Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the
Grateful Dead
This Week in Grateful Dead History
Week 1
I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train.
Even the most cursory examination of the lyrics of Grateful Dead songs quickly uncovers one of the most fundamental aspects of the band’s identity: This is an American band, rooted in American culture, and built around easily recognizable locales and deeply American principles and history.
Other Posts
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 5 - January 30, 1978
Lazy Lightning
A quick review of the Grateful Dead’s 30-year performance schedule reveals a glaring “asterisk” next to the year 1975. Sandwiched in between 40 shows in ’74 and 41 in ’76 – and with an average of almost 77 concerts per year over their entire history – the mere four appearances the band made during their hiatus in ’75 represented a significant challenge for the Deadicated.
I wish I was a headlight
I don’t believe in aging. But before you misidentify me as a wingnut, “chronology change denier,” allow me to define the term “aging.” Within the context of aging as a biological fact, there is no “belief” involved. We all age and eventually die. That is an undeniable fact. However, there is more to “aging” than that. So, let’s drill down a little deeper, shall we?
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 37 – September 12, 1988
Believe it if you need it
Let’s start this week’s installment with a quick question: What do Quentin Tarrantino and the Grateful Dead have in common? The answer is that they are both acquired tastes. The first time I saw the movie, Pulp Fiction, I literally got up and walked out (probably during the scene in the basement of the pawn shop, but I can’t exactly recall). But over the years, Pulp Fiction has become one of my favorite movies of all time, and whenever a new Tarrantino’s film is released I rush to see it. Similarly, the first time I listened to the album, American Beauty, I just didn’t get it.
All Material Copyright 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Stewart Sallo