Bethlehem? It was everything a rich idiot could want out of life: a chance to stand in line outside in July, and then buy an ugly shirt that costs too much. But not just any ugly shirt, no. An ugly shirt that no one else could buy. An exclusive ugly shirt. A one-of-a-kind ugly shirt. Sui generis and shit, yo.

What’s on the menu?

Who are these pieces for, and can we have their names and addresses so that they may be sterilized? Is this what Millennials are doing with their money instead of buying real estate? What the fuck is a “Dad Hat?”

I don’t mind the Mars Hotel keychain. It should be five bucks, though. Oh, wait: it is.

Pss pss pss.

No.

Pss pss.

You cannot be serious.

PSS PSS!

Don’t yell at me.

The bomber jacket’s reversible. It’s two ugly jackets for the price of one overpriced ugly jacket. Besides, when you think “Grateful Dead,” you think “bomber jacket.” Put on your shiny shell coat, lace up your Doc Martens, tighten up your crew cut, and let’s go choogle.  No, a proper Grateful Dead jacket is one of those big, floppy, woolen coats from Peru or wherever, or maybe a Levi’s denim trucker model with the cover to Blues for Allah painted on the back and a shitload of pins on the front. Or an army jacket. A Vietnam-era slouchy, sloppy, multi-pocketed, olive-drab number–technically an M65 Field Coat originally designed by Alpha Industries–that brims over with utility and functionality that’ll last you a decade’s worth of tours. Semiotically speaking, you cant’t go wrong.

Unless you’re a complete asshole and spend $2500 on this:

 

Beyond the already-limited stock of the Dead & Company pop-up shop, there was also a “bootleg” section spotlighting handmade pieces from one artist. The artist–and, gosh, it was a struggle not to put quotation marks around that word–is named Matt McCormick, and you can see some of his work at his site. Matt spends his days tattooing people–some of whom are famous–and his evenings romanticizing cigarettes. His Spotify playlists are impeccable, he’s more than happy to talk about sobriety with you, and if you got 2500 bucks, he’ll doodle on your clothing.

Excuse me. He’ll art on your clothing. If it were doodling, it would be cheaper.

Matt even arted on the back. Look:

Now you see where the money went, right? You weren’t sold from just the front, but once I turned her around and you saw that there were horsies, you got on the bus. And look at the legibility of that printing, huh? You can read the shit out of those random snatches of someone else’s work, right? (And between you, me, and the horsies: I think “I wonder if you care” isn’t as random as it initially seemed. This jacket may, in fact, be Political. Great art has layers, folks.)

Oh, and:

Nailed it.

There’s a shirt, too. Wanna see it?

Wanna unsee it? WELL, YOU CAN’T, FUCKER. WE’RE ALL IN HELL NOW.

(I don’t know how much they were charging for the shirt, but if an army jacket with some Sharpie doodles on it was going for $2500, then I could imagine five hundred bucks for this useful and attractive garment. Furthermore, I can imagine hunting down anyone who would pay $500 for this bullshit, locking them into a brazen bull, building a fire, and listening to the beautiful music. I got a hell of an imagination.)

Also: is that the McDonald’s Moon Man? Isn’t he a Nazi now?

But that wasn’t everything available from Mr. McCormick at the pop-up shop. You could have also purchased an amateurishly- engraved flask:

This is shit. I tried to think up clever barbs, or some witty derision, but it’s just shit. If your cousin Jumpy made it for you, then you’d treasure it. You and Jumpy did Summer Tour together in ’83 and ’84. Jumpy had an engraving kit, and he’d personalize Zippos for custies on the lot to make some spending money and meet some heady folks. You’d probably still be a virgin if it wasn’t for Jumpy. Taught you how to talk to girls. Taught you how talk your way out of a speeding ticket. After the last show in ’84–Ventura, remember?–Jumpy gave you the flask. You didn’t even drink at the time. Maybe the best summer of your life. Hit Ceder Point on the way back home, rode all the roller coasters because Jumpy was a roller coaster nut. It was two weeks later you walked into his apartment and found him swinging. Didn’t leave a note, but he left you that flask and you think of him every time you take a pull of it. Lately, you wish you could think of him a little less.

But that’s not what this is. This is shit.

Once more for the road:

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